WRCFC

As Keevil is an operational airfield access is unfortunately restricted so anyone who would like to visit our flying site would be most welcome, but please do so by prior arrangement to avoid disappointment, as they say!
Contact details of our elected officials who will be able to get you safely to our patch can be found here. (Unless, of course, you know someone who's already a member, in which case get them to make the introductions!)

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The Warminster and District Radio Control Flying Club (WDRCFC) is a BMFA affiliated club. Flying is carried out at Keevil airfield with the kind permission of the MOD. The site is shared with the Bannerdown Gliding Club and other occasional users.

Originally the club was started by modellers who were at the forefront of radio control technology when the hobby was extremely expensive and somewhat unreliable. Fortunately, the hobby now has access to inexpensive and very reliable equipment. In 1995 a new constitution was produced and since then this has been the basis of our rules and regulations. To newcomers to the hobby the host of rules must seem somewhat daunting but they are really just common-sense applications to promote the existence of a safe flying environment.

The club encourages most sections of the hobby and whilst fixed wing flying is the largest interest there is an active helicopter group. Although we have some members who tend to large and exotic models most members are content to buy ready-built models from the local hobby shops or construct from a plan. Powered models continue to use methanol based engines, although there is a growing interest in petrol engines and electric motors.

The membership of the club spans many years and it is encouraging that younger members are joining, especially when father and sons find a common interest in the hobby. The club policy is to attend local fetes and events to attract new members whilst at the same time as promoting the hobby and aviation in general.

For members new to the hobby we have several dedicated instructors who will help to develop the necessary skills to enable flyers to safely control a model aircraft through all the different phases of a flight. Not only is this the safest path to the hobby but also the least costly.

Security of this airfield is a constraint to access but if any potential new member contacts any of the club officials a meeting time can be arranged and a friendly welcome is guaranteed.

Al Pinnington
WDRCFC Chairman
2009


Message from Kees the Webmeister:

'Hi everybody, I’ve made some changes to get the changeover to the new website started.

Most people’s browsers will insist going to the old site.
There are a few ways to force your computer to behave:

Make a new favourite link: http://www.wdrcfc.org.uk/index.html, or http://www.wdrcfc.org.uk/wp/index.php
Clean out your cookie jar..
Be patient, most pc’s will figure it out after a few visits.
Once on the new site, you can visit the old one from a link at the top of the page, and from the old site, click on the ‘new site’.
I’m sure you’ll work it out.
It's only slightly more complicated than holding a tranny.'

And Nick Brode says:
'Yup. Sounds good to me. But what's a 'Cookie' then?'

- I have discovered that doing a web search thing with Google or whatever you've got is probably the quickest way to find out what these beasties are and how to clean them out, or, of course, you could always get a youngster to do it for you. (That's what I did.)


I've been playing with the new website a fair bit and we're nearly ready to go with it, but here are a few shots of an enjoyable Sunday afternoon at Keevil not so long ago:


Early starter John Thomas with his contrasting styles of electric aircraft.


Chris Kirk and his plan-built Cap-It. Making a return to fixed wing flying after some 30 years, he got Mike Brode to give it its first two flights. No problems reported!


Mike was also asked to help out new member Rich Hooper, who ended an exciting flight with an unfortunate heavy landing. Repairable damage, and I believe Rich is in the market for a buddy box system to ease the learning process.


Roy and Mike having a Yak. Roy's flew for the first time and looked good. Chris Kirk managed to get some video of it to mark the occassion - I'll try and get the link sorted so you don't just have to take Roy's word that it has flown.


Tony Box has some of that new fangled 2.4 radio kit for sale. Check out the For Sale & Wanted page. SOLD!

Having had a few problems with the software behind this website, we've decided to migrate it to a more 'user-friendly' bit of kit over the next few weeks. The format may well be changing, but we hope to be up and running again with all the club news shortly. To check out what we're working on, expand the QuickLinks folder on the left-hand side and select the 'New Web Site (preview)' option and have a look at what we're up to
(Kees is steering and I'm trying to pick it up. Wish me luck!)

I'll also add a new page for the 2009 Archive so that the change over can be done a bit at a time!


But just to confirm that there's more to do on a Wintry sub-zero Sunday afternoon in January than read the papers in front of a log fire...



Andy Hill and Wot 4 with winter pack



Andy Hill and Tony Box braving the elements. Tony writes:
'This is the Keevil “all Weather flying Team” in action this afternoon. Where was the rest of the club on such a lovely afternoon. The temperature was 1deg above freezing and felt quite mild, after days of sub zero temperatures!!!


Having destroyed the Links menu and until Kees can untangle the mess, here are a few that I can find (the rest are still there somewhere, it just needs someone more cleverer than what I am to find them!):

Pictures

Officials

Club Rules

Fees and Membership

Planned Events for 2010

For Sale and Wanted

2009 Archive

2008 Archive

Andy Johnston has at last (!) started on a build to create a suitable vehicle for his home-made Bentley aero engine. It's an Avro 504, and here's what he says:

'The first thing I had to do was make the great space I have as a workshop into useable space and not the tip it has been since I moved in nearly seven years ago. I've rigged up a curtain to separate engineering and aeromodelling to reduce the amount of balsa dust getting into my machinery. I then cleared my long building bench and chopped down the drawer units and fitted them under said bench. I also threw out a lot of junk!!



Anyway, the stage was then set to start building the Avro 504K for the Bentley Rotary. I've scaled up the 1/4 scale Boddington plans to suit the size of cowl needed for the Bentley but not too large or the fus. wouldn't fit in my trailer. The end result is about 27% which equates to 117" wing span.

As the plans were designed around a Zenoah 62, I've redesigned the firewall and F2 to accommodate both the Bentley and the Zenoah. The intention is to ballast the front end with the Zenoah installed and prove the flying abilities airframe, then remove the ballast and swap engines. The pictures show the workshop and the start of the Avro with the Bentley in place. I managed to devise a module for the Bentley to be installed complete with it's throttle servo to save having to fiddle about with linkages in situ.





That will do for now, I'm recovering from the shock of the expense of embarking on a project on this scale.'

So, from an editorial point of view, that's three garages, a utility room, a dining room and a kitchen that have made it to the website in one month. Do I sense a theme emerging....?


No access to Keevil this weekend (no great loss as the weather's been rubbish) so I imagine, like me, everyone's been catching up on all those chores that mean we can go and play when the weather's better (or is it just me who has to run a balance sheet??). Will Harley and Roy Packer have sent me some piccies for the website so you're not just subjected to shots of my garage and half completed projects....

Roy has been working on one of those Hangar 9 Carden Yaks this summer, and apparently it's ready to go subject to a bit of radio tweaking. He has also tried to justify his appalling lack of attendance at Keevil recently (and it has been noted) with some story about refitting a kitchen at Packer Towers.

He sent in this photo by way of explanation..



Two thoughts instantly occurred to me:

1: 'Crikey, I wish I could do stuff like that' and
2: 'Crikey, I hope my wife never sees this - she'll try and swop me again'

Followed quickly by another one:

3: If he got rid of those taps and stuck on a vice, that would make a darned fine workbench

Anyway, hats off to Roy for admitting he's got his priorities completely wrong, and when we've forgiven him we shall expect him up at Keevil every weekend when it's open and not actually raining (too hard, anyway) for the next six months.

And Will Harley has also been busy. He's also had the Ben Buckle Bug, and is well on the way to completing a BB Auster:



He's electrificating it apparently (I'll have to read the constitution - this may qualify him for instant dismissal) but assures me it will be adequately powered. (Gosh! I'd hate to see yet another vintage aircraft struggling for height in ideal conditions directly over the pits, me, and car park again.)

10 December - Please Note: It has been pointed out to me (by Will) that this may be interpreted as a dig (at Will) about underpowered aircraft (actually, not Will's). It was never intended to be so, just a generic comment about the number of times I have personally felt in danger whilst at the same time admiring the skill and determination of those pilots who risk all for the sake of authenticity and adrenalin (and not Will at all - that is, apart from his rockets which are brilliant and noisy and smokey and scare the pants off everyone and make me want to agree with everything he says).

And poor old Will seems to have the same problem as the Brodes - too much stuff and not enough space:





And to make matters worse, he tells me that the garage is having another floor put on it next year, so even that space is going. What's a chap to do???


Tony Box has provided more details of the intriguing scratch built plane he brought along to November's meeting.



He writes:
'It was going to be my “Winter project” but when you are retired, you seem to spend more time in the workshop to avoid getting any domestic chores.

It’s a Piel Emerauld CP301, The full size is up in the Hanger on the airfield. They are home builds and Piel Emerauld is the designer of the well known CAP10 series (it looks a bit like one).

Model is to ¼ scale making it about 82 inch span. Powered by a MVVS 26 sparky. Weighs 12lbs 8oz. Had to draw up my own plans as there nothing model wise about. It is now finished, but will have to run in the engine and ground checks before flying…and wait for some decent Weather.'


Darn! Managed to stuff up the links menu that usually appears on the left of the screen. Font of all knowledge, Kees Blokland, is currently bouncing around on a ferry in the Irish Sea somewhere, and will check it out when he's back home. Normal service will be resumed.....

Just seen the weather forecast for the next few days and I wish I hadn't. More gales on the way and no chance of flying for a while. And we missed what may have been the only recent opportunity last Sunday 15th by having to take advantage of the break in the weather to catch up with some chores. Oh the irony of it all!! Anyway, we've not been idle - I've been building and Michael's been getting down to some serious GCSE swotting. (At least that what he tells me he's doing when his phone rings and he has to rush out for a few hours.)
And being such a good dad I thought I'd take over his Ben Buckle Elf biplane as he's got so much schoolwork to do. It's coming along quite well, even though I say so myself:


Still a bit to do yet though, but watch out Dave Evans, there's competition on the way!

And on another note, anyone else have the same problem as us?


The workshop's a bit full.


The dining room's got a few bits and pieces in it too.

So what's a chap to do? Daughter has left home and her room is a fair size. (Got one of those stern looks from the management when I suggested another use for it, so that was a non starter.) And then in a flash of brilliance I reasoned that if I put a lot of the junk from the garage into the shed, there would be room for a couple of benches and a shelf or two, and being next to the kitchen it would be dead handy for cups of tea and meals to be brought out to me so that my building works won't have to be interupted! And that's where we are now, one half done, and off to get more wood for the other side tomorrow.


Soon be space for some new planes then....

If anyone's got any projects on the go they'd care to share with the rest of us, please send me details so that I can add them here. Photos of a workshop indeed - must be desperate! (Well, I've shown you mine...)

And finally for now for club members, don't forget the AGM on Tuesday 8th December at Trowbridge Cricket Club - your chance to have a say in how your club is going to be run next year.

Nick Brode
nickbrode@hotmail.com