Model aeroplane maker found and booked for Glenreagh Cedar and Steam

IN sourcing local creatives for Glenreagh Museum’s annual art and photo exhibition “Cedar and Steam”, local author and artist Honi Reifler recently discovered a model aeroplane maker.

“I stumbled into an unassuming looking workshop in Glenreagh [only] to be gobsmacked by a display of wooden model aeroplanes,” Honi told News Of The Area.

“To add to my amazement on the following visit, I discovered that these planes don’t just decorate the walls… they actually fly.”

In conversation with the owner, retired electrician Wayne Wilson, Honi learned that the inspiration for his lifetime fascination was being given a control line model aircraft kit as a seven-year-old.

Wayne went on to work from Czech plans to make everything himself using lathes, saws and silver solder, and developing an eye for detail and precision.

Sourcing balsa wood has become a problem, however, as China has dominated the purchase of this lightweight wood from the only two sources in the world – Ecuador and PNG.

Balsa wood is essential for the construction of the lightweight planes and Wayne has diligently stockpiled an adequate supply for his future projects.

Control line model aircraft are radio-controlled planes flown on two thin steel wires attached to a handle.

This allows the pilot to control the elevator (pitch) by moving their arm up and down, creating aerobatics, racing or duelling within a circular flight path, relying on engine power and fuel for flight duration.

“It’s a classic hobby offering precise control and a unique flying sensation… without the pilot leaving the ground [and] focusing on feel and timing for complex manoeuvres.

“Some of his planes can accelerate from zero to 250km/hour in three seconds and are powered by a two-and-a-half horsepower engine.”

Wayne grew up in Wollongong with a self-taught engineering father who built his own caravan.

On a caravan trip in 1967, the family bought 400 acres on Nana Creek Road for $20,000.

As an 11-year-old, Wayne’s perception of the world was expanded in this rural environment.

He said it was a real eye-opener as to how other people lived and how they adapted and overcame obstacles without any pretentious airs-and-graces.

“Happiness is not having everything,” he learned.

After three years, the family moved back to Wollongong and Wayne did an electrical apprenticeship.

From 1974-80 he and his brother participated in flat track racing in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

Flat track racing is a historic, fast paced motorcycle sport where riders slide powerful bikes on oval dirt tracks.

They focus on cornering speed without front brakes, using only rear brakes and throttle to navigate right and left turns.

But the pull of the North Coast drew Wayne and his family back, so he worked as an electrician in places including Opal Cove, the Big Banana and Sapphire Pines.

They built their own homes in Sawtell and Nana Glen before settling in Glenreagh and building their forever-home in 2006.

Instead of risking life-and-limb on flat track racing, Wayne continued with his control line aeroplanes.

The skills required are very similar to negotiating fast speeds in a circular motion – except in one sport the operator is hurtling around the course, whereas in the other the operator is stationary but still controlling a high-speed machine.

Wayne will display a selection of his control line aeroplanes, each individually modelled on real aircraft, at Cedar and Steam between 26–28 June.

By Andrea FERRARI