Finsbury Park
FINSBURY PARK: Model flying venue
Operated by: Finsbury Park and District Model Aero Club
Location: Just N of Seven Sisters Road, roughly 4nm N of the City of London, commonly known as the "Square Mile".
Period of operation: As far as known, 1913 and 1914
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for finding the following items to illustrate this quite important model flying venue.
The article was published in the Islington Gazette on the 16th December 1913.
NOTE: There is one aspect mentioned in the article above which I think is very important to take note of. This being the Grahame-White Model Trophy, the winner of whom would be rewarded with flying instruction at HENDON. Before WW1 Claude Grahame-White was, arguably, perhaps the most famous pilot in the U.K.? Certainly one of the most famous. To hear today that he had so much respect and interest for those designing and flying model aircraft must surely indicate how, in those early years of aviation development, the designs of modellers were.
The area view is from my Google Earth © derived database.
NOTES: I also came across a mention in Flight magazine in 1914 that the Finsbury Park and District Model Aero Club were holding a meeting on the 20th June 1914. No doubt a fairly common occurrence? As explained elsewhere the contribution of ‘model’ aircraft to the history and development of aviation is of immense importance - think of wind tunnel models for example.
I now think there is quite possibly another aspect? Would it be correct to assume that to some degree the knowledge of aeronautics these modellers had built up contributed to the overall aviation industry and military in WW1? I’d be surprised if they didn’t. Has anybody investigated this area of aviation history? I'm sure they have but some links would be appreciated.
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