Members and their Models

Click on any name link below to go to the respective member’s info and slideshow

1. Barrie Russell

2. John Sutherland

3. Marty Hughes

4. Phil Sharp

5. John Clarke

6. Lance Hickey

7. Kevin Botherway

1. Barrie Russell.

Barrie Russell has been a member of Hawkes Bay Radio Flyers since 1985.
A proficient and prolific builder Barrie’s principal interest is in the Vintage class of models but he does also enjoy flying Scale Aerobatic models.
Vintage model planes were built before the advent of radio control. Designed to be inherently stable these models were flown free and as a result featured many attractive designs. Modern day vintage flyers have recovered plans for these planes and modified them for radio control.
Barrie has always been supportive of club activities and encouraged new members to learn to fly.
Barrie is currently editor of the club magazine Propwash. Propwash is also available on the club website HERE The article on his workshop can be found in Propwash Issue 140 (Pages 16-17)

2. John Sutherland.

John joined the club at Highway 50 in march 1985.
His interests have always included Pylon, Scale and Aerobatics.
He represented NZ in pylon at the World Championships in 2001.
Has also attended the Australian Nats a couple of times in the 1990’s flying pylon. Flew pylon at a Trans-Tasman competition in 2018 at the Airsail site near Pukekohe, South of Auckland.
He has been a NZ pylon champion several times and has also been an FAI Pylon Record holder for some 16 years.
John is also a large model inspector and the main chief test pilot within the club. He has served on the MFHB Committee, mainly as Club Captain, for several years as well.
He is and excellent pilot who does a lot of flight testing and checking for members. The article on his workshop can be found in Propwash Issue 141 (Pages 24-26)

3. Marty Hughes.

Marty first joined MFHB back in 2012 when Rowdy rounded up a few park flyers at the sports park and put on an open day at the club for them. Six of them joined up on the day and only Marty and Brian Hitchcock (The Doc) remain as members from that draft.
He first became interested in RC aircraft when he found a glider in his father’s (Rod) garage around 15 years ago. He thought this might be fun. It was a bungee launch glider… the fun ended when the wings collapsed on the first launch. Not one to give up, he then bought a foamy electric glider off Trade Me and continued along the journey. Marty’s flying interests are now scale and sports with a newly found love of float flying.
Who taught him to fly?? Basically, just trial and lots of errors he says… and a lot of crashes, and a lot of glue. Those were tough days… he says! He flew, he crashed, he glued, he flew, he again and crashed again, he fixed and replaced….. and so on. How many models does he currently own …. shamefully more than any man needs. Currently, Marty is also the Club President of MFHB. The article on his workshop can be found in Propwash Issue 142 (Pages 14-16)

4. Phil Sharp

Phil joined the club in 2016 after moving down to the ‘Bay’ from Kerikeri.
Has flown model planes from about 12 years old (60 years or so), but first flew radio in 1977, when he lived in the USA.
He learnt to fly models, more or less by trial and crash, but ended up with a very good high wing trainer with an OS15.
He actually learnt to fly in Detroit USA, with a small club in Livonia. It was mainly a case of trial and error, there being no such things as buddy cords or Wings badges back then!
Phil’s main interest is scale, but also anything that will fly! He has also flown helicopters as well, but not anymore.
Planes in his hanger are: a 1/3 Sopwith Pup, a 1/4 Fiesler Storch, a 1/5 Hawker Tempest, an MXS Extreme Aerobatic, an Electric Acrowot, a Radian and a 1/3 Camel – currently half built!!
Having had an extensive engineering background, mainly with McLaren, he has now also built, from scratch, a working Gnome rotary engine, that will be used to power his Sopwith Camel. (The article on the engine is in Propwash Issue 141 Pages 17-20)
Phil has also had a period as committee man and field officer on the MFHB Committee. The article on his workshop can be found in Propwash Issue 143 (Pages 22-23)

5. John Clarke

John Clarke joined the club 1962 and, initially, stayed until 1975.
His interests have in the past included Helicopters, but these days are mostly centered around Scale models.
In 1975 he left the club to spend more both setting up and then developing his own joinery and shop fitting business.
Has, in the past, also built several large scale models, not only for himself, but for others as well.
When asked just how many models he has built, his answer was “I’ve lost count and gave up counting after 35 models!”
He thinks the total, at present, is around 50 or 60!
(These figures do Not count the models he has built for others!)
In 1979 he came back the club and flew helicopters until around 1996.
A highlight for John was being made a Life Member of MFHB in 2017.
He is still and active builder, although nowadays he doesn’t fly that much himself, getting others to fly his superb scale models. The article on his workshop can be found in Propwash Issue 144 (Pages 17-19)

6. Lance Hickey

As a kid, Lance lived beside Marewa Park and flew a control line cox powered plastic model.
Then came motor bikes and Carting where he eventually met Alex Wardley in Nelson.
When Alex joined the club, his interest was re-kindled and he is still with us today.
Lance has also been a Past Club President and us currently our Field Manager.
His favourite model is his The Calmato trainer as he reackons it’s a great aircraft to learn to fly on and an excellent performance model.
Seems he has had several of them !! The article on his workshop can be found in Propwash Issue 145 (Pages 23-25)

7. Kevin Botherway

Kevin Botherway’s father was a Pilot and since probably from about the age of 8, he’s been messing around with planes and models.
He went through the stage of flying power, aerobatic and even pylon but has now found what I enjoy most, flying gliders.
Kevin (aka. Rowdy) is far too modest to gloat, but the photos of the medals and the Hall of fame may give you an idea.
But this is what we do know… having attended several FAI Soaring World Championships for F3B, F3J, F3K, Rowdy has won 3 gold medals and one Silver which is outstanding.
Not to mention a list of other medals and comps. Rowdy is certainly very dedicated to his craft.
He has also given a lot of his time to both HBRF and to MFHB in the past and has held several committee positions over the years. The article on him, his models and his workshop can be found in Propwash Issue 148 (Pages 14 & 15)