Model Airplanes -Herb Winstanley

Subject: Model Airplanes



A popular hobby at Tambo was building and flying model airplanes. Some guys had ready-made planes, others built them from kits, and some (I remember Alan Foster particularly) built them from blocks of Bolivian grown balsa wood. Usually they were powered by small gasoline motors, and flew around in circles on the end of a pair of control lines. Somebody even had a helicopter, but I don’t think it flew very successfully. Of course there was the occasional plane that would nose-dive into the soccer field, only to be diligently repaired to fly again.

A plane of particular interest was a glider built by Paul Gess, which was designed for free flight. After starting the .049 engine, Paul would release it with a careful throw into the air. From that point it was on its own, and would gain altitude in wide circles. We all kept our eyes glued to it as it rose ever higher, till all we could see was a small speck. Eventually the motor ran out of fuel, after which the plane would circle slowly down. We kept it carefully in sight while running through the bush to wherever it chose to land, hopefully not too far away. It was important to fly this plane only when there was little or no wind.

One day Paul launched this flyer into the motionless air, and we all expected another routine flight. However, at a certain elevation the plane began to fly in a straight line toward the south, across the highway and toward the mountains. We ran after it, but soon lost sight of it and had to give up. On a Saturday, Alan Foster and I (grade nine at the time – 1961/62) decided to go on a rescue mission. The weather had changed to the cold misty drizzle we all remember enduring from time to time at Tambo. However, undeterred, we crossed the highway and climbed up to “the scar”, continuing to the mountain top. We really thought we would find that small plane among the vast expanse of cacti and other thorn bearing trees and bushes. (I can’t remember any naturally occurring thornless plant at Tambo.) From the top of the mountain we saw another valley and more mountains beyond, but no sign of the intrepid flyer. Forced to accept defeat we returned home, cold and wet, but glad to have made the attempt.