Fighter Plane
Built by Santiago Plicio in December 2023
After a busy weekend at the North East London Meccano Club’s exhibition, the last one of the year, when Monday morning came I got straight back to my Meccano activities.
Having achieved the building of 18 models so far in 2023, I was wondering if I could target 20, and so for my 19th attempt I set about making a smallish model in a nod to my once hobby flying days.
I had made model aircraft before, but not too many, and with that I set about designing the wing shape and part of its would-be fuselage.
Before long I was working on the pilot’s cabin and then supporting struts to the wings from that section of the airplane.
The rest of the main body followed very quickly, then the tail, the wheels, guns, ailerons and flaps.
I thought to add a call sign as most aircraft have one.
I was actually very surprised at how quickly the whole thing took shape, almost as if I had done it on auto-pilot, but these flights of fancy never truly fly themselves without someone first giving wings to it.
With my construction complete and ready to take to the 2023 skies, all I had left was to name it, and what could be more apt than G-JVMD which is the same registration as the plane I flew in my solo flights all those years ago when my retirement stage of my life had first started.
It was just an impulsive idea on the morning of Monday November 4th, and now it is virtually ready. Only a motor and propeller will complete model number 19, and I still have December before me!