Tonbridge Radio Flyers

 

Update/Reminder email from Alastair Ramsay

No: 12/06 – 27^th September 2006

Club Website: - Tonbridge-flyers.co.uk

 

 

Hello fellow flyers,

 

Since my last ‘Update’ of 17^th August, much has happened and there are numerous items of news to impart.  Please bear with me if, as a consequence, this email is longer than usual.

 

I shall also be sending it by post to the few Gliding members who do not have internet access.  If you are one of those, please excuse my frequent references to the Club website (which I realise you cannot see).

 

NEWS ITEMS

 

1.  Keith Miller, Our much respected Secretary, has not only recently celebrated his 80^th birthday but has also been honoured by the award of a Fellowship in the Society of Model Aeronautical Engineers (SMAE).  This is an award which we all feel to be richly deserved.  Congratulations to Keith!

 

2.  The Kent Interclub thermal league – round 4, held by Bromley (but flown at Sheppey), was completed on 10^th September with our members Rob Love and Keith Fisher coming in 1^st and 2^nd places respectively in the individual  result.  The team result also provided a win for TRF with Canterbury in 2^nd place.

 

3.  The above event was also the final round of the KIC league.  Final placings in the league  were: - Individual – Ian Egleton (Canterbury) 1^st place with Rob Love (TRF) in 2^nd place ( Rob was 1^st in West Kent Division but 2^nd in combined).  The team result was : TRF in 1^st place and Canterbury 2^nd.  Well done the TRF team.

 

4.  The Kent Interclub Team Cup was held at Leigh Park Farm on 17^th September.  Our TRF team distinguished themselves once again by taking 1^st place.  Well done to our team of:  Mike Ranger, Rob Love, Shane Alce, Matt Brooks, Alan Goddard and Keith Miller.  The second placed team was Bromley and it is interesting to note that three of their team are also TRF members!  In the individual results, Alan Twine was the winner with Mike Ranger 2^nd and Rob Love 3^rd.

 

5.  The TRF Summer Electric League was completed on 7^th September with the running of the 7^th and last round.  That round was won by Keith Fisher with myself in second place.  In the final league placings (best of 4 rounds scored), I managed to scrape home by the slenderest of margins from Keith Fisher, David Taylor and Alan Goddard.  The full results of this and the KIC competitions can be found on the TRF website (under ‘Competitions’)

 

6.  We are now looking ahead to our usual TRF Winter League competitions for both Thermal and Electric formats.  There has been considerable discussion throughout the summer surrounding a potential revision of the rules for the Electric event.  The objectives were to reduce the extreme launch heights being routinely achieved and also to widen the appeal of the competition by allowing a broader range of model to not only enter but to be competitive.  I am indebted to those ‘Electric Leaguers’ who contributed their views/proposals to the rule changes which have now been posted on the TRF website.  In summary, the rules now cover two separate classes, A ferrite, brushed motor class and an unrestricted motor class.  Battery size has been limited in accordance with the flying weight of the model (the heavier the model the larger the battery allowance).  In all instances the launch is restricted to 30 seconds of power – on time.

 

7.  In both Thermal and Electric Leagues we are seeking to avoid the never ending re-scheduling of rounds that have to be cancelled due to adverse weather.  This is not only difficult to re-organise but also results in Winter leagues which are sometimes not completed until early June.  For both Electric and Thermal leagues there will now be 6 scheduled rounds plus 3 scheduled ‘Reserve’ dates to cater for weather problems.  Beyond these dates there will be no re-scheduling and league results will be determined by the best of up to 4 rounds by each competitor.  The dates for the various rounds of each league have been scheduled and appear at the end of this email as well as on the website.  Please put them in your diaries.

 

8.  We have approximately 4 weeks remaining of our summer season.  Four weeks in which to better the current ‘High Times’ for both Electric and Thermal competitions.  Come and have a go at beating these times!  The current best times are:

 

Thermal – Matt Brooks – 46 minutes & 20 secs

 

Electric  -  David Taylor – 29 minutes & 26 secs.

 

9. ITEMS FOR SALE!

 

May I remind you to look at the ‘For Sale’ section on the website where there are some relatively new items posted.  These include:

 

a)  Our ex member, David Hunt is retiring from the hobby and has decided to sell-up.  His sale items include an untouched kit for a Gentle Lady glider, two already built gliders and a transmitter.

 

b)  Keith Fisher has also put up two interesting items , a Ripmax Spitfire and a Puffin models Filip 600 electric sport/glider.

 

 

DIARY DATES!  (all starting at 10 am at Leigh Park Farm unless otherwise stated).

 

Sunday 29^th Oct 2006  TRF Thermal Round 1

 

Sunday 12^th Nov 2006 TRF Electric Round 1

 

Sunday 19^th Nov 2006 Thermal Reserve date no. 1

 

Sunday 3^rd Dec 2006 Thermal Round 2

 

Sunday 17^th Dec 2006  Electric Round 2

 

Sunday 7^th Jan 2007 Thermal Round 3

 

Sunday 14^th Jan 2007 Electric Round 3

 

Sunday 28^th Jan 2007  Electric Reserve date  no; 1

 

Sunday 11^th Feb 2007  Thermal Round 4

 

Sunday 18^th Feb 2007 Thermal Reserve date No: 2

 

Sunday 25^th Feb 2007 Electric Round 4

 

Sunday 11^th March 2007 Thermal Round 5

 

Sunday 18^th March 2007 Electric Reserve date No:2

 

Sunday 25^th March 2007  Electric Round 5

 

Sunday 1^st April 2007  Thermal Round 6

 

Sunday 15^th April 2007 Electric Round 6

 

Sunday 22^nd April 2007 Thermal Reserve date No:3

Sunday 29th April 2007 Electric Reserve Date No: 3