Quarter Scale RC Spitfire Crosses The English Channel

Thanet Life: Cross Channel Visitor:


Working from a public wi-fi at my local Hastings bookshop, I had some problems loading up this interesting news article about model radio control airplanes I found.  It featured a 1/4 scale Flying Legends Spitfire.  Quoting a post found on RCU:  Mike Booth was the pilot. This has been done before, but Mike was the first person to actual control the model from start up, in Calais, to shut down at Manston, Kent. end quote.

Neil Hutch flew with Simon Moores in a Cessna 172 and Mike and Stweart Clifford flew the Spitfire from a Eurostar light general aviation aircraft.  That Eurostar pilot was Chris Trow.

Mr. Moores's blog has a YouTube link to the video of the cross channel flight.  What I loved about this is story is that this is something I would loved to have taken part in here in Texas.

When I joined Wings Miniature Aircraft Society back in 1997/1998, one of the stories that the old hands told me about was the RC cross country flying they used to do.  The pilot would sit in the back of a pickup truck and spotter/pit crew would ride in back with pilot.  Driver also has a spotter riding shotgun to help with the spotting duties.

In 15 years, I've never had the chance to do something like this!  I can only hope it can still be done as long as we stay away from active airports while doing the cross country flight.  Also, that the Department of Homeland Security doesn't say no also.


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Ref.
1. birchington.blogspot.co.uk. "Cross Channel Visitor" by Simon Moores. May 4, 2012.  (http://birchington.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/cross-channel-visitor.html). images from this blog.
2. RCUniverse forum posting. "Model Spitfire Crosses English Channel" by Neil Hutch. May 7, 2012. (http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_11071178/tm.htm).