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A
'Gunsight' view of Phil Cooke's P-47 Thunderbolt at Cim
Farm
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This annual event was blessed with fine
weather but there was a rather low cloud base hanging about
100 feet above the launch point for most of the first day.
Attendance was disappointingly low this year, with only 7
modellers turning up over the weekend. In spite of
this, some twenty different PSS models were on show with the
majority being flown on one or other of the two days.
On the Saturday, a 10-14mph wind was
blowing in from the North and our flying site was from
sloping grassland owned by a friendly farmer at Llithfaen,
looking out towards Anglesey. The launch point was
approximately 300 yards behind the beach and about 750 feet
above it.
Over the two days, there were several
converted ARTF foam electric park flyer type scale models
flown and, on the first day two of these in particular were
frequently airborne together.
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The first was
a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, owned and flown
by Phil Cooke and built (assembled!) from the E-Flite
electric kit. It spans 39" and has an AUW for
PSS of just 1.25lb. The second model was the
Chance-Vought F-4U Corsair by Nigel Moule.
This model spanned just 33" and was assembled from
the Alfa Models kit.
Both models
performed in an excellent manner off the slope in
light to medium lift, and as the photos show, they
were formating and mixing it up together very
effectively! (a bit TOO close at times!) |
Brian Bates from Ashby-de-la-Zouche
brought along his Ripmax Spitfire and put on a very
realistic flying performance. He also flew an all foam
semi-scale Me-109 which proved to be a very steady flier.
Brian had also travelled with a large, immaculately finished
McDonnell Douglas Phantom II but wisely elected not to fly
it on the Saturday since the wind strength was deemed a
little on the low side for a safe maiden flight.
| By Sunday morning
the wind direction had moved from North to South and
a new site at Cim Farm nearer to the town of
Abersoch was utilised. Wind speed varied
between just 6 and 14mph.
Apart from the lightweight
Thunderbolt and Corsair, Phil Cooke flew again his
T-33 Shooting Star built from the Wade Kloos EPP
kit. This model is fitted with wing and
fuselage mounted 'Air Whistles' which gives the
model a realistic jet sound when it is moving
forward with any gusto.
Malcolm Bates, Brian's brother
- who had travelled from the Cambridge area, flew
his own Ripmax Spitfire to good effect as well as
his eye catching semi scale F-15 Eagle, made from
the Protech power kit. |
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Brian Bates poses with his new PSS Phantom II |
Rez Manzoori had a good long flight with
his well finished Shorts Tucano T1 and I enjoyed a sortie
with my GWS Stearman biplane - until it landed in a ploughed
field behind the launch point and tipped over - fortunately
without any damage! On the Saturday evening, Phil, Rez and
his wife Debbie, along with my better half, Margaret and I
met at the Shipp Inn, Llanbedrog, near Abersoch for an
enjoyable meal and chat after a lengthy day on the slope.
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Rez Manzoori flew his Tucano T1 to good effect |
On this second day we were
joined by Jean-Luc Belon, one of our French PSSA
members who regularly flies at the Pendle Hill
meetings.
Jean Luc showed us his flying
skills with a model of the FW-190 built from the
House of Balsa kit. He then flew his trusty
Me-110, converted from the Flair electric model kit
which has a very steady flight pattern on the slope. |
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As if this was not enough to keep him
happy, he then produced his NA Valkyrie canard which flew in
a steady but 'crab-like' manner up and down the slope edge -
needing I think a little more lift to get into the groove.
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For his 'Piece
de resistance' Jean-Luc entered an attractively
finished model of the AT6-G Texan/Harvard in French
airforce insignia.
The model was
of built up construction from the plan of a
publisher unknown to me. With a wingspan of
around 45" the model flew in a very realistic manner
and for me, was the star model of the meeting
(although I am a little biased towards this aircraft
design). |
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At the end of the 2-day meeting entrants
were invited to nominate the best aircraft in the usual 4
divisions and bottles of Cabernet and Chardonnay were
awarded to the winners as follows;
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Best Static Piston
Aircraft |
N.A.
AT6-G Texan |
Jean-Luc
Belon |
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Best Static Jet
Aircraft
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McDonnell Douglas Phantom II |
Brian
Bates |
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Best Flown Piston
Aircraft |
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt |
Phil
Cooke |
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Best Flown Jet
Aircraft |
Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star |
Phil
Cooke |
Phil sportingly
donated his second prize to one of the other contestants.
Everyone involved seemed to enjoy the weekends flying and we
are looking forward to next years events when it is hoped
that attendance by PSS modellers will be considerably
increased.
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