1976: FLYING PLANES that WEIGH LESS than a FEATHER | Nationwide | Weird and Wonderful | BBC Archive

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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[@martinmills135]

To these machines the air is as thick as water. To see them chugging away gives you a real sense of living submerged in an atmospheric ocean…

[@deletdis6173]

Good point

[@hoboeyjobi7020]

"we live at the bottom of an ocean of air" -Evangelista Torricelli inventor of barometer

[@scotmorley8526]

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

[@johafo]

How do you even travel with such a device?

[@scotmorley8526]

@@johafo Very carefully packed into a box and the the box strapped into the back of a van

[@EternamDoov]

​@@johafoMost of the delicacy was from the liquid fillings of the frames, which would be prepared on-site when required.

[@hoilst265]

Thank god the construction bit was short - don't think I could've held my breath much longer.

[@ade1963]

II remember this when broadcast. I was 13 and making model aeroplanes was my hobby

[@hopebgood]

Obviously a fair bit younger than you mate, but yeah I loved doing those Airfix models when I was a kid.

[@rossr100]

I remember this too, on tv in New Zealand. Jeez i fell old, heh

[@melissarainchild]

When a hobby brings rest and peace...

[@hopebgood]

What a lovely comment 😀

[@grahammcdonald]

Serious skill and patience.

[@fredo1070]

They were still storing WW2 barrage balloons in the 1970s. Beautiful documentary BTW.

[@atomictraveller]

weren't we all :)

[@dfpguitar]

Someone as meticulous, delicate, patient and fascinated by aerodynamics and airframes as Mr Blunt must make for the most trustworthy pilot !

[@bennyd345]

What a quintessentially English pastime. Especially the use of the living room carpet. Can't imagine the wife being too pleased about that !

[@TheGreatSteve]

@@algrant5293 He was wearing a wedding ring.

[@Tadesan]

He bought that carpet. He can do what he wants with it.

[@sevenwatson5854]

I hope this sport still exists today!

[@hoilst265]

I remember attending some model show when I was a little tacker, and there was one of these just circling around the ceiling.

[@alzeNL]

Absolutely brilliant. Admire all the engineers building these amazing models. Great upload.

[@melissarainchild]

Engineers...what a superb way to label these people...indeed 👍

[@msmuffet_16]

I want to build one 😫

[@royksk]

Imagine, ready to launch at the world championships and one of those unexpected, unstoppable sneezes erupts!!

[@melissarainchild]

🤣

[@user-ub1dz8js7s]

safer than Boeing planes these days apparently.

[@freesaxon6835]

Ironic

[@gdutfulkbhh7537]

Oof.

[@LeShark75]

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.

[@LeShark75]

There it is Simon, I feel better already Lol. Glad I stuck with those polystyrene flatpack planes you could get from the paper shop.

[@mgjk]

I built Guillow's models when I was 12 or so, they were amazing. You can fix them, they're just wood and glue. The worst is getting them stuck in a tree.

[@Symptomless_Coma_]

Count yourself lucky. My Dad got us a petrol powered RC plane. Hit the petrol container on the takeoff roll with balsa flying everywhere. Complete disaster.

[@mgjk]

@@Symptomless_Coma_ oh wow, I don't feel as bad about the rubber bands now.

[@peepiepo]

I can't find anything at all about this searching the internet. What a wonderful piece from the archive.

[@rebelVHS]

Search for "Indoor rubber power model aircraft" Lots of content on KZbin.

[@PieterPatrick]

This was a popular hobby. Not done by everybody of course, but I even build one at school. That was is 1980 in The Netherlands.

[@effess8698]

The Cardington hangars are more well known as filming locations. Given that this clip is from 1976, it must have been close to the time that one of the hangars was playing the part of the rebel base in the first Star Wars film.

[@joshroolf1966]

Thank you, I thought I remembered reading that once and was wondering..::: 💚😂

[@TinLeadHammer]

This is awesome! But if it has a propeller, it is not a glider.

[@quibster]

engine is the separating factor, not propeller, for some list of reasons- neither the mechanical energy stored inside the rubber band or the band itself are an engine, nor does it provide continuous power from a fuel source, nor weigh enough to constitute the difference between the engineering of a glider and an airplane- very different beasts.

[@EternamDoov]

​@@quibsteraeroplane*

[@JohnHonda101]

Brilliant.

[@himssendol6512]

We made extreme lightweight paper airplanes in middle school. Frame was 2mm thin wood stick we had to soak and bend, then let dry. The glue was minimal and had to be left right balanced or it'll tilt to one side. The paper was really thin white craft paper you had to wet and carefully stretch just a tiny bit and attach to the frame. When the paper dried it shrunk a little and became taut. We flew it from the school's 4th story roof. I remember everyone being so serious and careful when we made the planes. 😂

[@cabramontes]

6:06 OMG ))))))

[@TalRohan]

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.

[@PieterPatrick]

It's Balsa wood.

[@ericsynchrona5495]

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.

[@EternamDoov]

Settle down, okay?

[@ericsynchrona5495]

@@EternamDoov they were short no matter how long they tried to make them... it's the modus operandi of the whole thing. Film... fin.

[@johndonaldson3619]

Does Cardington hanger still exist?

[@AtheistOrphan]

Yes, both hangars do. (Note correct spelling) you can see them clearly from the railway line on the approach to Bedford. They’re listed buildings now. (And HUGE!)

[@MrDastardly]

Great film. Such amazing model making skill. 👏👏👏

[@smiffy5075]

I've never even heard of this! thank you!

[@robinvanags912]

So there are light aircraft....& then there are light aircraft.

[@jameslong9921]

I was going to say it looks as though someone had blown a bubble solution over a frame and called it a plane.

[@TREVORALLEN-tl4yt]

Beautiful,The patients of Job.

[@mirochlebovec6586]

OMG this looks exactly like that flying lunar olympics bycicle from Rendezvous with Rama. Like that is EXACTLY how it was described in the book. Idk if it was written before this but this could 100% be the inspiration.

[@SasquatchPicker]

Reminds me of the floating keys in Harry potter

[@AtheistOrphan]

Yes!

[@littlehills739]

utube this name Pouring a sheet of microfilm.

[@Lopez_rc]

I love it, I’m building RC planes. It’s a fun and very educational hobby. It’s hard to talk with people who think it’s just playing around with planes 😂

[@mosca3289]

Brilliant

[@collinmccallum]

awesome!

[@coolhwip6638]

Crazy to think that the first plane was invented in 1903 and less than a lifetime later you have this

[@PhilbyFavourites]

That hangar could be drone city today! And drone footage of these gliders would be epic.

[@Evilroco]

You couldn't fly a drone anywhere near them ,a stiff breeze will destroy them , even flying a Whoop near one would wreck it !

[@alanparkinson549]

And they are NOT gliders, Gliders fly without power, these are rubber powered.

[@pauls3075]

@@alanparkinson549 I can here your grating nasal tones as you speak out loud while gleefully typing your correction. "Actually I think you'll find ..." You're a sad old git, just enjoy the video.

[@BritishEngineer]

2:24 what if it were the same size as a 747?

[@tristanjager4112]

Does anyone know how the craft manage to keep in an orderly flight path? Nothing about the planes seem to direct it’s movements; could it be that the hanger has some slight circular wind current?

[@bardo0007]

Where can I buy one?

[@BoBandits]

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.

[@grantm6514]

No beans in their diets, obviously.

[@davids8449]

What size of feather.....one from a very large ostrich ...or one from a baby sparrow 😉

[@garyowen9044]

No caffeinated beverages for these blokes.

[@trivialgravitas9581]

Back when the BBC was worth something. Don't pay your TV licenses.

[@steves5382]

Looks like Cardington Hangers

[@TinLeadHammer]

Hangers are for clothes.

[@AtheistOrphan]

Yep, the old airship hangars.

[@alexd.1091]

1970s were the golden ages of the world - 2 genders, no social media, everything is affordable, etc.

[@TheGreatSteve]

"Police later found seven bodies buried under the patio!"

[@Reticulosis]

Some say a waste of time, some say a tremendous waste of time 😂😂😂😂

[@tymz-r-achangin]

"Literally lighter than a feather" ? BULLSCHIT! So what animal's feather are they comparing the planes to?

[@nrosko]

this niche hoppy still going?

[@matt.willoughby]

Meticulous

[@atomictraveller]

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.