The Few Are One Fewer.

Battle of Britain pilot Maurice Mounsdon has died at the age of 101. There are only three left now. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50710808...C8KPVhLWyMYqVw

Maurice has gone to join his squadron in the next life, fly high Maurice for you have earned your rest!

I put the self same post on a British Aeromodelling website and received the following in reply:


David,

This came as quite a shock. Maurice was my godfather and somehow, and I don't know how, my family lost contact. The photos are quite unmistakably of him although my memories are from a long time back. I remember him as a quiet reserved man but with a warn smile and clearly something very special going on inside. He must also have had considerable patience with the demands I surely would have made of him as a small and boisterous child.

It is extraordinary that I did not know about his wartime experiences and plight but this seems to be a resounding feature of these brave people who simply saw it as their duty. Youngsters themselves drawn into the most horrific of circumstances in all ranks in all forces. I am sad but hope that he enjoyed his long life.

As it happens, my other godfather was a pilot too but after the war. He died about 10 years ago but as a test pilot mainly involved on the English Electric Lightning that required a certain type of courage also.

I am humbled by these people and will reflect while I putting together my next model aircraft.

Bye Bye Maurice from Tim.

Which British Aeromodelling website were you on?

I have been on that board before but I don't remember if I'm signed up. I am signed up on RCMF but not get over there very often.

Started in the 80’s
 

Started in 1983 with a sig foam wing .19 three channel.

Then got into high start gliders

Went to college and was broke. Built a few 10cell electrics

Married graduated and into US-aircore airplanes crashed one into a barbed wire fence. Replaced the prop and flew it again.

I have a short kit and plans to build the powered glider Fournier RF4D. Living on the plains limits useful glider areas.

Flew a short program for the local elementary school. Cartwheels an air core plane on landing. Kids thought it was hilarious. Videoed it on vhs.

Having an witnesses seems to increase the chance of a mishap in proportion with the amount of embarrassment it will cause! ;)

Picture of my Big Guff's tailplane.

I will have to add a dowel to the leading edge of the tailplane which will locate in a plate in the fuselage because the bolts are behind the centre of pressure. I could not fit the forward bolt any further forward because the maximum sized commercially available 5mm bolt is only 50mm (2") long.

I still have the underside sheeting to do and I need to build the elevator. A plywood tail skid platform will be glued into place so that the bolts will have something more substantial to bear on than 0.8mm (1/32") balsa!


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I promise that I will use matching bolts for the maiden!

Nice looking tail!

How about the tail on this character?

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Been seeing quite a few of them I must have a nest nearby

The are looking for winter quarters and thought you needed a roomie. :D

How about the tails on these? Cranes migrating south to Southern Spain or North Africa for the winter. Ok, this picture was taken in the autumn of 2016 but the migration is an annual event. The last group flew over my house about ten days ago, a sure sign that cold weather is just around the corner.


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We used to have very large noisy flocks fly over my house and land in the fields but I think the airport south of me has caused a change in the migratory route the numbers of birds has diminished dramatically.

I think them critters have settled in somewhere, I killed another last night, Today I break out the bug spray.

Speaking of birds, the airport has reported a increase in bird strikes this year, of course the air traffic has increased also especially with the new international race track close by.

Interestingly enough, we see the cranes migrating south in much larger numbers than in the picture above, often thousands of birds in one flock. The picture above is not typical of the flocks. But in the Spring, we rarely see them migrating north again to Scandanavia and Russia in large groups, just a few dozen here and there. They must take a different route, perhaps the different atmospheric conditions in the Spring cause this.

I have been thinking of your laser setup! now that you have had the chance to use it please show us what you have. (PIC) I will probably never get to build a router set up, too much other stuff in the way.
yesterday I spent the whole day shoveling dirt over my daughters septic drain fields they were puddling due to low areas, now all is dry but we still have a huge mound of dirt left so we will mound it over the fields to prevent puddles and promote evaporation.

I am quite pleased that my motor home is under repair and I didn't have to do the work. Most all problems have been fixed, this guy is amazing and saved me a lot of money, he repaired that which I intended to replace and found my air conditioning system on the engine non functioning due to a leaking compressor which was supposed to be new as it was replaced???? at the dealers shop, lucky for me I had insurance to cover the cost which was four times what this gentleman is charging. I think I have found a reasonable and exceptional mechanic.

A good reasonably price honest mechanic is a true blessing!

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the wings were cut with the laser. I dont have the pics on the phone anymore, but so far they worked well.

Fine looking biplane you have there acdii!

I have completed the basic construction of the Big Guff's tail surfaces. Final sanding is required and the addition of a few, mostly cosmetic, gussets. The packing tape is only there to hold the elevator in position for the picture, I will top-hinge the elevator either with "Magic Hinge" or with the Solartex covering itself. Having decided to finish the fuselage and fin in Red Solartex, I may yet finish the flying surfaces in Antique Solartex in order to have a contrast between the fuselage and the restg of the model. Three young boys have recently joined our club; the oldest is twelve. They are making a simple electric model out of foam in our club workshop. Perhaps I'll ask them to decide.

The bare weight is 5.9 ozs or 168 grammes. The bare fuselage weighs just over 2 lbs or 938 grammes. Of course, this is without the engine, radio, undercarriage or covering but I think I'm on course for a model weighing less than 8 lbs (3.6 kgs.)

I'm having a few problems with the Laser 62 but I don't envisage maidening the Big Guff before the Spring so I've time to sort it out. If necessary, I'll fit a Laser 70 to it.

I will be spending Christmas and the New Year in England, flying out tomorrow night, so you won't be hearing for me for a while. Pictures to follow if I get the time.



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I'd like to wish all contributors a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

I wanted to include a link to a short film, actually a Christmas advert for a British Supermarket chain depicting the 1914 Christmas Truce on the Western Front but the cybernetics won't let me. Try googling "1914 Sainsbury's Christmas Ad" if you're interested.

This actually happened but in reality the Germans approached the British first and it was not snowing!

Weird when I went into reply the link showed up. I am going to try and add it another way. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!

looks like somesing is broke

Namely standard procedure!

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Both of the links in 7548 and 7549 work for me.

Merry CHRISTmas! to all..............................I trust you all know the true reason for this season.

Yes I do! Back At you Donny!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all.
:rolleyes:

We got an early start on Christmas, Saturday we went up to Kansas to celebrate with our No. 2 son's family. We exchanged gifts then took the two grandsons (8 and 13) to the Wichita Fire Museum housed in a historic 1906 Fire station and the the Wichita Aviation Museum. The Aviation museum had a rare Beech Starcraft and Staggerwing which I drooled all over! Fun was had by all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, you all.

I’m going to a Christmas Day gathering. This is my contribution. A Spanish style picnic roast; traditionally served at Christmas. Just finished seasoning it. Should have seasoned it a day or two ago. It will get slow roasted 5-7 hours. Guaranteed it will be devoured in short order.

Tomorrow I will make a Spanish custard dessert. That should go fast too. Good eating ahead.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.


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Fresh ham! You can't beat it! We will only have a small group for dinner Christmas, 6 including the wife and I, so she took out a Prime Rib roast and will serve it with twice baked potatoes.

Plan to double smoke a brown sugar glazed ham. I have a Pit Boss pellet smoker that makes really good food. Have had only one brisket come out so-so mainly because it lacked a fat cap, but everything comes out juicy. Sunday had smoked a 3 pound boneless turkey breast with just salt and pepper for the rub with a sprinkle of Habenaro citrus olive oil tht added a slight lemon kick to it, not enough to make it spicy, but if you knew what to look for you can detect a hint of it.

I replaced the Pit Boss controller for a Savannah Stoker one that will auto ignite if the flame goes out, 2018 Thanksgiving nearly lost my eyebrows when the flame went out and I didn't know what happened and then restarted it. It went BOOM when the igniter kicked on. Needless to say, @ 4 AM I was no longer sleepy when that happened. Mmm just thinking of the double smoked ham is making my mouth water.

Oh that sounds good!

Traditonal turkey with all the trimmings for me and Miss Blue Eyes. Her son in law is doing all of the cooking. I'm providing the wine!