AeroModeller – June 2018

4 AeroModeller - June 2018

News, Views and Editorial

A

s an aeromodeller I had a charmed childhood. My

father David Boddington was making his living

from aeromodelling (and briefl y from running full-

size airdisplays as the Barnstormers), for most of

my life. Thus, I grew up surrounded by everything

I needed to build and fl y model aircraft; not for me barely

tolerant parents, as dad was actively encouraging and mum

made sure I fi tted in school work around my modelling.

I guess I didn’t have a chance to have anyother hobby with

a father like DB, but I didn’t mind as aeromodelling stimulated

so may diff erent areas of my imagination (at least until later

teenagehood...)

It was while putting together this month’s free plan feature

on the Fokker D.VIII that I realised things had come full circle.

Dad designed over 500 models in his lifetime, and while I lived

at home in the 70’s and early 80’s I built many of these test

models for him which were then published. It is my building

and fi nishing you can see in the photos accompanying those

articles, as dad was often too busy to build the models himself.

With the Fokker D.VIII in this issue I get to publish an article

based on the model he built from Ron Moulton’s plan in 2005,

thus reciprocating the previous way we worked.

Without all the knowledge and experience from my father

I would not be sitting in the editor’s chair now. One other

interesting thread leading to DB in this issue is shown in the

accompanying photo. DB is shown holding the .60 powered

RC Albatros CIII he designed in 1976 for fi lming of the TV series

Wings. This was built by John Watters who was then inspired

to design a smaller FF version which appeared as a free plan in

the old AeroModeller. When you read Bill Dennis’ Scale Matters

column you will see that Dave Putterill has taken John Watters’

design and shrunk that for a new smaller design CIII. I know

dad would approve of an updated version at a diff erent scale!

Regards, Andrew Boddington

[email protected]

Full Circle

H

ANGAR

D

OORS

H

ANGAR

HEARD AT THE

DREAMING SPIRES FF RALLY 2018

After 36 years running the Oxford MFC FF Rally for duration, Andrew

Crisp has stepped down to take a well-earned rest. However, all is not

lost as the event has combined with the “Dreaming Spires” FF Rally

run by Laurence Marks to feature FF scale as well as a varied spread of

duration events.

The date is 1st July 2018 at Port Meadow, Wolvercote, Oxford. For

more information email [email protected]

Your editor prepares the test model he built of the DB designed Mini-Eros

(based on the large Coasby original). I still have the tattered tissue original

that needs recovering.

David Boddington holding the Albatross CIII used for the fi lming of the BBC

TV series Wings.

PANDAS EVENT CLARIFICATION

As announced last month Sunday 3rd June is the date for the

Seventh Single Channel & Retro RC Fly-in at Pontefract Park,

with hosts PANDAS website http://www.pandas.bmfa.org The open

fun-fl ying day on the day before (Saturday 2nd June) is for

electric models only, where as the Sunday Retro event is IC

and electric.

HANGAR DOORS 055.indd 2 27/04/2018 11: