The Great Orme PSSA Fly-In – 12th & 13th April 2014

It’s a ‘big air’ high energy weekend that gets the 2014 PSSA season underway!

A report from the first Llandudno Fly for Fun – words and photos by Phil Cooke.

Our first event of the year will be one remembered for high winds!  The forecast throughout the week prior to the meet looked almost too good to be true – a very stable weather system was in place and for a number of days our most trusted weather sites were showing 17-20mph SW winds for Llandudno on the Saturday and a similar, slightly calmer day on the Sunday.  That’s a perfect PSS forecast, and this drew in a good crowd, on the Saturday especially.  In reality, the winds were a lot stronger on top, gusting to a measured 59mph on the Saturday afternoon.  For some, unsurprisingly, this proved too much and a number of pilots and models chose to remain grounded in the hope the winds would perhaps calm over the weekend.  Sunday morning was a little calmer, starting out at 25mph (again, SW smack on our most favoured slope) but by mid afternoon this had once again grown to a constant 50mph.  It was a ‘big air’ weekend!

Those that chose to fly enjoyed the models ‘high octane’ performance in the fantastic lift generated by the Orme, and surprisingly perhaps, considering the conditions, a number of maiden flights were performed over the weekend.  Sadly, there were also some models damaged at the most crucial launch stage – the compression band and gusting winds causing problems on the lip, and it was proven safest to launch from a position slightly below the lip of the SW slope where the gusting was less and sparser rocks were less threatening.

Matt Jones test flew his impressive 1/6th scale BAC Lightning F.3 on the Saturday morning, a day a number of us had been eagerly awaiting for some time now with the model having been completed ahead of last season.  Matt built this 85″ long model for PSS from the Mick Reeves Turbine kit, and it looked absolutely stunning.

With preflight photos and R/C checks all complete, Simon Cocker was entrusted to launch the 16lb AUW machine whilst a crowd of onlookers looked on down from the top ridge.  This is a ‘brave scale’ PSS model in every sense.  The model deviates from the ‘ideal glider planform’ just about as much as is possible, with its true scale, highly swept wings, and small All Moving Tail with a short moment arm.

Matt had built up his O/D wing with a trusted section recommended by PSS guru Andy Conway, and the model showed immediately from launch that it had pedigree.

Climbing away beautifully the model flew very smoothly at a constant cruise speed making it look very realistic and jet like in flight, Matt needed only to retrim his AMT slightly before he was clearly quite relaxed at the controls.  Matt enjoyed a maiden flight of 30 minutes or so before it was brought in for a controlled landing.  A fantastic first flight –  I look forward to photographing this model in action again against bluer skies!

Steve Howarth was next to prove a new model in the high winds and abundant lift.  His De Havilland Mosquito had never been flown despite it being built by Steve Kemp (from the Galaxy models electric kit) many years ago.  Steve seemed a little uncertain about the weight of the model, at just over 4lb the model did perhaps feel a little heavy for its size but it proved absolutely perfect for PSS.  The model flew with real authority and grace, very smooth and looked very realistic in the air – surely a product of its wing loading.  I’m hoping we see more of Steve flying this model at our future events, the Mossie is well suited for sloping with its ample wing area and clean lines, but for some reason it’s rarely modelled for use on the slope.

As a sign of things to come, I test flew my new Jet Provost built from the Andy Blackburn plan using the Traplet woodpack as part of the PSSA Mass Build Project (to be staged on the Orme 1st June.)  Having readied the model just in time for the first event of the year I really couldn’t help myself having a flight to get the refinement out of the way before the main event in June.  The winds were too high for an ideal maiden, but launching below the slope enabled this lightweight model to penetrate out beyond the compression band and in the end it flew very well in the conditions.  Over 60 of the Traplet woodpacks have now been sold, and we are confident of a good turnout on the Orme in June when the Jet Provosts will group on mass for the first time!  Should be quite a sight!!

John Hey flew his Jet Provost to good effect as well, the two little models both handling the high winds quite admirably.  Momentum for the mass build is definitely growing as I did spot 2 other JPs on site as well, Tom Naylor and Dave Lowe had both completed one each, but they saw more sense and elected to wait for a calmer day to test fly their examples of the type.

Simon Cocker rigged and flew his 110″ span BAC Canberra, the performance of which was even more impressive than usual in the high winds, the model could really be thrown around much to the delight of those watching.  Other well campaigned models like the Lockheed T-33 of Nigel Moule, the Boeing F-18 of Zaidy Al-Obaidi and my own Hawker Sea Fury were all flown very successfully in the strong winds, all of the models feeling ‘supercharged’ in the big air conditions.

Michael Jones had travelled from the Lleyn and brought with him his Fairey Battle which he flew very well – always nice to see an unusual type rarely modelled.

Later in the afternoon the conditions changed a little with the wind, still strong, swinging to the West and eventually the North West – Matt Jones, John Hey and myself were last to land out enjoying the slope to ourselves with our diminutive Hawks and Hunter models.  We flew on until about 6pm, when we packed up in good time to find our B&B and to meet up for the meal we later enjoyed as a group in Colwyn Bay that evening.

Sundays forecast proved accurate with a reduced strength SW wind providing textbook PSS conditions from the off.  I arrived to find Michael Jones already flying a nice looking Avro Lancaster and Nigel Moule flying his foam N.A. Mustang, again on the SW slope.

Tim Mackey had joined us on the Sunday and brought with him a very nice looking N.A. F-86 Sabre, built from the Ron Collins plans (below left).  This model flew really well and proved to have a fair lick of speed when compared to other models being raced up and down the slope at the same time, it was uncatchable!  Another new model, and something quite different, was the diminutive DH Vampire (below right)  built and finished beautifully by John Hey – spanning just 27″ this little model fitted with micro R/C gear proved to handle the high winds very well and flew remarkably well considering its size and weight.  The finish John has achieved is superb – the model looks fantastic in its Hi-Vis Swiss Airforce scheme.

By lunchtime the clouds had cleared and we were treated to some lovely blue skies and sunshine.  Nigel Moule flew his white Victor bomber to good effect and we also enjoyed a couple of combined T-33 sorties – in the conditions I flew my T-33 with over 2.5lb of ballast on board which certainly helped it cut a path into the 50 mph winds which were once again with us.  The immense conditions combined with the ballasted model enabled some really big smooth aeros to be performed, I’m amazed my Shooting Star didn’t shed its wingtip tanks in flight with the energies it must have had in it during some of the diving manoeuvres!

Later in the day John Hey flew his Supermarine Attacker (right), now fully repaired and improved with more scale detail added following some damage sustained at the Lleyn event last season.  I’ve not seen this model flown much before, it looked fantastic against the blue skies in the sunshine, especially when it was viewed diving down out over the sea – the model was in its element!

We flew on until gone 5pm again, the wind remained high at 50 mph and the lift was endless, it was a crime to have to leave with the conditions being so perfect – but for many of us a long car journey lay ahead to get home at the end of a successful weekends flying…

Why do our weekends feel so short when the weather is so good!!??

There were many more photographs taken over the weekend and these can be viewed HERE.  Our next event 31st May/1st June sees us return to Llandudno – this ‘Fly for Fun’ event will of course be used to stage the Jet Provost Mass Build Event (officially being held on the Sunday) but I’d expect to see an epidemic of JPs throughout the weekend!!  I hope you can join us there!