trophy bipe. - RCGroups.com

TROPHY BIPE.
,25 112';wing span
208 sq in area.,
Mills 2.4 powered
,:, These biplanes were fully.aerobatic and would
. , perform the Stunt schedule with ease. Due to
"'fuselage side area the "Bipe" was capable of doing
~tight consecutive overhead eights. Full use was
made of the biplane layout to produce a very light
and stiff airframe.
posted and the management of the club hut
436 wing section, substituted for "Baby Gull's
A few minutes later and she was launched
was passed on to me, together with a budget
Eiffel 400, looked promising at the larger
on her second flight, fizzz and away the wing
of £50 to spend "as I saw fit"! on tools and
chord of 7". With just a couple of days to go,
went, up in a steep fast climbing open turn to
materials, "this has got to be what heaven is
the Jetex job finally emerged as a "quicky"
port, with a nice transition into its glide - great
like", I reflected.
built all sheet flying wing of 20" span, inspired
now for the final flight and that was a repeat
Most of my spare time together with sports
by a photo I had seen of a similar model by
of the second, not a bad start to the day, I
afternoons was subsequently spent indulging
that ace designer Bill Dean.
thought to myself.
in my favourite pastime with my fellow modThe early morning of the 25th May saw us
OK its 12.30 - time for lunch in the mess.
ellers.
loading our models aboard the coach and setBut I decided to skip that as there were signs
"Gamma" was the only name I was recogtling down for our journey from Cerny to No.1
of improving conditions with an occasional
nised by in the R.A.F. apart that is, from my
Initial Training School at RAF Wittering, for
glimpse of the sun through the general over"last three" ( the last three numerals of one's
the "23 Group" model aircraft contests.
cast.
official identification, seven figures service
What a sight greeted us when we arrived,
Now to retrieve the Gull from the model
number) and was the only name I responded
uniformed RAF bods everywhere and modcompound and head for the comp. area where
to.
els of all shapes and sizes, with everyone busytimekeepers cadets Clarkson and Simpson
That title was bestowed on me earlier in the
ing themselves with their respective tasks.
were waiting to do their jobs. After the exfirst couple of days of my R.A.F. Service by a
No time to waste, 'models to be unloaded
citement of the Jetex event the glider contest
witty Cockney who, on discovering my "civvy
and set up and then, my "first ever" contest
was a much gentler happening. About half of
street" occupation was in science- working on
event, the jetex duration competition.
the twenty four contestants had flown in the
"particle accelerators", recognised the Gamma
Over to the comp area for the "Jet wings"
morning and the comp was rolling along
particle as having the same starting initial as
first and trimming flight, after a tweek on the
nicely. So now it was my turn to put the 'Gull
my christian name, so that was it! I was stuck
elevons, she was gliding nicely from a gentle
70' through its first towline experience. The
with "Gamma Rae" for the rest of my R.A.F.
hand launch. As I considered this a low key
first tow launch was almost a disaster, she
Service time.
event for me, and it coinciding with the start
pinged off in a low level turn to record about
A look over the cornp. entry forms showed
of the glider event, I decided to risk the first
a minute, not good, a nice glide though. On
that I could fly in my speciality of that period.
powered flight as an official timed one. With
the second launch with a little left rudder set
i.e. Control line stunt. There was also a Jetex
timekeepers RAF cadets Richmond and May
in to compensate, a gentle walk, finally breakevent and I had a Jetex 100 motor awaiting a
at the ready, I lit the fuse, fizux and away it
ing into a trot had the 'Gull' up the line to a
model. How about a glider also, my 35" span
went, up and over, and over, and over and up
reasonable height, not too far, better safe than
"Baby Gull" of a couple of years earlier had
in a series of large looping climbs, spectacusorry. She gently settled into a nice gliding
been a nice little performer, I could use the
lar but not the best way, I think, of getting
turn to port, just as the clouds parted and the
"doubled-up
70" span version that I had
aloft. Let's see, under mounted jet, I needed
warm sun shone through and I hooked my
started, that should do the job fine. The "Gull
to incline the thrust down at the rear for down
thermal! that was the longest flight of the, day,
70" was finally completed and a brief hand
thrust, a couple of 6 B.A. washers should do
the third flight was also a good 'un,
test lide showe'
e OK the Gb'-'·tlliQn""()'e""n"'--'--'t
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