GLASGOW NAVY DAYS 11th& 12thJULY 2009

The third Glasgow Navy Days took place at the Glasgow South Ship Modellers Society's lake in Queens Park. In contrast to both previous years, the weather was mixed. The Saturday was definitely a warm up day with about 80-100 models on display or on the water. On the Sunday there were over 130! Frequency control was mandatory.

SWA attended on both days. On Saturday there was just your Scottish Rep with seven models on two tables; but on Sunday he was joined by Steve Pickering with two sailing models from the 19th century. These were a Man-of-War Cutter of 1820 at 1:48 which was held upright by a long perspex false keel with a lead bulb at the bottom and a one gun schooner of about 1850 with internal ballast. On Saturday, we had Four Flowers, HMS St Brides Bay and USS John D Ford all at 1:72, and HMS Grey Fox at 1:48. On Sunday we had Steve's models and the four Flowers, (HMS Jasmine, HMS Crocus, FNFL Aconit and HMCS Agassiz) and Monitor M33 all at 1:72 and HMS Jupiter (the J class destroyer) at 1:96.

The main activity on the Sunday was a steering competition on the lake involving three models in formation. At first they were in line ahead (formation 1) and then they had to take up line abreast to Starboard (formation 3) and wheel through 90 degrees to starboard. After about 40 or 50 yards a long wheel to Port, through 180 degrees, was required around a moored oil platform, then a 50 or 60 yard passage behind a bank of rubbish before another wheel to Port followed by a final change into line ahead and the run home before the models docked alongside one and other to finish. Most of the manoeuvres took place about 150 to 200 yards out from the starting/control point.

Steve Pickering and I were joined by a fellow member of Ayr Model Boat Club, Tom Plumber, so we could not call ourselves the SWA team. We had to be 'Ayr Flower Show' as we were using Crocus, Aconit and Agassiz. These little 1:72 scale Corvettes were a little difficult to judge accurately for direction at a distance particularly as their camouflage was quite effective. We only had one incident, when Tom lost control of Aconit due to radio interference, even so we came equal first, in heavy rain, with the local experts and their junior team. Rather than have a run off, which would have been difficult due to increasing radio interference being felt by everyone, we awarded the prize to the juniors. The interference appeared to come from the transmitters supplied with some of the cheaper 'ARTR' models whose crystals were broadband or off frequency, if they had any frequency marking at all.

It was a sunny, wet and windy weekend, but great fun and well worth attending. Next year Steve and I will enter for the steering competition again with larger models which will be easier to control at long range. But please can we have a few more SWA people coming so that we can field a SWA team or two. The dates are Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th July 2010. Much more fun than a routine show in the crowded Midlands and you can be photographed, comprehensively, by Wooley!

Our thanks go to the members of the host society and to the Glasgow Warship demonstration team, our co-hosts for their considerable hospitality. From what I hear, Navy Days 2010 will be even better.

Patrick Moriarty