Telemaster Sales UK

I did the same with my SLEC T240 on take-off, the white model with red trim, on the ground in the picture, fortunately that model was pretty tough too and was easily repaired. Sold it to a friend of mine who's never flown it.



Sunday 26th March has dawned fine and it promises to be a good flying day. Bound to be lots of "debutantes" who want me to take them up this afternoon! Guess I'd better charge my transmitter then ride my bicycle in to Aigurande for a full English breakfast. This has become something of a tradition on Sunday mornings. .

LJE4357

My Feedback: (74)

I almost lost my wife to Colon cancer, because of one lousy SOB crook who is a modeler. He dam near ruined the AMA, because of one lie. Now I'm waiting for him to get arrested. I have enough evidence for the FBI to choke a horse. That's about all I can say right now. Eventually this is probably going to be on 20/20. There were actually 4 people involved in this. Two are dead. You guys seen the picture of that new flying field I posted. One of the owners is an attorney. I sent him an email to shut down that field. Other wise I know 5 Ham radio operators, that will legally jam the 2.4 Ghz band with 1500 W. transmitters. A amateur radio operator can use the frequency range from 2.385 Ghz to 2.45 G Were going to take turns talking from 5 AM to 9 PM, 7 days a week. If they fly during that time period the receiver front end saturates and no data can come through. Planes crash. They can fly at any other time if they can fly there jets at night. I been an AMA member for 64 years, been in different parts of the US, I have never seen the biggest bunch of crooked modelers anywhere else in my life. This week my attorney and the AMA attorney are starting to talk. The first issue is to get the evidence I have to the FBI and IRS. The next issue is to get that flying field legally shut down. The money to build that field came from the illegal land sale of RC World here in Orlando. You should see the house that was built next to it. None of this was there 6 months ago. The next issue is for the AMA to get all the people involved in this to get kicked out of the AMA. There are some well known modelers involved is this. These guys damn near killed my wife.

karolh

So very sorry to hear of your family's misfortune and it's unfortunate to say but there are dishonest people in just about every walk of life. Hopefully you will have your day in court and those perps will then get their just reward as sometimes the wheels of justice turn too slowly for our liking, but turn they do.

Telemaster Sales UK

Went flying yesterday afternoon. It was a beautiful day in central France, tee shirt weather. I was the only instructor there so spent the whole afternoon teaching beginners. I hadn't anticipated the situation so hadn't charged the club's trainer overnight. Too busy and disorganised! After four or five flights I checked the condition of the receiver battery. It was down to 12% so I got out my electric powered ARTF WOT 4 Foam-E. I demonstrated to my trainee that it was quite an aerobatic little model but that it was also capable of flying very slowly, then I gave him control on the buddy box. He took to flying it like a young duck takes to water! I stood there admiring his progress. However, I allowed the flight to continue for so long that when I took back control to land the model, the battery had discharged to such a degree that it was incapable of providing sufficient power to the receiver and the model crashed to the ground! My fault of course and it will repair. .

the pope

Your not a very good instructor there Tele . Rule number 1 blame the student .

donnyman

There are parralells in our lives as is the case with many modelers, I grew in up the city in the same time frame as you but with many modelers around me once I opened my eyes to what was going on. between 1947 and about 1953 I floundered in the hobby behind my brother supported by my fathers interest in the hobby, scratch building was the only way to get something in the air. things for me took off as I met and associated with other modelers, saw my first model magazine, joined the AMA I think it was $1.50 then (a lot of money) rc held a fascination for me but that was for smarter/richer folk than I until about 1956 I built some rc radio kits with no success. Heathkit got me in the air with a Goldberg orion in the early sixties. I look back on those days with very fond memories and now that I have the means to do more than ever, it just doesn't hold the magic of days past. My involment in the hobby has diminished.

What is/are Farmer matches

LJE4357

My Feedback: (74)

I had a tape recording I used to play at the field whenever something like that happened. It was a country song called " I Fall To Pieces "

karolh

Hahahahah, now where have I heard this before. Seems to always happen when one is having too much fun as either the fuel runs out or the battery runs out. Glad to know that the model is repairable.

oh44077

My Feedback: (5)

hi Donny, farmer matches came in a box with long stems that we used to light our cooking stove, needed that long stem to light the stove as the stoves then had no pilot light, at least ours didn't. I also used to get glue on my pants and when my mom would iron them the glue would sizzle and leave a hole, and yes back then mom ironed everything.

Telemaster Sales UK

You can buy something similar in France, stems about 4 inches or 10cms long. My ex-lover used them to light her wood-burning stove.

tejasnumu

This is a nice "club" many of the same attributes of an AMA chartered, club field, genuine "talk to friends' atmosphere. We have crushing issues especially as the old clock ticks by and it is good to share your issues to the shoulders of buddies. I am really glad, however; when I can look at situations similar to your own at the field. No shame in admitting we are human with feet of clay. it is both fun and empowering for older guys to talk about doing dumb and funny things while sharing our love of model airplanes, I feel.

I was helping a friend with his flying and repairs. Lots of repairs, believe me. We were flying at our club field which is nestled in a Southern California canyon. The hills probably 200' above the level of the runway and pits. More like a gravy bowl. Lots of room to fly but don't take your eyes off your plane. My friend of 20 years and club mate was still flying a high-wing trainer I built for him. A .40 size yellow high wing with silver fuselagte and lots of white numbers and roundels. "Early WWII whimsical" but easy to see and orientate. Now here comes the incredible but true part of the story, I promise. We were both flying and one of my several Sticks was makingDme a better student than I was. Confidence can cause crashes but I believe it lets you grow too. All of a sudden I heard my friend shout "I lost it; dog gone it, I lost it!" Frustration and uncommon anger in his exclamation. I asked him the location he last saw it? "I don't know!" I listened to him rattle off words used to punctuate the ultimate anger or frustration of a Drill Instructor. I couldn't look because I was still flying but soon as I heard him say "that's it, I'm done!"; I landed my Ugly Stick. We stood under our covered pit and he switched his TX off. I cant't swear how long we stood shoulder to shoulder and scanned the sky like a picket on watch. The other fellas continued to fly oblivious to the errant model that my friend loved, surely by now burrowed into one of the scrub and rock covered hills surrounding the valley. I still smoked and lit a cigarette while trying to console his loss. Enough time that my cigarette was finished and I was assuring him I could produce a clone in a week or two. A Magnum .46 and he was only out a RX. We were both fairly new to the game and had been building a stash of servos from our crashes. What is that buzz? I asked if he heard it but no. Zzzzzzzz getting louder. There, I shouted, listen. Now the sound was unmistakable; an engine.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I remember buying natches about 8" or 10" long to light the fireplace.

karolh

Surely that cannot be that end of your story. I have my coffee and biscuits and am eagerly awaiting chapter 2 and possibly the happy ending.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Well don't stop there what happened?!!!!

tejasnumu

This is a nice "club" many of the same attributes of an AMA chartered, club field, genuine "talk to friends' atmosphere. We have crushing issues especially as the old clock ticks by and it is good to share your issues to the shoulders of buddies. I am really glad, however; when I can look at situations similar to your own at the field. No shame in admitting we are human with feet of clay. it is both fun and empowering for older guys to talk about doing dumb and funny things while sharing our love of model airplanes, I feel.

I was helping a friend with his flying and repairs. Lots of repairs, believe me. We were flying at our club field which is nestled in a Southern California canyon. The hills probably 200' above the level of the runway and pits. More like a gravy bowl. Lots of room to fly but don't take your eyes off your plane. My friend of 20 years and club mate was still flying a high-wing trainer I built for him. A .40 size yellow high wing with silver fuselagte and lots of white numbers and roundels. "Early WWII whimsical" but easy to see and orientate. Now here comes the incredible but true part of the story, I promise. We were both flying and one of my several Sticks was making me a better student than I actually was. Confidence can cause crashes but I believe it lets you grow too. All of a sudden I heard my friend shout "I lost it; dog gone it, I lost it!" Frustration and uncommon anger in his exclamation. I asked him the location he last saw it? "I don't know!" I listened to him rattle off words used to punctuate the ultimate anger or frustration of a Drill Instructor. I couldn't look because I was still flying but soon as I heard him say "that's it, I'm done!"; I landed my Ugly Stick. We stood under our covered pit and he switched his TX off. I cant't swear how long we stood shoulder to shoulder and scanned the sky like a picket on watch. The other fellas continued to fly oblivious to the errant model that my friend loved, surely by now burrowed into one of the scrub and rock covered hills surrounding the valley. I still smoked and lit a cigarette while trying to console his loss. Enough time that my cigarette was finished and I was assuring him I could produce a clone in a week or two. A Magnum .46 and he was only out a RX. We were both fairly new to the game and had been building a stash of servos from our crashes. What is that buzz? I asked if he heard it but no. Zzzzzzzz getting louder. There, I shouted, listen. Now the sound was unmistakable; an engine. The little high-winger came over a hill behind us flying as straight as if controlled. Get your radio, get your radio! He blankly stared at me and reminded me "it's off." I know, turn it on! We must have looked like Laurel and Hardy in damage control. He ran back under the cover to retrieve his transmitter. The plane was actually now moving away again. Well there is no mystery to the re-count. I grabbed the TX and waggled the wings; turned around and yelled "Landing." We spent time in the following days estimating the distance of the giant circle over a large commuter freeway; over the local public retail vegetable farm and back around. Six miles was my guess but there is no way to know for sure. The super large tank he always had me install to avoid his dreaded "dead stick" situation probably turned out saving his plane. We have talked and laughed about that morning for over 20 years now. He now lives four States away and is out of the hobby but occasionally it comes up on the phone. We now laugh and laugh about that morning and it gives me a chance to chide him that it flew better without him that when he held the transmitter. Every word true my friends. Oh the memories and friendships those little balsa wonders make.

Kep

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I believe you Kep! Fact is always stranger than fiction!

karolh

Over the years I've both see and heard of strange happenings, maybe not quite up to your story's standard but still quite unusual like when my Super Tigre 40 bust into life when I casually flipped the prop without me attaching the glow plug igniter. Frightened me quite a bit too.

tejasnumu

Sorry for splitting the narrative with an "edit" to get the rest of the story but I obviously hit the wrong key.

Kep

Telemaster Sales UK

That's an even better story than that concerning my Super Sixty which went free-flight because I had over-tightened the aerial of my Futaba FM transmitter, breaking a small white wire at the base. My model did not come back by itself however, the RAF found it for me!

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Did they give it back?

donnyman

My bud launched his plane and shouted he doesn't have it and we watched as it flew into a local housing area, he got in his car and tore after it, a bit later he showed up with the plane completely intact, he said as he drove in to the housing area he saw cars and a lot of people standing in the street....yep the plane landed perfectly in the street with the engine at idle, the people were waiting for the little folk to get out!.............................That's the truth and I am sticking to it! I got more if your interested.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

More please!

donnyman

Farmers matches!!!!!! we had those too! alway wondered why they were so long but never asked till now whodathunkit!

OK Flyer
Two guys flying at the field and really tearing up the sky, a couple of stand off scale mustangs, both guys were really off the hook but haveing a good time, a couple moments later we hear a loud boom......................The stangs met in the air and showered confetti dust on the ground...I am talking very small pieces, all that was easily identifyable was the engines..... both totally destroyed by the impact of hitting exactly on the crankshafts niether engine was salvageable.
we now have a pattern rule ......loosely enforced.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Expensive education!

tejasnumu

Donny, that is great. I tend to think sometimes there should be a forum for the "can you believe that happened?" I know that from the day I started with rubber stick and tissue free flight (After I finally found out what "CG" stood for) all through the years, I have a few of those recounts where I said, "wow, I can't fathom how that just happened ?" Somehow there would have to be an honor system and sideline kibitz control. Just think, all the people in model airplanes X at least one incident truly remarkable. Well the volumes would be endless and many times frighteningly familiar. One of the prettiest little 22" Comet Hellcats I made was covered with dyed tissue and water-slide decals. No landing gear and the stock rubber was "broken in" with green soap. I was about 13 I believe and was getting (In my mind anyway.) to be one of he "big kids" that built models that flew in the park and captured my heart. You really couldn't ask questions and their circles were close so you had to learn in stealthy ways. Your status was set by the quality of your building and how your product took to the air. I tried to test everything before walking a half mile to the big park for a flight. After all, these were rights of passage and acceptance into "the group>" I took my beautiful carrier defender of the Pacific into the roughly plowed field behind my neighborhood. One side was lined with ominous vintage cedar trees which seemed poised to swallow anything 20 feet or more off the ground which came close. Houses on my left and model hungry bent old trees lining the other boundary. This had to be a straight ahead test glide with low winding on the motor. A soft glide so as to land in the rough dirt as lightly as possible. Everything was prepared after I found what I felt was the best center of the field and prevailing soft evening breeze. I remember holding the plane and deliberating if it was worth the possible sacrifice to achieve peer standing and access to more of the secrets of the society of "big kid" model success; or was this best of my efforts a thing which should actually be hanging by a thread from the ceiling over the little home-work desk in my room. No, this was made to fly. A few counted winds and held on a "dry run" to measure just enough motor to ensure she would fly well. The next wind; one last look at my work, point for a shallow glide gently and the little Hellcat sunk ever so little and lifted to about 10 or 12 feet. Wings level and an ever so slight torque bank toward the direction of the trees. No worry though because there was no thermal and she was starting a slow descending bank on a perfect flat glide. Perfection. As pretty as the "Victory at Sea" film of carrier take offs in the Pacific. I was mesmerized by my own craftsmanship and maturity. The Hellcat skimmed the top of one dirt furrow and lightly came to rest on the next. The prop didn't even touch the dirt to mar the carefully masked yellow tips on the black propeller. I stood in the warm light of personal achievement and savored pride which I made no attempt to conceal. Yahooo! and a jump as I began my retrieval journey some 50 feet away. Another "Yea..yes...yes!!" From the trees came a spotted retriever wearing a collar. I loved dogs but I instantly hated this one because I could see his low charge from the shadows of the trees like a torpedo on a run. He was traveling twice my speed an quickly was on his target while I tripped over large dirt clods in sheer panic. I was still 20 feet from my airplane and shouting commands of "No, stop, sit, sit, Nooo!" He put his front legs out to stop or slow his run as he grabbed the model. I stopped and looked and he stopped for a moment and our eyes met. He thought it was a game. That rotten dog thought it was all a big game. He took off with blue and gray little balsa and tissue wings sticking out of his mouth and back through the trees and gone. Even watching the loss, I also heard the audible crunch and I knew it was useless. When I reached my house, my black spaniel came running to meet me with ears flopping. I knew know how glad I was that Comet printed the parts on the plans. Two weeks and a reclaimed propeller from my shoe box salvage; I was a "big kid' model airplane builder now.