Club History - Committee

The  club was formed in 1972 as part of the Rolls-Royce Hucknall sports and Social Club, purely for Radio Control Model Aircraft with no facility for control line models. Due to security restrictions only 6 associated members were allowed to start with; this has now been extended to what ever the club thinks is appropriate, currently 140.

Although we share the airfield with full size flying [Merlin Flying Club Ltd.], there has always been a very good relationship between the clubs with which both clubs maintain to ensure that safe flying is conducted at all times.

As a club we celebrated our first 25 years existence in 1997, in conjunction with the Rolls-Royce Hucknall Site 'open' day where we combined our resources and also enjoyed a full size flying display as well as model flying..

Each year we hold a number of "fly in" events rather than competitions, which we run for the pleasure of the entrants. Although we never intended these events to be public spectacles we now have a large following of interested spectators who come and enjoy the day out. Why not come and join us at our events. 

Our events include a dedicated Jet day, always on a Sunday with the catchy name of "Jet Sunday". There is a one day event purely for electric flight that attracts quirky experimental models to the largest brushless examples in the country. Our largest event spans a weekend during the summer, and is aimed at Scale model building and flying. Camping via prior arrangement with the event organiser is usually available at all of these events, and event notification will always be on the BMFA web ages and in the modeling magazines with details of dates and times..

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R-R (Hucknall) MAC Airfield History - Derek Martin

Our flying site is either end of a 2000yrd. Tarmac runway, which was used by the Rolls-Royce Flight Test and Development establishment. There is still a R-R production and engine test facility onsite but the airfield is only used by ourselves and the Merlin Flying Club (full Size) we liaise with the full size flyers and use the end of the runway furthest from their flight path for the day.

The airfield is a historic site and was opened for the first world war and used for training American and Canadian pilots. Still on site are some of the only examples of Belfast Truss Hangers. The airfield was closed in 1920 and the land sold back to a local farmer. The war department however retained the hangers which where leased to local businesses.

In 1926 the War Department repurchased the land and reopened the airfield, Which was used generally as a training base, being home to a number of Squadrons until 1957

In the early 1930’s Rolls-Royce realised that they needed a flight testing facility, originally they used Tollerton airfield on the other side of Nottingham , then the War ministry offered them the use of Hucknall and they moved there in 1934. Since that date, particularly during the second world war years, an enormous amount of development work has been successfully carried out on the site; not only on aircraft and aero engines, but on various associated systems.

In 1940 a civilian Aircraft Repair unit started for the refurbishment of damaged Hurricanes. In 1942 284 Spitfire V’s were converted to Mk IX’s by replacing Merlin 45’s with more powerful Merlin 61’s with a two-speed supercharger.

Amongst the high lights are development work on the Merlin, Griffin and other Rolls-Royce piston engines, the installation of the first Merlin into a Mustang, which became the P51-D. With the event of the jet engine Hucknall became involved not only with the engines but developed such things as the afterburner and reverse thrust systems. Probably the most bizarre project ever undertaken was the “Jet Control Research” unit better known as “The Flying Bedstead” The first tethered flights taking place in1953 and the first free hover in 1954.This research made possible the design of the revolutionary Hawker Harrier.

 Development has carried on with the RB211 and recently the Trent Engines, which power many of the world’s aircraft.

Unfortunately testing at Hucknall is coming to an end although the factory will remain.

Aircraft spotters had a field day in the 50’s and 60’s all sorts of aircraft, civil and military came to, or were at Hucknall. From Ambassador to Vulcan it was there.

Another Snip it

The One That Got Away –Oberleutnant Franz Von Verra was arrested trying to steal a  Hurricane from Hucknall