Is there much interest in vintage here?

[Guest]

I dont know if you know of the UK branch of SAM (Society of Antique Models) ? It can be found on www.cavegrove.freeserve.co.uk/sam All vintage' date='ie pre1951, some links,comps, etc. Good starting point. ALL balsa ! (John: That was the free-flight supplier I meant, thanks)[/quote']Hmm, link was dead when I tried it. Is it usually up?

[Guest]

I got it tonight (tues.nov 16) via Google. Just try sam1066 no http or www

[Guest]

Hmm, seemed to get someone's cv!

Still, it's a starting point.

[Guest]

I got it OK again by typing into Google sam 1066 You could also try s.a.m. 1066 Note the gap between sam and 1066.

[wonwinglo]

Tim,you can get all of the dopes,tissue,strip wood etc from a chap called SAMS Models,he is easy to find on Google,he operates from an old chapel,very helpful chap with tons of stock for small scale model building,have to say that most model shops these days are orientated towards ARFTF models and materials are vanishing from the shelves in the high street shops as they cannot be bothered,it is now getting to be a specialised line,if you can get to Old Warden for the scale day ( well worth a visit by the way ) SAMS has a stall,you can get all the bits that you want without the hassle of postage etc there are also plenty of wood suppliers turn up with excellent balsa,but as Duncan says experiment with modern materials like Depren,it is so light and can be easily painted lightly with artists acrylic paint,Depren models fly well because it is so light and above all virtually crash proof,not trying to sway you but just give more fun ideas to build cheap successful models.

I built that Zero with the motor tube,the tube weighed more than the entire framework put together giving a somewhat high wing loading to say the least !

Just build as light as you can,build them straight without any nasty warps,get the centre of gravity in the right place and anything will fly if trimmed out,I built that Dixon circular wing thing they used in the Magnificent Men film,it was a free plan in the old Aeromodeller ( sadly missed ) what fun that was to trim out properly.

Anyway hope we have given you food for thought.

[Guest]

Presumably 'Old Warden day' has passed this year? Where is it anyway? I have heard of it, but never been.

Yes, plenty of food for thought. Thinking about it, the earliest planes I flew were little sheet balsa jobs, about 8" wingspan. They came in a little plastic envelope; you could see the bits inside through the printing. They were pretty cool actually. Does that ring any bells for anyone? That was in the late 1960s.

I believe they had little rubber motors - slung underneath. Either that or they were gliders. I remember the distinctive smell of the kits, and would recognise it instantly if I came across it now.

I see what you say about the ARTF models. I suppose it's ok if all you want to do is fly. It's a bit sad really, as the model shop I'm talking about in my town has a very small section of balsa supplies, and a smallish selection of Keil Kraft and some WestWings (I have done a couple of them: the Spitfire and the German WW2 plane with props at both ends, can't remember the name). A few other oddities.

Onl a final point, and I guess I could be saving these points for other threads, I also find going into model shops somewhat daunting as you get the feeling that the people serving somehow just want to hurry up and serve you and get back to what they were doing, where what I need in my position is to go at a little slower pace.

Grumpy moan over (and I am only talking about one shop where I live, not all model shops!).

At least on the www you can go as slowly as you like.

Cheers for now (oh, Old Warden - when and when?)

Tim

[Guest]

Old Warden is near Biggleswade in Bedfordfordshire. It is the home of the Shuttleworth Collection (vintage aircraft and cars). www.shuttleworth.org will give details. Nearby is the giant airship hangars at Cardington, sometimes used for indoor model flying. Both are a step back in time. Worth the trip. A bit closer to you is Middle Wallop, the Army Museum of Flight air field, lots of F/F events there. It occured to me that the UK S.A.M chapter is SAM35, is 1066 just the Hastings branch ? Good links on the main SAM website, USA of course but lots of tips,pics etc. www.antiquemodeler.org

[wonwinglo]

Tim,I know what you are saying about model shops,there was only one exception to this and that was 'Barry's models' a shop devoted to real models back in the eighties,the place was more like a museum crammed to the ceiling with scale models hanging up,I ran it for 15 years and always gave the utmost attention to my valued customers,the problem was I was having difficulty getting materials as simple as lightweight tissue etc parking restrictions finally put paid to the shop and I sadly had to close it.

Unfortunately modern shops seem to operate on a profit basis disregarding personal attention to people,take a look at any modern shop with young managers who have little experience of handling the public,the problem is profits come before anything else and by selling an ARTF off the shelf gets rid of a lot of the hassle to the shop owner of having to explain the build to them,this all stems down to 'communication' or should I say the lack of it ! communicative skills seem to have vanished from the curriculum.

Whilst the demise from the shop shelves of traditional modelling goods has not helped the high street shopper it has spurned the specialists like the SAMS shop,George who runs it searches out such things as nose buttons,thrust races and specially packaged balsa from the States.

If you can hang on until next year ( not that far away as the scale meetings are in the summer) then I think a visit to that stall will amaze you as to what is available,save your money and select a subject that suits you from the excellent cottage industry kits,or alternatively you could get his catalogue full of goodies.

The rubber models in a packet were the 'Sleek streak' we had one young lad who assembled one and on its first flight flew OOS never to be seen again,these have been replaced with styrofoam designs.

The German push-pull design done by Westwings is the Dornier 335 Pfiel,no chances of getting this flying except with drastic weight reduction by thinning everything out from the kit contents.

Anway hope that this helps,warts and all regarding the present situation with this type of modelling.

[Guest]

Tim , have a look at www.myunclewillies.com Loads of re-drawn vintage plans of all types.