Thousands visit Cosford's Large Model Aircraft Rally - in pictures

About 7,000 people visited Cosford's Large Model Aircraft Rally over the weekend.

Spectators watched on as hundreds of aircraft owners took it in turns gliding their models up into the air, performing for the crowds with rolls and turns then gliding back to the ground.

Rob Buckley, secretary of the Large Model Association, said there were about 150 model aircrafts at the event.

He said: "We've been coming to Cosford for more than 25 years.

"We've got about 135 people bringing planes to fly, some bring two so there are about 150 planes in total.

"We have flying-themed slots for the planes, such as Cold War jets and Second World War planes.

"We generally have a several plans up in the air at the same time, the owners are quite careful.

"We normally have about 7,000 people over the two days here. People camp too."

One enthusiast who had taken to the skies was Ken McCormick who had travelled to the rally from Glasgow.

The 68-year-old business owner had brought a model Tucana, a Boeing B17 and a Sea Vixen.

He said: "I came all the way from Glasgow for the rally.

"I'm very restricted on where I can fly as I have a few big model aircraft.

"I tend to do seven or eight shows a year, most are in England so it's a fair way to travel for them all.

"The interesting thing about the B17 is that it was made using the same moulds as those used to make the models in the film Memphis Belle.

"I've had it for nine years but it's about 16 years old. It's lovely to fly, it's had well over two thousand flights.

"This has been the jewel in the crown of the shows, you can see how good it is by the crowd that turns up.

"I've been building a Pucara at home for four years which will have two gas turbines, and it will have a 6.5 metre wing span."

Another model enthusiast, Paul Needham, had travelled from Lincolnshire for the event with his Bede BD8 and Flair Hannibal.

He said: "I've owned the BD8 for three years and the Flair Hannibal for 14 years.

"I come here every year to fly them, it's one of the biggest and best shows. I'd say it's the peak of the model aircraft year.

"The weather conditions were a bit breezy but we were lucky it had stopped raining because if it carried on we would have to stop flying and cover the planes."

Shaun Dowd and his daughter Macy, aged ten, were sat on the grass watching the models fly up in the air.

The 43-year-old draftsman said they were heading to the museum but saw the models flying in the air so headed to the rally.

He said: "It's really good, it's something different. We were heading to the museum but we got diverted on the way."

Nigel Cornell from Bradford has been a model aircraft enthusiast for more than 30 years.

The 59-year-old was at the rally with his wife Yvonne.

He said: "We've been to a few other shows but this one is brilliant, it's a much bigger turn out than others.

"I fly myself on the moors where we live, I have a P47 Thunderbolt and I'm building an Eindecker.

"I've been interested in model planes for about 30 years, since I was a kid."

Yvonne added: "Our spare bedroom is filled with planes, I say it's like Manchester Airport."