Dave Milbourn RIP

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

For the third time this year I am very sad to announce bad news for the model boating community.

Yesterday Dave Milbourn passed away after a long and brave battle with cancer. He was diagnosed as having a terminal condition towards the end of last July but did not wish it to be generally known. He confided in a few people and we have been offering what support we could for him during a very difficult time. I like to think that helped and he obviously appreciated it.

Despite his situation he continued to post on the forums and offer expert advice in his inimitable style for as long as he was able.

I know he was pleased at the way his enthusiasm for Fairey Power Boats was taken up by so many people with a lot of fine models resulting which will be a big part of his legacy to the hobby. We will all miss him.

I have expressed our deepest condolences to his wife Liz who has had a terrible burden to bear over these last few months but at least Dave is now at peace.

Colin

 

Edited By Colin Bishop on 05/03/2021 10:49:57

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bad news indeed and my condolences to his wife and family.

Hopefully he will be sitting in the saloon of a Fairey power boat in the sky sipping from a tumbler of J.D.

Ashley

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All,

Yes a very sad loss indeed, Dave and I kept in touch via this forum and shared a few laughs via PM's , we never met but I felt I knew him as a friend his model boat and aeroplane designs are a fine lagacy ! we will miss you Dave RIP mate.

Ray

Edited By Ray Wood 2 on 05/03/2021 11:14:15

Edited By Ray Wood 2 on 05/03/2021 11:14:53

[Charles OatesParticipant @charlesoates31738]

That's awful news. I'm really going to miss Dave, and all our pms with his great sense of humour. He never stinted at giving help and advice. His contribution to the hobby and so much that's associated with it made him a special and unique guy.

My heartfelt condolences to his family and all his friends that knew him better than I did.

Charles.

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

This is the saddest news; Thinking of Liz and his dear family; Dave is going to be such a sad miss.

We had many laughs and shared a lot of modelling stuff. Worked with Dave a good few times at the shows.

Rest in peace my dear friend, I will never forget you.

John

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

Very sad news. He was always very helpful with queries I asked him.

I visited him at his Carlton workshop a couple of times when he repaired a speed controller for me and once at Lambley so I could see his new wooden cabin. I now have one from the same company.

I remember when he owned Action, he ran me about an order I had placed. I had ordered 4 or 5 small switches. He rang to ask if I was using them as motor power switches, if so they were too small and why did I want so many? In the end he sold me one larger switch, as having a spare would be a waste of money.

But as he often said he was from Yorkshire. I shall think of him when I get my Fairey Huntsman in the water.

Tim

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Very sad to read of Dave's passing away. You didn't have to be long on this forum to notice that Dave was a wealth of knowledge. I have often refered to his tech-tips on both electrics and finnishing techniques.

Condolences to his family and friends.

George

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

I was only thinking about him yesterday when working on one of my Fairey builds. Very sad news.

Dave has been a great inspiration to me over the last 3 years or so since I took up the hobby and Faireys in particular and has freely given me advice via the forum and emails and we became friends when myself and my wife visited him and Liz when I bought one of his Huntress prototypes.

As Ray says his contribution to model boats and aircraft over the years has been significant, as has been his articles on building, finishing and electrical. And of course his skills as a model builder.

A great loss and will be sorely missed.

Chris

[Fred wooleyParticipant @fredwooley76212]

OMG just seen this…what a character Dave was full of life what a sad sad loss RIP

Stavros

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

I've been dreading this day as Dave was a very dear friend and unfailingly loyal confidant.

Dave was a great support when I lost Jane and I am forever in his debt for his deep understanding.

He was very easy to wind up and often didn't suffer fools, which always made me wonder why he put up with me as I was always winding him up about the Fairey angle of dangle.

Rest easy Grumpy

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Rest in peace, Dave

Bob Abell

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

I loved Dave like a brother, and we had many traits in common and would laugh at them together.

I will miss you terribly, especially the abuse you gave me many times Dave, for being so thick and stupid regarding electronics, and also the times when you offered me kindly words of wisdom when life wasn't always running so smoothly.

God bless you mate and RIP.

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

I would just like to add my condolences and echo all the feelings expressed in the previous posts.
I did meet Dave and Colin briefly at the last Mayhem meeting at Wicksteed Park, where he was trying out the latest Fairey.
My Huntsman that I built last year will mean even more to me now, and I will remember the help that he gave me even though he must have been quite poorly.

R.I.P. Dave.

Eddie.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

if any of you had never met Dave, or didn't know him………here he was, on the right, in happy times. long may his memory live on.

[Colin MillerParticipant @colinmiller68338]

I am speechless after reading this.
I always enjoyed having a laugh with Dave when I saw him at the shows.

my thoughts and condolences to liz and the family

[redpmgParticipant @redpmg]

Very sad news indeed – had been in touch with him over the last year or so – never a mention of anything wrong – always willing to help . He will be sorely missed .- a great loss for the MB community.

Colin please pass on condolences to his wife .

[Malcolm FraryParticipant @malcolmfrary95515]

The hobby and model boating community has lost a giant.

Deepest condolences to Liz.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I have just heard from Liz, she says it was lovely to read all the tributes to Dave. His funeral will be live streamed and there will be a video link as well. I will put up the details when I have them.

Colin

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Like most of the model boating family have know both Dave and Liz for a long time, I found out early on that he didn't like to burden his friends with his problems.

Whilst a few knew about the cancer we were all sworn to secrecy about it as Dave didn't want sympathy or worse still he didn't want people avoiding him just because they didn't know what to say.

Even though Dave knew that his condition was terminal he kept looking on the bright side and planning his next build. We exchanged emails on a regular basis, I called him Grumpy and he called me Double Doc, both slightly irreverent nicknames but we shared the same slightly warped sense of humour

It was difficult watching him carry on as if everything was normal but I knew that he took a great deal of comfort from his involvement with this forum, where despite being grumpy at times he enjoyed helping others by passing on the fruits of his deep knowledge and experience.

The world is a slightly darker place now but I know that his memory will live on and he will be thought about every time somebody see a model Fairey on the water.

[CookieParticipant @cookie15923]

OMG , I have only just heard of Dave,s passing , he was a great help to me in my early years of model boat building ,I am so sorry and my thoughts go out to his family .RIP Dave

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Quite a shock to read this thread.

I remember Dave well from the work involved with Colin's 2015 Model Boats Special. His main interest was the Faireys, yet I loved his re-designing and building of Vic Smeed's 'Twinkler' design for the publication. He will certainly be missed in the hobby..

My condolences to the family.

RIP Dave

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I have been informed by Liz that Dave's funeral will be held on Monday 12th April at 1.30pm at the Gedling crematorium.

The videocast link will be posted nearer the time.

Colin

[Ian Hull 1Participant @ianhull1]

I first met Dave in the 70s when he moved south to join Model Avionics as a designer, his first project was to produce a 46in Fairey Huntsman 31 followed by a smaller version at 34ins I think that's where his interest in the Fairey Marine range of boats started. I can't remember how long he was with us but I know he returned to Nottingham to join HM Revenue, but in his spare time he still carried on doing design work for President Kits which was a spin off from Model Avionics.

Probably little known to a lot of modeler's Dave worked with John Rudd MD of President to help produce a big range of unique slot together Model Aircraft Kits the most famous of which was the foam winged Hi-Boy Trainer that sold in it's thousand's around the world.

I started a modeling company using the established name of Slec in 2000 and would catch up with Dave occasionally to talk about different projects I was working on, and he in turn told me what I should be doing (he was good like that). After seeing a Model Boat plan editorial written by Dave I asked him to design some kits for me, and over the next few years three different Fairey Marine kits where released.

Having now exhausted the Fairey range I managed to persuaded him to finish a Vosper KD Perkasa that I had started although he wasn't keen he started it but moaned at me every time we spoke how he hated doing it, but he still supplied a great set of CAD drawings with instructions and a beautifully finished model which was Dave's trade mark. I picked the finished Perkasa and paperwork up from Dave & Liz's home last November and that was the last time I saw him.

The modeling world has lost a good friend and great designer. I'm glad I met him all those years ago

Rest in Peace mate.

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