Manx happenings 2005   

Our favourite excursion each year is to the Manx Model Flying festival and this year's events enjoyed hot sunshine and perfect conditions for flat field and slope activities.  Most of the many visitors sailed from Heysham to take advantage of the discounted fares with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and the daytime crossing has been appreciated for several years now. 

Caravans are accepted for the Manx event and the old RAF station at Jurby Airfield in the North West provides mains hook up, hot water, drinking water, toilets and showers plus a work-shop – all at a negligible price.  Tenters enjoy the same facilities too and the club completed the package with a large marquee for hospitality, indoor helicopter flying and model storage; all much appreciated by the regulars – and also the F3a power aerobatic flyers who made up four teams to fly the FAI schedule for the regular Triple Crown event.

Using the peg-on system, sport flying continued uninterrupted from the main and cross-runway interception with the silent flight and glider area off to one side.  Aero towing was mainly by John Jackson's mighty Titan with a King 70 up front; the FUH Pilatus that weighs sixteen pounds proving no challenge at all.  Along with the power and electric flying, bungee stretching was a popular pastime with some long flights being recorded.  Once again, the vintage comment that, 'there's no thermals on Jurby' was proven to be hopelessly wrong and Scot Ian Robertson, recorded a seventy one minute-plus flight sitting it out in the comfort of a folding chair…

Ian needed to conserve his strength for a later session with his electric aerobatic model saw John Jackson roll it to inverted in response to which, the hatch fell off and a £50 LiPo pack fell out.  It took a seven-man, police type, fingertip search to retrieve from the long grass and a grateful Ian was later seen with ply and cyano doing mods to prevent that happening again.

Ian Robertson also took justifiable pride in his indoor electric.  Absolutely top class workmanship for an all up weight of less than two ounces.  As the weather most evenings settled down to not a lot of wind, this and other park type fliers had regular airings.  Good to see the smoke from the regular kipper and banana BBQs heading serenely skywards in company with a selection of lightweights and thermalling gliders.

Speaking of Depron, Mike White brought along an interesting profile creation from 6mm Depron; Span 60inch, weight 2lbs or 875 g with 5 GWS Park servos.  Controls are 2 x ele. 2 x ail & 1 x rud.  Elevator and aileron coupled for flap up with down elevator & vice versa-v and ailevator coupled too.  Motor is an Axi 2808/20 with a 10 x 5 APC...2000mah 2 cell Li-Po battery delivers 14.5 amps or some100 watts...Could do with some more perhaps as Mike found it difficult to hover during that first flight and it did need trimming with regard to down thrust and some more side thrust.

Peter Maillard's latest was a neat vac formed 400 size ducted fan 'Salamander' from a Kavan kit.  Good performer with a superb glide.  Alan Wormwell brought out a very smart 'Ultimate' bipe continuing his infatuation with the legendary Patty Wagstaff to add to the growing range of power, electric and gliders both on display and in the air.

It was early in the first week that the first cases of sunburn were recorded - quite something when it was noted on the slope.  Yes, we found ourselves on the traditional Manx slopes at Windy Corner, Slieu Maggle, the Verandah on the TT course where the squad turned out in force including Neil James and a number of other local flyers.  Also Injebreck, Stonebridge and of course the Stacks in the south west of the island.  It was at the 600-foot high cliffs at the Stacks (where there is nothing between us and the mountains of Mourne) that some of the best soaring took place in superb lift watching out for models and basking sharks.

It was good to see former RCM&E contributor Clive Weller and his wife Margaret across again plus the return of Ken and Margaret Marsh and all enjoyed the flying.  John Dale over again with a good squadron, also found room for an interesting land yacht and the new motorcycle racetrack that passes by the caravan park was spot on for the job.  Back again were Derek and Fiona Bryan plus Sue Molinar from Ohio, Alf and Beryl Hubbert and Roy Hubbert from Staffordshire plus others.  The weather for the whole of the holiday was hot and sunny with clear blue skies, good breeze on the hills but not too windy on the airfield, that is until day two of the aerobatic comp.

Other visitors to the airfield included a film crew rehearsing motorcycle and helicopter shots for a forthcoming film; watch out for 'Stormbreaker' and some action shots over Manx slopes.

This year, the Island was chosen to be the venue for the F3a Triple Crown event and teams from England, Scotland and Ireland plus a 'barbarians' squad made up of a spare from each country plus guest Ivan Nother fought it out in good conditions; slightly overcast with little or no wind - perfect…  The base chosen was on the perimeter track on the south side of Jurby airfield, so the path for the aerobatics was pretty well on the centre of the main runway.  Good too as the centre point for the 'box' was the corner of the nearest hangar.  F3a is an FAI designated schedule of aerobatics' these are to be performed in a 'box' marked by tape sight lines and are best described as precise geometric patterns in the sky.  By tradition, the ten minutes or so of manoeuvres are carried out over a lot of sky inside sight lines giving more room for error with marks being lost for deviation in track and speed.  We had many folk who came along to watch and although F3a might not exactly be a top spectator sport, the object of the aerobatic schedule was quickly grasped and generated appreciative applause.

The only 'nasty' occurred when 'someone' took off with the aileron leads not plugged in… Of interest to many were the two Scottish models that were electric powered. Both used a Hacker Akro 13 wind motors with 10S 3P 6500 mah LiPos and Hacker speed controllers.  Of course electric power may be eco friendly but somewhere a power station was burning oil to charge the packs and a large leisure battery.  Further, the car engine might be called in to charge the pack and there were also rumours of them looking for a four stroke power generator.  Well yes, I know what my rucksack weighs when I go to fly a lightweight electric model…  Suffice to say that the exercise looks more than promising since engine set up on F3a can be crucial and electric has to be right all the time. 

An evening meal at the Sulby Glen prepared folk for day two of the comp and the scoring was close.  However, as the last round was to begin, the wind strength picked up to over 30 mph so a unanimous poll brought the contest flying to an end and the tribes gathered later in the marquee for the prize giving.  Organiser Arthur Silsby from Ramsey was given a major vote of thanks for his efforts along with judges David Tappin, Steve Greenwood and Irish judge Keith Jones who has recently been obliged to buy his way out of jail in Zimbabwe…  Much appreciated magazine subs from RCM&E helped with the fund raising.  Although 'team England' flyer Keith Jackson, made best individual performance, the Scots took the team prize with some consistent scoring.  Superb.

The club are looking to take on other major events next year and with the visitors, aerobatics fliers and crews, MMF members and spectators who included the motor home group, numbers were well over expectations for the event.  The festival concluded with a static display at the Tynwald (Manx Parliament) Ceremony.  

IOM Governor, Ian Macfadeyan (ex RAF, who enjoyed some buddy box flying with us a couple of years back) is standing down this year and the event was graced by a fly-over by four Hawks from RAF Valley in Anglesey.

Splendid.  Look out for something special next year.  Must mention that the MMF festival usually takes place whilst the kids are at school, but you will still be welcome any other time…

Chas Gardiner 

Gallery  

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6a    Ian Robertson's delightful lightweight o/d. 26" and less than two ounces.

8a    Still at prototype stage is Mike White's Depron design.  Lots of fun and easy to put together.

9a    This is the view from the verandah, this is looking east towards Laxey.

10a    Peter Maillard's ducted fan Salamander from a Kavan kit.  Superb, easy build and thought not now available.  Shame.

11a    Alan Wormwell poses with his 'Ultimate'.  Patty Wagstaff is in the cockpit - in fact she's in all of his cockpits…

24a    Good to see Neil James with Graffiti out on the hills again.

26a    John Dale's land yacht filled in some breezy moments on the race track.

28a    'Evolis' is typical of the type of model for flying F3a, precisely.

29a    This is the works of Steve Burgesses' electric machine.  Flies like the I/C models and sounds about the same.

31a    Organiser Arthur Silsby was reported to have collapsed in a heap after the event – with a well earned smile of satisfaction on his face.

34a    Intense concentration as judging in progress

41a    Sam Wragg calls for Arthur Silsby.  Tapes on the runway mark the flight 'box' limits.

44a    This is most of the F3a squad with judges and supporters, Superb conditions and good flying.

61a    MMF Chairman, Brian King's wife Judy presented the awards.  Here with the victorious Scottish team

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