Central Region

A child's dream comes true

As part of the Buttisholz Vacation Pass program, the Nimbus Model Aircraft Club held a full-day model-building workshop with children on Friday, May 3.

Thirteen boys and one girl, ages 9 to 13, tackled the complex task of building a model airplane as part of the Buttisholz Vacation Pass program. Full of anticipation, the children arrived right on time at 8:00 a.m. in the workshop at the Buttisholz school, where a perfectly equipped workstation was already waiting for them. The “Lilienthal 32” kit was still neatly packed in a transparent plastic bag about the size of a promotional pack of large milk chocolate bars, and the children asked in amazement, “Is this supposed to become an airplane?” In fact, the selected model is a top-quality kit with many high-quality components and includes everything needed to build the model. The Jedelsky wings ensure rapid progress and allow for completion in a single day.

So the diverse group of children set to work. First, they checked the contents of the kit for completeness and then enthusiastically assembled the model step by step. This required a lot of patience and some manual dexterity. President Thomas Portmann and his six helpers from the Nimbus Model Flying Club turned the building process into an enjoyable experience with well-prepared steps and helpful guidance. A well-designed PowerPoint presentation guided the young model aircraft builders through the correct construction process. Thus, from many individual parts—balsa wood, pine strips, laser-cut plywood pieces, and a generous amount of white glue—a neat model airplane with a wingspan of 116 cm took shape.

The waiting periods between the glue-drying phases were always filled by preparing the next construction step or supplemented with a lesson in flight theory. By lunchtime, a large part of the model was already complete, and the children had plenty to talk about when they got home.

In the afternoon, the airplane was finished with a coat of nitrocellulose lacquer, which makes the model weather-resistant. Now the young pilots were almost impossible to hold back. The urge to take it on its maiden flight led the lively group to the Nimbus flying field near the Seehof in Geiss. Unfortunately, the wind was a bit too strong for the delicate little plane. Under the guidance of experienced model aircraft specialists, the models were nevertheless released into the air, sparking genuine enthusiasm. Mindful of the need to fly the aircraft only in light wind conditions, the eager pilots were dismissed at 5:00 p.m. to enjoy their well-deserved evening off.

Working with the young engineers brought the members of the MFV Nimbus great joy and motivated them to hold another such model-building course. From an educational standpoint, it’s particularly valuable that a self-built airplane is the result of a great deal of knowledge and hard work—and is therefore treated with the care it deserves. If something breaks, the techniques they’ve learned allow them to perform a proper repair, ensuring they can enjoy the model for a long time. This is youth development at its best for a hobby that provides work in the workshop during bad weather and leads young people out into the great outdoors when the sun is shining.

Thomas Portmann,
President of MFV Nimbus,
Löwenacher 3, Ruswil

www.modellflug-nimbus.ch