Mike Keville, 4225 N. First Ave. #1321, Tucson AZ 85719; E-mail: [email protected]
OLD-TIMERS
Gary Sherman holds Paul Plecan-designed Falcon powered by
Silver Swallow diesel for sport-flying. Kevin Sherman photo.
Bob Goldie launches his Bilgri Rubber design. Sherman photo.
Many hobby shops’ windows had this logo before WW II. Megow
sold full line of scale and competition designs, ship models.
IN THE DEPRESSION era and the years immediately prior to
World War II, many modelers longed to build and fly the large
gas-powered FF models of the day but could not afford an engine
or perhaps didn’t want to build something that size. Thus several
manufacturers, notably the Scientific Company, offered “Gas
Type” rubber-powered models designed to provide “all the thrills
of gas model flight.”
I never saw one except in magazine ads, so I can’t speak with
any genuine knowledge of them. Apparently they included an
accessory designed to look something like a Brown Jr. or Ohlsson
engine, or whatever. And although they were rubber powered,
they were said to “ ... look, fly and sound like real gas models.”
Scientific—a now defunct firm formerly located in Newark,
New Jersey—is often thought of for those “hollow-log” 1⁄2A
semiscale CL models that were designed by Walt Musciano and
are now prized by a number of collectors.
In the genuine old-time era, the company produced many
popular FF kits, including the Miss America, the Red Zephyr, the
Eaglet, and the Commodore. (I don’t pretend to be a historian; I
wasn’t born until 1940 and get most of my information from old
magazine ads.)
The Miss America, scaled down to a 40-inch span, cost $1.95
postpaid. The Firefly spanned 36 inches, and there was even a 24-
inch-span version of Carl Goldberg’s Valkyrie. Several other
designs were offered, and most included a pair of M&M
pneumatic rubber wheels.
Scientific’s ads included claims such as “Flies one mile,”
which could be greatly exceeded if one happened to launch into a
good thermal—or considerably decreased if one forgot to add
downthrust and side thrust.
As I noted, I have no personal experience with “Gas Type”
rubber-powered designs, but I suspect that several of you will
recall them, either fondly or perhaps less so. I would certainly like
to hear from anyone who would care to share his or her memories
of them.
Another grand, old firm was Megow in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. It manufactured an extensive line of rubber- and
gas-powered Scale and FF competition designs and many detailed
ship models. Thanks to my good friend Don Hutchinson, I have a
1940 Megow catalog that brings back many memories of the
good, old days.
The Megow logo was prominently
featured on the windows of many
neighborhood hobby shops back then,
helping to assure shoppers that they were
indeed about to enter a modelers’ paradise.
For reasons I won’t belabor here, it
became increasingly difficult for
proprietors to earn a living in that
business, and they too are long gone
except for a handful, such as Tony &
Addie’s in Burbank, California. Boy, how
I miss those cozy, old hobby shops!
Anyone else?
Several readers have questioned what
constitutes an Old-Timer (OT), so let’s
examine the term as it applies to our niche
of the hobby.
The original concept began in 1960,
when John Pond, Tim Dannels, and others
established December 31, 1942, as the
accepted cutoff date. You do the math;
approved designs were then a minimum of
18 years old—a benchmark that remains
today. This is well and good since the rule
helps to preserve the building and flying of
truly pioneering designs.
Now consider that a model designed in
1955 turns 50 this year. To many people
that is definitely “old-time.” In fact, a
substantial number of today’s AMA
members were not involved with modeling
that year, perhaps because they weren’t
born yet—a statistic supported by Joyce
Hager’s “View From HQ” column in the
December 2004 issue (page 178). Thus
what qualifies as “old” to some may seem
positively recent to others. This is
particularly true among the various
categories.
The original OT concept encompassed
FF designs powered mostly by sparkignition
engines. Glow-engine classes
were added later, as were RC events for
those (including me) who by then were
unable, or unwilling, to chase.
Rubber-powered classes gained
popularity and have become hotly
contested today. Lately there is much
interest in electric-powered versions of OT
Gas and Rubber designs. As I noted, the
original cutoff date remained and has
served well, notwithstanding the fact that
many designs (and fliers) exceed 65 years
of age.
As time passed, many modelers who
were not present in the so-called “Golden
Era” began to fondly recall the FF designs
of their youth, which included such names
as Zeek, Spacer, and Civy Boy. To their
way of thinking, those were OT.
The question was neatly answered with
the introduction of Nostalgia Gas
(“NosGas”) events. Their popularity is
growing rapidly. California’s San Valeers
club hosts an annual NosGas contest, and I
very much appreciate my friend Terry
Thorkildsen’s sending me the annual
results and photos from that one.
Soon others wanted to join the fun,
giving rise to OT events in CL and RC.
Because these categories came along later
than FF, their cutoff dates are more recent.
CL involvement apparently began when
John Miske Jr. of New Jersey’s Garden
State Circle Burners hosted the inaugural
Old Time Stunt (OTS) contest in 1970.
The OTS rules were simple. Designs
must have been kitted or published no later
than December 31, 1952. (The “kitted or
published” rule remains, although any
model designed by that date is eligible
according to Precision Aerobatics Model
Pilots Association rules.) Bonus points
were awarded for spark-ignition power and
for designs with no operating wing flaps.
Actually, a flapped design won that
inaugural OTS meet: a Veco Mustang
flown by MA Aeromodeling Editor Bob
Hunt.
There has been growing interest in OT
(Nostalgia) Carrier, Team Racing, and
Combat, but CL Stunt remains the most
popular CL event by far. It even includes a
Classic category for models designed no
later than December 31, 1969.
RC, having come of age much later in
the scheme of things, is represented by the
Vintage R/C Society, whose members fly
designs by Hal deBolt, Ed Kazmirski, Phil
Kraft, and others from the “reeds and
escapement” or early proportional eras. To
them, designs such as the Kwik-Fli III and
Live Wire Senior are OT. However, a large
percentage of SAM (Society of Antique
Modelers) members fly OT FF designs in
154 MODEL AVIATION
separate RC—or, more accurately, radio
assist—events for those.
But the real attraction of any OT
category is the more laid-back
atmosphere, including competition
events. To be sure, there are some to
whom winning is everything, but the
majority of OT participants just enjoy
re-creating the models of their youth and
flying them in low-key, friendly
competition—if they compete at all.
The December 2004 column featured a
photo of a group of AMA officials
boarding a bus at the start of the Nats
“Carrier Cruise,” circa 1961. The photo,
sent by former Ambroid president Art
Laneau, contained one subject who was
unidentified. An E-mail from Harvey
Shapps (Morton Grove, Illinois) may
have cleared that up. He wrote:
“To the best of my ability, the man
looks like my good and old-time friend
Gosta Johnson, who at that time was the
[AMA] District VI Vice President.
Although I have not spoken to Gosta in
some time, he is alive and well, residing
in Arlington Heights, IL.”
That name is definitely familiar since
I used to live and fly in northern Illinois.
Although I never met Gosta Johnson, he
was well known as a leading organizer
of contest activity in the district.
Perhaps other readers will confirm the
identity.
Sometime ago I ordered the catalog of
Cleveland-designed plans from John
Jacox, who is the current owner and
proprietor of those legendary plans. As
most old-timers will probably agree,
E.T. Packard’s Cleveland Model &
Supply Company offered “Cadillac
quality” kits and plans for many years.
Mr. Jacox purchased the rights and
master plans several years ago, and
today he offers them to those who
appreciate such things.
Plans for scale designs are available
in seven sizes, from 1⁄32 to 1⁄4 scale, and
include four levels of detail. FF Gas,
Rubber, and Towline designs—
including three Playboy sizes—are also
available.
The 86-page illustrated catalog is
well worth the $5 ($10 foreign). Send
the money to Cleveland Model &
Supply Co., Box 55962, Indianapolis IN
46205. For a preview, assuming you’re
equipped with a computer, go to
www.clevelandairline.com.
The cover of this issue is dated April;
you’re probably reading this and looking
for something from January’s Southwest
Regionals held in Eloy, Arizona, but
when I wrote it the meet hadn’t yet
occurred. The deadline for this issue was
January 10, and the words you are reading
were written on Christmas Eve. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/04
Page Numbers: 153,154
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/04
Page Numbers: 153,154
Mike Keville, 4225 N. First Ave. #1321, Tucson AZ 85719; E-mail: [email protected]
OLD-TIMERS
Gary Sherman holds Paul Plecan-designed Falcon powered by
Silver Swallow diesel for sport-flying. Kevin Sherman photo.
Bob Goldie launches his Bilgri Rubber design. Sherman photo.
Many hobby shops’ windows had this logo before WW II. Megow
sold full line of scale and competition designs, ship models.
IN THE DEPRESSION era and the years immediately prior to
World War II, many modelers longed to build and fly the large
gas-powered FF models of the day but could not afford an engine
or perhaps didn’t want to build something that size. Thus several
manufacturers, notably the Scientific Company, offered “Gas
Type” rubber-powered models designed to provide “all the thrills
of gas model flight.”
I never saw one except in magazine ads, so I can’t speak with
any genuine knowledge of them. Apparently they included an
accessory designed to look something like a Brown Jr. or Ohlsson
engine, or whatever. And although they were rubber powered,
they were said to “ ... look, fly and sound like real gas models.”
Scientific—a now defunct firm formerly located in Newark,
New Jersey—is often thought of for those “hollow-log” 1⁄2A
semiscale CL models that were designed by Walt Musciano and
are now prized by a number of collectors.
In the genuine old-time era, the company produced many
popular FF kits, including the Miss America, the Red Zephyr, the
Eaglet, and the Commodore. (I don’t pretend to be a historian; I
wasn’t born until 1940 and get most of my information from old
magazine ads.)
The Miss America, scaled down to a 40-inch span, cost $1.95
postpaid. The Firefly spanned 36 inches, and there was even a 24-
inch-span version of Carl Goldberg’s Valkyrie. Several other
designs were offered, and most included a pair of M&M
pneumatic rubber wheels.
Scientific’s ads included claims such as “Flies one mile,”
which could be greatly exceeded if one happened to launch into a
good thermal—or considerably decreased if one forgot to add
downthrust and side thrust.
As I noted, I have no personal experience with “Gas Type”
rubber-powered designs, but I suspect that several of you will
recall them, either fondly or perhaps less so. I would certainly like
to hear from anyone who would care to share his or her memories
of them.
Another grand, old firm was Megow in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. It manufactured an extensive line of rubber- and
gas-powered Scale and FF competition designs and many detailed
ship models. Thanks to my good friend Don Hutchinson, I have a
1940 Megow catalog that brings back many memories of the
good, old days.
The Megow logo was prominently
featured on the windows of many
neighborhood hobby shops back then,
helping to assure shoppers that they were
indeed about to enter a modelers’ paradise.
For reasons I won’t belabor here, it
became increasingly difficult for
proprietors to earn a living in that
business, and they too are long gone
except for a handful, such as Tony &
Addie’s in Burbank, California. Boy, how
I miss those cozy, old hobby shops!
Anyone else?
Several readers have questioned what
constitutes an Old-Timer (OT), so let’s
examine the term as it applies to our niche
of the hobby.
The original concept began in 1960,
when John Pond, Tim Dannels, and others
established December 31, 1942, as the
accepted cutoff date. You do the math;
approved designs were then a minimum of
18 years old—a benchmark that remains
today. This is well and good since the rule
helps to preserve the building and flying of
truly pioneering designs.
Now consider that a model designed in
1955 turns 50 this year. To many people
that is definitely “old-time.” In fact, a
substantial number of today’s AMA
members were not involved with modeling
that year, perhaps because they weren’t
born yet—a statistic supported by Joyce
Hager’s “View From HQ” column in the
December 2004 issue (page 178). Thus
what qualifies as “old” to some may seem
positively recent to others. This is
particularly true among the various
categories.
The original OT concept encompassed
FF designs powered mostly by sparkignition
engines. Glow-engine classes
were added later, as were RC events for
those (including me) who by then were
unable, or unwilling, to chase.
Rubber-powered classes gained
popularity and have become hotly
contested today. Lately there is much
interest in electric-powered versions of OT
Gas and Rubber designs. As I noted, the
original cutoff date remained and has
served well, notwithstanding the fact that
many designs (and fliers) exceed 65 years
of age.
As time passed, many modelers who
were not present in the so-called “Golden
Era” began to fondly recall the FF designs
of their youth, which included such names
as Zeek, Spacer, and Civy Boy. To their
way of thinking, those were OT.
The question was neatly answered with
the introduction of Nostalgia Gas
(“NosGas”) events. Their popularity is
growing rapidly. California’s San Valeers
club hosts an annual NosGas contest, and I
very much appreciate my friend Terry
Thorkildsen’s sending me the annual
results and photos from that one.
Soon others wanted to join the fun,
giving rise to OT events in CL and RC.
Because these categories came along later
than FF, their cutoff dates are more recent.
CL involvement apparently began when
John Miske Jr. of New Jersey’s Garden
State Circle Burners hosted the inaugural
Old Time Stunt (OTS) contest in 1970.
The OTS rules were simple. Designs
must have been kitted or published no later
than December 31, 1952. (The “kitted or
published” rule remains, although any
model designed by that date is eligible
according to Precision Aerobatics Model
Pilots Association rules.) Bonus points
were awarded for spark-ignition power and
for designs with no operating wing flaps.
Actually, a flapped design won that
inaugural OTS meet: a Veco Mustang
flown by MA Aeromodeling Editor Bob
Hunt.
There has been growing interest in OT
(Nostalgia) Carrier, Team Racing, and
Combat, but CL Stunt remains the most
popular CL event by far. It even includes a
Classic category for models designed no
later than December 31, 1969.
RC, having come of age much later in
the scheme of things, is represented by the
Vintage R/C Society, whose members fly
designs by Hal deBolt, Ed Kazmirski, Phil
Kraft, and others from the “reeds and
escapement” or early proportional eras. To
them, designs such as the Kwik-Fli III and
Live Wire Senior are OT. However, a large
percentage of SAM (Society of Antique
Modelers) members fly OT FF designs in
154 MODEL AVIATION
separate RC—or, more accurately, radio
assist—events for those.
But the real attraction of any OT
category is the more laid-back
atmosphere, including competition
events. To be sure, there are some to
whom winning is everything, but the
majority of OT participants just enjoy
re-creating the models of their youth and
flying them in low-key, friendly
competition—if they compete at all.
The December 2004 column featured a
photo of a group of AMA officials
boarding a bus at the start of the Nats
“Carrier Cruise,” circa 1961. The photo,
sent by former Ambroid president Art
Laneau, contained one subject who was
unidentified. An E-mail from Harvey
Shapps (Morton Grove, Illinois) may
have cleared that up. He wrote:
“To the best of my ability, the man
looks like my good and old-time friend
Gosta Johnson, who at that time was the
[AMA] District VI Vice President.
Although I have not spoken to Gosta in
some time, he is alive and well, residing
in Arlington Heights, IL.”
That name is definitely familiar since
I used to live and fly in northern Illinois.
Although I never met Gosta Johnson, he
was well known as a leading organizer
of contest activity in the district.
Perhaps other readers will confirm the
identity.
Sometime ago I ordered the catalog of
Cleveland-designed plans from John
Jacox, who is the current owner and
proprietor of those legendary plans. As
most old-timers will probably agree,
E.T. Packard’s Cleveland Model &
Supply Company offered “Cadillac
quality” kits and plans for many years.
Mr. Jacox purchased the rights and
master plans several years ago, and
today he offers them to those who
appreciate such things.
Plans for scale designs are available
in seven sizes, from 1⁄32 to 1⁄4 scale, and
include four levels of detail. FF Gas,
Rubber, and Towline designs—
including three Playboy sizes—are also
available.
The 86-page illustrated catalog is
well worth the $5 ($10 foreign). Send
the money to Cleveland Model &
Supply Co., Box 55962, Indianapolis IN
46205. For a preview, assuming you’re
equipped with a computer, go to
www.clevelandairline.com.
The cover of this issue is dated April;
you’re probably reading this and looking
for something from January’s Southwest
Regionals held in Eloy, Arizona, but
when I wrote it the meet hadn’t yet
occurred. The deadline for this issue was
January 10, and the words you are reading
were written on Christmas Eve. MA