Modelling Heroes?

[Matt Carlton]

I was reading some old magazines and thinking about some of the people who I think have made a big impact on the hobby. So, who are your personal "heroes" or people you think have positively influenced the hobby or your involvement in it? 

 

 

[Christopher Long 1]

Eric Coates, scale writer for the Aeromodeller was a successful competitor and pathfinder in the development of scale accuracy when building scale models.

His series of articles in Aeromodeller magazine in the early 1970s (when I was but a lad) is still regarded as the classic authority on the subject, as relevant today as when first written.

[J D 8]

Second the above for Eric Coates, still have the Aeromodeller series mags.

Steve Holland flying the big Catalina he and his team built at our now no more Haverfordwest Model show and having to make forced one engine landing in a small area, made good out of a tough situation but the Big Cat slid to a stop squashing a BA Hawk belonging to a certain flyer still known today for his jet hawk displays.

Peter Neate builder and display pilot when model shows were just becoming popular, perhaps best known for his JU 52, a big model in the day powered by 3 OS open rocker 60's.

[Colin Low 2]

Tony Nijhuis has go to be high up on the list for me. Having built and flown a number of his Models.

[Outrunner]

The late great David Boddington for his no nonsense approach to modeling and hundreds of designs that could be built by the ordinary person like me. Thank you David.

[Geoff S]

2 minutes ago, Outrunner said:

The late great David Boddington for his no nonsense approach to modeling and hundreds of designs that could be built by the ordinary person like me. Thank you David.

 

I agree and I'd add our own Peter Miller to the list for his simple but effective approach to model design.

[Outrunner]

Another great designer that I'm also a big fan of is Vic Sneed, quite a gentleman who designed many, many aeroplanes, and boats, and........

[Matt Carlton]

I think David Boddington stands out for me if only because his "Radio Control Primer" was the only modelling book in my school library and was so inspirational. 

 

I'd add Peter Miller to the list as well, not least because of all the free plans which I gazed lovingly at as a youth. 

 

Not necessarily in the same vein, but Dave Bishop did a great deal to make the Nats what it was back in the day. 

 

A few other names I'd add in. 

George Stringwell

Bill Dean

Nic Wright

Martin Simons

 

Oh, and of course, the eternal Roland Graunchet... 

[Cuban8]

From a flying point if view, I was blown away by seeing Hanno Prettner give a masterclass of aerobatics at Sandown getting on for 40 years ago and set the standard for anyone interested in aerobatics to aspire to.

 

Dave Boddington for all the designs and just being a nice bloke who had time for everyone.

 

So very many unsung heroes  that have influenced the hobby over the decades - even at club level.

 

[GrumpyGnome]

In addition to the above.......

 

Nigel Hawes, who's all sheet models introduced so many to successful electric flight

Chris Foss - never seen one of his designs fly badly.  Seen lots flown badly of course....

Peter Valentine for services to affordable helicopters

Neil Tidy (?) for Laser engines

Wee McGregor for his / her services to radio - always 'in control'! 

 

At club level, Mark Banwell-Clode (I think) who taught me to fly properly, unlearning all the bad habits I'd acquired learning on my own.

 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by GrumpyGnome

[Nigel R]

present day, all the long suffering forum moderators, Jon of Laser, whoever at bmfa got us the drone concessions (Dave Phipps?)

 

aerobatic pilots & designers from a few years ago, Terry Westrop, Chip Hyde, the unavoidable Prettner, CPLR.

 

designers, Mike Delacole for well engineered and debugged Chilli and Jetta F3a style airframes, Pete Miller for a huge number of easy to build model designs (especially the fake history scale models), the irreverent Dereck Woodward for his superb club designs

 

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Has to be Boddo, he set me on the journey and taught me to build via his plans/kits. ?

[Robert Cracknell]

Mick Reeves for an attention to detail rarely seen elsewhere...

[leccyflyer]

Peter Wilson, my electric flight guru who taught me what was important and what would work back in the days when electric flight was a wee bit more challenging than today's plug and play, with superb performance from older tech NiCds and brushed motors. I still cherish Peter's wisdom, building and flying skills and his beautiful models but most of all his friendship.  One of aeromodelling's true gents. His own design Aerowatt that he passed on to me is one of my most precious models.

 

 

Fred Webb, for his superb advice on building, finishing and problem solving - Fred always had a solution to those head-scratching modelling questions and was another true modelling gent who is sadly missed by so many who were lucky enough to know him.

 

Mike Jackson for his encyclopaedic knowledge of scale aeroplanes, model engineering, practical aeromodelling advice and wicked sense of humour. Mike almost got me to make the jump to Large Models at a formative time in my re-entry onto the hobby and made that look very achievable and enjoyable. 

 

Tim Hooper, who is a constant inspiration to me and has been for over twenty years, showing what is possible with skill, patience, application and vision - the huge variety of off-the-wall models that Hoops produces is testimony to that vision. A brilliant bloke and a real credit to aeromodelling - defo a real modelling hero in our house,

 

 

[dave parnham]

For the 3d flying skills i wish i had Dean Coxon

And i miss the build blogs of the great Ian Redshaw of Dawn Patrol fame and loved watching him and his mates fly (mudders) ? and simon from cornwall? All great builders in there own right.

[Graham Davies 3]

For the fun I've had from his designs, Dave Boddington.

 

For even more fun and for a lifetime of design wisdom, Peter Miller

 

And for opening my eyes to achievable scale loveliness, Richard Wills

[Chris Channon]

Arthur fox and Brian Winch

[Jesus Cardin]

My modelling heroes are.....

 

1.- First of all my parents for allowing and encouraging me into the hobby. I hope I will never forget about my first built -a rubber powered Focke Wulf 190- together with my father!

2.- Then my uncle Pepe Cardin, who teached me to build and fly from simple free flight models to my first R/C gliders and planes.

3.- Then on the general world of model planes, my first heroe was a certain Geral Curd as his Bucker Jungmann desing for RCM&E was the first plan I fall in love with (then it took several years till I was able to get a copy!)

4.- Finally, of course, those great monsters of R/C modeling as Hanno Prettner, Wolfgan Matt, Dave Platt, Brian Taylor, Dennis Briant, Duncan Hutson, Gordon Whitehead, Philip Avonds, Mike Cherry, Jim Fox...... and many, many more I knew just throug the magazines.

 

THANKS TO EVERYONE AND ALL OF THEM!