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You can either e-mail your information from the post-box at the foot of this page or use the Response Form below - and if you've got a picture of yourself, so much the better!

Zdenik is an electro-technical engineer from Klenci pod Cerchovem, Czech Republic.  After serving for 25 years in the Czech army, he now works in the local town hall as a technical clerk.

Zdenik is married to Dagmar and they have two sons, both single - John is 25 years old and is an immigration officer, while 23-year-old Martin is at university studying agriculture. Zdenik is 50 years old and his wife is just three weeks younger than him; he was born in Slany, 30 kilometers north of Prague.

Zdenik's favourite hobby is his aero-modelling. He flew sailplanes from the age of 16 to when he was 18, but this was no longer possible during his Army service. He was a great collector of plastic kits, building up a collection of some 350 items. He has been building r/c models since 1981, initially building his own r/c radio. Later, he bought a Czech radio set, Modela, 6-channel AM radio, later FM. Today, he flies with the German Graupner MC-10 and MC-12 with which he is well-satisfied.

Zdenik flies purely for the fun of it - he doesn't take part in any competition flying. "Me and my friends are pilots for enjoyment," he says, "We fly for us, for children; our flying afternoons are a very good discussion club, too." 

Currently in Zdenik's model hangar are sail planes, trainers, semi-scale and fun-fly models, with a range of engine sizes from ·21 to ·90. Planned for the future is a Piper PA-18 Super Cub with a 2·9 meter wingspan, to be fitted with a Benzin ZDZ 40 of Czech manufacture.

Klenci pod Cerchovem (Klenci under Cerchov) is a small town at the border between Czech Republic and Germany, sixty kilometers south-west of Pilsen. Cerchov is the hill on the border, about eleven kilometers from Klenci where there is a very nice observation tower from which it is possible to see views of both Czech Republic and into Germany. Klenci has a population of around 1200 with basic schooling, health centre, senior citizens home, swimming pool and many shops. Commercially, the town boasts three hotels, a factory for the production of technical ceramics, artistic pottery workshops, two building companies and vehicle maintenance workshops. Attractive countryside makes it a pleasant tourist area and there is a group of people known as the Choden still living in the area who were the guardians of the Czech-German border against German military attacks during the 16th and 17th centuries and are still regarded as the historical guardians of the border.

Really pleased to meet you, Zdenik; thanks for your information.

You can see a couple of Zdenik's models on photo gallery and another contribution from him on air space.

My name is Simon Eagles, I am 35 and  a consultant with a telecommunications company looking after a fibre optic network. I am married and we are expecting our first baby in September. I have guarantees that this will have a minimum impact on my modelling activities ( how naive !!!). I live in the Leeds area but spend a lot of my time all over the UK which I often use to visit the many aircraft museums situated around  the UK - it is actually quite surprising how many there are and they are a constant source of inspiration for the modeller. The chances are that most people are within an acceptable driving distance wherever you live in the UK. I feel that these fantastic organisations are gradually losing out as families visit these less and less. I remember as a child regularly having family days out to all kinds of museums and in the 70s and 80s they were incredibly popular. Now, however, they have to compete for the family type day out with theme parks that cater for everything; you don't even need to take a picnic anymore!

My modelling interests began in the Army. I served for 10 years between '86 and '96. Whilst I was based near Salisbury I had the opportunity to complete a MATS (Model Aircraft Target Systems) course. This involved learning how to construct and fly model aircraft in a safe manner so that they could be blown out of the sky with vehicle-mounted  General Purpose Machine Guns. The course was spread over six weeks with some of the hottest weather we ever get in this country (I honestly don't believe life could get any better than those six weeks!!!). The models were around 150 cm wing span, powered by Merco 61's and used fleet radio gear. They were incredibly robust and unless you shot off the motor or a control surface they were very difficult to bring down. All this meant that my flying skills were developed rapidly over this period.

My present fleet comprises totally of electric power now and include at present, a Sopwith Pup (Peter Rake Plan), a Fournier, a Spitfire (60% finished), several motorised electric gliders and a Kyosho F16. It is the F16 that has fuelled my interest in building the A-10, hence my plea for help (see the post box page).

Thanks, Simon; congratulations to you and your wife on the baby news - hope everything continues to progress well.

meet John Anderson

I have had a wonderful career in Aviation, but now at age 76 I had to give up my medical so am building models to keep with it.

I started flying in 1941 and soloed in 1943. Then after I soloed I went into Aviation Cadets and went through the Cadet program. I graduated when the war was ending and went back to civilian life for a while, instructing in Cubs. Then went to the Air National Guard in Puerto Rico where I flew P-47s, P-51s, T-33s, F-86s, C-47s and C-45s.

When I left there I went with Eastern Air Lines and retired from there in 1985.

I have been building Models off and on for many years but just got real serious about it a few years ago. I have never learned to fly them good enough to be on my own but take lessons when I feel good enough.

I started building models around 1937 when a kit cost 10 cents USA money, glue was 5 cents and I had to ride my bicycle 10 miles to the closest town that had a hobby shop of sorts. I do remember they never flew very good and when we wound the rubber motor tight enough the fuselage would collapse. Someday I will tell about my first attempt at flying radio control models.

I built a full size Baby Ace airplane (left) at one time. It had a Continental 85 Horsepower engine and although it was only a single place my friends and I had a lot of fun flying it. This would have been about 1972.  Then I also built a biplane called a Hatz (right) with a 150 HP. Lycoming for power. I made several changes in the design but made it mostly to the plans. It flew great and we had a lot of fun with it also. I kept it about 10 years.

I belong to a club called Fayette Flyers of Georgia. I am not too active because it is usually too hot at the field for me (I am not in the best of health). I do get out sometimes and have several trainers that I am using to try and learn to fly.

I prefer scale models and all of my models are electric powered.

John with his Kloud King old timer;  72" span, 3-channel with Astro geared 25 with super gear box and 16 cells. 10 minutes flight time at half throttle.

Go to the photo gallery to see a few of John's great electric planes

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