TOPIC: A Pleasant Surprise

This last Saturday I had the idea that I would drive down to Port Meadow and take a look at the Oxford MAC Scale comp only to be reminded that I had already pre booked tickets for a family day out a the Flywheel event being held at Bicester Heritage. No problem A day with the grandchildren, aviation, classic cars and an onsite brewery, what could be better.

Managing to get a few minutes I had a wander around the auto jumble taking place in one of the hangers, lots to see including a static display by the Bicester MAC, who where also demonstrating a turbine powered model during breaks in full size arrivals, a small display by the guild of aviation artists and lots of stalls to peruse.

Just about to leave I spotted what looked like a box full of part built stick and tissue models. Closer inspection revealed that what looked like part built was in fact a collection of damaged scale rubber powered models of an age where most of the tissue was brittle, torn or missing and all looking in a very sorry state. Noticing my interest the proprietor announced that their was two further boxes underneath. Imagine my surprise when lifting off the top box to reveal a collection of built Richard Crossley and Steve Bage Rapier powered designs and of immediate interest to me an Aerographics Flitzer sitting on the top.

Again several of the models covered in natural tissue looked a little worse for ware, these included a Bage Bachem Natter and a Blohm and Voss P215 which looked to have been built with excessive dihedral. Nestled at the bottom was a Crossley Mig I-270 and Me 1106, along with the Flitzer these had an airbrushed paint finish to a good standard which had no doubt protected the tissue in what ever environment they had been stored. Looking over the models in a little more detail I realised that the Flitzer did not have a motor trough, checking the others I found that with exception of the Natter all had the undersides tissued over. I then realised that the whole collection had been built as static models soon confirmed as remnants of fishing line was still attached to some where they had no doubt been hanging from a ceiling.

A placard displayed that models where priced at £5 pounds each which I was happy to pay for the Flitzer but apparently there was a buy one get one free offer so I left with the Me 1106 as well.

The next day, while looking the models over I found a few issues that will need sorting. The Me 1106 has asymmetric dihedral and the tail booms of the Flitzer are not aligned, while both suffer from the formers not being relieved between stringers giving a starved horse appearance. A little bit of work to do then but can not complain for £2.50 each!

How nice to hear of a bit of good fortune. Presumably you intend to restore these to flying order.
I look forward to another progress report.

The models look very nicely done, great find, I wonder who built them? I haven't seen either of them come up on any of the Forums I belong to. Shouldn't be too tricky to convert back for Rapier/TSP.