picture gallery

	THIS is the page to show off your favourite model pictures - models you own and fly or something special you might have seen on the club field or at a show, perhaps. Click on the post-box and e-mail me with your pictures and any interesting details.
	Picture files are best sent as JPEGs (.jpg) to save transmission and downloading time. If you cannot send picture files, send your photographs by regular mail. My home address is now at the foot of the home page. Please note, though, that I cannot return photos unless you send me the necessary postage.

I am cheating a bit here because I'm kicking off not with a picture of a model, but a lovely piece of aviation artwork which I thought some Internet Explorer users might like to use as wallpaper on their PC desktop. If you do, then click on the thumbnail to go to the enlarged view, then right-click on the big picture and choose Set as Wallpaper and you will find the picture displayed next time you go to your desktop. The picture will be saved in your Windows folder as Internet Explorer Wallpaper.bmp from where you can change its name if you wish (but be sure to keep the file extension .bmp). I expect there's a similar process for users of different operating systems and browsers. To minimise scan patterning, the large picture is a fairly big file by my usual standards and may take just a little longer to download.

This picture, Low Down the Lake - Again by Wilfred Hardy, GAvA, is taken from "Brace by Wire to Fly-by-Wire", 2nd edition, which was published in 1998 in support of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund to commemorate 80 years of the Royal Air Force. It is a wonderful book displaying a double-page spread for each year from 1918 to 1998 on which the key RAF events of the year are chronicled together with a facing reproduction of a painting depicting an aviation scene contemporary to the year. Picture © The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Enterprises.

This particular picture showing a Sea Eagle-equipped Tornado GR1B of No 617 Squadron, was specially commissioned by the RAF Benevolent Fund to mark the 50th anniversary of the raid on the German dams by Lancasters of No 617 Squadron in May 1943.

I purchased my copy of the book from my local garden centre book table at £5.99. The publisher's address is The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Enterprises, Bader House, RAF Fairford, Glos GL7 4DL, England.

The following photos were taken at a recent meeting of the Test Valley Model Flying Club which is featured as a repeat item on the club scene page.

Here's a strip of mini-pics of GORDON COOK's aerobatic model "Sweet Apple". Gordon is Chairman of Test Valley Model Flying Club in Hampshire, UK, and also one of the club's instructors.
Topside		Underside
The model is of Gordon's own design and takes its name from Sweet Apple Farm - he names all his models after local places. It is powered by a Laser .80, has an all-up weight of 2.7 kg, a 60 in. wingspan and length of 63 ins. First flown July 1998. Just for fun and for Gordon's benefit, I've circled the spot where he made his first radio-controlled flight 36 years ago, using a single-channel transmitter equipped with an old tank aerial which he says he found - you can see the location when you view the right-hand picture full-screen!


These beauties are owned by STEVE READ, who also flies with Test Valley Model Flying Club. Left and centre is his 1/6th scale Harvard and on the right, a 1/6th SE 5A, both FLAIR products.

Now let's enjoy a sight of your favourite aero model - just use the e-mail facility at the top of any ModelFlight page or send details and pictures by regular mail.