Ed Martin sent photos of two of his models including one of the rare Helios. He tells us that the full size glider was a small 14 metre span sailplane built in 1934 by a group of boys from the Berlin NSFK (then the DLV, Deutscher Luftsport Verband). Among them was the young Heinz Kensche, who later, in the fifties, was one of the Haase-Kensche-Schmetz team who produced the extraordinary HKS 1, 2 & 3 record breaking sailplanes.

They managed to build the Helios in only six weeks and it was unusual for the time because of its welded steel tube space-framed, fabric covered fuselage of quite complicated but very neat design. The wings were of orthodox wooden construction but the ailerons were framed in dural, which was a very advanced material in those days. The wing profiles were Gottingen 549 at the root changing to Gottingen 682 at the root end of the ailerons, then thinning progressively to the very thin NACA Ml symmetrical section at the extreme tips, with washout,

It was unusual at that time to have an enclosed cockpit but the view was extremely limited. The transparent canopy was set well back into the wing leading edge. to achieve a smooth airflow, so the pilot was virtually blinkered with hardly any view sideways. There were narrow transparent panels under the root leading edge but to look through them the pilot would have to crouch and twist! These transparent panels were sewn onto the frame with leather thongs.

Although it flew successfully and was entered in at least two Rhon contests it never seems to have done anything remarkable.

Martin had difficulty finding much information about the Helios and he and Mick Moore pooled their knowledge before making their models. Mick contacted Kensehe's son but although he was sympathetic he did not have any more information. The only 3-view drawing was in an old copy of Flugsport which was self contradictory in places and didn't match the photos very well. Mick's model, to one fifth scale, flew before Martin's and was made in the orthodox way from balsa and spruce; it flies very well and plans are available from one of the usual magazine sources. Martin's model is to one quarter scale and the fuselage is built using aluminium arrow shafts and some carbon fibre tubing as a space frame, just like the original, The joints were made with an epoxy resin with a simple jig to hold all the parts in their correct place. Arrow shafts were also used for the aileron spars.

The model turned out to be very light and strong and flies well but is probably too light to fly in much of a wind, The other picture Martin sent is of his Condor 3 which can also be seen, before painting, in the photo of the sailplane group. Plans for this model may become available sometime. (Martin is well known for his books on full size gliders but it may be news to some that he wrote what is probably the standard text book on model aerodynamics, Ed)

Mick Moore enjoys researching rare gliders and his latest model is a one sixth scale model of the Austrian Schwalbe II (Swallow) which was designed by Bruno Gumpert and flown in the 1937 Rhon contest. Vincenzo Pedrielli is also looking for more information on this sailplane.

This model has a yellow fuselage, wing and tailplane leading edge and fin with white wings and red and white stripes on the fin and rudder. The lettering is in black.

From John Watkins we have had the pictures of his quarter scale Oly 419 and his one sixth scale Skylark 1. The picture of the Harbinger is by Ian Tunstall and this model is to one quarter scale. John prefers now to fly off flat fields, launching either by winch or by (model) aerotow.