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Let us watch your model in the making, from when you open the kit to air-borne! Don't feel you have to chronicle every step, unless you want to. Just send an occasional picture or two and an explanatory note and we can catch up with your progress from time to time on this page. It will only appear when there's something to report and we can keep as many projects going as you wish. I must reserve the right to select and crop pictures, though, otherwise the page will take too long to download. 

She flies!

On Sunday 4th November, Chris brought his Blohm & Voss to the Test Valley Model Flying Club field for its test flight.

There was a great deal of interest on the field as test pilot Gordon Cook and Chris went over the plane, checking the set-up carefully and making a few final adjustments. The SC ·46 engine was run up and after all the usual pre-flight checks, she was taken out on to the field for the maiden flight.

Take-off seemed just a little shaky, with one wing dipping rather suddenly, but Gordon soon got the measure of things, making a few trim adjustments as he gathered height and then flew a few straightforward circuits. The model certainly looked good in the sky and it wasn't long before Gordon was looking comfortable and confident - there's a contented sort of smile appears! 

A few more circuits were followed by a couple of touch-and-go passes, then back up to a safe height for a few aerobatic manoeuvres that were probably foreign to the full size, but the model handled them well, and then a nice final approach and very scale-like landing - beautiful! 

After recovering from the excitement of the test flight, Chris then flew the plane on the buddy box with Gordon and savoured the satisfaction of flying his new baby! If I heard aright, though, it may be the only time he will fly it as I think I heard him talking about selling it straight away before moving on to his next project!

When the B & V was safely back on the ground, Gordon sportingly donned the test pilot's helmet thoughtfully provided by someone for this special occasion, and posed with Chris the Builder for a commemorative picture!

Congratulations, Chris - an interesting project, a nice model and a happy landing!

My thanks to Andy Hellyer for the touch-down photo.

For those who might not have seen this project before, Chris's plane is of the WWII Luftwaffe Blohm und Voss MB141B. The MB141B was a short-range single-engined reconnaissance and observation aircraft, carrying a 3-man crew in the wing-mounted crew pod. Chris was intrigued by its unusual asymmetric design and decided to have a go at building one. His model is a 54" balsa and ply construction, built from a set of Nexus plans (ref MAG61) for a foam version which he modified 

The model is powered by an SC ·46 with a 10 x 6 Fingali 3-bladed propeller. 

Ron has finished his Stampe and it has recently undergone its test flight. Ron reports that he had the services of the power Chief Flight Instructor at Exmouth Model Aero Association who test flew and trimmed it out for him.

As it happened, it needed very little trimming - about two notches of up-elevator. The engine, a Laser 150, was also started up for the first time and performed perfectly. Ron took her round for eight or nine circuits then came in for a low(ish) pass after which he asked the CFI to land it for him as he was a little unhappy about the turbulence. He need not have worried - at all times the Stampe was as steady as a rock. Ron's day was made when he received a lot of congratulations on the plane's performance.

Ron is now looking for the perfect flying conditions before he ventures out with this lovely model again!

Nice one, Ron, and thanks for sharing the project with us.

A dry-run assembly of the main elements of Chris's new plane and with the engine now mounted. 

The engine is an SC ·91 2-stroke - Chris had been talking about fitting an OS91FX, but decided to save a few bob!

It's certainly looking good and I am looking forward to seeing it fly.