TOPIC: Old Warden July 2024

Just for once, and to show it can happen, the weather forecast for both days could be summarised as, 'sunny with a bit of cloud and very light winds', for Sat July 27 and, 'very sunny, dead calm with even less cloud', for Sunday. To which could be added, especially for Sunday, 'Strornary' hot.
We missed Howard and Daniel, but Andy Blackwell and I were joined by the estimable Terry from Germany and John Digby on Saturday and Roj Reese on Sunday.
We had a good time: many motors were used, a fair number of models were flown and many, many, wonderful flights made - especially if you launched into one of the frequent thermals! The TSP motors we used were in the main TSP L-2L (170 mN); TSP L-2HP (250 mN) and, especially, TSP L-1 (100 mN). These were predictable and reliable and ignited well with a fuse or an electric gismo (see separate thread o n forum)

All in all, a day to remember. Here's to the next event - Peterboro Flying Aces!



Above: a selection of models awaiting their next sortie: left, F-15, Viper and T-38 Talons for TSP L-2;, right, Gripen, Wren, Lansens and Super Sabre for L-1. All made good flights.



Above: me with the entertaining Topflight AeroJet, with Super Sabre - note how nicely this model gets away from a steady launch. Andy had fun with the SAAB Lansen (bottom right).



Above: Roger Reese and Terry (holding his igniter) with Roj's L-1 powered Wisp. Roj is an old C/L hand: this Wisp, appropriately, liked to fly in tight circles Andy flew his Jetex 50 powered Akyray on Sunday; John Digby trimmed his OD Junkers 128 on Saturday.



Above: Terry had some spectacular flights with the Viper, which responded in a ballistic fashion to a TSPL-2 HP. The Mirage III flew wonderfully with a standard 170 mN TSP L-2. The picture bottom left shows Terry in pre-launch mode, and (bottom right) after a stratospheric sortie and an arboreal retrieve.



Above: Andy with the Skyray ready to go (top left). Tthe antique ribbed Jetex 50 gave only enough power, alas, for an extended glide. Andy says he'll use 'Red Spot' pellets next time! Andy had rather more success with the F-15 (top right) which also responded well to a TSP L-2HP and 80 extra mN up its jet pipe . Bottom left, Roj Rees about to launch the lovely Wisp; and (bottom right) the less predictable Fuego.

I hope there are more photos of this event out there which I'll post in due course. Meanwhile, if and reader would like more details of the models, please ask.

Just a couple of sequences to give a flavour of the atmosphere and jet action at this event:



Above: Terry lights the Aeroscout's TSP L-2 and I give it, once the thrust has built up and is steady, a nice smooth launch. The Aeroscout, an old Topflite kit design had a tendency to 'dutch rol'l and perhaps needed a tad more noseweight. Hmmm ... thus my thoughtfulness walking back to basecamp. But it did make a complete flight - with a glide phase - even if its flight pattern was 'entertaining'. . The L-2 powered Lansen (bottom right), which I've been taking to OW for twelve or so years is now a bit battered, but still flies well and smoothly.



Above: Terry having fun with the oh-so-reliable Jetex Viper. I must make another one!

Here's a few more pics from me.
A small part of Roger's wonderful selection:





Roger adds: note Terry's igniter that did stirling work over both days. The only 'problem' we had with it was its au naturel brown finish. It was all too easy to loose it in the grass!

Roger very generously gave of his models and his very good advice on launch technique.

Roger firing up the Tendera on his Keil Kraft design MiG 15.


This is another great model from the drawing board of Bill Dean. Bill was for me the dean of Jetex model power responsible for some of my favorite models. As well as the MiG he designed the profile Vulture and the profile Skyray, All of these are great fliers.

One of the best flights of the day: the MiG 15 got away and flew outside the field, heading for a barley (?) field. After some very well done 'sighting' from Andy, and a long walk, we tracked the blighter down.