Seaspray

Seaspray comes from an item I use to do at work I am into model boats but have done planes in the past its too hard now to find a flying field that gives you more than 10 15 minutes flying time at a go

duncan

Hi Seaspray, Flying fields arent too much of a problem here in the Scottish Highlands thank goodness, and lochs for waterplanes. I`m racking my brain for a model called Seaspray but cant think of one. Great name though. Lets have some Kentish boat news. Duncan RO5

Seaspray

where r u in the heellands as iam from ayrshire

duncan

Jings am an Ayrshire man ma`sel, Born Crosshill, school Ayr Grammar,married Troon lass,lived Barassie,worked USAF Prestwick,( Illustrator) cold feet during cold war , moved to Aviemore 40 years ago. Lived happily ever after.

Seaspray

ah Crosshill I got a piston for a 1939 Wolsley fixed by a great engineer there. Ayr Grammer my cousin went there I wis a bit daft so I goat left behin Troon nice golf course there. Brassie the old man use to work at Brassie works in 1957 Prestwick /Monkton, yanks there till late 60s early 70 use to watch them fly there control line models with envy Aviemore spent time at Edinburgh Skillcentre with a friend from Aberdean Sorry I got mixed up between Kirkmichael and Crosshill
Small world isn't

wonwinglo

Seaspray my ears clicked up when you mentioned control line ! the Americans introduced this to Britain way back late 1949 when it was called 'U-Control' during the war the flying of powered models was forbidden so people fitted their 'Gas' engines in all sorts of things including race cars,power boats that were sometimes tethered to a pole in the centre of the lake and then came along control line,almost a forgotton flying form with the mass take over of radio many people like myself learned about model engines from this form of flying,there was nothing quite like feeling the model respond on the end of the line,and if the up-line broke as it usually did ! then the model just dived into the deck,some of the aerobatic models that had coupled flaps to smooth out the loops were quite something but the medium had one appeal to myself and that was flying scale subjects that would be impossible to trim as free flight models,as a schoolboy with limited pocket money I had the use of endless school playing fields with the blessing of the head master.
Getting back to your story the Americans bought with them their culture and control line was certainly one of them,virtually unheard of in the UK gradually the bug stuck and kits and engines started to flow into the countryfrom firms like Sterling,every local park had control liners at weekends,these noisy statically placed models annoyed the neighbours and the authorities started to gradually ban them as dangerous whirling objects that dogs chased around and around ! people tripped up over the wires and granny complained,why cannot people be normal and all build models,life would be so much easier if they did.
I dont know of any single control line activity around these parts everyone has gone over to radio control,such a pity because it brought with it fun flying in very small areas and that never to be forgotton feel factor that the model airplane would transmit down the lines to your hands and make you know that you were really flying it,simply great

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

duncan

: Ah nostalgia etc, Saw my first R/C plane at Heathfield `drome flown by two American servicemen. The local model flying club had use of the defunct runways and inside the hangars for C/L when wet. Mine was KK Phantom Mite with ED Bee, lot of saving up for a 13 year old. next was F/F Tomboy (same Bee) Had wheels or floats, must do a R/C assist one soon. Smaller world than you might think...the Cooper brothers used Heathfield to fettle Bob MacIntyre`s TT bikes and a little girl used to come with her uncle Joe(Kelly) as gofor and Gunker. I met her 10 years later and we married and found out we had nearly been in each others company years before. Probably the only person to have had a few laps on the back of a TT winning "Porcupine" Ajay.Cheers the noo Duncan

wonwinglo

Duncan that was a lovely story,your bride to be appearing like that,please forgive the indulgance in this pure nostalgia but it is raining cats and dogs outside,so what better way than to speak of times past-
The very first control liner that I had was the Keil Kraft Phantom,with a E.D.Comp Special all of 2.5 cc bolted up front she was a wizard machine,the undercarriage consisted of a steel torsion bar made by my Dad to withstand the constant bashing against the school playground's tarmac,the wings as you will remember were carved from solid balsa floorboards,sorry I mean balsa ! well Keil Kraft seemed to keep their heavier woods for such subjects which had somewhat higher wing loadings,once the Phantom had staggered around after a couple of circles it would lift into the air mostly due to the kinetic energy of momentum and ably assisted by the earths round surface,if you were not giddy by this time then you soon would be as the non throttled engine went faster and faster,as the adrenalin flowed so did the ever decreasing fuel tank drain dry and a quick glide akin to a breezeblock being heaved from a block of flats in zero wind conditions ensued,what fun as a quick refuel and the gravity defying exercise was repeated again and again until dusk prevented any further flying and a long walk home.
Wow those certainly were heady days ! but what fun was had,the rich kid from down the road turned up with his Veron Focke Wulf 190 which had been covered in sheet balsa,but he had not made this gem only bought it from a top class modeller pretending that he had built it,shame on him,after fiddling under the nose cowl we eventually got the engine running and it sounded just great,with no undercarriage an hand launch pointing slightly outwards from the pilot did the trick as the lines tightened with the offset rudder and half a pound of lead at the wingtip.
I would not forget those days for anything,no sophisticated high tech gear just belt and braces stuff,our washing always reaked of ether and well burnt castor and our short trousered knee caps permantly grass coloured,I am so glad that I had 'ordeal by enthusiasm' as my baptism into model flying.
We just dont know how lucky we are today to have the equipment to fly our models.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

Seaspray

I saw my first control line model as a kid in Canada it was on the back of a comic and you got it for having so many credits I think it had something to do with the selling of that comic alass 10 years old with no money, but did I dream. ame back to this country (Scotland) in '61 only to the cries of whats I control line model years behind this country anyway...My first and last control line (I was poor)was a Keil Kraft Firefly me thinks I had a Frog .80 up front it had crashed (slow learner) that many times and puncture the dope/tissue wings that it was so heavy it went real slow hence I learned to fly then came along single channel radio again poor wee laddie no money look and admire ...

duncan

Dead right with the balsa floorboards Wonwinglo , we scrounged blocks of it from the nearby Scottish Aviation factory (Prestwick Pioneers etc). Trouble was it was brick hard and cut with grain vertical 5" max. The liberated alloy sheets were however cut to order! Still got a poker for the fire with handle made from brass alloy rollers from some part of a RR Merlin engine, price 20 Capstan cigs. Suppose the long arm of the law will be heading north right now! Hey , maybe we need a "Vintage Plane Slot" in the Forum.