My interest in
competitive Free Flight Scale was kindled due to the scale articles, written by Eric Coates,
that appeared in Aeromodeller in the early 70s. Like many of the competitors who
flew with Eric I was unable to come even
close to beating him.
He was obviously doing something I was not !.
The publication of
the plans for his De Havilland DH9a in Aeromodeller Jan 1975 was the turning
point for me and all my model aeroplanes of this type are, more or less, a DH9a in
a different shape.
Please note thumbnail pictures on this site are click enlargeable.
Handley Page 0/7 at the
Eddie Riding Memorial Trophy 2005
Question. When is a scale model finished?
Answer. Never, unless your model is of the standard, and intensity of build, for
instance, Pete
McDermott produces. But we all have to be realistic and draw the line somewhere. The above picture
shows the H.P. at a point that I was happy with. During the winter I came across
some more photographs of this aeroplane in the A. J. Jackson Collection (see
links page) and the quality was outstanding. Big mistake, as this is where you discover that
your model is not as good as you thought it was. One photo I will not use
for documentation as it is just to good. It is is a stunning view of the engine nacelles and a very impressive "object d'art" in metal bashing skills that I
could not hope to reproduce in miniature.
None of the pictures that I had previously, showed any registration on the wings
but it was quite clear there should be something when studying the new
photos. With the magic of the computer the photos where enlarged and hey presto
NO registration. By a quirk of timing the photographs that I used for my
documentation have caught the period when the white wing registration rectangles
are blank. So now I have a modified H.P. with two huge white blank panels on the
wings. The markings are now more accurate but look a bit odd and incomplete. I may have to take
it to the next stage and give it the registration mark G-EAAF that it had
towards the later end of its service. But good photos of this particular scheme
have proved more difficult to find than rocking horse droppings. The
modification will necessitate the covering of the Handley Page logos on the sides
of the fuselage. This I am loathe to do as it took me ages to get them right.
Perhaps I'll do it for next season.
The moral of this tale is, if you are happy with it leave the
(*&^%$"<) thing alone!!!!!!
Photo Neville Legg
First full power flight
on the Isle of Sheppy.
Medway Model Flying Club's fantastic flying site with a huge amount of space to fly.
www.medwaymfc.co.uk
We are within sight of the airfield from which the first flights were made by
the aviation pioneers in this country. Another advantage of the site is the
incredible abundance of wildlife to watch. When waiting for the gale from the
North Sea to abate there is still plenty to observe, to the point
where
aeromodelling almost comes second. All seems idyllic. Take reality check. I still have to take a great
deal of care about the marshes, dykes, rivers, pylons, the
bull, cowpats, livestock, crops, farmer's sundry items, wild life, conservationists,
bird sanctuary and if that's not enough on the west side of the site the biggest
dung heap I have ever seen.
Such is life.
Competition
Successes
2008 The Knight
and Pridham Trophy. (Handley Page 0/7)
2008
Eddie Riding
Memorial Trophy. (Handley Page 0/7)
2008 Howard Credgington Memorial Trophy. (Handley Page 0/7)
2007 Superscale
Trophy. (Handley Page 0/7)
2007 Dreaming Spires. (Sopwith Dove)
2007 Howard
Credgington Memorial Trophy. ( Miles Student)
2006 The Lane
Trophy (and the "Eagle") (Handley Page 0/7)
2006 Superscale Trophy. (Handley Page 0/7)
2006 Eddie Riding
Memorial Trophy. (Sopwith Dove)
2005 Eric Coates
Trophy. (Handley Page 0/7)
2005 The Knight
and Pridham Trophy. (Handley Page 0/7)
2003 Eddie Riding
Memorial Trophy. (Sopwith Dove)
A proud (and sunburnt) moment.
2002 Eddie Riding
Memorial Trophy presentation was made by Mrs Riding and son
Richard Riding. (Sopwith Dove)
2002 Oxford Dreaming Spires. (Martinsyde
Elephant)
1998 Super Scale
Trophy. (Martinsyde Elephant)
1998 Eddie Riding Memorial Trophy. (Martinsyde Elephant)
1994 Eddie Riding Memorial Trophy. (Martinsyde Elephant)
1992 The Knight and Pridham Trophy. (Airspeed Ferry)
1989 Shuttleworth Scale Model Rally. Best Free Flight Scale model. (Sopwith 11/2 Strutter)
the
Hangar
Handley Page 0/7
Take-off at the 2005 Nationals
Post WW1 civil conversion of the 0/400
bomber.
Model is 1/18th Scale and has a wing span of 66''. It is powered by a pair of
straight drive 480 electric motors with 7x3 props.The power is supplied by
7x500 mah Sanyo AR ni-cads. Flying weight is 3 lbs.
In the photo depicting the broken fuselage you can see that the the structure is
too weak to support the tail-end. This weakness manifested itself on one of the
trimming flights, or rather the crash landing. After launch it assumed the
dreaded right hand circuit. "I don't want to look moment" coming up.
It gained height but tightened up and descended under power. It crash landed into
longish grass. The wing tip caught first swinging the model around abruptly
and I was horrified to see the complete backend cartwheel into the air. The despair
was instant and I trudged over to the kit of parts. Home James. However, on
close inspection some days later, I slowly realised that all was not lost. With some
local strengthening I put it back together and clad the whole cabin section of
the fuselage in 64th
ply. I was fortunate to have tested the model unpainted and the repairs are
completely invisible. Lesson learnt here as I usually finish my models before
trimming. The reason I have featured this point is to demonstrate that with perseverance
the most horrendous problems can be overcome, you just have to keep plugging
away at it. More trimming flights revealed the cure for this wayward flying was
simply 1.5 mm of up elevator and the same amount of left rudder. Sometimes one
is so near yet so far.
It is worth mentioning that the finished model, having the addition of rigging
and scale detail needed a lot more power to overcome the additional drag to
enable it to fly
properly.
I have not made plans available but Bill Dennis's Handley Page 0/400
Bomber (same size) is available from Sams Models www.samsmodels.co.uk
Miles
M100 Student
Photo Laurence Marks
Original
was designed as a side-by-side jet trainer for the RAF but lost out to the Jet
Provost. The plan was published in Aeromodeller in 1956. 21'' wingspan for a
Jetex100. I have converted it to use a Rapier L3 with a cigar tube efflux. I
have also incorporated detachable wings and used carbon fibre stiffened Depron
for the tail surfaces.
Sopwith Dove
Photo by kind permission
of Alex Whittaker. Taken at the Eddie Riding Competition 2007
When I first flew the Dove
it soon became evident that with the characteristic Sopwith short nose it needed
a bucket full of side and down thrust. Very stable and reliable now that these
angles have been sorted. 43" Wingspan and 38ozs. Power is provided by a
Mills 1.3.
I'm cheating with the photo bottom right as this Dove belongs to Gary Odgers
from Australia.
There are some differences. Can you spot them?
Sopwith
Dove plan is available from Model Flyer
www.modelflyermagazine.com
Ref no: MF112 and
featured in their June 2003 issue.
Martinsyde
Elephant
Photo taken
by Laurence
Marks at the 2006 Dreaming Spires competition.
Play was brought to an early end for me when the Elephant crashed into Vic
Wilson's awning, collapsing it on top of all inside with models. Oops sorry
about that!
Centre photo is of
Sandra, my wife. Very understanding and she oohs and ahhs in all right places
but I am aware of an undertone of sarcasm.
Cockpit photos compare
both Elephants. My attempt at ribtape stitching on the wings was not a success. Eric
Coates used the term Victorian bridge rivets. He was always to the point and he was
right.
Photos Laurence
Marks
My faithful Martinsyde Elephant.
Built to 1/9th scale with a Mills 1.3 that once belonged to Eric Coates. I built
two Elephants. The first one (upper photos) was destroyed by flying square on into the trunk of
one of the big trees in the infamous copse at Old Warden. It was the impact on
the ground, after the long fall to earth, that did the real damage. The second
one (lower photos) still flies well. Martinsyde Elephant plans are available
from www.xlistplans.demon.co.uk
Bristol F2B
Mk4
Photo taken at the trimming stages. Note
the absence of cockpit details and non working rigging. Note extended wing
slots.
In the colours of Oxford University Air Squadron.
At 54 inch span it was too big and heavy. It flew well but was always a handful.
Wing slots are fully extended and worked well. Powered by an ED Racer 2.5cc.
The photo on the right shows the damage caused by a power on crash landing at RAF
Abingdon. One of those "I don't want to look" moments. The wing roots were too fragile. The front cowling was completely
mangled and was remade. We all make mistakes and many lessons were learnt from the
experiences with this model.
Airspeed Ferry
My first Nationals win in Co2/Electric.
After my initial success with the Jet Wot I went bonkers and took on this three
engine
model.
The basic shape was very simple but the centre sections, with the engine
nacelles
and lower inner wing angles, was a real headache.
Finished in the livery of Sir Alan Cobham's Flying Circus.
Curry Jet Wot
The jet part was
an experimental turbine unit developed by Rover car manufacturers. The model was originally
built for rubber power but was way to heavy and so I converted to electric. It
seemed to weigh a ton then. However, it flew very well. As far as I can
remember, the motor was a straight drive 360 with 6x350mah ni-cads. Close
observation of the photos reveals that I fitted a lead weight to an arm that
switched off the motor, by inertia, on landing.
Sopwith 11/2 Strutter
My first
effort at a competitive scale model. Flew very well but way down on static
points.
The model is very old in this picture, taken at Old Warden. Note wing tip warps.
DC Spitfire engine.
Phantom
Another
venture into the unknown. This model I converted from a kit designed as a
slope soarer. It did fly, just, but the engine, a DC Spitfire was not man
enough. The damage sustained in the trimming stages to the moulded plastic
fuselage was to much and it was shelved. The blue foam wings, covered with fax
paper, were bullet proof.
Yes, I know it's not scale. My
Keil Kraft Ladybird always seems to rekindle thoughts of days gone by. Most
modellers I speak to seem to have had a love hate relationship with the Ladybird
they built. A 1 1/2 size version is on my to build list .
DH 51. Miss Kenya
And now for something completely different. Indoor, rubber powered, with all Depron
construction. I've always fancied making an outdoor model of around 48" as it has all the
right shapes and angles but I can't help feeling it lacks the wow factor.
This photo was taken at RAF
Odiham 1984/5 and depicts Eric Coates, sitting in his car, with a youthful Bill
Dennis and an onlooker (If you know who he is please let me know) surveying
assembled models.
Top. John Coaker's Spartan Arrow.
Left. Charlie Newman's DH 83 Fox Moth.
Right. Eric Coates "unbeatable" DH9a.
Bottom. My Bristol F2B
At the rear can be seen Eric's Outlaw
