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Last of the Summer Wine

PostPosted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 12:28 pm
by Hagar
Nick's R/C modelling thread in the General forum got me to reminiscing on the fun I've had with this hobby. I dug out & quickly scanned a few old photos that I haven't seen for years. These were all taken when I was heavily involved with R/C slope soaring back in the early 1980s. This topic is named after the TV series about a load of old fogies reliving their youth. This is how we were generally known in those days. Silly old fools messing around with toy aeroplanes. Just like a bunch of grown-up kids. Actually we never grew up. I might be older but I'm no different now to how I was then & probably much worse. 8)

This is our local hill, one of my favourite places on the planet. You can see our cars parked at the bottom. I used to run up here with a model under each arm - couldn't do it now. ::) I could be found here most Sunday mornings in all weathers forgetting the problems of the world. A few precious hours of pure bliss. ;)
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Here's a much younger Hagar with one of my favourite gliders, the Graupner Cirrus. I still have it but not flown it for years.
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One of my friends with his Selestra. This was built from a plan purchased from one of the modelling magazines. A tad old-fashioned but an excellent design. I had one like it & won several thermal soaring comps with it. Still have the model now. The chap in the yellow jacket is one of the younger contingent, an excellent flier & designer of a complete range of R/C models.
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A typical sight on our hill every Sunday morning.
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This is what they're probably looking at. The Beau Trainer aerobatic sloper. One of our young friend's designs. We all had at least one.
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Here's a bunch of us idiots on a different hill. I'm in there somewhere. Wonderful memories & great fun. Sadly I lost touch with most of them long ago.
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More to follow.

Re: Last of the Summer Wine

PostPosted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 1:24 pm
by Ben_M_K
Ahh, very nice, but I'd like to see some in the air! ;D ;D

Re: Last of the Summer Wine

PostPosted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:16 pm
by Craig.
Great work Doug, nice to see some new shots from you. Or old shots that are new here ::) :)

Re: Last of the Summer Wine

PostPosted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 5:07 pm
by beaky
Hey now, that's different. Looks like fun. I never got into the whole R/C thing, but I did spend many hours building a few balsa- and- tissue beauties over the years, only to destroy them with free-throw launches. I've got an enormous P38 kit collecting dust right now; bought it for a song at an antique (junk) shop a few years back, and haven't started it yet. This time I may build it for display purposes only...

Re: Last of the Summer Wine

PostPosted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 5:50 pm
by ozzy72
Some seriously big toys there Doug ;)

Re: Last of the Summer Wine

PostPosted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 5:55 pm
by Hagar
Some seriously big toys there Doug ;)

Mine was only a little one. Nothing changed there then. ;D