Introducing
Surfing the “Net” last year (2001) I found the following. “Can anybody offer me any advice on how to teach someone to fly a control line plane?” Now this is speculation but as I read this, I believe I also ‘heard’ the plea of a father, who had watched his son build his first model and then taken him to a nearby venue. Only to bring the boy home shortly afterwards, his tears soaking the remains of hours of dedicated work cradled in his lap.
Now maybe, in this imaginary scenario, his father was even an experienced flyer himself who had taken time to help with the building and flown the plane himself first. Then he took his son with him into the circle, and had his hand cover his as he tried to impart that feeling; to no avail. On his first solo attempt the boy nervously shouted, “now!” and the little model skipped once, lifted off, and the youngster over corrected sending the model spectacularly nose-diving into the ground to shatter into tiny pieces.
What control line modeller hasn’t done this or something similar? Despite that disappointment and even perhaps because of it, the knack is acquired, eventually. But how many quit at this point and take up model boat building?
Myself, I can remember coming home from the flying field after 2 hours of trying to get that diesel engine running sweet and failing. In retrospect (and in truth) perhaps I didn’t fail but was just too scared to say it was running OK because then I’d have to launch it! Anyway, I was greatly relieved that the latest model off the production line was still intact. To me, to bring a plane home in one piece was success…to my friend who I had dragged out with me; it was just another reason to believe me to be a total fruitcake!
Yes, the walk out to that control line handle could surely be likened to the walk to the headmaster’s office, when the knack has not yet been acquired. When your friends have all gathered or the whole flying club turn to watch, then surely it’s more like the walk to the gallows!
Only running out of fuel or a concrete landing strip, is going to stop that engine when she’s tweaked to optimum. I wonder, on average, how many failed attempts are made before a misfiring is heard and a stuttering flight observed, heralding the end of a first successful flight? Providing of course the aircraft touches down on her undercarriage!
So, revitalising a goal I had years ago and coupled with the knowledge that electric powered flight was in the ascendancy, I set about designing, building and possibly marketing an electric control line model trainer, the definitive trainer. It was the whole idea of an on-off switch to the motor that spurred me on. I was acutely aware however, that even this wasn’t going to guarantee a 100% crash free model but I was certainly determined to get pretty close.
After seven prototypes and untold shifting and replacing the chairs of my church building I arrived at “The Hummingbird”. A 400mm wingspan, slab sided, no frills little cutie.
Flying on a 6-metre line, a flick of the switch, as many circuits as you want on the ground, a slow raise of the arm and presto! Or if the nerves are trembling, switch off before lift off to gain composure. Once airborne, lower the arm and she’s back on the ground, motor still at full bore, ready to go again or switch off to bring to rest. Certainly a stable flight pattern and a gentle response to the controls had been achieved.
As a trainer, she exceeded my expectations.
About Peter Cripps. Founder of Buzzflight.
As a one-time proprietor of a small courier company, the founder of Buzzflight had plenty of time to think up, consider and muse on ideas as he drove for hours and hours on the roads of the UK.
One idea kept returning as he remembered a hobby he had enjoyed in his youth...aeromodelling. Although not a brilliant modeller, he had tried rubber power, control line, free flight and even radio control. (These were the days when the escapement (servo) was itself driven by a rubber band!) Although he only had limited success in each of these areas he still had fond memories of the more successful days when his planes actually flew!
One such model was a small control line plane powered by an equally small diesel engine. This model accrued the most hours in the air and lasted, probably, a whole summer before it, like the rest, ended up in that great model aircraft graveyard in the sky! Although the memories of flying thrilled his heart, other accompanying memories always marred them. How long it took to start the engine, getting it 'tuned' just right and how he had to drag a generally reluctant friend out with him to help with the launching of the plane. Sometimes they both returned flightless, as the engine wouldn't behave, as it should.
Without really looking for it, more and more information began arriving concerning the increase in popularity of electric flight. What if power were sent to an electric motor in a control line model from a battery held by the pilot? Goodbye to starting problems, goodbye to needing the help of a friend, goodbye to noise, goodbye to weather conditions as the plane could be flown indoors and hello to a bunch of accessible airfields (car parks) and a lot of fun! Although this was in no way an original idea, it appeared from research that there was no such model on the market and hadn't been since 1997.
Spurred on by this fact, the first prototype of the Buzzflight Hummingbird was completed in August 2001 and much to the amazement of the founder, it flew beautifully, albeit it on short lines of just 6 metres in length.
Unfortunately, at this time, Alison, the founder's wife discovered a third recurrence of breast cancer necessitating the closure of the courier business to care for her and their three small children. As it happened, this meant more time was made available, so a saleable product was developed and Buzzflight was launched in January 2002.
Peter Cripps
Buzzflight
Alison Cripps lost her battle with breast cancer on 26th September 2006.
The Buzzflight Hummingbird
An Electric Control Line Model Aircraft.
Launched 31st January 2002
Without her and her support there never would have been a Buzzflight Hummingbird.