FREE FLIGHT SCALE - 2003/04
Author / Contact
Fernando Ramos 19361 Mesa Dr., Villa Park, CA 92861 E-mail: [email protected]
Column schedule change
Starting with the January 2003 issue, the Free Flight (FF) Scale column will be published every three months instead of every other month. Model Aviation wants to target more of the neophytes in modeling and get them secure in this wonderful hobby. Specialized columns such as mine don't reach enough of the majority—therefore the cutback.
What I offer is definitely geared toward individuals who like to build from scratch and want their end products to look more realistic and fly well. We are in a time where getting a model into the realm of flight is more important to many than the building. Those of us who love the art of model building (yes, I believe that it is an art) are becoming more and more rare. There aren't a whole lot of "spring chickens" participating in the Flying Aces Club Nationals (Nats) or SAM (the Society of Antique Modelers), yet these people enjoy building and flying their handiwork!
Trends in modeling
Pick up any model magazine, and you will see the increasing number of Almost Ready-to-Fly models. Most of them are radio control (RC), but it does give one an idea of where we are headed.
You can buy the best modern Wakefield or Coupe and compete with the best of them. I recently acquired a Coupe, and all that was left for me to do was put in a dethermalizer and the 10-gram rubber motor. I was so impressed with the way these models flew, I had to have one. Certainly I could have built one, but that would have taken away from my primary modeling interests, which are Scale and Old-Timer models.
That is one of the reasons why I enjoy going to the United Kingdom and competing with a group of modelers who love scratch building their FF Scale models, and they are powered with diesel engines!
Trip to the UK and the Czech Republic — overview
In the January column I promised to tell you about my trip to the UK and the Czech Republic (CR). My friend Charlie Newman talked me into going to the CR to compete in what is called Interscale. It is a huge international indoor event that attracts modelers from many European countries.
I had planned to take my Fairey Swordfish to compete in the British Nats, but I destroyed that idea. Fortunately I had a backup, but I had to build a model for the indoor event. I decided to build an Avia B-3. I thought it would be a good idea to build a Czech airplane for a little public relations; it didn't help.
UK: arrival and early activities
When I arrived at Heathrow Airport, Charlie picked me up and we went directly to the Hendon Air Museum, where I photographed the newly acquired Bristol Bulldog. I hope to build a model of the Bulldog; this aircraft is the only one in existence. From there we went to an all-aircraft used-bookstore. It was mind-boggling. We made it to Charlie's home after being delayed by some car trouble.
We had two major events to attend on Saturday:
- Woburn Abbey — the site of the annual Tiger Moth Club Fly-In. You can't imagine what it is like to see the multitude of de Havilland aircraft on this beautiful 3,000-acre estate. We parked on a shallow hill where we could see all the activity while enjoying a hearty meal my host prepared. After photographing many of the airplanes, we headed for our next big event.
- Shuttleworth — Prom Night, held in the late afternoon. There is a large stage covered by a dome-like structure where a symphony plays. In front of the stage is a huge grass area where everyone gathers with tables and chairs and a magnificence of food. About 10 of us in our group each brought more food than an army could eat. When the symphony started at 7 p.m., a beautiful sailplane began a flying routine to the music with colored smoke from each wingtip. After it landed, a Lysander flew to the music for another piece. Different aircraft flew with each piece until it was too dark, and an unbelievable fireworks show ended the memorable evening. If you ever go to the UK, this is a must-see event!
I met many modelers from across Europe and saw their fine models fly in competition.
Other UK visits and the British Nats
I attended an Old-Timer contest for one day at Middle Wallop. This flying site has to be seen to be believed—what an expanse of grass! From there I stayed with Lindsey and Jane Smith and had a marvelous time. After several days with the Smiths, I spent quite a bit of time with Derek and Marilyn Knight.
Finally the long weekend of the British Nats arrived. We normally stay at a pub near the Nats site, but the owner's daughter was getting married and took all the available rooms. This time Derek, Marilyn, Charlie, and I stayed at a wonderful bed and breakfast.
The Nats are held at Barkston Heath Air Base, and the amount of grass is incredible. The FF Scale events are held Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m., after RC Scale is completed. The weather was drizzly most of the day and cold—at least for this Southern California native. By the time it was our turn to fly, the rain quit and the wind was tolerable.
The British rules basically mandate that a model must rise off ground (ROG). You can hand-launch, but your score would not be high enough to win against those whose models do ROG. The different sources of power are grouped as follows:
- Power: diesel or glow
- Electric and CO2: grouped together
- Rubber
Surprisingly, not many modelers who fly rubber-powered Scale models participate. The British love biplanes, as I do, and it was something to see these machines flying against the clouds and the setting sun—they looked full scale.
Doug McHard—one of England's greatest FF Scale modelers—showed up as a spectator, and I had a nice visit with him. He showed me his latest diesel-powered model: an S.E.5a built from plans he drew long ago for the December 1957 Aeromodeller. He also had a rubber-powered Me 109 that he flew for me. Doug passed away unexpectedly while I was in the Czech Republic.
Travel to the Czech Republic: ferry, car trouble, and Prague
The day after the British Nats, Charlie, John Minchell, and I left to drive to the CR. We took the ferry from Dover to Belgium, roughly a four-hour boat trip. When we arrived in Belgium, we hit the 5 p.m. traffic. John’s four-cylinder Renault wagon didn't respond well to the stop-and-go, resulting in overheating and heavy steaming. We had enough water among us to put in the radiator, so we drove a short distance to a village where we found a place for the night. We were lucky that the village had a Renault garage, where we took the car the next morning.
While the car was being repaired, we took a taxi to the air museum in Brussels. It turned out to be great, and we hadn't planned on visiting it. We returned to the garage and were off. We had planned on staying the first night in Germany, but our plans changed with the car problem. We drove straight through Germany to Prague and spent seven days touring this incredible city and its surroundings.
Each day we took an electric tram to the city; we stayed in the outskirts where everything was considerably cheaper. We must have walked at least five miles a day touring the many sights, museums, and other points of interest. The food was first-rate. In this country that was under communist rule for a long time, there were no visible scars from the oppression. The cost of living there isn't high; a pint of beer was 40 cents, and I was paying 60–70 cents for a Sprite.
Prostejov and Interscale
On our way to Prostejov, the site of Interscale, we stopped for a day and an evening in Trebic, where Charlie's good friend Pavel (I can't remember how to spell or pronounce his last name) lives. He is a professional model builder who builds his models—mostly jets—from fiberglass, and they become prototypes for plastic model kits.
Pavel took us to a private airfield where he and many others keep their ultralights. He also showed us a small facility where several individuals were making their own ultralight aircraft. The all-grass airfield and runway would be the envy of all of us here in California.
We left for Prostejov the next day, driving through beautiful countryside and small villages. The weather in the CR was delightful; it rained for only part of one day. The contest was held in a large sports complex, and all of the modelers in attendance stayed in a nice hotel in town. There were approximately 10 participants from the UK, including Derek and Marilyn Knight. I was the only American—and only the second one ever to attend Interscale.
The contest included rubber, CO2, and electric events, and it featured indoor electric RC Scale. My CO2-powered Avia B-3 flew extremely well, but it did not ROG. It was powered with a Gasparin 73 motor. The highlight of my trip there was meeting Stefan Gasparin. He came over to congratulate me after my flights; it can't get any better than that.
Brno, return trip, and reflections
From Prostejov we went to the city of Brno, where we attended an outdoor contest held at another wonderful all-grass airport. That meant more fun and more new friends. From there we headed back to Germany, where we thought we would spend the next night, but we were unable to find any vacancies, so we drove straight to Belgium, then to Dover. After a hearty breakfast, we headed for Charlie's house. After John left, Charlie asked me if I was interested in doing some more flying. Of course I was! The next day I left to come home.
It was a gratifying trip. I was gone a whole month. This is really too long to be away from home and live out of a suitcase, but I am ready for my next trip to the UK this summer. For those of you who have an interest in modeling and full-scale aircraft, a trip to the UK should be on your wish list. You won't regret it!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
