Recollections of an Old (but young at heart) Oswestrian, circa 1952 - EPISODE 46, AEROMODELLING AND THE PERILS OF FLIGHT

I have vivid memories of my first flight in an aeroplane which took place in the late 1940s during one of our holidays to Blackpool. Dad decided we should sample the delights of flying so we all enjoyed a half hour trip in the skies over the seaside town on a warm, sunny day in July. I loved every minute of it much to the surprise of my parents who thought that I would be the one out of the two of us who would least enjoy the experience. Bernard hated it, and it turned out that he suffered from vertigo!

The Pickups go flying!

Initially I was lukewarm about joining one of the few clubs available during the early years at school as I much preferred to be outside in the fresh air engaging in some form of competitive sporting activity. But on the formation of the Aeromodelling Club (c1954) I became a member with the intention of replicating the biplane in which I took my first flight up into the wide blue yonder.

Once installed amongst this august body of modelling pioneers (whose base was the science laboratory) and with the memory of our aerial adventure firmly etched in my mind, I set about identifying and recreating the aeroplane in which I left terra firma for the first time.

I seem to remember there were two manufacturers of modelling kits at this time; Kiel Kraft and Airfix. Both of these were used by members of the club and a firm in Shrewsbury was sourced by the more technically minded boys for the supply of engines and radio control equipment. Very soon afterwards the roar of engines could be heard over the lower paddock and playground indicating that power modelling had well and truly arrived.

Modelling for beginners

ED Bee diesel engine

Initially novice club members focussed on the production of elastic powered gliders, but the attractions of flight, powered by ED Bee (Electronic Developments, Surrey) diesel engines soon proved irresistible. 

M B A Fowden (known to us all as Bro), and John Lloyd Hughes were more experienced modellers. John, having rescued a pair of wings and a tail from a crashed Kiel Kraft Chief aeroplane, built a body and attached them to it and had the bitter/sweet pleasure of seeing it fly, if somewhat erratically, from the top paddock to the quadrangle where it crashed and broke into pieces after almost decapitating J F Tilley, the Geography and History Master, as he cycled across the playground on his way home after school.

Brodie Fowden, another talented engineer, was always experimenting with flight control and having built a plane out of 3-ply and balsa wood he fitted a powerful engine to it. On the next calm Sunday afternoon Brodie decided it was time for its maiden flight, but much to Bro's dismay and annoyance the plane would not fly and we all watched with bated breath as the plane struggled to take off breaking one of its wings in the failed attempt. Roars of laughter soon rang out over the quad as, on its second attempt, the plane made a perfect take off and flight with a crippled wing. Even Brodie saw the funny side of it and, with a wry grin, gave us all a two-fingered salute... a V for Victory of course! 

As the popularity of the club grew so did its membership, and the variety of vehicles under construction similarly increased culminating in the staging of an exhibition in the lab on Speech Day which included trains, boats, planes, and cars. 

Nevertheless the construction of aircraft was always extremely popular and with The Battle of Britain still relatively fresh in boys' eyes the Airfix Spitfire was high on the list of favourites along with their range of other World War Two aircraft.

In addition to his modelling skills Brodie was a keen lepidopterist with a fine collection of moths and butterflies. He taught me how to blow birds' eggs and I went on several clandestine bird nesting expeditions with him beyond the camp perimeter into nearby woods on the lookout for eggs missing from his collection. I think this practice is now illegal.

In the summer of 1956 Brodie, myself, and my brother made our debuts in the 1st X1 cricket team and, naturally, being the youngest and all from School House we tended to stick together. Thereafter we became friends and I got to know him better; he was a bit of a loner and a real character. Brodie was a very handy, medium fast, right hand bowler, but I seem to remember he was plagued by a recurrent injury which kept him out of the team much of the time, and as a consequence he was unable to give of his best. He left Oswestry with a slight feeling of regret at not having been able to show his true colours on the sporting field, but he will always be remembered for his good nature and as a prominent pioneer of the Aeromodelling Club, sometimes prone to disaster, with a cavalier approach to flight!

My brother Bernard (far left), myself (bottom left) and Brodie (top, far right)