Bongo stats Total Mileage 980
speed avg 56mph
Mpg 32
What a vehicle the grin just gets bigger.
With the Bongo loaded to the gunals with models and Val and Ollie we set of for Delmonhorst Germany 4AM Thursday morning. we met Richard Hayley and Liam at the Ferry port at Dover. Lorry and Andrew being the light Infantry had stormed ahead to set up an advanced guard. (they sneaked on a early boat). So it was then a pleasant drive from Dunkirk, Invading France. Belgium,Holland (smoke and some pancakes) Then on to Germany. We arrived about 7pm To be Greeted By Loet Wakerman and his wife Hella. Unusual as he had his clothes on!!!!. After making camp and having a few beers we broke out the first toy. Magic Lantern hot air balloon form China. Lit the burner and sat back and watched it climb to a great height and drift quite quickly down wind towards Bremen. With much giggling about the out come. Thursday was spent assembling the models, My Taboo had a house brick wedge in the Fuz as it became as it apparent that the comp was going to be very windy. My second model was a home brew of richards fin and tailplane with a boom I had won with a pod from the states and a Taboo wing mounted on 2 tube mounts.It was clear from the start I was having major gear trouble 2 receivers latter and a change of battery appeared to have given me the range back. But a quick chuck and it nosed in breaking the pod and bending the elevator wire. And the servo gear had decided to become ballast. I sorted model number 3 out with ballast and then decided not to play any more as the wind picked up. Unfortunately Liam bust his taboo on launch . Friday evening was spent around a camp fire chatting with some Dutch pilots.And it was to windy to send a second balloon to Bremen(there's a clue there). Saturday day 1 the wind was howling we had a briefing for the 52 pilots from many nation's. And a lot of it was done in English for are benefit which was nice, more than 12 pilots a slot with 4 slots being flown each round first up was All up last down. With Ollie timing I just launched and spent the whole time gale hanging anybody risking a thermal turn where normally spat out the back or ended up getting there model out of the forest. It was wind I had never flown in and I just felt lost. Couldn't appear to do anything but just hang around out the front of the box and get it back in at the back of the box. . Lorry and I plugged away while it was apparent right from the start with greater launch height and penetration Richard was on form. There was some carnage as you can imagine but some people had6 /9 Salpeters The saddest thing was the Brit's spent some time with clocks on some of the better pilots to find that they must of come from the same accounting school as some of are British MP'S. In the end I think Richard had a word with the comp organizer that some checking was needed. By 5 pm I was tired and with one round left said to my wife any round I come back with a model in one piece is a good score OOOoopps Big mouth. Last flight of another l up last down just trying to float the Taboo across the box and squeeze a few seconds more a gust blew it back and snapped the tail. So Saturday Night free chili then back to the tents for a rebuild Clinic. My Boom was an easy fix with Richards Lovely thin spread tow carbon. All done in thirty min's until Lorry and I where Re attaching the push rod.That appears to be super glue inside the tube!!! Quick thinking Lorry set the rudder straight. Rudder less Taboo for Sunday then.Now I know I have whittled on already but 2 Miracles took place at the weekend. Both evolving Liam's Wings. The Taboo was trashed good and proper. This is how we fixed it in 1 hour then it was able to withstand a full blown Richard launch. 1. Poor boiling water from a kettle over the foam PING all the dents came out .2 rub foam safe super glue into kevlar covering, 3.use 4/5 inch strips of spread tow carbon along wing top bottom glue servo back in 5 Test fly model job done. But unfortunately Liam had a ground strike and wiped out his molded sirus half way through Saturday so it was a great job to get the taboo going. More Balloons Saturday night, then early to bed for Sunday (yer right). It was blowing again Sunday so we marched up to the launch square at set up shop again. used the Taboo for a couple of rounds then went back to my Swindells wing/xp fuz. It seemed to handle the conditions better. In one round I managed to launch and hover at launch height and not go anywhere for 3 mins. Richard was still blazing away he was managing to fly 200 yrds Cross wind hang around and come back and win slot after slot. His special training formula Saturday night appears to work. Liam flew very well Sunday and I bet he was kicking himself he had not damaged the Taboo Friday. As for me on the last slot I landed and my glider slewed round and just clipped a Swedish pilots shoe. I went and apologized marked myself down with a 100 point deduction and that was my comp finished. Not 10 min's latter the same pilot came and spent some time insisting that I make sure that the points where deducted from my score And that I go immediately and check.. So I marched off ensured that they had deducted the 100 points. Then went and told them I would not be buying any IKEA furniture in the future. The comp finished at 2.30 and it was clear Richard had done well but how well. We waited about 40 mins then we had a presentation ceremony with every competitor getting a certificate and a raffle ticket for a prize I had a nice LED torch, Liam a nice mini tool kit. Think Lorry got some files and Richard had a lovely pack of heat shrink tube(SNIGGER SNIGGER), So that was it another great comp organized by Martin Kopplow. The People where so nice and they put a lot of effort into making sure it all worked smoothly. We stayed Sunday night and chilled out and started build clinic 2 where Nick .Lorry and Richard rebuilt the sirus wing and after 2 hours that could take a full launch as well. We sat around a massive camp fire with a beer. what a great weekend. Got home late monday night with 980 miles on the clock and some new toys ordered
and double bonus my wife has already says she wants to go next year. And the Bongo's is just and amazing vehicle
Regards Nick
Now get some photos up 
(I'm an ex r/c comp thermals pilot - ddn't do a lot but managed to come 10th in BARCS Nats one year, and won a design award - its come on a lot since 1985 when I was competing!).
