You'll find details of our
meeting dates, some information and photos of what we do.
We fly small free flight models inside the confines of a sports hall. Indoor flying has been a source of great fun and enjoyed by generations of aeromodellers.
In fact I remember seeing a documentary once that featured a group of the Hitler Youth, in the 1930s, flying models not dissimilar to those still flown today!
Our free flight meetings are held monthly throughout the year and usually take place on the last Saturday evening of the month between 6.00pm and 10.00pm. The exception to this is Bank Holiday months, when the meeting is usually held the Saturday before the Bank Holiday.
The
models flown vary from detailed scale models of real aircraft to fantasy objects
you'd never dream could fly, like miniature ornithopters that flap their wings
just like real birds do!
Nowadays with radio control equipment becoming ever smaller, we have a flying slot between 9.30pm and 10.00 pm for micro R/C models.
Some Brief Info on Aeromodelling...
Aeromodelling is all about building miniature aeroplanes that actually fly. As such, it involves the aeromodeller learning, not only about building and finishing (decorating) models, but also flying their finished creation when its built! You could describe it as a meeting point of science and art with a good helping of excitement thrown in too!
Aeromodelling is not a passive hobby and
is an ideal opportunity for parents to become involved with their youngsters who
can learn hand to eye coordination skills, measurement, design, practical
computer application, ingenuity and problem solving; and at the end of it have a finished
product they can hold in their hands; fly and be proud of. Nothing beats that feeling when your first model takes
to the air - cruises just below the rafters of the sports hall and then, having
finished its flight, gently comes into land!
And it doesn't stop there.... Because each model is so different - presenting different challenges and puzzles to be solved - your skill base will be constantly be updated. Once you become an aeromodeller you enter a world where you will always learn new and useful things and boredom will be a thing of the past!
The broad-base of skills you learn is not just useful for aeromodelling either - those same skills will stand you in good stead for life in general - from simple things like putting up a DVD shelf to building flat-pack furniture (joke!) and carpentry - many aeromodellers say the skills they develop, help them with their schoolwork or later their jobs!
In aeromodelling, nobody tells you what to learn or what skills to develop - only you! You'll learn different skills as you need them and you learn as much, or as little as you want, when you want and as fast as you want. Some aeromodellers know all the nerdy theory stuff and others just love to fly and enjoy their sport!
Hey! Did you say sport?
Yes. Aeromodelling is
officially designated as a sport by the British Sports Council. Every year
hundreds of aeromodelling competitions are staged all over the world. These
range from indoor competitions involving tiny free flight models judged on
their realism and/or duration of flight (did you know the world record for a rubber
powered model to fly is over an hour!) to outdoor competitions for large radio
control models performing breathtaking precision aerobatics and costing many
thousands of pounds. Don't worry - aeromodelling can be a cheap hobby and you
can start flying for just a few pounds.
Competitions, though, enable aeromodellers to behave just like F1 racing car owners - incorporating tweaks and modifications to their models to get that vital edge over their rivals, but for a tiny fraction of the cost!
Well, there you have it. I could write a book on the subject of aeromodelling - I won't, but what I will say is that aeromodelling is a wonderful pastime that rewards its participants handsomely! In short it has everything .... Well almost everything. Thinking about it - It doesn't have you, does it? Why not come along to one of our meetings and learn more - you might never want to leave.
photos by Mike Lock