My Dad and I went to the Large Model Association meet at Cosford last weekend - pictures from this will be on this blog by Sunday - and it was great fun.
One of the best things is that while we like the aircraft on display, there's no interest in building one. Well, not much. So the "No more Kits" mantra is largely unnecessary. We did come away with some tools and useful radio control fittings but those don't count.
Well, there was one kit. A British Model Flying Association Vulcan. The aged parent has now built it and you can see the results. Lots of old technology with balsa wood stuck to printed tissue paper. The whole lot is powered by an elastic band.
And it flies. Quite well.
Anyway, the interesting thing about this model is it's a part of a range. The idea is that a beginner starts with one kit and gradually advances through the set with each model being slightly more complex than the last. According to the instructions, "Your next model in the BMFA Education programme is the Gyminne Cricket" which requires more skill to build but will reward you with twice the performance.
Packs of planes can be supplied to schools and sound like a great way to explain the mysteries of flight. All good stuff since you get a science lesson and modelling practise in one go. Or parents can buy the kits for a child and they can work their way through the, Just the job for a long summer holiday perhaps.
Clever stuff - let's hope it encourages future generations of modellers. Maybe some of those returning to the hobby could benefit too.
And for those who don't think it looks much like a real Vulcan bombers, here's a model for comparison. Very impressive with a 20ft wingspan but it did cost 11666 times much to build!
1 comment:
When I was a boy, we lived for a couple of years near the end of the airfield at Woodford. Vulcans used to fly over our house with an ear shattering noise...stuff would fall off the shelves in the house and at first I would run inside, ears covered. Now, I can see that they are really impressive, slightly terrifying machines. Your model version flies well, but lacks the fearful aspect of the real thing :-) great value, though!
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