NORFOLK Gliding Club is hoping to raise urgently needed funds by releasing a calendar featuring its aircraft with 'nude' models.

NORFOLK Gliding Club is hoping to raise urgently needed funds by releasing a calendar featuring its aircraft with 'nude' models.

The calendar includes pictures of gliders and powered planes belonging to the club, as well as those stored at its Tibenham Airfield base.

Eric Ratcliffe, sales and marketing officer at the airfield, said that the models are mostly friends and family of club members and that the Women's Institute charity calendar was the inspiration behind the idea.

Membership at the club has been falling in recent years, which has had a large impact on the organisation's budget.

'Like all clubs we suffer from a demographic time bomb, and we're in desperate need of funds to resurrect one of our gliders,' he said.

'It's fantastic; it's almost like 3D sailing.'

The club has printed 1,000 of the calendars, which it is selling for �9.99 each, hoping that fellow gliding groups around the country will be their main customers.

Proceeds from their sale will cover the �10,000 needed to restore the club's ageing Schleicher ASK 21 glider.

The aircraft will be sent to a company either in the UK or in Latvia for the work to be carried out, shipped in a container thanks to its removable wings.

As well as the ASK 21, the club has another six aircraft, two of which are motorised.

For more information on Norfolk Gliding Club, or to buy a calendar, visit www.norfolkglidingclub.com