I have been an aeroplane nut as long as I can remember—I think I inherited it from an uncle who was involved in models in the 1930’s—and started building models as a boy. Remember the old Keil- Kraft rubber kits—Playboy, Orion, Ajax etc? I built most of them. By the time I had reached mid-teens I was building free-flight scale and own-design models powered by motors like the Mills .75 and the ED Racer and A2 class thermal sailplanes of about 72" span. I have found a couple of surviving photos from that era—the first is me in 1958 with a Thermic 72 sailplane and the flying shot also appears to be a the Thermic 72 but as yet unpainted. Towards the end of this period I even did some experiments in radio control with a single-valve super-regen receiver and rubber powered escapement to drive the rudder. The idea at that time was to build a stable, well balanced free-flight model and attempt to influence its course with the radio. I remember installing the gear in a scale Tiger Moth, but I don't remember it ever working properly. That receiver and escapement survive, I found them at the bottom of a carton of junk, but not the transmitter with its single central pushbutton. By the time I reached my twenties I had moved on to other things – full- sized aircraft (I got my PPL) and then boats. I never lost my interest in model aircraft though, but it was only after I retired that I got back into the hobby. Things were very different after 40 years; radio control had changed. I now have a 4 channel fully proportional receiver that weighs less than 10 grams, a quantum level smaller and lighter than that old receiver, and there are all kinds of wonderful new building materials on the market I tuned up my building skills on a number of simple rubber powered models, and then went on to build a couple of slope- soarer gliders. (for the uninitiated: all gliders need rising air currents to remain aloft; thermal gliders use the rising air currents created over warmer parts of the landscape, slope-soarers use the rising air created when wind has to pass over a hill. With modern radio control both types of model can be kept in the rising air-currents so flight times are limited only by how long suitable conditions remain) This island is perfect slope-soaring country as we have nothing but hills — a good way to learn to fly radio-control. And now I am back to designing and building flying scale models of planes from the early years, but this time  electrically powered. Electric power is quickest growing area of the hobby with new batteries and motors producing more power for their weight every month it seems. And we no longer have the noise and mess of the old internal combustion engine. To see some of the models I have built in this hobby revival, click HERE

Thermic 72  1958

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Slope soaring