Before the days of radio controlled aeroplanes became commonplace we used to fly our models free flight,yes thats right we launched them into the blue with a tiny amount of fuel on-board,set the trim to give a steady bank against the engine torque,then when the fuel ran out the model would glide down into land,well that was the theory at least, but sometimes things would go wrong as was my flying session during a brisk day in October 1955,as I walked with my model under arm to the flying site,a few miles from my home at Tile Hill,Coventry the mist started to drop,keen as mustard in those days to get some flying in I carried on,the model was a Slicker Mite a kit design by Keil Kraft which I had spent hours on building her up,the engine was a tiny diesel engine made by a company called PAW ( this stood for Progress aero works,the company is still going ) as I arrived at the field which was part of a Boy scouts camping ground, the mist had dropped even more with the visability at around 300 feet,but after walking all that way I decided to at least start the engine,well you know how things go,my fingers were cold and the engine burst into life,should I try a flight ? well I held the model aloft and gently launched her into the still air,she wafted beautifully into a smooth bank with the engine running at full song,steadily she climbed into the mist and then vanished ! I could hear the motor running but what I had not realised was how economical she was,the tiny phial of fuel was it seemed more than adequate.
As she climbed the noise became less and I then as she became more distant a deathly hush ! I had underestimated how far that she would fly on what appeared to be a thimble full of fuel,my new Slicker Mite and my cherished engine was gone within a few minutes,feeling quite sick I made my way home without the model very disgruntled
Now here lies an amazing twist of fate,that if I had not witnessed the model vanishing myself would not have believed it,the next day on the doorstep with our daily pint of milk was my model ! the milkman who lived on a farm at Crackley just outside of Kenilworth had found it sitting in one of his fields,it was intact with no damage and looked as if it had made a perfect three point landing judging by the mud on the wheels and skid.
She had flown a total distance of several miles by air,across houses,a railway line,wooded area,trading estate and landed on that farm.
Amazing too that the milkman knew whose model it was ? there was no name and address on it,but he had just associated me with the model aeroplane,an amazing stroke of luck to say the least,why did it land in that spot where he would find it and deliver it safely back to me the very next day ?
