It is with great regret that I have to inform you of the sad loss of Twinkle. After much fettling over the winter months with replacement bearings new plumbing and the fitting of an undercarriage to try and ease the transition into flight it was all to no avail.

On Saturday the 8 April 06 at around 1130 hrs Twinkle was fully fettled, engines balanced and on perfect song, a tank of fuel through both to clear their throats and it was ready for a take off.

The roll out was perfection with no sphincter movements normally associated with take off for this type of plane and it climbed out over the lane and then banked to do the return leg downwind. Halfway down the return leg the port engine suffered yet another failure (this engine being the cause of all other failures despite new bearings plumbing tank etc). The pilot one Reckless Rick immediately shut down the starboard engine and almost immediately the plane dived for the ground despite switching over to full rates the strength of the tail wind at about 20mph and the added weight of the undercarriage overcame the authority of the elevator and Twinkle from that moment was doomed.

Twinkle cleared the hedge over pit number 1 and bore down into the newly sown field nose down and despite heroic efforts by the pilot and even after sight of the machine was lost he was seen still trying to bring Twinkle back under control.

After a climb over the hedge by Reckless Rick and Desperate Dan a search was made for Twinkle which was found some 120m past the hedge. At first glance damage didn't seem too bad but as these trusty stalwarts approached it became clear that Twinkle had disembowelled itself and was in many pieces and all its internals were scattered to the four winds.The wings were some 6m away from the main fuselage and it took a 20min search to find the port engine which had catapulted itself some 15m away from the crash site.

Twinkle was salvaged for any usable parts and was due to be cremated with full honours at 1400 hrs.

Unfortunately as there were no smokers present no means of combustion was available and Twinkle will lay at rest in the club dustbin until next week when it will be cremated in the time honoured tradition of the club and its ashes scattered to the four winds.

RIP Twinkle you gave us many laughs.

Rick

Rick Messenger
General Committee Member
Plymouth Model Flying Club