AROUND THE MODEL AEROPLANE CLUBS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 150, 26 June 1937, Page 3 (Supplement)

AROUND THE MODEL AEROPLANE CLUBS.

The Auckland Club has been most active lately, as it has eo many events scheduled. Interest has been centred somewhat on petrol models, owing to the fact that the period allotted to this club for Hying off their entries in the Texaco competition has just paesed. Out of the three week-ends only one was any pood for flying, and some good work was done. Frank Martin had hie. own design gas job out, and although h« succeeded in crashing it several times he also put tip one flight of 8.18. This model flies on a Baby Cyclone l-6th h.p. petrol motor, is Gin in wing span and weighs approximately 41b. His petrol allowance, therefore, based on 1-lOoz to the pound weight, was just $oz, the model making the above (light on this quantity. The club president. Mr. F. C. Macdonald, was able to get close on 10.0 out of his T-D Coupe, powered with a Cyclone, but as the petrol wa« not officially weighed in, this flight was not claimed for under the competition rules. It i* a club record at the moment. Ralph Court had his new Cavalier, powered with a Brown Junior 1-5 h.p. engine out. and a fine job it is. The long, tapering wings and the streamlined fuselage, all finished in white, looked really well. Vernon Cray and he had a lot of fun coaxing the engine to go. and finally the model took off. but the adjustment was not correct and iho model zoomed and stalled, and finally tried conclusions with a fence. The fence won. The engine was picked up about (tyds ahead of the model. However, we understand that Halph has repaired the Cavalier, and it will be one of the contestants in the workmanship class at the Auckland Winter Show.

Allan Sykes and Hob Woods both have had their models out. but Allan waunfortunate in picking the la»t day of the coni]>eii!ioii and a 30-mile-an-hour wind caused him to very wisely wrap it up and take it home without ri-kin™ a smash up. Bob Woods has been dnina very consistent flying with his T-D coupe, the power plant having been made by himself, and his timing arrangement works perfectly. Hf made it out of a light alarm clock, the alarm workina* being used, so that when the two minutes was up the arm enme round and disconnected the switch. This is the only timer I have yet seen that will work well. I would like to get sketches of any timers which readers have made, as, I know there are lots will be wanting to nmke them. Anion™ the other clubs we hear of .T. .Toll, of New Plymouth, doing river 11 minutes with his

Loutrel Sportster, and down in Kapier come tidings of a 12.0 flijrht. There have been lots of other flight*, some of which are longer than this, but unless these atempts are made at properly called meetings they cannot be allowed as records. Down in Wellington Phil Beales. Arthur Pearce and Krie Ombler. just to mention a few. are now old stagers in the petrol model world, and we expect to hear great things from them. Mr. P. Beales ha* always taken up the attitude that there, is nothin? in getting long flights with a petrol model, but that short controlled flights are much better and show more skill. I ajrree that this is so. and would again point out to petrol model flyers the great risk of doin;* damage if they persist in flying in populated areas. The association has an inquiry in for an insurance scheme, and as soon as this can be settled, efforts will be made, to have every petrol model registered and tabulated. An irresponsible person could do a lot of damage to the movement by flying a petrol model in a dangerous manner. I would therefore urge every model builder to take his machine out into the country for all testing, and then when he has full control over it and knows its tricks he can try it out with reasonable safetv in more restricted area*, but only if he has a jrood timer on it.

Well, the Wakefield models hare been sent flway. and T regret "that there were onlv four models out of a possible sit to •T'o. Next vear let tis have a really ™ood competition for this honour, and see that wp cret a more repre«er l tatire team together. Thr*c that have sent fhe'r model* are to be congratulated on their keenness, and we trust that they will have the sneress they certainly deserve.