Mode Zero

Concerning the skills required to build a model, handle a spanner, tinker with 'stuff' - yes they are dying out. But to my mind this is inevitable and has little to do with 'the laziness of youth' / 'the demand for instant gratification' or similar oft expressed grumble.

The fact is that 99% of aeromodellers (as opposed to model flyers) grew up at a time when some sort of mechanical skills were necessary to protect from unnecessary expense - for instance, setting the points or tappets on the car/motorcycle, fitting plugs to electrical items etc etc. Things were designed to be worked on or adjusted. I can remember Father fiddling with the bimetal strip in a toaster to get it to pop up again; when the same happened 10 years ago all I found was a small PCB - maybe fathomable to many on this forum but not to this mechanical engineer! Wife had a Fiat Punto which lost all it's sparks - opened the bonnet with a can of WD40 in my hand - no HT leads, no LT cable, no coil - no clue!!!

Apart from so much being built in 'sealed units', stuff is in general far more reliable than ever before so people just don't need to get in and do things - remember an old Mk1 Escort engine would probably be rebuilt for the first time before 75k and would need another rebuild 30-40k later (I work for what used to be Hepolite, so I know how many pistons we used to sell!). In the past 30 years I have never had a failure of a lubricated part, and have never had cause to take any more than the rocker cover off any engine - and I keep vehicle till they have done well over 100k.

There has simply been no need for the less mature to learn these skills as a matter of course, and so of course the prevalence of said skills is reducing. Couple this with the fact that those who are still working full time are generally cash rich and time poor and of course someone wanting to fly a model but has no particular desire to build it first can bypass that step. It has nothing to do with laziness, just practicality.

Sorry about the rant, but it is something I feel strongly about - like when people berate the younger generation for playing computer games or being stuck to their phones; they are no different from what we were all like. If we'd have had PS3s and smartphones, we would have been just the same.

So yes, the hobby IS changing. It COULD die out, but I think it will be a long time - it will just get more specialised.

I'm off to lie down now.......

.......

Stew wrote: 31 Mar 2019, 19:23 Maybe the engine collectors should have pity on us and release their dust gathering trinkets to be used while we still can.

Looks like you might be in the market for an engine Stew, watch this space!

Gary

I think some of the skills we take for granted are diminishing, but not completely dying out. We mustn't tar all the younger generation with the same brush.

My son who is only just out of his teens is handier with a spanner than me! (which isn't saying much). And he usually has to ask me to sort his electronics out, so a type of role reversal from what you have all been suggesting. His mechanical skills are probably helped by having a 4½" scale steam traction engine and a 1966 Land Rover Series 2A to keep going, but there are literally hundreds of teenagers at most steam rallies helping on engines, maybe it's just aeromodelling that is suffering?

And thinking about it, at the last Land Rover show we went to, about a third were owned by the younger generation, probably as they are quite affordable to buy and maintain if you do it yourself. And quite a few youngsters have classic cars at the cheaper end of the spectrum such as Morris Minors, MK1 & 2 Escorts, Anglias and A35 Vans (for the Wallace and Gromit fans). I'm certain they'd like E-Types, MG's, Triumphs, etc but can't afford them or the insurance.

And the route into traditional aeromodelling has changed. One of our families friends son has flown "drones" for a number of years. Then a couple of years ago he got an FPV wing to fly, and is now gearing up to learn to fly "properly" (line of sight he calls it). And my local club has a few younger members (under 16), most of whom fly better than us old'uns.

So there is hope yet

Mike

In my original post I did not mention younger people and I certainly did not imply they are lazy, I have two children, both in their early 30's and both with responsible jobs and busy private lives. I also did not say that I thought model flying was in any danger, you only have to look at youtube feeds from people like Flight Test to see that there is a potentially healthy future for the hobby. But, building methods are changing with many builders using Depron, carbon tube and hot glue where I prefer to use balsa, spruce and PVA.

The point I was making is that the availability of cheap, efficient aircraft, which fly straight out of the box with little more than half and hours work with a screwdriver and hot glue gun means that to a certain section of the hobby anything more than this is considered either too much effort, or in the case of the chap I sighted, beyond his skill level.

I agree that engineers will out; I became a modeller and later a self taught mechanic and chassis engineer with almost no input from my family, my dad was an excellent carpenter, so I assume (I don't remember) when I first started chopping at bits of balsa he helped me then, but after that it was all trial and error, so I have no real worry that people will find their way into modelling, I just think the hobby will look very different, but that has always been the case.

On the subject of Balsa, and the rarity of good stuff, I remember a chap on YouTube, who reported several times from Cocklebarrow farm, built a nice looking Edwardian looking monoplane from wood he stripped from floor boards. I don't think there was any balsa in it. And the real old guys used bamboo...
There are some wizards with Depron too of course, but the ARTF/RTF buying types I don't consider Aeromodellers, they're model fliers, and it's fine, just a different branch of the hobby.

Stew wrote: 02 Apr 2019, 13:07 There are some wizards with Depron too of course, but the ARTF/RTF buying types I don't consider Aeromodellers, they're model fliers, and it's fine, just a different branch of the hobby.

Ceiling tiles!

Despite everything modeling have never been more accessible....remember a time it took month of building before you could even get close to flying! I wonder how many never approached this hobby just due of this....
My luck was that I had a dad that formed me and allowed me to cut corners.
FYI I'm a modeler used and trained that you only fly what you have built with occasional exceptions for the motors, radio kits were acceptable if...

I'd love to do the triple (own design airframe, engine and radio) but that's a dream.
I may have a go at an engine one day. Apparently P.E.Norman made a small sparkie for his 'Natzneez' design without a lathe! It was chiseled, filed and otherwise carved from steel and 'aloominum' That's some going. He was a sculptor and all round clever bugger, but still.

In the draw just to the left of where I am typing is a complete set of plans and instruction to build a Topsy 0.375cc diesel.

It has a price tag of 2/6 on it, so goodness know when I bought that (pre 1971 for sure).