Remarkably intact model plane recovered off Guernsey beach

A Guernsey marine litter researcher has collected large sections of a model aircraft presumed to have been lost off Chouet.

Beach litter cleaner and marine waste expert Richard Lord discovered the first part of the crashed model plane off Chouet.

Gradually, over ten weeks, more sections of the sizeable remote controlled fighter emerged on the shore:

"I collected this over three different beach cleans between 9 December 2024 and 4 March.

"It depends on the tide line you take. If you have a high tide, you go up high up on the shore.

"The reason I'm collecting the pieces on different beach cleans is because I'm walking along the shore at a different height.

You have to go back and forth as something might be lodged under a boulder which might only be visible walking in one direction."

The polystyrene fuselage is around two feet long and is hollowed out for weight and to take the electrics that control and power it.

Richard says much of it is is intact, despite its time in the sea or close to salt water:

"Some of it has weight to it, the metal undercarriage for instance with these tyres. But I know I'm missing pieces, for instance it may be the tail fin or rear horizontal stabiliser"

Richard Lord is sure it is a model that was flown from the grass area at Chouet:

"If it crashed into the sea it's washed up over several hundred yards. If it crashed on the shore the high tide would have reached it and drawn it back out to sea then redistributed it along the shore."

He assembled the wreckage much like an air accident investigator would, just on a much smaller scale.

The find comes as Richard continues his research into the marine litter washed up on Guernsey's beaches:

"What I do know is that when you do a beach clean you never collect all the litter." 

He says the tides, weather and winds can affect the distribution of litter and how far it has travelled to wash up on Guernsey.

Richard says he will keep the plane for a while, so if its owner recognises it, they can collect it:

"It is just a wreck and it is damaged. You can see it's been in sea foam because of the discolouration, which means it's been in very rough seas."

If it was yours, please get in touch with Island FM and we can introduce you to Richard.