The Breach Closes... ...but hopefully, not permanently

[DaVinci's Cat]

As those of you who know me, you’ll obviously be aware that not only have I not been in attendance for a while, but my painting and building threads have also dried up. This, coupled with a lack of communication on my behalf has clearly led to some spurious and outrageous rumours emerging on Instagram. Just to clarify, I haven’t permanently moved on, it’s just that the nature and location of work at the moment (the past 16 months or so) pretty much precludes attendance, but there is a chance that I may be able to get back in April (unless they extend my contract again…).

It was great to catch-up with a few of you briefly last week, and this post, as requested, is mainly to share what I’ve been doing hobby wise now that gaming has had to take an enforced pause. As it sort of relates to painting and modelling, I thought this would be the best place to put it.

I haven’t been idle over the last year or so, I have indeed been channelling my efforts in other hobby areas. Post lockdown, I took the opportunity to get back into flying model aircraft after a 25 year hiatus, except this time, helicopters. So I taught myself to fly with a view that I really wanted to fly scale helicopters rather than some of the crazy aerobatic stuff people do. Whilst I was teaching myself, practicing and gaining confidence, I used some of my modelling skills to build an AH-64E Apache. Probably not the best thing to go for for a first attempt or even as a second model, but, might as well push the boundaries. So in effect, I’ve put down small paint brushes, and substituted them with large ones – although the airbrush has still seen some action.

Early last year, I passed my A certificate (sort of license to fly safely unattended) and then by the summer had completed the Apache and finally got it flying. Whilst out flying one very warm weekend, a local You-Tuber turned up and got some shots/video. The link is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLqjqz69keo
I do have some other phots if anyone is interested or can happily take others if there is anything you'd particularly like to see.

Despite my grumblings in the latter part of the video (the heli has been a pain to set up, and some of the mechanics are a little substandard which is quite frustrating when you pay a reasonable amount of cash for a basic kit), I’m pretty pleased with it overall. I attended a fly-in down at Fareham a little before the video was shot, and had some really positive comments and feedback from some very experienced flyers who are Reps for some of the major Scale Heli manufacturers, so I know I’m at least on the right track. I just need to improve my flying and get a little more confident with this one.

It started out a very basic kit, pre-painted in Israeli colours so I had to strip everything back to bare fiberglass and pretty much start from the ground up. How these things fly if someone was to follow the enclosed instructions and nothing else is beyond me.

There are a load of scale extras on this ranging, from a completely redesigned and self built tail rotor, through lighting options, to a raft of 3D printed details (both purchased and my own design). I am just in the process of finishing up some self-designed Hellfire missiles (hopefully within the next week) and then will have a look at some scale details for the rotor head.

I’m only one of 4 or 5 people who fly helicopters out of around 100 members at my local flying club (everyone else flies fixed wing), and the only one who does it regularly. Within that small number there are a couple of really good flyers and a couple of learners – I sit in the middle. What this really means, is no one else flies scale and hence there is no one to really ask advice off so it has been a real voyage of discovery. I’ve even had to take to having unsolicited trans-Atlantic conversations with a very helpful Canadian (again, found on YouTube!) to help sort out the electronic flight control system with this one. A big shout-out and thank you to John Salt here.

So what’s next?

I do have another heli project on the work bench which is currently going through the stripping down process again! This time it will be an Airbus H-130 in Air Zermatt colours with even more scale detail. I’m looking to include a complete range of lighting, the ability to carry and release underslung loads, and maybe even a pilot that turns their head in the direction the controls are moved.

Even this has been on hold recently as we’ve (read I) been making wood and epoxy resin charcuterie/cheeseboards for friends and family prior to Christmas. It’s being recommended that we make some more and start heading to craft fairs….

Hopefully, I can just get back to painting plastic figures and scenery and start gaming again. There’s Malifaux and Hellboy expansions to play…

[Darkson (Simon)]

Where do you (model) fly? My FIL flies planes out at Middle Wallop.

Look forward to seeing some pics - always liked the idea of model planes, but my total lack of skill (in building and in remote controls) meant it was a complete non-starter.

[Dave]

You’re in the video! I thought it would just be the model.

Looks amazing, I didn’t realise you needed a license though!

[Tom]

Very cool. I can see why you need the licence, one of those could probably do a lot of damage in the wrong hands!

[DaVinci's Cat]

Where do you (model) fly? My FIL flies planes out at Middle Wallop.

Look forward to seeing some pics - always liked the idea of model planes, but my total lack of skill (in building and in remote controls) meant it was a complete non-starter.

I fly with the Basingstoke Club. We've got a really nice field the other side of Overton, just north of Deane. I looked at Middle Wallop but they seemed to have ceased flying at the time so it wasn't really an option. Bit of a shame as I could have tried to wrangle a look at the real one when making this one!

I can see why you need the licence, one of those could probably do a lot of damage in the wrong hands!

The 'licence' isn't mandated as such. Most clubs follow the BMFA's proficiency scheme and use the A Certificate as a guide as to being a safe pilot in that specialisation, more so now that the CAA are really clamping down and over-regulating the hobby every since the threat of un-regulated drone flyers can into being. Flying fields are hard to come by these days, and can be harder to keep, so clubs tend to try to drive self regulation and promote safe flying whenever possible. I've had friends in the past who were very competent flyers who had never joined a club and never held any proficiency qualification but were perfectly safe.

They can do a lot of damage in the competent hands as well! This one is around 8.5Kg flying weight, the rotor is 1.5m diameter and turns at approx 1400 rpm. It certainly focusses you when flying, which is one of the attractions. Nothing else matters, all other worries just disappear and the moment is all about getting a good, scale flight. A bit like a good gaming session.

You’re in the video! I thought it would just be the model

Yarp. Wasn't best chuffed about that, but probably not a-lot I could do without seeming like a total arse. At least most of it was of my back, so grateful for small mercy's! I had clocked Dom when I was walking back from taking it out to take-off and realised that he'd picked up the camera and was interested. At least I didn't have the whole interview thing before flying. Given that there are very few scale aircraft flown at the club, and even fewer helicopters, I'm not really surprised that there would be interest and in fairness, the video but everything in a good light - one of the highest viewed ones he'd had in quite a while. And he was kind enough to send me the raw unedited version so I could get some stills without his channel logo.

Clearly I still use the link to show people when they ask about, so I'll just have to suck up the fact I've been filmed! It's generated some real interest at the club so I can't really complain. Someone took some footage of the test flight, and probably the most entertaining bit was when they panned behind me and literally everyone at the field was stood behind me filming!