I found this to be a rather sad and funny story! He said he had the plane insured...I"m sure his rates will go up if he builds another plane!
Pardon my ignorance, I do not fly model planes, but what is this 'examiner' mentioned in the article? Does he certify large model planes that they are safe to fly? thanks.

Nice pics of the plane at the web article:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007120134,00.html


Model plane: Down in flames

By JOHN TROUP
March 14, 2007

A MODEL-maker saw the plane that cost him a wife, £15,000 and two years of his life crash in flames on a test flight.

Simon Steggall spent all his spare time building the 16ft replica of a nuclear bomber.

His wife got so fed-up with the project they DIVORCED.

Disaster struck as he tried to show an examiner the remote-controlled plane was SAFE. Moments after take-off it lost power to an engine.

Simon, 45, tried to make an emergency landing at the airfield near Ipswich, Suffolk. But the jet-powered Vickers Valiant crashed into trees and exploded.

Twice-wed Simon, whose first wife also divorced him over his model planes obsession, said: “I’m devastated and can’t believe it’s gone.

“It looked like a real plane crash. I used my fire extinguisher to try and douse the flames but then we smelt fuel and I realised the kerosene in the tanks was about to blow.

“Both of us ran for cover and it exploded, showering hot fuel everywhere.”

BT worker Simon, from Manningtree, Essex, had flown the wooden plane three times but needed the safety certificate to fly it at public shows.

He said: “It was the only model Valiant in the world and cost me an absolute fortune to build.

“I had it insured for more than £15,000.

“It feels like I’ve lost a member of the family. But I’m not going to let this setback get to me. Luckily my new girlfriend loves my hobby.”

The real Valiant — known as a V Bomber — was destined to carry UK nukes in the Cold War 1950s.

he learned something after 2 mariages.

"Disaster struck as he tried to show an examiner the remote-controlled plane was SAFE. Moments after take-off it lost power to an engine."

What's an examiner?

Insured? RC aircraft are one thing I would have thought impossible to insure, much less at anything like a reasonable rate.

"BT worker Simon, from Manningtree, Essex, had flown the wooden plane three times but needed the safety certificate to fly it at public shows."
So the guy was obviously there to check it for a safety certificate.
Also, because the UK has very busy airspace I don't know the exact details but model aircraft above a certain size & (model rockets too) capable of reaching a certain height have to be certified/cleared by the authorities (presumably CAA).

And the moral of this story is?

Never put your eggs(financial, emotional, or otherwise) in one basket.

yeah, that bit about it being insured struck me, too. I guess you can insure anything if you pay a monthly premium. I wonder if his premiums on any new, large model plane will skyrocket after this accident?

Wow, that is one expensive RC crash.

I thought my 250.00 P-51 crash was bad.

Correct. If you want to insure something, someone somewhere will do it, at a price.

And yes, his premiums on any future model he builds will be uh, pricey.

Seriously, given the deductible level and the premium, it becomes a case of whether it's better to self-insure the risk.

Perhaps he can find some marriage insurance.

Or a rich woman who builds & flies her own expensive R/C aircraft LOL