NOTES ON MODEL AEROPLANES

Southland Times, Issue 23337, 22 October 1937, Page 12

NOTES ON MODEL AEROPLANES

OPENING OF NEW SEASON

(By

FUSELAGE)

The sun has returned from its journey to the northern hemisphere where it has given our fellow modellers wonderful flying weather at all the big contests. During these past months, when we have had much cold and wet weather, the big contests have been staged and won in America and England.

In America the Moffett contest was contested by several models from New Zealand which were placed sixth, seventh, tenth and eleventh. It was won by Mr J. Cahill witn a flight of 15min 45sec and the splendid trophy held last year by Mr V. Grey, of Auckland, goes back to the United States of America The models had to weigh Boz and 200 square inches wing area and it hardly seems credible that with this wing loading models should soar in the manner that the time for this flight would suggest. The time recorded for other flights would suggest that Mr Cahill was extremely lucky to hook his model to an exceedingly strong thermal air current. Gas models were more popular than ever and enthusiasts in the United States are extremely fortunate in having the best motors available at reasonable prices, which goes most of the way to the success of this branch of the sport. As Maxwell Bassett launched the petrol-engined models about three years ago so this year we see another step on the stair of progress—radio-control-led models. It is true as in the pioneer gas models, that all the entrants were not a complete success but they proved that radio-controlled gas models are the acme of the model builder’s skill and that success only requires patience and knowledge. It is a tall order to ask a model builder to be a draughting, constructional, mechanical and radio engineer all in one but evidently Mr Lanzo attained some efficiency in all these professions. There were six radio-controlled models at the contest but only three took to the air. There is no doubt that if enthusiasts of the two hobbies, radio and gas model building, were to get together and work in conjunction on the same model greater success would be achieved as, according to reports, the best radio equipment lacked the best in planes and vice versa. STEAM-POWERED MODEL Another surprise was the success of a steam-powered model. It was quite a small model, being about three feet six inches span and was equiped with a small three cylinder engine of five thirty-seconds bore. The boiler was of the flash type and the fuel was of a semi-solid nature. The whole power plant was only about six inches long by two inches high. It turned an eightinch propeller at 3000 r.p.m. The model flew beautifully and it is to be hoped some of the steam model engineers in this city will give the public of this city an example of the value of the most efficient power known to locomotion. They should certainly be more reliable than the tricky miniature petrol motors that have become so popular. WAKEFIELD CONTEST Early in August the international Wakefield Contest was held and competed for by representatives or planes flown by proxy from 13 countries. Teams were sent from United States of America, France and Germany. The British team included a police sergeant, an artist and an office clerk showing from what diverse occupations the sport of model flying attracts adherents. The club membership of the United Kingdom is about 2000. The German team, under Herr Franz Alexander, one of the Youth Group leaders, had some wonderfully designed and built models and its leader, in a speech, told that in its special schools the whole art of building and flying model aeroplanes was taught to boys who were thus provided with a good working knowledge of flying which was of great assistance to them when they were able to take their place in the aircraft industry or in the personnel of the air force. The French team were the ones on whom Dame Fortune smiled and Monsieur H. Solton carried off the trophy presented by Lord Wakefield in 1928, thus winning it for France for the first time.

The Americans were unlucky this time but have not previously built such heavy planes as are used in this contest, consequently in Europe where it had been the practise to build weighty models the contestants had more experience in this particular field. The planes sent by Australia, South Africa and New Zealand were flown by friends in England (by proxy) and there is always the very reasonable suggestion that the planes might have put up a much better performance in the owners’ hands.

It is up to the Southland Club to make a serious attempt on the New Zealand record for this class and get a plane in the running for the Wakefield Trophy next year.

CLUB ACTIVITIES During the winter months the club has taken advantage of any weather that was in any way suitable and, assisted by the enthusiasm of Mr D. McGregor, got in a good number of flying hours. It has been my experience that the cold weather is unsuitable for accurately testing a model and it is to be hoped that members have not scrapped models from which they could get no performance in the winter as in the warm weather those same models might give a most surprising performance. If they were at all stable in flight they will be all right even if they appeared sluggish and had no climb. There are good reasons for this and it is one of the chief differences between fullsized planes and models that the best performance is to be got in light atmospheric conditions. The club was unfortunate in losing an enthusiastic member in Mr McGregor, who has gone to Christchurch. He was the first to get a successful flight in this province with a gas model, making a flight of over 5 minutes and gaining a height of 500 feet. The model landed a mile and a-quarter away and was followed by one of the Southland Aero Club’s machines. Contests will be held, weather permitting, on October 24 on Thompson Park and on October 25 at the aerodrome. The competitions will be: Open, handicap, and senior and junior records. As the juniors have more than held their own so far under the handicap system all are expected to enter at least two planes. The junior contest for the Brown Cup (under 18) begins on October 23 and closes December 31. This gives the members ample time to get their “crates” in trim and will include the Riverton centenary contest. The points for the McGregor Cup will also be taken from Saturday, October 23.