Latest News

It is with great sadness that we must report the death on June 12th of the BMFA’s senior vice-president, Sqn/Ldr John Crampton, DFC, AFC and Bar, RAF (Rtd), at the age of 88. A life long aeromodeller, John was appointed vice-president in 1974 and attended most BMFA dinners and prizegivings until a few years ago.

His Royal Air Force career was outstanding; in WW2 he was a flight commander on 76 Squadron, flying Halifaxes in 1944 and then converted post-War to Lincolns. Tours on Vampires and Meteors followed and John later commanded the RAF’s first Canberra squadron at Binbrook.

However, in the early years of the Cold War, when very little was known of the layout of potential targets in the Soviet Union, it was vital to obtain radar photographs of these for use by bomb aimers in the event that WW3 should break out. In 1951 John Crampton was ordered to take command of a secret Special Duties flight and to head for the United States for conversion training on North American RB-45C Tornadoes. The US was very wary of being seen to carry out deep penetration overflights, and already a considerable number of their reconnaissance aircraft had been shot down while carrying out daylight photographic intelligence missions over China and North Korea. As a result John’s unit returned to the UK and were based at RAF Sculthorpe in Norfolk, then a major USAF base, where the Tornadoes were stripped of all American markings and repainted with RAF roundels.

In 1952, after personal approval by Winston Churchill, Operation Jujitsu was ready to go on the night of April 17th. To extend their range the three RB-45Cs used air to air refueling as near as possible to the Soviet borders, with one aircraft overflying the Baltic states, one covering Belorussia and John taking the longest route as far as Kiev in the Ukraine.

John did further similar flights in 1954 and on that occasion Soviet flak had fused to a slightly lower altitude than John was flying, but the flashes beneath his aircraft made it clear that their presence was unwelcome. Fortunately at that time MIG-15s did not have air interception radar and failed to be vectored onto any of the aircraft. John retired from the RAF in 1957 and joined Hawkers in 1959, where he became technical sales manager for the Harrier. It was John who, despite little help from the company’s management and in the middle of a diplomatic furore over Gibraltar, managed to sell the Harrier to the Spanish Navy, where it was re-named the Matador.

John’s model flying activities included a circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight with an OS 70 Surpass-powered R/C seaplane in 1992 and the development of a photo-reconnaissance RC model using a gimble-mounted engine above the wing for low-speed photographic flights. In the mid-1960s he experimented with a 35mm camera mounted on an RC helicopter and in 1985 the Daily Telegraph Magazine ran a five page article on his use of fixed-wing RC models for aerial photography.

Martin Dilly FSMAE

Download file here: Minutes Prov Full 10-May-08

Wal Cordwell passed away at 12.45pm on Friday 30th October aged 83. He will be remembered by all in the world of C/L Scale and in Carrier which were his great loves. He will be missed for his willingness always to help new Scale flyers and for his ready smile. He was on the Scale Tech Committee for some time where he was always working to C/L Scale on the map. I myself will feel the loss not just of a father but also a friend that I could always turn to for help with me and my sons modelling problems. He will be very much missed by all who have known him.

It is with great sadness to report that Brian Hewitt passed away aged 87 years. One of the ‘Old Scool’. A modeller for more than 70 years, winner of many competitions for Control Line flying at home and abroad. Brian served with the RAF during the war years. He was made a life-time member of Hastings MFC Ltd but still insisted on paying his fees.
I shall along with many others miss our chats on Scale Modelling at the flying site. A great loss to our hobby.
He was always known as ‘Brian the Elder’. A fitting tribute indeed.

Colin Hammond on behalf of Hastings MFC Ltd

A vintage ‘Powerhouse’ model has been found recently near Holmes Chapel in Cheshire. The model has several distinguishing features and if you believe that it may be yours, please contact David Lloyd-Jones for further information. Tel: 01565 734040