BIG THANKS TO Colin foR This Report of the Day
(in his UNIQUE style 😀)
The Birdy ............2019
John and Lew have done it again with a competition in the true spirit of the late John Bird. Congrats John on his fiendish choice and thanks for a truly interesting days fun and frivolity playing with toy aeroplanes.......just what we expect at “The Birdy”. This year the plane was truly a Banggood special with the ‘orrible beast constructed from a strange type of flat rubbery foam that cut and glued well for modifications. Unfortunately it also retains its original memory for distortions....
Hmmm !....not so good with the J3 Cub I got from the Big B. The drive was a straight drive via a rechargeable capacitor the whole assembly perched on top of the body. All good fun especially as the prop remains spinning and causing drag, until the Ooomph runs out that is. We had seen the one he got in early which, on a full charge, wouldn't make it across a single court and both the wing and fuz were bent to blazes. Anyway John carefully constructed the rules to avoid any major rebuilding, mainly to try and keep things as honest and straightforward and basic as possible. Unfortunately a lot of the Boronia boys either couldn't find the place or it was tooooooooo cold for them. Cold, did I say cold ?????.... Apologies, it was Bfreezing with the car temp gauge reading only 6 degrees as I pulled up outside. Without any wind assistance to disperse the cold bits it felt even colder inside the hall.....great for battery and capacitor conditioning ?. Anyway we started with a general bung about to sort out the trimming before the AGM. Interesting to note that it was exactly the same as at most clubs .........with members sitting firmly on their hands in case an accidental sneeze or cough rewarded them with a position on the committee! Seriously though our committee all do a fantastic job so I think I can safely say........Thanks Fellas.
Warmed, and refreshed by Gary’s marvellous cake arrangements we went back so that battle could be commenced.
First up it was the distance task and it was truly hilarious to see planes that had been trimmed to fly straight and true suddenly make a detour and graze a far away wall! Didn't matter which side they all got clobbered and it didn't seem to matter how long you charged the beast. Oh well, we all had 3 goes at it so next time maybe? Rudders were adjusted with a tiny amount of trim and wings breathed on to add a bit of twist and sure enough the plane went straight then suddenly turned into a vicious circle, missing the umpires by inches or millimetres. I am sure we all said the same thing.....”Next time.....she’ll be right”...... but that foam remembers things and it wasn't until the third round that somebody actually got a flight straight-ish down the court. Rapturous cheers ensued of course, but the magnificent effort was only to be equalled by the next flyer who admittedly veered off course and landed on the other court ....but almost exactly equal in straight line distance !!!! Names were a blurr until Wes Hoffman out did us both but not by much and then a mighty cheer went up as Peter McCarthy actually hit the wall about 300mm up it. Fantastic flight. Now with a humungous trophy to be won John Gottschalk was next up and teetering just behind the line he lifted his plane up and removed the charging module then ever so gently removed his hand and let it fly. No bunging , no heavy heave, just removed his mitt and away it went.....straight and level, almost, until the wall got in its way and it hit the far wall about 1400mm up. Best by far and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the launch was a very critical part of the overall flight.
Next up it was the timed event or how long can you keep it up for? Well, it started well with a couple of models flying almosta complete circle...until somebody realised that if you bunged the beast from the middle of the court the walls were that much further away and then we actually started to get some respectable scores. Reaching the dizzy heights of double digit scores and there was a complete 360 circle flown......then another..... and then somebody tried for two small complete 360’s as the 10 second barrier was broken and then smashed by a monstrous 12 seconds.... which was then absolutely trounced by 14 seconds airborne. Try holding your breath while you fly...it’s fun? Even Wes who was, way, way down at the far end where the thermals emanating from the closely packed spectators were minimised. Roughly translated that means the crowd were blowing a load of hot air!!!! Peter McCarthy astounded us all when he launched....climbed hard and fast until he hit the roof ...... then the beast wavered, dived vertically down..... only to pull out just before headbutting the floor to carry on and record a fantastic 17 seconds. The crowd went ballistic.......WOW things were starting to really hot up and look good. Peter Cossins was next and the cry of DUCK after his last attempt but that was replaced with gasps of awe as he went slowly round and round for a magnificent 19 seconds. We all thought it was over until that man Wes stepped up to the plate and launched from almost under the basketball hoop at the far end with a very tight climbing plane on full frottle........ up and up it went in ever decreasing circles and you could hear the gasps of “will it or wont it” as it neared the roof and I think from memory the wall interrupted the flight when the clock ticked over on a very respectable 20 seconds.
Congratulation Wes Hoffman ....Birdman again
A very big thanks to Julie Bird for presenting the trophy’s and John Julian for obtaining those truly ‘orrible flying machines. I wonder what we did to deserve them?
In hindsight or more to the point:- What have we learned ?
First ......It pays to read the rules and how to play properly with whatever toys you are given.
Second.....the launch can be a major contributing factor just like last year with the chuckies.
Third .....I wonder what creations will be forthcoming using the “orrible but unbreakable beast” or its motor. Diffy steer maybe or that motor and prop in one of Peter Mac’s designs.
Finally.....BEFORE competing ......Go and see how Wes has spent his hours and hours and hours modifying and tweaking his machine. Minute increments and angles adjusted until he is almost satisfied with its capabilities....... Never fully satisfied with the performance, because there is always room for improvement. In all fairness he is willing to share his knowledge with anybody who asks. For example did you know that the stabiliser was slightly crooked even if it was only by “arf a millilitre” and the CofG constantly adjusted for optimum performance, both front to back and also side to side. T’was all or most of it written on the underside of the plane, along with the tiny balancing blue or pink tack to make it fly so well. Even that wasn't a lump as most of us would use but an aerodynamically crafted and blended piece on the underside of one wing......but which wing and why?
This year I think it fair to say, we had a ball and personally I can’t wait for next year’s Birdy, JJ will come up with something different I am sure, and with a bit of luck the Boronia Mob will venture down and try and outdo us.
Colin Smith.....tongue in cheek as always and very, very generous creative license used.
The Birdy ............2019
John and Lew have done it again with a competition in the true spirit of the late John Bird. Congrats John on his fiendish choice and thanks for a truly interesting days fun and frivolity playing with toy aeroplanes.......just what we expect at “The Birdy”. This year the plane was truly a Banggood special with the ‘orrible beast constructed from a strange type of flat rubbery foam that cut and glued well for modifications. Unfortunately it also retains its original memory for distortions....
Hmmm !....not so good with the J3 Cub I got from the Big B. The drive was a straight drive via a rechargeable capacitor the whole assembly perched on top of the body. All good fun especially as the prop remains spinning and causing drag, until the Ooomph runs out that is. We had seen the one he got in early which, on a full charge, wouldn't make it across a single court and both the wing and fuz were bent to blazes. Anyway John carefully constructed the rules to avoid any major rebuilding, mainly to try and keep things as honest and straightforward and basic as possible. Unfortunately a lot of the Boronia boys either couldn't find the place or it was tooooooooo cold for them. Cold, did I say cold ?????.... Apologies, it was Bfreezing with the car temp gauge reading only 6 degrees as I pulled up outside. Without any wind assistance to disperse the cold bits it felt even colder inside the hall.....great for battery and capacitor conditioning ?. Anyway we started with a general bung about to sort out the trimming before the AGM. Interesting to note that it was exactly the same as at most clubs .........with members sitting firmly on their hands in case an accidental sneeze or cough rewarded them with a position on the committee! Seriously though our committee all do a fantastic job so I think I can safely say........Thanks Fellas.
Warmed, and refreshed by Gary’s marvellous cake arrangements we went back so that battle could be commenced.
First up it was the distance task and it was truly hilarious to see planes that had been trimmed to fly straight and true suddenly make a detour and graze a far away wall! Didn't matter which side they all got clobbered and it didn't seem to matter how long you charged the beast. Oh well, we all had 3 goes at it so next time maybe? Rudders were adjusted with a tiny amount of trim and wings breathed on to add a bit of twist and sure enough the plane went straight then suddenly turned into a vicious circle, missing the umpires by inches or millimetres. I am sure we all said the same thing.....”Next time.....she’ll be right”...... but that foam remembers things and it wasn't until the third round that somebody actually got a flight straight-ish down the court. Rapturous cheers ensued of course, but the magnificent effort was only to be equalled by the next flyer who admittedly veered off course and landed on the other court ....but almost exactly equal in straight line distance !!!! Names were a blurr until Wes Hoffman out did us both but not by much and then a mighty cheer went up as Peter McCarthy actually hit the wall about 300mm up it. Fantastic flight. Now with a humungous trophy to be won John Gottschalk was next up and teetering just behind the line he lifted his plane up and removed the charging module then ever so gently removed his hand and let it fly. No bunging , no heavy heave, just removed his mitt and away it went.....straight and level, almost, until the wall got in its way and it hit the far wall about 1400mm up. Best by far and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the launch was a very critical part of the overall flight.
Next up it was the timed event or how long can you keep it up for? Well, it started well with a couple of models flying almosta complete circle...until somebody realised that if you bunged the beast from the middle of the court the walls were that much further away and then we actually started to get some respectable scores. Reaching the dizzy heights of double digit scores and there was a complete 360 circle flown......then another..... and then somebody tried for two small complete 360’s as the 10 second barrier was broken and then smashed by a monstrous 12 seconds.... which was then absolutely trounced by 14 seconds airborne. Try holding your breath while you fly...it’s fun? Even Wes who was, way, way down at the far end where the thermals emanating from the closely packed spectators were minimised. Roughly translated that means the crowd were blowing a load of hot air!!!! Peter McCarthy astounded us all when he launched....climbed hard and fast until he hit the roof ...... then the beast wavered, dived vertically down..... only to pull out just before headbutting the floor to carry on and record a fantastic 17 seconds. The crowd went ballistic.......WOW things were starting to really hot up and look good. Peter Cossins was next and the cry of DUCK after his last attempt but that was replaced with gasps of awe as he went slowly round and round for a magnificent 19 seconds. We all thought it was over until that man Wes stepped up to the plate and launched from almost under the basketball hoop at the far end with a very tight climbing plane on full frottle........ up and up it went in ever decreasing circles and you could hear the gasps of “will it or wont it” as it neared the roof and I think from memory the wall interrupted the flight when the clock ticked over on a very respectable 20 seconds.
Congratulation Wes Hoffman ....Birdman again
A very big thanks to Julie Bird for presenting the trophy’s and John Julian for obtaining those truly ‘orrible flying machines. I wonder what we did to deserve them?
In hindsight or more to the point:- What have we learned ?
First ......It pays to read the rules and how to play properly with whatever toys you are given.
Second.....the launch can be a major contributing factor just like last year with the chuckies.
Third .....I wonder what creations will be forthcoming using the “orrible but unbreakable beast” or its motor. Diffy steer maybe or that motor and prop in one of Peter Mac’s designs.
Finally.....BEFORE competing ......Go and see how Wes has spent his hours and hours and hours modifying and tweaking his machine. Minute increments and angles adjusted until he is almost satisfied with its capabilities....... Never fully satisfied with the performance, because there is always room for improvement. In all fairness he is willing to share his knowledge with anybody who asks. For example did you know that the stabiliser was slightly crooked even if it was only by “arf a millilitre” and the CofG constantly adjusted for optimum performance, both front to back and also side to side. T’was all or most of it written on the underside of the plane, along with the tiny balancing blue or pink tack to make it fly so well. Even that wasn't a lump as most of us would use but an aerodynamically crafted and blended piece on the underside of one wing......but which wing and why?
This year I think it fair to say, we had a ball and personally I can’t wait for next year’s Birdy, JJ will come up with something different I am sure, and with a bit of luck the Boronia Mob will venture down and try and outdo us.
Colin Smith.....tongue in cheek as always and very, very generous creative license used.
AND HERE ARE THE COMPLETE RESULTS
