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Author Topic: Holiday in Scotland  (Read 1394 times)

Stan

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Holiday in Scotland
« on: August 28, 2021, 09:59:18 am »

Hi just got back from Scotland after a short break wonderland models in Edinburgh is well worth a visit.


Stan.
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jaymac

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Re: Holiday in Scotland
« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2021, 06:52:49 pm »

Hi Stan did you also  go see the Vulcan, Comet and Concord at the Museum of Flight or the Britannia down the docks.
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RST

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Re: Holiday in Scotland
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2021, 03:43:12 am »

Hi Stan,


Unfortunately Wonderland is a shadow of what it was and there are so few proper model shops in Scotland now, it's widely known as a box shifter / toy store now.  It's not what it used to be by a very long way.  Harborn Hobbies on Leith Walk is also well worth a visit but the price of railway, particularly N-Gauge is just eye-watering these days compared to 10 years or so ago.


I was repeated statement today I originally heard from a sales guy in Wonderland a few years ago " we don't to parts, they're all supplied with the kits" -it's a sad state of affairs.




...I was trying to find an R/C model shop in the central belt of Scotland today and having driven over 100 miles and spoken to places in-between just about the only place worth visiting now is the Sports and Model Shop in Dingwall, 10 miles from my own home!


It's a sad but very real truth the hobby is very much dying in Scotland the past couple of decades.  There are literally just a few traditional model shops left now in the whole country.


A for East fortune Its a fair trek out from Edinburgh.  Concorde is there also though.  My late father developed some of the original engineering panel simulators for it when he graduated -I took him to see that Concorde years ago in East Fortune and when we could squeeze the guide out of the cockpit, he could still remember what most of the dials were and what switch did what on the engineers panel.

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jaymac

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Re: Holiday in Scotland
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2021, 08:51:28 am »

East Fortune my dad was stationed there during the war Also next door at Drem one regrettable incident there
was this
 Do click on the Drem lighting system for how it worked

21 December 1939, a tragic day in 602's history. A combination of errors led to the shooting down of friendly aircraft, and loss of life. A flight of RAF 44 Squadron Handley-Page Hampden bombers were approaching the south coast of the Firth of Forth without properly identifying themselves as friendly, by lowering their undercarriage. Spitfires of 602 Squadron were hastily scrambled, taking-off crosswind. The light was poor, and such was the time of heightened tension, that the Handley-Page Hampdens bore a remarkable resemblance to Dornier Do17 bombers. They both had the same basic layout of twin-engines, and twin-fins on the tailplane. The Hampdens fired flares to confirm their identity, but they were in the wrong sequence. The Spitfires engaged. Two of the Hampdens were shot down in the Forth before the Spitfires realised their mistake. Remarkably, only one Hampden crewmember lost his life.The remaining Hampdens were escorted into Drem by the Spitfires, and landed safely. They stayed overnight, and the next morning after having taken off, turned and roared back over the airfield at full-throttle, bombing the 602 Squadron quarters with hundreds of toilet rolls! Such black humour shrouded much deeper feelings of despair and terror, necessarily swept aside as the real threat continued. An inquiry absolved 602's pilots of any responsibility in the accident - just one of many hundreds of "friendly-fire" tragedies to occur in all theatres of the war.

Interesting also the the landing lights

Of considerable significance was the development at Drem of a special airfield lighting system, which enabled Spitfires and Hurricanes to circuit and land safely at night. So successful was this system that it became standard at all RAF airfields, and was known as the DREM LIGHTING SYSTEM - click on link for more details.
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Circlip

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Re: Holiday in Scotland
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2021, 11:41:31 am »

"Hampdens bore a remarkable resemblance to Dornier Do17 bombers. "

  Not in side elevation, "Flying Suitcases looked like pregnant Guppies.

  Regards  Ian

  Sorry for the colo(u)r, When you cut and paste it retains colour for subsequent text.
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jaymac

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Re: Holiday in Scotland
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2021, 01:01:59 pm »

With Edinburgh, the Forth bridge, Rosyth and whatever ships were around only minutes away lucky they never took them all out. Aircraft recognition in action not the same as static comparisons or surface to air particularly when all the wrong signals were made.

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Ralph

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Re: Holiday in Scotland
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2021, 08:22:49 pm »

...I was trying to find an R/C model shop in the central belt of Scotland today


Did you try Scoonie Hobbies in Kirkcaldy?  Not been in for a while but they used to have a good selection of RC and boat stuff as well as all the basic materials glue etc.  About 15 miles off the M90 if you're heading for the Queensferry Crossing.


Ralph
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JimG

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Re: Holiday in Scotland
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2021, 10:48:57 am »

You've more chance of buying a plastic kit or railway parts nowadays. They have a few kits for radio models and their stock of radio control gear is poor. Wood and raw materials is reasonable but not great. I'm afraid that it has gone downhill since we lost Andy, they no longer go to all of the shows so can no longer keep the amount of stock they used to.
Jim
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