ANNOUNCING

The 30th Charles Hampson Grant Memorial International Mass Launch Of Cloud Tramps

Or

GRANT MIMLOCT 2025

We are promoting this event to celebrate the contributions made by Charles Grant to the development of our hobby. We hope that as many people as possible will make a Cloud Tramp and join in the world wide launch on the traditional first Saturday in August. This year it is Saturday, August 2, 2025.

The goal is to remember Charlie Grant’s contributions to aeromodelling and to enjoy flying his most popular design, a design that was intended to introduce modelers to the joy of simple aeromodelling. You can see from the pictures that this is a simple sheet balsa model that anyone can build.

GRANT MIMLOCT 2025 is not a competition and there are no prizes. We hope participants will enjoy the fun of building and flying the Cloud Tramp, as well as taking part in this unique event, which attracted 141 participants from all over the World in 2016, 131 in 2017, 196 in 2018, 128 in 2019, 67 in 2020, 74 in 2021, 81 in 2022, 47 in 2023 and 103 in 2024.

Please let us know if you take part in GM 2025 so that your name can be included in the official report and you can be counted in the tally. Use the Comment feature below. Let me know if you have pictures and I can arrange to post them.

MAKE A CLOUD TRAMP

The Cloud Tramp was the last manifestation of Charlie Grant’s basic stick rubber model for beginners and appeared in Model Airplane News, August, 1954. These models were intended to illustrate scientific principles of design, trimming and stability. The Cloud Tramp can be built very quickly and flies well. A copy of the plan (half-size, with some full size parts) can be downloaded.

Save it to hard disk and open it with a suitable application so that it can be printed at the correct A4 (11″ x 8.5″ USA) size. Size it so the wing chord is 3″. The text of the accompanying article can be read on Garry Hunter’s excellent website.

We have published a detailed, illustrated, step-by-step tutorial on building a Better Cloud Tramp. Improvements include a two-hole prop shaft bearing, wheel collars, a simpler, cleaner, stronger wing attachment, wet formed wings with full span camber without ribs and an adjustable rudder.

Two articles about Charles Grant and the Cloud Tramp have appeared in the magazine Free Flight Quarterly, Issue No. 2, January 2002, page 18 and Issue No. 3, April 2002, page 19. Back issues are available on CDs.

Lastly, why not decorate your CT with an authentic Charlie Grant autograph,

or even better, this neat graphic specially drawn by Iain Paterson.

CLOUD TRAMP KITS

There are two kits currently available. Get one now and fly in the August World-Wide Cloud Tramp Mass Launch! You can use the materials from either kit to build the Better Cloud Tramp according to our tutorial.

A full kit is being produced by Vintage Model Company in Great Britain, convenient to the European market. I have this kit and can vouch for it.

George Bredehoft has brought back his Cloud Tramp kit, as a Short Kit.  You will get all the laser-cut sheet balsa pieces and plans/instructions in this very basic short kit ($11).  You can add a plastic prop (+$1) or a Superior Props Cloud Tramp balsa prop blank (+$8) as options.  The instructions list all the other items needed to complete the kit, which are standard hobby shop items. I have several of George’s original full kits and can vouch for their quality.

MODIFICATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

The prop shaft bearing can be modified to aid trimming – have a look at some ideas that Pete Money has collected, including a neat adjustable system developed by Bob Morris, and the alternative system that Bob Kopksi uses. Pete has also forwarded some suggestions for improving the wing construction and fixing. See also our suggestions on EndlessLift. If your CT needs a D/T, Roland Frid has developed a neat system. If you fancy a change from rubber power, have a look at Tony Overton’s alternatives or even try an enlarged R/C version like Den Saxcoburg.

PREVIOUS MIMLOCT REPORTS

Have a look at Colin Hutchinson’s 2011 and 2012 photopages of the event.

There are several videos featuring Cloud Tramps on YouTube! Just type Cloud Tramp into the search box to find them.

Mike Parker compiled a report of GM 2015 from the various anecdotes submitted by participants.

See the Epsom Downs Model Aircraft Club fly their Cloud Tramps here  EDMAC.

Read the 2017 MIMLOCT Report, the 2018 MIMLOCT Report, the 2019 MIMLOCT Report, the 2020 MIMLOCT Report, the 2021 MIMLOCT Report, the 2022 MIMLOCT Report, the 2023 MIMLOCT Report and the 2024 MIMLOCT Report. See lots of pictures of people flying their Cloud Tramps.

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2025 MIMLOCT Report

This year was the 30th Charles Hampson Grant Memorial International Mass Launch Of Cloud Tramps. 8 OMFC members took part in a mass launch at 10am 2nd August 2025.

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Hi Gary,

I’ve sent a comment to Endless Lift regarding my 30th consecutive participation in the Grant MIMLOCT event, together with some background of its history for newcomers.

I couldn’t work out how to include photos in the piece, so will attach them for your attention at some stage.

On moving into a Care Home last year, I had to dispense with virtually all my aeromodelling equipment, but kept my original CT and a spare. The surrounding gardens here are not model friendly, so I only made a short token flight to avoid damage to the 30 year old model!

Thanks again for your custodianship of the GM event on behalf of the late Loren Dietrich and myself.

I hope you are well and still able to enjoy our great hobby. I started at 10 years old, so retiring from active flying at 88 has been a good run!

With best regards,

Mike Parker

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Hello,
Hi Gary, greetings from Blatná, Czech Republic.

On Saturday, August 2nd, we met at our club airport and held a mass launch with Cloud Tramp models. However, the weather was not favorable, it rained almost all day. But even the rain did not stop us from flying and we used every free moment to fly when it did not rain for a while. We met in the number of 11 flyers. There could have been more of us, but because of the rain we canceled the workshop for youth, during which they would have built a new Cloud Tramp model directly on the area and joined the flying. We organized the construction of Cloud Tramps a week later in better weather. The students built 8 Cloud Tramps. Hopefully they will join the next year’s MIMLOCT. We enjoyed this year’s launch and had a great time flying. A short article is also on our club website – https://www.amc-blatna.cz/grant-mimloct-2025/ 

Grant Mimloct 2025

Here is the list of participants: Petr Loula sr., Petr Loula jr., Zdenka Loulova, Sam Andrlik, Blaza Andrlikova, Roman Pojer, Samik Pojer, Tomas Flandera, Ted Flandera, Jirka Houlik, Mila Benes.

Best Regards

Petr Loula – AMC Blatná

ZZZZZZZZZZ

Hello Gary

This year was a small field and plenty of wind.  Only put 200 winds in fear of losing the little bird.  The grand kids had a great time.

Thanks again Gary for hosting the Cloud Tramp event.

All the best

Eric Grigg North Bay Ontario Canada

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The South Bristol MAC took part again this year on quite a nice but breezy day. 

!!!!!!!!!!

 Hi Gary – 

   We had great weather for our Cloud Tramps here in Iowa!  Our intrepid aviators are (l-to-r): Don, Matt, Rolf, Bob and Wayne – best flight, 40 seconds. A good time had by all, if only it was always this nice in August…

           – Matt

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