Baby Boeing takes off over Wagin

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AFTER spending months grounded by red tape, the world's largest radio controlled jumbo jet has finally taken to the sky over a small country town in WA.

 

The 5.6m plane is a scale replica of a Boeing 747 and is believed to be the world's largest radio controlled model of a jumbo jet.

 

Built by Perth aviation enthusiast Andrew Herzfeld, the baby Boeing recently took off from the tiny town of Wagin on its maiden flight.

 

 

The scale model is an exact replica of a Boeing 747.Picture: Today Tonight.

 

"Wagin was very excited to know that they had a jumbo jet landing and taking off at their air field,” Mr Herzfeld said.

 

"It certainly looks like the real thing when it is flying past."

 

The scale model took two years to build and has taken months months to navigate red tape before finally being given the green light to take to the sky.

 

"The first flight when the throttle went to full there was a lot of muscle clenching happening," Mr Herzfeld said.

 

"It could crash, end up in a big fire ball on the runway."

 

With clear weather conditions, the maiden flight was a breeze. Six minutes of cruising, before the call came to prepare for landing.

 

"That was the most nerve wracking part of the flight, the first approach didn't go well, I had to power up and go around and the second approach was a lot better," he said.

 

 

The remote controlled scale model Boeing 747 lands at Wagin.Picture: Today Tonight

 

The flight was one for the history books- so important a full sized aircraft was asked to hold its landing until the jumbo jet was back on the ground.

 

The model is now certified and able to be flown for public display and Mr Herzfeld hoped he would be able to get it side-by-side with a commercial Boeing 747.

 

"They've been an amazing aircraft, they've had a pretty big history and soon we won't see them here in Australia so to get this one alongside a full sized jumbo jet would be a once in a lifetime opportunity," he said.

 

 

[antonts]

 

Austria, Modellbau Wels, 04.2017 - yes, it does fly!