Team Melrose
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 38

Thread: Team Melrose

  1. #1

    Lightbulb Team Melrose

    As most of you know, a young C.J. (Jimmy) Melrose bravely piloted the DH.80A VH-UQO to a respectable 2nd place finish in the handicap division of the MacRobertson Race. To any of you planning to fly the Puss Moth alone or with a small team we surely salute your effort!

    To be sure Milton’s soon to be released model makes it across the finish line at least once, we are organizing a large scale handoff. Since it will take in the neighborhood of 100 hours to complete, we would like to invite everyone to join in flying “My Hildegarde” in a team effort from all involved. This special trip will be exempt from the four pilot team maximum as listed in the rules.

    This should be fun if we can get a lot of pilots to volunteer a little extra time. It is not mandatory in any sense of course and we understand the time commitment that will already be invested but if you want to slow down a little, enjoy the scenery and take a break from your main race entry here and there, sign up for Team Melrose!

    Please respond in this thread if you are at all interested. We tried this on a smaller scale with MM’s DC-4 during the Evita event and was a lot of fun seeing pilots from SOH/AVSIM/Flightsim all work together. :ernae:

    On behalf of the Committee-
    Moses


  2. #2
    Senior Administrator PRB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    MO (KSUS)
    Age
    61
    Posts
    9,410
    Sign me up for this one!
    :ernae:
    MB: GIGABYTE GA-X299 UD4 PRO ATX
    CPU: Intel(R) Core™ Processor i9-10900X Ten-Core 3.7GHz
    MEM: 64GB (8GBx8) DDR4/3000MHz Quad Channel
    GPU: RTX 3080 Ti 12GB GDDR6
    OS: Win 10 Pro 64bit
    HP Reverb G2

  3. #3
    SOH-CM-2019 MM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Chapel Hill NC USA
    Age
    75
    Posts
    1,760
    Count me in.

    ------------------------------
    Jimmy Melrose - Australia's Forgotten Hero

    Imagine a young, 19 year old boy, 6 feet tall, unruly blond hair, freckled face – lived in his family home on the Esplanade at Glenelg. His name was Jimmy Melrose. This is an entry from his diary on Friday 9 June 1933:

    “For the first time in my life I went for a flight all alone. Mr Stevens came with me and we made five good circuits and he was satisfied. So at 2.10pm I made my first solo flight which was the most marvellous experience I have ever had. I shall never forget that wonderful feeling as the plane climbed. I did several left hand turns and then closed the throttle, glided in and made a correct landing.”

    That first flight was the beginning of a remarkable but short aviation career that only three years later, ended in tragedy.

    Fourteen months later on Tuesday 7 August 1934 Jimmy set out from Parafield to break the round Australia record. Mrs Melrose, who was staying at North Adelaide, was on the lookout for her flying son and Jimmy swooped low and flashed his torch on her window. Mrs Melrose said,
    “I saw it distinctly, Jim told me he was going to flash his torch and I was watching for it. He went off in very good spirits and was confident that he would finish the flight this time”.

    Five and a half days later, in record-breaking time, Jimmy arrived back at Parafield. He beat the previous record for round Australia by 45 hours.

    Jimmy was surprised to see an endless procession of cars wending their way to the aerodrome. He could not remember whether it was Saturday or Sunday. Thinking all those people were heading for the Gawler Races, he decided it must be Saturday. On landing, he asked a newspaperman what day it was.

    “It’s Sunday, why?” the newspaperman replied.

    “Well, what are those cars doing out here today?” Jimmy asked.

    “Why, they’ve come to see you!” was the reply.

    After the flight his diary recorded,

    “Five days, 11 hours, a record for the flight around 7,000 miles of Australia. My record. Today I spent the rest of the morning being photographed as well as being interviewed. Tomorrow I am to visit the Governor and many other people. I am now supposed to be famous.”

    ----

    Then, 2 months later, just after his 21st birthday, he flew his little Puss Moth aircraft to England to compete in the Centenary Air Race between London and Melbourne. The Race promised to be the greatest air race the world had ever seen. Jimmy Melrose was determined not to miss it.

    He arrived in London and was surprised that he had just broken the record for the fastest flight between Australia and England – and the race hadn’t yet begun! London newspapers were full of praise for Jimmy’s flight. The Daily Telegraph wrote,

    “He says the light of the moon helped him. All the same, it must be conceded he is a stout pilot and needless to say an accomplished navigator. He modestly remarked in reply to a question, ‘well I must say I found the places just about where I calculated them to be’”.

    “This young fellow of the ready smile, the easy witticism and cultured voice and accent, has just made aviation history and is to be ranked among the famous pilots of the day.”

    On the day the Race began, bearing in mind this is only 16 months after his first solo flight, he wrote,

    “Saturday 20 October 1934, the start of the greatest air race the world had ever seen. 60,000 people came around the aerodrome at Mildenhall at dawn. Thrilling is not the word; we raced across the countryside east of London, the Thames, the Channel off Dove. I shall never forget it!”

    The race was not without incident. Between Rome and Athens he flew into a storm. He had a weather forecast but it was written in Italian and he “couldn’t make head nor tail of it”.

    “Never have I felt so scared in all my life, as when I flew up this valley 5,000 feet above sea level, with the mountains going up to 10,000 feet and more, all covered in snow.”

    He only just made it into Darwin. Winds had forced him off course over the Timor Sea and 20 miles from Darwin, his fuel gauge showed “empty”. His engines still operated until 4 miles from landing, then sputtered to a stop.

    “at 5.30pm the excited crowd at the Darwin aerodrome sighted him gliding up high in the sky with the propeller just turning over in the wind. Jimmy glided down in a wide swoop, and without any assistance from his engine, he made a perfect landing over half a mile from the official check point. Without wasting time he sprang out with his log book and sprinted the half mile, while a cheering crowd of 200 people ran towards him”.

    Further on, 20 miles out of Charleville, mailman Mr Sands was driving along the road when,
    “this plane swooped over the car and landed ahead of me in a clear patch of scrub country. This young fellow, Melrose, wearing shorts and a sun helmet got out and asked his way to Charleville. Apparently he thought he was off his course. He thanked me and made a perfect take-off. He’s a casual customer all right.”

    Jimmy arrived in Melbourne on 31 October 1934.
    “Tell them I’ll be there at 9 o’clock”.

    And he was. Mrs Melrose was the first to greet her son. He flung open the cabin door and embraced her.
    “Are you tired dear?” she asked.
    ”Not a bit. I’m sorry it’s all over!”

    As well as winning third place in the Handicap section he was also the only Australian to complete the Race, the youngest aviator and the only pilot to fly the world’s greatest Race unaccompanied.

    Thousands turned out to greet the winners of the Race in Melbourne. They were heroes, including Glenelg’s own Jimmy Melrose.

    Charles James Melrose was now the golden boy of Australian aviation in 1934 following his achievements in the London to Melbourne Centenary Air Race. Pitting his meagre qualifications, amazing skill and unbounded confidence against the elements, and against the experience of veterans twice his age, he seized upon the public’s imagination more than any other competitor and flew into the pages of history.

    He captured the hearts of the Australian public with a further series of record-breaking flights. A Melbourne Herald reporter described him in 1935 as “one of the most romantic figures in the flying world of Australia".

    For more, see:
    http://www.duncanmcfetridge.com/inde...hett&Itemid=12
    -Mike

  4. #4

  5. #5

    Reckon I'll toss my hat into the ring as well......

    Great idea!
    salt_air

  6. #6
    At last the penny drops! You guys are flying Milton's new Puss Moth! Yeah, count me in.

  7. #7
    Charter Member 2014
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Near EGLL , UK
    Age
    53
    Posts
    290
    I`d be honoured to be part of a great team putting the little bird through it`s paces , London to Melbourne , should be quite a journey .

  8. #8
    SOH-CM-2017
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Arlington, VA (KDCA)
    Age
    70
    Posts
    405
    Count me in too.

  9. #9
    Ah, the Puss Moth ! Now where have I seen one of those before ??

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Moses03 View Post
    This special trip will be exempt from the four pilot team maximum as listed in the rules.
    How silly of me to miss this. :isadizzy:

    Yes... i'm in too. :ernae:


  11. #11
    SOH Staff .."Bartender" AussieMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Woy Woy, NSW, Australia Zulu +11 AEDST
    Age
    77
    Posts
    3,593
    Count me in too though work may restrict my availability in the early parts of the race but if it goes into a second week I will be available especiaslly when you Northerners are asleep.

    Cheers
    Pat


    Cheers
    Pat


    "Some people might say that freedom is being alone in the bush with the only sounds being the murmurs from the birds ... but I believe freedom is at 5000 feet with no other sound than the engine roaring."- William Hutchison, a young man taken from us far too young (16).

  12. #12
    SOH-CM-2019 MM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Chapel Hill NC USA
    Age
    75
    Posts
    1,760
    It is a treat to have Australians alongside!
    -Mike

  13. #13
    Senior Administrator Willy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    West Tennessee, near KTGC
    Age
    67
    Posts
    11,622
    Pat, it'll be a bit more than week flying it. I expect we'll have folks still out there at the end of a month. So, join in and fly it at your own pace. It's all good! :ernae:

  14. #14
    Well, I took her out for a final flight test tonight in FSX. Hope to have final textures tomorrow and a few tweaks and she should be ready.
    Milton Shupe
    FS9/FSX Modeler Hack

    My Uploads at SOH - Here
    Video Tutorials - Gmax for Beginners

  15. #15
    SOH Staff txnetcop's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Wentzville, MO
    Age
    73
    Posts
    5,242
    Blog Entries
    1
    I'm in Kevin. Long live TEAM MELROSE!:ernae:
    Ted
    Vivat Christus Rex! Ad maiorem Dei gloriam

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by lefty View Post
    Ah, the Puss Moth ! Now where have I seen one of those before ??
    For those that don't know, Mike (lefty) was nice enough to tool over to the National Museum in East Fortune to get cockpit reference photos for Milton's Moth team.

    :ernae:

  17. #17
    Is that a/c just for fsx? I dont have my fsx 'happy' yet.... getting new hardware tomorrow if the ups gods are favorable....

    so, im still fs9-ing it... hope to get things so i can run both....
    .
    Remember: It's break ground, and fly into the wind..
    .
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by EdGeneer View Post
    Is that a/c just for fsx? I dont have my fsx 'happy' yet.... getting new hardware tomorrow if the ups gods are favorable....

    so, im still fs9-ing it... hope to get things so i can run both....
    The dh-80a is designed only for FS9 although we are trying to make her FSX-friendly as well if anyone needs to port her over.
    Milton Shupe
    FS9/FSX Modeler Hack

    My Uploads at SOH - Here
    Video Tutorials - Gmax for Beginners

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Moses03 View Post
    For those that don't know, Mike (lefty) was nice enough to tool over to the National Museum in East Fortune to get cockpit reference photos for Milton's Moth team.

    :ernae:
    Most appreciated too ... the pictures were most beneficial for the interior. The project would not be the same without Lefty's assistance I assure you.
    Milton Shupe
    FS9/FSX Modeler Hack

    My Uploads at SOH - Here
    Video Tutorials - Gmax for Beginners

  20. #20
    Yet another example of some of the finest MSFS aircraft models available in the world.

    Thank You so much Milton!

    I'm getting 111 kts to the ground (as per test instructions) with partial tanks at 4000',,,,sound about right?

    I can see why "Jimmy" was so enthusiastic about entering the race.

    What an incredible experience that must have been.....I was born too late!

    Cheers,
    salt_air

  21. #21
    I am going to post a single release Friday by noon USA Mountain Time just for the Melrose version and all of you. That allows me time to focus later on the broader package for the masses.

    I am going to include a choice of panels and prop meshes so that you can use what best suits your system and VC views.

    So, in about 22 hours from now.

    I will post the link right here in this thread.

    I would appreciate any feedback (in another thread) from anyone with a copy of the pre-beta or the posted version, and screensots can be helpful.
    Milton Shupe
    FS9/FSX Modeler Hack

    My Uploads at SOH - Here
    Video Tutorials - Gmax for Beginners

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Milton Shupe
    The dh-80a is designed only for FS9 although we are trying to make her FSX-friendly as well if anyone needs to port her over.
    Very nice... Thinking about it, I should stick with one entry. But it sounds like fun getting that to putter all the way to melborne. I would like to download that anyways when your done, it looks great!!!
    .
    Remember: It's break ground, and fly into the wind..
    .
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

  23. #23
    You can download the just released beta now:

    Download is ready here: dh.80a

    Please remember to read ALL the installation text and provide feedback.
    Milton Shupe
    FS9/FSX Modeler Hack

    My Uploads at SOH - Here
    Video Tutorials - Gmax for Beginners

  24. #24
    SOH Staff txnetcop's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Wentzville, MO
    Age
    73
    Posts
    5,242
    Blog Entries
    1
    Got it thanks and thanks for the new prop for FSX
    Ted
    Vivat Christus Rex! Ad maiorem Dei gloriam

  25. #25
    Charter Member 2022 srgalahad's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    CYYC or MMSD (GMT -7)
    Posts
    5,080
    I didn't see a final decision in here and Milton would like to know...

    Now, the question is for Melrose, was it 80 or 160 gallons. If 80, I need to change the tankage. :-)
    Speak up folks!

    "To some the sky is the limit. To others it is home" anon.
    “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” -Albert Einstein


Similar Threads

  1. Team SOH needs YOU!!!
    By Tako_Kichi in forum FS 2002/2004 General Discussion
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: February 10th, 2013, 08:26
  2. Team SOH needs YOU!!!
    By Tako_Kichi in forum FSX General Discussion
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: February 10th, 2013, 08:25
  3. Team SOH Needs You!
    By PRB in forum FS 2002/2004 General Discussion
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: January 11th, 2011, 04:03
  4. Team Melrose and the Spirit of Adventure
    By MM in forum Around The World Race/Multiplayer Events
    Replies: 185
    Last Post: November 16th, 2009, 18:34
  5. Puss Moth-Melrose Version Feedback
    By Milton Shupe in forum Around The World Race/Multiplayer Events
    Replies: 17
    Last Post: October 17th, 2009, 14:58

Members who have read this thread: 0

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •