Choddy gets jealous...

Some people out there will remember my attempts to tow a small tree with a Goldberg cub. Well it seems that Choddy got a little jealous of my inventiveness and tried to knock down a tree with a Limbo dancer.

Not only was this tree the biggest in the local area but in trying to flatten it he thought that the most sensible point of impact should be right at the top where physics would suggest that the most leverage could be applied to the roots.

"STUPID BOY"

When having landed the Java glider that I was flying, I noticed that the Limbo dancer was in mid circuit at high speed, but with what appeared to be great accuracy, heading straight for the tree. Obviously I didn't want to distract Choddy from this brave attempt at outdoing my earlier tree antics, as if nothing else I always admire brave challengers.

Unfortunately the flexibility of this branch foiled the attempt..

What me? up there? never..

With that familiar crack, the model came to an abrupt halt and the branch only flexed a little. The roots of the tree stood firm. Although i'll swear that a twig or two were dislodged. Never mind Choddy better luck next time. :-)

Having decided that I was far too heavy for the thin branches up there, as were the rest of us it seemed almost a hopeless task to retreive the model. Choddy climbed a little way but decided not to go any further.

He didnt get far...

With a couple of well aimed shots the line came over.

It was Chinny that finally came up with a solution to this dilema. Having once been a keen fisherman with a flare for casting the line. He suggested that it might be possible to cast a line over the model and down to the floor whereby a rope could be attached and drawn back over the tree. Then with a person on either end of the rope we could shake the model down from the branches.

The rope is tied to the line...

The rope being pulled over the model...

I have to admit to being a bit sceptical, but Chinman can be surprisingly good at this sort of thing. He shot off home at the speed lightning (not) to get his rod and line and a length of nylon rope. On his return a heavy weight was added to the line and was after a couple of attempts cast over the top of the model/tree.

The rope was then attached and hauled aloft. "HORRORS". The rope was too short even with two tied together. Chinny and I had to go home again and find another rope.

Mean while Maddog Kev arrived at the scene. I could hear him laughing from the house :-) . It was all Choddy could do to stop him climbing the tree till we returned with the extra rope. With the new length tied on at last we were ready to see if the theory would work.

With Choddy on one end and Chinny at the other the rope was freed from the more straggely twigs until it was pulling on a firmer branch. A few gentle pulls and the model only shook slightly, a few harder pulls and then one almighty great tug had the model falling straight towards me so I ran off, only for the limbo dancer to stop near the bottom branches.

Kev shot up the tree to shake it loose...

The model falls but stops short...

I've never seen anyone go up a tree so fast as Kev did. Choddy stood below and kev shook the trees lower branches. The model finally came down and was caught by choddy. The most amazing thing was that there was no actual damage to speak of. A few tears in the covering and the tail needs to be re-glued on, thats all.

Limbo dancer lives to fight another tree. Only next time choddy can get down on his own. Or get himself a team of trained monkeys for retreival purposes. All in all though I have to admire his competition spirit and look forward to future challenges to my tree towing exploits.

Kev. Clearly shocked at the lack of damge..

A great days fishing was had by all...

Article by Grot from Bumpy Green Model Aerodrome
1st January 2002