Gordon Burford
03-12-2010, 01:20 AM
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Gordon Burford
Today I heard the very sad news that Gordon Burford passed away last night. He was 90 years old, one of the fathers of aeromodelling in Australia, and a great bloke to boot.
03-12-2010, 02:37 AM
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RE: Gordon Burford
The last of the giants is gone-he joins Duke Fox, Leroy Cox, Jaures Garofali, Shigeo Ogawa, John Brodbeck-the last of that great group of individuals who really stamped their personality on their business and epitomised the brand they produced. Well he had a good innings-and he goes to join a select few who made the modelling world a better place as a result of their contributions. I hope he got to see Maris Disler's Taipan book before he left us. My sympathies to Peter and Australian modellers-you've lost a true icon.
ChrisM
'ffkiwi'
ChrisM
'ffkiwi'
03-12-2010, 07:30 AM
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RE: Gordon Burford
My condolences to Peter as well.
I'm sure Gordon would have seen Maris's magnificent book, which is a tribute to his (GB's) life's work.
It's difficult to explain how Gordon's model engines enhanced so many people's lives and why he has such a loyal following in Australia. I'd guess that as a first engine the Sabre/Taipan/Glowchief opened the mechanical world up to young men in an age when there was an intense craving for such experiences. It's also difficult to explain what a wonder a model diesel engine was in the late 1950's. Most of us saved for months sometimes under difficult circumstances in order to buy one, often despite the opposition of parents, who had other priories.
Burford engines were available in the local model shops at reasonable prices. They ran, which wasn't always the experience with similar engines from say the UK, which was mostly the only alternative. They were easy to handle for a keen 12 Y/O and they were of sufficient power to fly the available kit models. They kept getting better, again unlike many of the other available engines from overseas.
Burford engines didn't get any much of a profile in the aeromodelling magazines, such as MAN (USA) which we could read in the newsagents, or in Aeromodeller (UK), which most could afford to buy. So we assumed that the local product was inferior to the overseas engine. In hindsight this was simply unfair and untrue.
I understand that Gordon produced over a quarter of a million engines in about a hundred different series over twenty five odd years. I currently own about a dozen, and they're some of my most prized engines. His contributions continued after the Taipan years as well, he had his hand in on lots of other significant engine projects.
The club too which I belong hosts a "Gordon Burford" event each year, and one of it's three control line circles is dedicated to him. Many of his engines are still in use every weekend 35-40 years after they were made.
A life well lived.
Ray
I'm sure Gordon would have seen Maris's magnificent book, which is a tribute to his (GB's) life's work.
It's difficult to explain how Gordon's model engines enhanced so many people's lives and why he has such a loyal following in Australia. I'd guess that as a first engine the Sabre/Taipan/Glowchief opened the mechanical world up to young men in an age when there was an intense craving for such experiences. It's also difficult to explain what a wonder a model diesel engine was in the late 1950's. Most of us saved for months sometimes under difficult circumstances in order to buy one, often despite the opposition of parents, who had other priories.
Burford engines were available in the local model shops at reasonable prices. They ran, which wasn't always the experience with similar engines from say the UK, which was mostly the only alternative. They were easy to handle for a keen 12 Y/O and they were of sufficient power to fly the available kit models. They kept getting better, again unlike many of the other available engines from overseas.
Burford engines didn't get any much of a profile in the aeromodelling magazines, such as MAN (USA) which we could read in the newsagents, or in Aeromodeller (UK), which most could afford to buy. So we assumed that the local product was inferior to the overseas engine. In hindsight this was simply unfair and untrue.
I understand that Gordon produced over a quarter of a million engines in about a hundred different series over twenty five odd years. I currently own about a dozen, and they're some of my most prized engines. His contributions continued after the Taipan years as well, he had his hand in on lots of other significant engine projects.
The club too which I belong hosts a "Gordon Burford" event each year, and one of it's three control line circles is dedicated to him. Many of his engines are still in use every weekend 35-40 years after they were made.
A life well lived.
Ray
03-12-2010, 07:46 AM
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RE: Gordon Burford
Peter - my condolences on the loss of a great father.
Like so many other Australians, my first engine was a Taipan. In my case it was a 2.5cc diesel from about 1966. Sadly it was just too big for my eleven year old fingers to be able to start and I sold it. I've regretted it ever since.
In later years I bought a Series 13 2.5 ball race diesel and a couple of gold head 2.5 glows. The Series 13 was a magnificent engine for learning about diesels and I flogged it to death over several years in combat models. One particular gold head glow motor died spectacularly when my brother filled the tank with neat nitro. Its last flight was fast and furious but rather short. It did run again after though. I still have one.
More recently I was given a number of Gordon's finest engines from the late 1950s and early 1960 and they are greatly treasured in my collection.
My father is a year or so younger than GB. They were a tough generation. They no sooner left school than the Depression of the 1930s hit and just when things were starting to improve someone decided to have a war which swallowed many of them but the ones that came out built the growth and prosperity of the 1950s and raised my generation of Old Farts.
Vale Gordon Burford.
Like so many other Australians, my first engine was a Taipan. In my case it was a 2.5cc diesel from about 1966. Sadly it was just too big for my eleven year old fingers to be able to start and I sold it. I've regretted it ever since.
In later years I bought a Series 13 2.5 ball race diesel and a couple of gold head 2.5 glows. The Series 13 was a magnificent engine for learning about diesels and I flogged it to death over several years in combat models. One particular gold head glow motor died spectacularly when my brother filled the tank with neat nitro. Its last flight was fast and furious but rather short. It did run again after though. I still have one.
More recently I was given a number of Gordon's finest engines from the late 1950s and early 1960 and they are greatly treasured in my collection.
My father is a year or so younger than GB. They were a tough generation. They no sooner left school than the Depression of the 1930s hit and just when things were starting to improve someone decided to have a war which swallowed many of them but the ones that came out built the growth and prosperity of the 1950s and raised my generation of Old Farts.
Vale Gordon Burford.
03-12-2010, 01:44 PM
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RE: Gordon Burford
To Peter of course and the rest of you down there my sympathy on a great loss, He did make to a ripe 90 and made wonderful contributions to the model engine world,
The fact remains that every time one of his engines is flown that is a living tribute which will continue for a long long time Martin
The fact remains that every time one of his engines is flown that is a living tribute which will continue for a long long time Martin
03-16-2010, 03:33 AM
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RE: Gordon Burford
Condolences to GB's Family and friends.
It's hard to imagine what aermodelling in Australia would be like without him.
Prized among my engines are Sabres 35, 29 & 19. All destined for models. Also I still have my first motor - A Taipan 2.5 Diesel.
It's hard to imagine what aermodelling in Australia would be like without him.
Prized among my engines are Sabres 35, 29 & 19. All destined for models. Also I still have my first motor - A Taipan 2.5 Diesel.
03-16-2010, 05:25 AM
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RE: Gordon Burford
My condolences to Peter and his family in this moment of grief.
The world has become a poorer place with the loss of Gordon, one of the many enlighted folks with the skills to make so many of us smile like children by simply flipping a prop.
Godspeed, Gordon!
The world has become a poorer place with the loss of Gordon, one of the many enlighted folks with the skills to make so many of us smile like children by simply flipping a prop.
Godspeed, Gordon!
03-20-2010, 07:49 PM
#8
RE: Gordon Burford
I thank you all for your most kind comments and condolences.
Dad enjoyed a full life, remaining physically and mentally active to the end.
He never ceased observing and considering the function of all around him.
He used cable-ties to modify the braking function of his walking frame: we were critically examining the construction of his faulty blood-sampling pen during his last moments.
We miss him and his inspiration.
Peter
Dad enjoyed a full life, remaining physically and mentally active to the end.
He never ceased observing and considering the function of all around him.
He used cable-ties to modify the braking function of his walking frame: we were critically examining the construction of his faulty blood-sampling pen during his last moments.
We miss him and his inspiration.
Peter
