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Inner Circle: C/L Cub Trainer; also "Rapscallion." I once flew c/l, about 35 years ago. I was hopeless, droning around, with an occasional loop. Along with many others, I built a lot of models with extravagant hopes but few of them reached the flying stage. Question is: have I improved with age? My copy of the Ron Moulton C/L manual extolls the Rascal. Looks suitable, but owing to my perverse nature and wanting to be a bit different, I have enlarged it by 25%. The thinking, if my vague thought processes can be dignified by such a word, was that longer lines used with a 2.5cc motor would give me a slightly slower rotation speed more appropriate to a sexuagenarian, and more room for twirly bits should I get brave. Also, I couldn't be bullied by the Deeping Mafia into entering the Rascal comps with it. An easy build after larger R/C Vintage jobs: I have capped the ribs for rigidity and so that covering will atttach securely to the, in effect, reflex part of the section leading onto the trailing edge. Motor is a Magnun .15 with c/l conversion (NB if interested, contact BVW before buying one), and covering is my favourite Esaki tissue over Woodhouse Polyester. Proofing is several coats of Poly-C: water based, so very easy to use.
But before that flies, I must find out whether I can still rotate. The Peterborough Club has (had?) a club trainer. Bernie brought it to the field in one of those amazing mid-March days that we enjoyed this year, so I fixed my eyes on my thermalling Lanzo Bomber hoping that he would go away. No such luck: he was determined to overcome my trepidation and doubtless looking forward to a good chuckle. Why does my imagination run out of excuses when they are most wanted? I prevaricated with various supposed technicalities but he overcame these when he wisely said, "Let's just pretend that we're a couple of teenagers who don't know what we're doing." So he whacked the PAW into life and I found myself doing the 52' walk. Not very far, is it? Stiff arm, see the elevators move, up, down, up, down. Can't delay any longer.
There can't be any quicker learning process that the first lap of a c/l flight. Bernie released, and the whole world began to spin on the edge of control. Focus on the profile of the fuslage, nothing else. Why is it waving up and down like this? Try to hold it level. Don't look at the background. Arm rigid. The model's pulling hard, and much faster that I remember from years ago. Relax. I can't! I knew that my facial expression was one of horros, but I couldn't control it! A spell of dizziness after about ten laps took up all my remaining attention. Windsock, field. Windsock, field. Keep it level. Don't travel, stay on the spot. Relax that arm. It won't relax. Shall I try a loop? Don't be daft! Cough, splutter: hooray, this madness will soon end. 
The landing was good. Nothing broken. Very calmly, for one must exercise dignity in all things, I pressed the spike of the handle into the grass. Bernie was calling something, but I was deaf to it. I walked towards him in a kind of parabola, began to speak, and suddenly the ground came up and hit me, hard. A couple of weeks later, time to do it again. The trainer has a flat-bottomed wing sanded from 1/2" balsa...is it why it seems faster that a normal stunt model? Square tank, but that would be ok for a quick loop. Shall I try? Bernie launched. Too much height, keep it down. BVW ducks his head and joins me inside the circle. Does he really think that helps? Now I'll have to loop. OK, here we go. Could be the last loop I attempt. Could easily be the model's last loop Head height, full up and hang on. The ground disappears. Strewth, mate!!... To be continued.... John Ashmole
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