THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODEL AVIATION - Page 5
IN THE 1920s THE FUSELAGE TRACTOR MODEL BECAME POPULAR. THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES OF THIS: PLATER'S RESURGAM, NEWELL' S FALCON, KNIGHT'S KINGLET AND THE PELLY-FRY MODELS.
A WORD NOW ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE EARLIER MODELS. THE FAVOURITE WOOD BY FAR WAS SPRUCE, ALTHOUGH ASH WAS SOMETIMES USED WHERE BENDING WAS REQUIRED. BAMBOO WAS ALSO FAVOURED BY SOME BUILDERS - C A RIPPON PARTICULARLY. HIS 1920 PUSHER IS AN EXAMPLE. THE COVERINGS WERE EITHER JAP SILK OR OILED SILK. JAP SILK WAS VARNISHED IN THE VERY EARLY DAYS, AND DOPE WAS USED, EVEN AS EARLY AS 1912. WIRE WING TIPS AND TAIL UNIT OUTLINES WERE USUAL. MULTI-SKEIN MOTORS WERE USED. THE EPITOMY OF THE GEARED MODEL WAS THE NEWELL 'FALCON'. THIS MODEL WON THE WAKEFIELD CUP AT THE FIRST COMPETITION IN 1928.
THE WAKEFIELD INTERNATIONAL CUP IS STILL THE MOST COVETTED TROPHY AMONGST AERMODELLERS. IT WAS PRESENTED BY SIR CHARLES WAKEFIELD (AS HE THEN WAS) IN 1928 AT THE INSTIGATION OF SIR SEFTON BRANCKER, WHO WAS DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION AT THAT TIME, FOR COMPETITION WHERE ENDURANCE OF FLIGHT WAS, AND STILL IS, THE OBJECTIVE. I SHALL REFER TO THE WAKEFIELD' CLASS OF MODEL QUITE A NUMBER OF TIMES, BECAUSE IT IS THIS COMPETITION MORE THAN ANY OTHER, THAT HAS STIMULATED ADVANCEMENT IN MODEL AIRCRAFT DESIGN. UP TO 1933, ANY METHOD OF POWER COULD BE
USED, BUT AFTER THIS TIME, THE RULES WERE CHANGED AND ONLY RUBBER-DRIVEN MODELS COULD ENTER.
IN 1930 A REVOLUTION HIT THE BRITISH MODEL AVAITION MOVEMENT. THE WAKEFIELD TEAM FROM AMERICA BROUGHT MODELS BUILT FROM BALSA WOOD AND COVERED WITH TISSUE. THE CUP WAS WON BY JOE EHRHARDT OF THE USA FLYING A BALSA MODEL. HE WON IT AGAIN IN 1931. MUCH CONSTERNATION WAS APPARENT AMONGST THE BRITISH, WHO CONSIDERED THAT THE BALSA AND TISSUE MODEL HAD NO PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE IT WOULD BE UNABLE TO WITHSTAND FLIGHT IN OUR CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. IN 1932 THE WAKEFIELD COMPETITION WAS HELD IN THE USA BUT WAS DECLARED VOID BECAUSE THE RULES WERE NOT COMPLIED WITH, HENCE THE COMPETITION OF 1933 WAS HELD IN BRITAIN. IN THE UNITED KINGDOM DURING THE YEARS 1931· AND 1932 J W KENWORTHY HAD. BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH BALSA MODELS TO A GREATER EXTENT THAN OTHERS. HE PRODUCED HIS 'CONQUEROR' FOR THE 1933 WAKEFIELD AND WON IT HANDSOMELY - A FITTING REWARD FOR HIS EFFORTS.
THE 'CONQUEROR' WAS THE FORE-RUNNER OF THE STRAIN OF BRITISH ENDURANCE MODELS FOR
MANY YEARS UNTIL THE THE 1950' s.
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A WORD NOW ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE EARLIER MODELS. THE FAVOURITE WOOD BY FAR WAS SPRUCE, ALTHOUGH ASH WAS SOMETIMES USED WHERE BENDING WAS REQUIRED. BAMBOO WAS ALSO FAVOURED BY SOME BUILDERS - C A RIPPON PARTICULARLY. HIS 1920 PUSHER IS AN EXAMPLE. THE COVERINGS WERE EITHER JAP SILK OR OILED SILK. JAP SILK WAS VARNISHED IN THE VERY EARLY DAYS, AND DOPE WAS USED, EVEN AS EARLY AS 1912. WIRE WING TIPS AND TAIL UNIT OUTLINES WERE USUAL. MULTI-SKEIN MOTORS WERE USED. THE EPITOMY OF THE GEARED MODEL WAS THE NEWELL 'FALCON'. THIS MODEL WON THE WAKEFIELD CUP AT THE FIRST COMPETITION IN 1928.
THE WAKEFIELD INTERNATIONAL CUP IS STILL THE MOST COVETTED TROPHY AMONGST AERMODELLERS. IT WAS PRESENTED BY SIR CHARLES WAKEFIELD (AS HE THEN WAS) IN 1928 AT THE INSTIGATION OF SIR SEFTON BRANCKER, WHO WAS DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION AT THAT TIME, FOR COMPETITION WHERE ENDURANCE OF FLIGHT WAS, AND STILL IS, THE OBJECTIVE. I SHALL REFER TO THE WAKEFIELD' CLASS OF MODEL QUITE A NUMBER OF TIMES, BECAUSE IT IS THIS COMPETITION MORE THAN ANY OTHER, THAT HAS STIMULATED ADVANCEMENT IN MODEL AIRCRAFT DESIGN. UP TO 1933, ANY METHOD OF POWER COULD BE
USED, BUT AFTER THIS TIME, THE RULES WERE CHANGED AND ONLY RUBBER-DRIVEN MODELS COULD ENTER.
IN 1930 A REVOLUTION HIT THE BRITISH MODEL AVAITION MOVEMENT. THE WAKEFIELD TEAM FROM AMERICA BROUGHT MODELS BUILT FROM BALSA WOOD AND COVERED WITH TISSUE. THE CUP WAS WON BY JOE EHRHARDT OF THE USA FLYING A BALSA MODEL. HE WON IT AGAIN IN 1931. MUCH CONSTERNATION WAS APPARENT AMONGST THE BRITISH, WHO CONSIDERED THAT THE BALSA AND TISSUE MODEL HAD NO PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE IT WOULD BE UNABLE TO WITHSTAND FLIGHT IN OUR CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. IN 1932 THE WAKEFIELD COMPETITION WAS HELD IN THE USA BUT WAS DECLARED VOID BECAUSE THE RULES WERE NOT COMPLIED WITH, HENCE THE COMPETITION OF 1933 WAS HELD IN BRITAIN. IN THE UNITED KINGDOM DURING THE YEARS 1931· AND 1932 J W KENWORTHY HAD. BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH BALSA MODELS TO A GREATER EXTENT THAN OTHERS. HE PRODUCED HIS 'CONQUEROR' FOR THE 1933 WAKEFIELD AND WON IT HANDSOMELY - A FITTING REWARD FOR HIS EFFORTS.
THE 'CONQUEROR' WAS THE FORE-RUNNER OF THE STRAIN OF BRITISH ENDURANCE MODELS FOR
MANY YEARS UNTIL THE THE 1950' s.
-5-
