District V
Southeastern Modeler's Show (Perry Swap Meet)
The Southeastern Modeler's Show, also known as the Perry Swap Meet, was held March 4–5, 2010, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia. Attendance was very good, and all the tables for this yearly event were sold out in December.
The event is advertised as the "World's Largest Swap Meet," and I believe it! This year I had a hard time getting out of my booth to look around. Many people stopped by to discuss AMA matters as well as modeling in general.
I was very pleased to have several of my AMA District V associate vice presidents (AVPs) attend and help out in the AMA booth. The AVPs in attendance were:
- Bob Dixon
- Roger Marshall
- Bob Whitney
AMA Executive Director Jim Cherry was able to spend some time with my AVPs and helped them learn a little more about AMA and the operation of AMA Headquarters.
If you have not yet made it to this show, it is something you have to do! One gentleman with whom I spoke got off the phone with his buddy from up north and told him that he would "not believe it!" I guess that says it all.
The Southeastern Modeler Show is held the first weekend in March each year. Make plans to visit next year!
Tribute: Merle Leonard
Kris Dixon, of Dublin, Georgia, sent in the following tribute about a fellow modeler in his area.
Through the years we have seen fliers come and go in this hobby, but 2010 brought an end to one of our most envied model fixers, repairers, and storytellers of the middle Georgia area.
Merle Leonard, 88 years old this year, who resides in Eastman, Georgia, has had flying in his blood since his first RC airplane, which he says he got as a Berkley kit that was a hand-wound coil escapement with a single-button controller in the fifth grade — "around 1933," he jokes, "when I was 10 years old."
Originally from Hollywood, California, he flew CL and built his first gasser, a de Bolt Livewire with a .09 diesel motor. He said, "I can't believe I remember that far!"
Flying was what Mr. Leonard loved more than anything — that is, until World War II began. Knowing he was not exempt from the draft with his 1-A designation and that his draft number was about to be called, he promptly enlisted in the Air Force.
Not quite done with college, the military sent him to cadet school, which landed him here in Georgia. He attended Middle Georgia College in Cochran, finished his degree, soloed in a J-3 Cub, married his wife of 66 years, the lovely Betty, and was flying AT-6s, AT-11s, Stearmans, and B-24s. By 1944 he was a right-seat pilot on B-29s and flew many sorties. Oh boy — the stories you can hear in the shop.
After the war he came back to his wife in Georgia and returned to RC modeling. His AMA number was Tobey 12, back when AMA would let you make up your own number. He said, "That was our call sign on the B-29."
Throughout the years he became well-known in the area for fixing and repairing crashed airplanes. He also became a dealer for Sig, MPi, and, if you can remember, Indy, which has now become Horizon Hobby.
Merle did magic with wrecked models; they went into the shop a mess and came out a few days later unbelievably looking new. He held himself to such a high standard that the covering was always wrinkle-free and the wood as smooth as a baby's bottom.
He stopped flying because of what he calls "old age" and just visited the fields and fly-ins with his little homemade trailer and tried to sell some parts. He was a member of several flying clubs in the area for many years and was still considered an honorary member at most of them.
Merle has touched many lives — from my first .40-size trainer in 1994, which he fixed several times, to Ryan Evans who said, "Merle Leonard is not only a great builder, but a good friend. I have known him since I was 12 years old and he has kept me flying ever since. Merle is always honest and never late when he says it will be ready! Without him I would not be where I am today. I can only hope I will be like him when I grow up!"
Today, many people are shocked that he will not be fixing airplanes anymore. Although we know it has taken a toll on him, he now enjoys his days resting, feeding the fish, and sometimes he will glue a rubber-band-powered model together for his great-grandchildren. He still visits the fly-ins and swap meets on occasion.
We would like to let him know that without him hundreds of modelers would not have gotten a start in the hobby, nor would that many more have kept the hobby going.
Mr. Merle, thank you! Thank you for the support, the endless knowledge, and the great friendship that you have given to everyone in the hobby. You will definitely be missed! Tobey 12 out!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
