RetroFest - Buckminster BMFA HQ

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Mike_K
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Re: RetroFest - Buckminster BMFA HQ

Post by Mike_K »

I'm driving up tomorrow morning, so I'll see you all then.

It looks like you have all had fantastic weather today, I hope you aren't all sun burnt!?

Cheers

Mike
GarydNB
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Re: RetroFest - Buckminster BMFA HQ

Post by GarydNB »

....maybe next year.....sigh
Enjoy yourselves everybody
Gary
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Phil_G
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Re: RetroFest - Buckminster BMFA HQ

Post by Phil_G »

Fantastic days flying today, smaller turnout than I'd expected though, maybe tomorrow will be busier.
I'd taken Shauns post organising and running the flight line as Karens dad is very poorly. Had a brief briefing with Manny then straight into it. First time I've 'run' a meeting. It was a searing hot all day, there will be a few sore faces tomorrow :D
My Pulstar and Col's Ohm-8 had a coming together, which the Ohm-8 won easily :lol:
Some lovely models here today and great to see them flown with 'period' radios, one I really liked was a Kwik-Fli with an old Micro Avionics set.

That evening, unfortunately I politely reminded someone not to fly in the campsite (Point 4 http://nationalcentre.bmfa.org/visitor-info/camping) and was repeatedly called a 'radio arsehole' (he's a freeflighter) so thats put a downer on the day for me! Looking forward to seeing some friendly faces tomorrow :D
Cheers
Phil
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Mike_K
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Re: RetroFest - Buckminster BMFA HQ

Post by Mike_K »

Great days flying on Saturday at the Retro Fest, but as reported by Phil, the turn out was far smaller than I was expecting, maybe the distraction of England vs Sweden, the British GP or Wimbledon had something to do with it? There were less pilots than for the impromptu mid-week meet we had last September, I just hope there were enough pilots attending to make it viable to run in the future.

It was good to meet some new enthusiasts who share the same interest in retro, especially as they were not aware of this forum and of the Ponty meet. A few new members of the way I hope.

However it was not a good day for Pulstar's. Phil and me both lost our models, he had a mid-air, I tried flying mine without the nose weight and found that it helps to have the cg in the correct place :oops:

Phil then had the nose weight in his Falcon come lose and move down the fuselage which made for an interesting flight. Note to myself: secure balance weights better.

We were directly downwind of the free flight boys and we had regular "visitors", some landing in our pits area and others on the runway. That wasn't a problem, but the retrievers seemed completely oblivious to us and just wandered straight up the active runway with us flying. Later a convoy of cars drove over the end of the runway, just as had taken off with my Junior 60 and a SAM35 member had gone dead stick. Something to educate the free flight boys on for future meetings.

Mike
Spike S
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Re: RetroFest - Buckminster BMFA HQ

Post by Spike S »

I'm sure you will debrief Manny on those incidents and field (mis)behaviour. Such feedback all goes into planning and management of future 'combined' events.
Quite a few Retro types in evidence at Middle Wallop yesterday and a couple of 'ModeZero' systems. Southern Area BMFA is trying to set that up as a regular Gala alongside SAM35 gatherings. Several other potential Buckminster attendees ('Twitcher' et al.) will be at Cocklebarrow Farm this weekend. (BMFA HQ is a long trip for us down 'yer.)
Spike S
(Tune for maximum smoke)
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PaulJ
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Re: RetroFest - Buckminster BMFA HQ

Post by PaulJ »

I too was there on Saturday but one thing Phil and Mike have not mentioned is the phenomenal thermals that were wafting through for much the day. My Hep Cat got caught in one, fortunately shortly before the engine cut. It suddenly shot upwards to the point that I could hardly see it and I had to just hold the rudder on, completing a seven or eight turn spiral dive whilst hoping the wings wouldn't fold, before I could consider it back under control with some hope of getting it back into the field. Then I wandered off to the freeflight flightline to see the truly lovely models that were flying down there........ One flyer had a fabulous RUBBER POWERED four engined Shackleton that I had seen fly as I was walking over. It was sitting on a kind of fold-out picnic table with seats........ A thermal or "twister" (or something) went through and lifted the whole caboodle...... Table/model and other equipment AT LEAST 20 FEET INTO THE AIR! :o ....... I saw it with my own eyes . It was extremely dangerous and luckily nobody was injured though sadly the model was badly damaged. I don't know if anybody was quick enough to video it, somehow I doubt it as it all happened so quickly.

We tend not to put our name and address on r/c models but I understand that THREE r/c models were lost out of sight on Friday and two more on Saturday so be warned!

Paul
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Phil_G
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Re: RetroFest - Buckminster BMFA HQ

Post by Phil_G »

We missed it but Andy Boddo saw the twister and yes he said the whole table was sucked high into the air, quite unbelievable unless you'd actually witnessed it!

Incidentally I was told that the character flying in the camp site then throwing insults is well known for causing problems, apparently Ken Sheppard has had to introduce new rules at Old Warden specifically because of this individuals behaviour.
Why cant people play nicely?

Col has a superb video of our little contretemps which I'll edit & post tomorrow, meanwhile here are a few stills:
1.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg
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Mike_K
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Re: RetroFest - Buckminster BMFA HQ

Post by Mike_K »

A short video of Phil flying a S/C weekender



Mike

PS how do you embed a Youtube video on the forum? I tried putting the Youtube address inside [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQcNaOBvthA[/youtube] tags, but it doesn't work
Colonel Blink
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Re: RetroFest - Buckminster BMFA HQ

Post by Colonel Blink »

You know those 'famous last words' jokes? Well akin to the Captain of the Titanic saying "Watch how close I can get to that iceberg", as I had a Mobius aboard I had thought 'I'll get nice and close to Phil's Pulstar for a good shot'...... and then drove straight through it :o :o :o Bits of balsa fluttering down everywhere!!!

However, the Ohm8 didn't get off scot free - I'm glad I shut the throttle and deadsticked it, as the motor was hanging by the wires. Luckily for me, the motor was mounted to a balsa wedge to give side and downthrust and that had come adrift off the sparkwall, so a few minutes with some CA and it was ready to fly again. If we could have found the other half of Phil's tailplane, I'm sure we could have cobbled the Pulstar back together as well.

But Buckminster is a fantastic place, and I for one hope there are more Retro flyins there - smooth runways, excellent facilities (model trolleys, starting benches, workshop, kitchen etc); clean facilities (toilets), flat camping area all make it a great place to go and fly. I understand that this weekend was in competition with a number of other modelling and non-modelling events, but I think that everyone who went (at least the ones I met anyway) had a great time and none wished they hadn't have bothered.

Eeeee, it were reet gradely an' noo mistek!!!
The Pulstar - I reckon I should have tried harder....
The Pulstar - I reckon I should have tried harder....
The Ohm8 post coming together
The Ohm8 post coming together
John Ashby with possibly the prettiest model there - his O/D 'Sabrina'. Flew like a dream on R/E/T
John Ashby with possibly the prettiest model there - his O/D 'Sabrina'. Flew like a dream on R/E/T
GarydNB
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Re: RetroFest - Buckminster BMFA HQ

Post by GarydNB »

The shackleton was built by very talented lady modeller Monique Lyons.
Gary
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