U Joseph Decker introduced gasoline-powered model airplanes during sophomore year high school building flying hand-launched gliders years grown little tired first heard about miniature gasoline engines really fascinated thought much power such small package John Fedora leading model airplane enthusiasts St Louis area just opened new model airplane store 2200 block Madison Avenue window store first saw model gasoline engine engine manufactured Brown beauty Brown engine popular model power plant time like other miniature engines distributor points condenser no glow plugs days onboard battery along coil condenser needed supply high voltage required fire conventional spark plug As soon heard engine run made up mind wanted would build large airplane carry engine cost about eight dollars new Mr Fedora said would sell used four dollars throw used coil new condenser gas tank along new timer couldnt walt get home went right up room began looking through back issues model alrplane magazines searching working plans models large enough carry Brown engine just fallen love airplane picked out triangular fuselage about three-and-a-half feet long wingspan six feet big airplane largest project ever considered evening after Dad came home work eaten supper brought out plans airplane chosen along pictures engine Mr Fedora given Mom Dad very interested thought would have hard time selling idea financing project didnt take much talking Dad interested Mom After explained convinced really capable taking large project agreed give money would take buy engine materials later found out thought project like would keep home summer wouldnt have worry about running over town day 82 Model Aviation worked well did next day bought engine parts airplane Fedoras spent next month drawing up pians building airplane Fedora couldnt believe would tackle plans complicated airplane hard build first attempt tried talk building something simpler kit would probably cheaper wouldnt hear went ahead original plans started redrawing plans full sizea big job took several days drew back wallpaper made very good drafting paper cheap plentiful fuselage complicated part airplane thats began triangular-shaped affair about four feet long looked lot like body glider finished fuselage mounted engine gas tank along other components test-ran engine before set fuselage aside begin building wing tail assembly wing span six feet polyhedral design first time built wing large polyhedral finished building covered fuselage blue rice paper wings red beauty thing satisfied papering job Rice paper hard apply best job did certainly showed lack experience Dad came home work evening airplane sitting middle back yard sitting back steps admiring heard truck pull driveway door slam shut expected Dad come hack way disappointed realized went front door started get up call him saw him standing doorway big smile face As Dad picked up airplane could tell pleased job done assured papering job wasnt bad went eat evening meal Mom waiting us Its strange moments like stick memory years after occur After supper Dad took airplane out school yard see well would glide Again surprised glided better expected dont remember what glide ratio must have least 101 Dad wanted fire engine up launch tempting knew glide ratio short engine run five six seconds could easily fly So decided wait until next night test-fly farmers field club pennission use next day went very slowly Dad did get off work little early after fast meal way engine hard start found rule exception engines coil condenser points everything adjusted just right thing would never start did finally start adjusted needle valve until engine began purr disconnected starter batteries handlaunched airplane immediately pointed its nose straight up climbing fast rate until engine shut off about 100 feet made rather sloppy recovery before started long graceful glide nothing wrong glide pattern its slow descent lazy 8s still warm air However something done about power-off recovery just before started its long glide time retrieved airplane talked about bow thing flew too dark another flight Bill Williams friend met Fedoras shop took airplane out next day worked out power-off recovery problems Bill took airplanes along spent whole day out therewe some great flights Bill told about contest coming up next weekend Missouri talked entering contest Sunday Dad car packed ready go after 6 am Mass took off met guys club club members stayed together liffle group helped other much could As say good time turn came up early afternoon hard time starting engine until John Fedoras brother put shot some secret concoction John using gas tank engine took whine indicated running peak rpm Hand-launching allowed contest held airplane level could realizing wheel disadvantage everything seemed just tight turned loose airplane jumped ahead about six eight feet pointed its nose straight up did other flights time however timer stuck failed stop motor 20 seconds should have Twenty-one seconds contest disqualified just beginning problems engine kept running until airplane almost out sight stopping oaly because ran out gas airplane leveled off began its long glide Everyone moaning groming bad luck saying would never see airplane again Dad put gear back car kept eye airplane took off direction speck sky represented goodly amount money days almost two months hard work followed airplane back roads Missouri until didnt know last time saw airplane before went out sight headed west across river time least half-hour since launched airplane decided give up lost head home rode around another half hour before found way back Route 66 another 15 minutes old Chain Rocks Bridge about halfway across car passed us wing model airplane sticking out rear window turned around seat get better look told Dad looked like airplane lot insistence turned around followed car never did catch up sure headed contest site just left Thats exactly went pulled up alongside got out car get better look wing Sure enough airplane couldnt believe eyes Ijust stood few seconds asked cars driver got airplane smiled said Are Joe Decker name address glued side airplane assured him told story wife sitting front porch home Mitchell Illinois reading article Post Dispatch about contest airplane made perfect three-point landing front yard saw name address airplane told wife must have flown contest Missouri put airplane car headed contest Dad thanking gentleman wife reporter photographer Post Dispatch came up introduced themselves reporter asked bunch questions told airplane made interstate flight thats news next day article Post said made interstate flight told about kind man wife retrieving airplane bringing back field Dad thankful gentleman wife brought airplane back felt good about first contest though disqualified later tore paper covering off airplane redid same color really looked lot better mother kept Post article long time dont know whatever happened would surely like see again suppose its lost forevereven minds everyone day very long ago ph H Decker 2313 Hodges Granite City IL 62040 June1999 83
Edition: Model Aviation - 1999/06
Page Numbers: 82, 83
Edition: Model Aviation - 1999/06
Page Numbers: 82, 83
U Joseph Decker introduced gasoline-powered model airplanes during sophomore year high school building flying hand-launched gliders years grown little tired first heard about miniature gasoline engines really fascinated thought much power such small package John Fedora leading model airplane enthusiasts St Louis area just opened new model airplane store 2200 block Madison Avenue window store first saw model gasoline engine engine manufactured Brown beauty Brown engine popular model power plant time like other miniature engines distributor points condenser no glow plugs days onboard battery along coil condenser needed supply high voltage required fire conventional spark plug As soon heard engine run made up mind wanted would build large airplane carry engine cost about eight dollars new Mr Fedora said would sell used four dollars throw used coil new condenser gas tank along new timer couldnt walt get home went right up room began looking through back issues model alrplane magazines searching working plans models large enough carry Brown engine just fallen love airplane picked out triangular fuselage about three-and-a-half feet long wingspan six feet big airplane largest project ever considered evening after Dad came home work eaten supper brought out plans airplane chosen along pictures engine Mr Fedora given Mom Dad very interested thought would have hard time selling idea financing project didnt take much talking Dad interested Mom After explained convinced really capable taking large project agreed give money would take buy engine materials later found out thought project like would keep home summer wouldnt have worry about running over town day 82 Model Aviation worked well did next day bought engine parts airplane Fedoras spent next month drawing up pians building airplane Fedora couldnt believe would tackle plans complicated airplane hard build first attempt tried talk building something simpler kit would probably cheaper wouldnt hear went ahead original plans started redrawing plans full sizea big job took several days drew back wallpaper made very good drafting paper cheap plentiful fuselage complicated part airplane thats began triangular-shaped affair about four feet long looked lot like body glider finished fuselage mounted engine gas tank along other components test-ran engine before set fuselage aside begin building wing tail assembly wing span six feet polyhedral design first time built wing large polyhedral finished building covered fuselage blue rice paper wings red beauty thing satisfied papering job Rice paper hard apply best job did certainly showed lack experience Dad came home work evening airplane sitting middle back yard sitting back steps admiring heard truck pull driveway door slam shut expected Dad come hack way disappointed realized went front door started get up call him saw him standing doorway big smile face As Dad picked up airplane could tell pleased job done assured papering job wasnt bad went eat evening meal Mom waiting us Its strange moments like stick memory years after occur After supper Dad took airplane out school yard see well would glide Again surprised glided better expected dont remember what glide ratio must have least 101 Dad wanted fire engine up launch tempting knew glide ratio short engine run five six seconds could easily fly So decided wait until next night test-fly farmers field club pennission use next day went very slowly Dad did get off work little early after fast meal way engine hard start found rule exception engines coil condenser points everything adjusted just right thing would never start did finally start adjusted needle valve until engine began purr disconnected starter batteries handlaunched airplane immediately pointed its nose straight up climbing fast rate until engine shut off about 100 feet made rather sloppy recovery before started long graceful glide nothing wrong glide pattern its slow descent lazy 8s still warm air However something done about power-off recovery just before started its long glide time retrieved airplane talked about bow thing flew too dark another flight Bill Williams friend met Fedoras shop took airplane out next day worked out power-off recovery problems Bill took airplanes along spent whole day out therewe some great flights Bill told about contest coming up next weekend Missouri talked entering contest Sunday Dad car packed ready go after 6 am Mass took off met guys club club members stayed together liffle group helped other much could As say good time turn came up early afternoon hard time starting engine until John Fedoras brother put shot some secret concoction John using gas tank engine took whine indicated running peak rpm Hand-launching allowed contest held airplane level could realizing wheel disadvantage everything seemed just tight turned loose airplane jumped ahead about six eight feet pointed its nose straight up did other flights time however timer stuck failed stop motor 20 seconds should have Twenty-one seconds contest disqualified just beginning problems engine kept running until airplane almost out sight stopping oaly because ran out gas airplane leveled off began its long glide Everyone moaning groming bad luck saying would never see airplane again Dad put gear back car kept eye airplane took off direction speck sky represented goodly amount money days almost two months hard work followed airplane back roads Missouri until didnt know last time saw airplane before went out sight headed west across river time least half-hour since launched airplane decided give up lost head home rode around another half hour before found way back Route 66 another 15 minutes old Chain Rocks Bridge about halfway across car passed us wing model airplane sticking out rear window turned around seat get better look told Dad looked like airplane lot insistence turned around followed car never did catch up sure headed contest site just left Thats exactly went pulled up alongside got out car get better look wing Sure enough airplane couldnt believe eyes Ijust stood few seconds asked cars driver got airplane smiled said Are Joe Decker name address glued side airplane assured him told story wife sitting front porch home Mitchell Illinois reading article Post Dispatch about contest airplane made perfect three-point landing front yard saw name address airplane told wife must have flown contest Missouri put airplane car headed contest Dad thanking gentleman wife reporter photographer Post Dispatch came up introduced themselves reporter asked bunch questions told airplane made interstate flight thats news next day article Post said made interstate flight told about kind man wife retrieving airplane bringing back field Dad thankful gentleman wife brought airplane back felt good about first contest though disqualified later tore paper covering off airplane redid same color really looked lot better mother kept Post article long time dont know whatever happened would surely like see again suppose its lost forevereven minds everyone day very long ago ph H Decker 2313 Hodges Granite City IL 62040 June1999 83
