A long long time ago …..

Tidying out the garage last night at home and found this screwed to the bench for test running ! an old OPS 60 glow engine …. seem to remember it was fitted in a model called Super Star back in the 70’s when I lived in Suffolk. The model was a very sleek world championship model with really neat inboard flaps with a leading edge that came up and acted as airbrakes (the aileron torque rod ran through the centre hinge line of the flaps (amazingly simply and efficient).

We used to fly off the top end of the Westerly runway at Duxford in what I think was the South Cambridgeshire Model Aero Club. Remember looping this at a distance at low level and thinking this could be very tight … what I should have done was half roll out and fly on .. but kept pulling the stick – thinking if I pulled it harder it MUST pull through …. the ‘plane did indeed pull through but suddenly really slowed down …. there was a big bang a  second later .. (time-lapse) .. and it turned into a glide as all the undercarriage was ripped off and the prop shattered … it missed pulling out by about 3 inches !

Then there was the time I spent a fantastic unforgettable crisp December day flying my friend (Brian Harris) beautifully finished CAP10. We used nearly a gallon of fuel in the day … it culminated with lots of buddy lead connected flying training so that Brian could get used to it. The final pass was meant to be a long sweeping run down the runway .. the vapour trail pouring out in the cold clear air … then as it got level with us pull up into a big loop to break off and turn into land …. only problem was I started the routine INVERTED ……

The model passed us doing about 150 as I pulled full UP….

The sound of metal, plastic, balsa, spruce, servos and an (earlier) very nice 40 engine as the runway at Duxford pushed the driveshaft through the backplate …..

Brian was so so philosophical … saying it was simply the best days flying he had ever had …. we left with lots of smiles and a few plastic bags full of parts !