The Secret Men’s Business group of the Probus Club of Balnarring spent an intriguing afternoon at the airfield of Westernport Model Aircraft Club in Crib Point. There were about 30 or so members of the club putting their aircraft through their paces with incredible skill.

Spitfires and Thunderbolts, biplanes and helicopters…

The models were impeccable miniatures of well-known planes such as Spitfires and Thunderbolts as well as biplanes and helicopters. Several members had stunt planes that did exactly that and jet fighters that were powered by batteries and achieved amazing speeds. Watching the owners nursing the expensive planes safely back onto the tarmac caused us to quite often clap their expertise. I am sure they breathed a sigh of relief to have their pride and joy back in one piece. For me the highlight was the ‘Ornithopter’ which was originally designed by the great Leonardo but like the one I built in my youth probably didn’t fly! However this one seen in the photo definitely did. The idea is that the wings flap like a bird and with the modern version the tail is used to control its up-and-down movement as well as its movements to the side. This model also tweets like a bird. Fantastic! The Probarians lost in admiration of the American biplane in the other photo are Max Hem, Peter Cooper, Kevin Sack and Peter Braithwaite.