Equal parts British eccentricity and scientific know-how, welcome to the unlikely, gravity-defying world of micro-film gliders.
They’re painstakingly constructed model planes that actually fly for up to half an hour. They weigh less than a feather, their wings are constructed from material a few microns thick, and if you breath too heavily while building one, you’ll probably damage it.
Around thirty people across the UK make and fly them, often in huge hangars, as winds would destroy them. Hold your breath and let’s fly.
Clip taken from Nationwide, originally broadcast on BBC One on Wednesday, 12 May, 1976.
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II remember this when broadcast. I was 13 and making model aeroplanes was my hobby
Looks like Cardington Hangers
safer than Boeing planes these days apparently.
I remember attending some model show when I was a little tacker, and there was one of these just circling around the ceiling.
Thank god the construction bit was short – don't think I could've held my breath much longer.
My Dad built and flew these incredible machines 15 hours of meticulous work to get one ready for competition he also had friends world wide who participated in this unique sport
Serious skill and patience.
Oh my Lord, what a bore, stick to the day job and buy yourself a new cardigan.😮
This is awesome! But if it has a propeller, it is not a glider.
Reminds me of the floating keys in Harry potter
Brilliant.
Imagine, ready to launch at the world championships and one of those unexpected, unstoppable sneezes erupts!!
As a group of people with an interest in an exclusive hobby, they lived up to my expectations .
I'm nearly 50 and I didn't know this existed. I remember being around 6 years old and my Father talking about us getting a balsawood plane. We never got one, and I'm glad really, I probably would have sat on it.
This video has been a joy to watch.
They were still storing WW2 barrage balloons in the 1970s. Beautiful documentary BTW.
Does Cardington hanger still exist?
So there are light aircraft….& then there are light aircraft.
I would love to know a little more aobut the "ingredients" of these momdels, the processes for producing the sizes and thicknesses of stock involved are mind blowing.
I hope this sport still exists today!
I've never even heard of this! thank you!
This is great! Ive been building a glow plane for about 10 years, its still not ready😢
Drones have killed the entry level hobby. You cant even fly without a permit.
What size of feather…..one from a very large ostrich …or one from a baby sparrow 😉
having moments of my childhood presented to me by the bbc is both wonderful and terrifying, since i spend every part of my free energy combatting the imperial authoritarianism its in-sect overlords have for us all. fr33 w3st p49ua.
You know what's crazy? Is the filmic quality of these old archives. Why? Because in the era of film… literal film… they were rolling.
And those film rolls were short no matter how long they tried to make them… so EVERYthing had to be perfectly planned on screen.
When a hobby brings rest and peace…
Absolutely brilliant. Admire all the engineers building these amazing models. Great upload.
I can't find anything at all about this searching the internet. What a wonderful piece from the archive.