Friends, indeed

Two Super 60s given to me by a new friend. The unused tailplane frame is seen above the old wing

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I HAVE written before about internet friends. I seem to have 10 followers of this blog, yet I only know some of them. That's probably how it'll stay, because I can't seem to answer any of the comments and some friends can't get on the comments section at all, which is a shame.

So, to all the people who kindly follow this blog, thankyou and I hope it interests/amuses you.

In a way, through the internet, I have met my most recent friend, for it was through the model flying forum, that I was invited again to visit my local club flying field and through one of those visits that I met a new chum, Peter. We discovered we lived in neighbouring villages and I have visited his Alladin's cave of a workshop and house since.

We have had long circuitous chats as only good friends can and I feel like we're old buddies. In an area not known for its open, friendly nature, this is only the second time I've made a friend since I moved here in 1989.

On learning that I was a beginner at model flying and about to build a trainer, he presented me with a couple of Super 60s, one never finished, one crashed about 35 years ago and never rebuilt.

Naturally I grasped the opportunity. These days balsa wood is not cheap, so to get a couple of airframes merely needing repair or finishing was a very generous offer and I've already started repairing the old crashed one. It is broken badly at two main places on the fuselage and needs new wood scarfing in, which I've now done with the rear break and the model is as strong again as it ever was.

Meanwhile a friend from Oop North (another internet friend) has been building me a powered glider type of trainer, which I could fly on the fields around me.

With these two separate mentors I feel very well equipped to learn the hobby without making too many mistakes.

The forum? Ha!...like all forums, I'm no longer on it. There are always two or three big-headed know-it-alls who only post to criticise and "correct" and who get very shirty if you argue with them. In RCMF's case there was one in particular, who was clearly not used to being contradicted, until I came along and told him what was what in a field clearly not his own. It was obvious he would get nastier and so would I, so, feeling they had little else left to teach me, I left, removed it from favourites, etc.

"I have fed of the blood of fools to a sufficiency".

Up, up and away

I've been getting empty headed lately. That's when things go tits-up with me and I was worrying about not having an idea, a plan, a scheme when for some reason I started thinking aeroplanes and model flying.

In the past I've considered it and other things have moved the thought aside...business, family, etc.

But this time it stuck and being a little jaded with model boats except sailing ones and slot cars (nowhere to do it), this old love, aircraft of a certain age and type and good models of them has proven its ability to stay with me.

So I started looking into it by doing a bit of internet research and joining an excellent British forum called RCMF.

I've been to the local flying site twice and been made very welcome by local club and forum members and have even chosen a suitable model, a De Havilland Hornet Moth.

I sent off for plans of a 46" span version and was appalled by the shoddy standard of draughtsmanship of these for the price, but I've checked and redrawn them and with a lot of pics from the net, I'm raring to go.

De Havilland Hornet Moth G-ADMT

But....you can't just fly. You have to learn first. Here I was lucky, in that a friend, keen to get me started, kindly has offered to build me a foam trainer, put a receiver and servos in it and teach me to fly. All I had to do was buy a suitable modern transmitter.

My dear wife agreed and so I have a very modern Spectrum DX5e coming (whatever that is!)

My new chums at the flying club tested my old engines and confirmed at least one was a "cracking little engine" and suitable for the proposed model.

To top it all, I discovered yesterday that the wonderful old Flying Club (full size) of which I used to be a very active member has recovered from its disastrous arson attack in 2003 and now has a Hornet Moth in residence! So you can tell where I'll be going very soon.

Check out a real English, grass field, tail-dragging rustic airfield at:-

http://www.felthorpe.net/Home.html

I've flown several of the kites in the historic section of the Gallery, but they were all destroyed in the fire.

More anon., as I build my new challenge.