Early Experiments with Electric Powered Flight

by John Thompson

The Good Old Days , Electric Wise.

About twenty years ago, my first experiment with electric flight was to fit a ‘buggy’ motor to an old 100” glider with a 7 cell 1200mah battery strapped under the Centre of Gravity. A 6 inch propeller screamed away and the first launch (at Gomersal) resulted in a powered glide culminating in a landing about 100 yards away. As the model had no motor control or fuse the prop was stalled trying to plough up the field, and white smoke quickly engulfed it. The 100yard dash would not have qualified for the Olympics but saved the model.

An on/off switch was fitted linked to a servo and one beautiful hot calm Saturday the model was launched again, at Dewsbury this time, and climbed away in gentle circles. A few turns were tried and still it was climbing, but now drifting towards Dewsbury. Despite furious stick waggling it continued on its course of lazy circles gradually drifting over the cricket field, and, after a dash to the car and hectic drive, I parked on the hill overlooking the Town.

At this point the model was circling over the Sports Centre at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon!! The crowds of shoppers below were oblivious to this event. Suddenly it went into a vertical dive! This seemed to be above the car park behind the Centre. I drove into the Town with some trepidation and saw a crowd near the Church all staring at something around the corner. What had my model done, a multiple car crash, killed someone? No they were looking at a bride emerging from the church. A drive around the showed no sign of the model, and I scoured the area on foot to no avail for hours.

Once at home I called Pennine Radio and they mentioned it on air. A (non modelling) friend, David, was driving in his Volvo when he heard the announcer say ” a blue and yellow model aeroplane has been lost ” - at this point David said to his wife "I’ll bet it’s John’s" David nearly crashed his car with mirth. Some people have no sympathy.

Weeks went by and then a phone call - it had been found on the roof of a building behind "Wickes" by a young lady sunbather. It was in a sorry state and mysteriously the batteries were missing. The M----- radio built from a kit had been binned soon after, but I still have nightmares of what could have happened.