What
was going on in November 1975 in the modelling world. Take a
look back at some snippets from a magazine of the era.
The editorial this month congratulates it's readership for
helping achieve almost 10 years of publication and notes the
welcome and encouragement of continued existence even when
the price had to be put up. Again not much response to Ray
Favre's trying to establish a non competition body to govern
aeromodelling & model flight. Editor quoted as saying
''most non contest modellers do not care very much about
having any sort of organisation ~ or there is a desperate
shortage of postcards in the British Isles.
Cover models Chiltern & Medip were the latest glider
combos available from Aviette-Ripmax. The Chiltern, (top left
of picture) 66" span intermediate trainer with a thin
undercambered dihedral wing. Using rudder & elevator
controls. The Mendip, (bottom right) 60" span fully
aerobatic 3 channel glider & featured a semi symmetrical
wing.
Now what famous dual version glider do these remind you of ?
Norman Butcher reports from the 1975 World Model Aerobatics
Championships, held at Bern in Switzerland. Wolfgang Matt of
Liechtenstein took the individual title with a score of
14830. The team trophy went to the USA. Great Britain only
managed a disappointing 11th team place with no individuals
scoring in the top 10.
The Philip Lawson & John Palmer Concorde
G-BSST. At 9ft in length and 4ft span this impressive model
project took around 2 1/2 years to reach ready to fly status.
Driven by 2 inverted OS 40 as pushers and using elevon &
rudder controls. All was well until final fast taxi tests at
the local airfield. A graceful 20 yard hop seemed to indicate
it was all going to plan and a first flight was in progress.
As the Concorde began to reach take off speed the nose leg
hit a ridge and bounced the front right up, an untimely gust
of wind was there to whisk the model into a vertical climb to
50ft at which point gravity remembered the job it was
supposed to be doing and brought the model crashing to the
ground.
Video! DVD! Broadband Streaming Media! ~ If you'd said such
things when this magazine was printed you'd have either been
locked away as mad or stoned for heresy. Indeed these classic
planes, featuring a Bristol F2B & a 1916 Sopwith Pup were
available for the latest Super 8mm Home Movie Cine
Projectors. Other new arrivals of the time were the Graupner
Mosquito all wood glider kit and from Ripmax the very latest
Bell 47G helicopter kits.
The namesake this month takes a look at the latest offering
from Webra. The Speed 61R uses an unusual rear rotary valve
induction system. Although one of the heaviest engines in
it's class it did return 1.6-bhp which at the time was the
highest reading for a 10cc engine. The writer was not so
impressed with the open front silencer and noted that the
manufacturer was releasing a closed expansion type to cut
noise.
When was the last time your local slope looked this crowded.
I've seen some crowded events at Ivinghoe but nothing to
compare to this picture.
