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FORMATION
The club was formed in September 1943 during the war years. Then it consisted of approximately 35 members flying the earliest types of control line model aircraft.
McCALLUM PARK FIELD
The club was located for many years in the suburb of Victoria Park at McCallum Park near the causeway in Perth. This park is on the opposite side of the river from the city centre and most flying took place on Sunday's between the hours of 2pm and 6pm. State competitions took place on this site, and from the period of the 1960's - 1980's, aerobatics and combat competitions were fiercly contested. The aircraft in those days were mainly powered by loop scavenged two stroke engines and speeds of up to 90 MPH were reached. With the development of Schnuerle ported engines, internal silicon metal technology, new model designs and carbon fibre propellors, speeds of up to 200 MPH became a reality.
As this park became more frequently used by the public who were walking through the club field, after crossing the nearby causeway bridge and proceeding up to the narrows bridge to the west (and vice versa), it was decided on safety grounds to look for a more suitable venue.
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Mercurians members at McCallum Park in 1984. Bruno Butkevicious, Gary Turna, Tim Haines, Bob Fry, Richard Bellis, David Nolan, Brian Greaves and Bruce Bellis. |
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Brian Greaves and Bruce Bellis preparing their models for a combat contest. |
RACING VENUES
At this time, changes in aircraft designs and racing rules meant that a hard surface for racing events rather than the more common grass fields was required. Between the 1980's and 1990's the club ran state racing and speed events from the nearby Gloucester Park harness racing clubs carpark at the eastern river boundary end of their property.
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Gary Turna, Norm Kirton, Richard Bellis and Bob Fry preparing an F2A speed model for a flight at the Gloucester Park car park in 1984. |
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David Nolan with his Class B speed model, prepering for a flight at the Gloucester Park car park in 1984. |
From late December 1984 to early January 1885 the 38th Australian Model Aircraft Championships were held at Mandurah, some 45 kms south of the Perth CBD. The racing event site was located some 28km away from Mandurah on the Rockingham City Shopping Centre's eastern carpark. This site became the venue for the Mercurians Club, and state control line racing events for a number of years until the shopping centre buildings expanded to occupy the carpark. The next venue for Control Line racing events was at the Coles Group's Distribution Centre in the industrial suburb of Canning Vale.
ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW LOCATION
With a new field being developed at the WA Model Aircraft Sports Centre (WAMASC) at Whiteman Park, primarily by Radio Control aircraft clubs in the early 1990's, Mercurians became the initial resident Control Line club. An area of land was set aside for two Control Line grass circles, and the Mercurians members cleared and reticulated this site from a nearby large water tank. Water to this tank was fed by the Keith Main Youth Camp bore and a petrol pump house at the tank was used to get water to the Control Line and R/C area's. After some early initial success in establishing some area's of turf, the limited availability of water and pump volunteers was causing the venture to stumble. The final nail in the coffin arose after the WAMASC Council was unable to allocate any water to the site after a water licence, bore well and 5hp electrical pump came into existense. During this period, the Mercurians members flew with the TARMAC members at their grass field located at the West Aviat Golf Club in the eastern suburb of Hazlemere on Saturday afternoons.
CLAW FIELD
The future and possibilities of hard surface racing was discussed at Richard Morrow's residence on Sunday after a State Championship racing event at the Coles Centre was abandoned due to a very wet, windy & rainy day. The surface at this venue had deteriorated over time and the C/L racing future in the State looked bleak. Present were Steve Walton, Dave Gannon, Richard Morrow, Trevor Letchford and Richard Bellis. Like true gentlemen, matters were discussed over a cup of hot tea. It was decided at this informal meeting, to revive the Whiteman Park site and so a number of members jumped into their cars and had a planning session at the old Mercurians Whiteman Park site. Trevor Letchford put up his hand to undertake this mammoth project, and set off to organise, fund and motivate a group of hard working individuals to build the first facility of this type in the state.
In 2002 Control line Aeromodellers of WA (CLAW) was formed by a group of members from both of the Control Line clubs, to develop a purpose built hard surface racing circle and grass circle at the Whiteman Park venue. In July 2003 an application for an additional area of leased land for a control line circle was approved by the Whiteman Park Board, and permission to clear the area of bushland was granted by the Bush Forever Office. WAMASC provided $1,000 of funds for the construction of a water pipeline to the Control Line area from their bore located in the R/C area to the C/L area. The CLAW members dug a 300 metre long pipeline trench, constructed the pipeline, fitted reticulation wiring, solenoid valves and added a 250 volt electrical power cable, so that mains power was available to the C/L site. An application to increase the amount of water draw on the licence by the Waters & Rivers Commission was also approved during this period. By November 2003 the inner small concrete pilots standing circle was constructed. During December 2003 all reticulation pipes, valves and sprinklers were laid and the grass runners planted for both circles. The concrete and steel for the outer racing circle was laid by the members over the next four months and completed by March 2004. All up over $20,000 was spent on the project, with the majority on money raised by members advancing 5 yeasr worth of annual subscriptions ($500 each), and by way of a $4,000 grant by the State Association (AWA). The first official flight on the new concrete circle took place in May 2004 by Trevor Letchford flying an F2C team race model. Over the next 12 - 18 months extra area's of sprinklers, turf, BBQ facilities, benches and fences have been built or added to the site.
We are now planning to build a jury tower and club facility/storage shed .
This is now the Mercurians MAC (Inc) new home!