D.B. Mathews
F l y i n g f o r F u n
909 N. Maize Rd., Townhouse 734, Wichita KS 67212
I HAVE PREVIEWED kits for 3-D miniature foam electricpowered
fliers by Fancy Foam Models. They are made from
precisely CNC-cut and routed Depron, ready to have the included
graphite rods and such glued in, and slots for the servos, etc. are
neatly cut. This is good news for those who are unable or unwilling
to gather all the nontraditional materials and hardware for these
little wonders.
These models are available in levels of completeness ranging
from high-performance packs, including everything but the
transmitter, to replacement parts and hardware. Contact
www.fancyfoam.com for a catalog and ordering instructions. This
is high-quality stuff!
The following material is excerpted in large part from an
interesting Web site—www.ctie.Monash.edu.au/hargrave/
dennyplane_jr.html—which was created and is maintained by
Russell Naughton, who is a staff member of Monash University in
Victoria, Australia.
Who is Reginald Denny? One evening I watched Mr. Blandings
Builds His Dream House on the Turner Classic Movies television
station. This entertaining 1948 comedy stars Cary Grant and Myrna
Loy as the Blandings, and Reginald Denny as their architect.
While I was watching it, it occurred to me that not many
modelers associate movie stars with our hobby. Some collectors
and some of us older guys recall Dennymite engines and
Dennyplane kits, but few fully realize their connection to a
successful actor. I thought that could be the basis of a few
interesting columns if I could access photos and articles on the
subject.
Jack Maxwell wrote a two-part article about Reginald Denny’s
association with Radio Plane—one of the first firms to supply
radio-controlled target drones to the military, in the late 1930s—
that was published in the July and August 1992 issues of MA. Jack
had served in a Navy unit that maintained
and flew those drones during World War II.
That article was supported with
numerous photos and data, so it was
obvious that the material existed
somewhere. I made a quick trip to the
Google Internet search engine and turned up
the aforementioned Reginald Denny site. It
includes several hundred photos from what
is obviously the Denny family album and
reproductions of material published about
Reginald Denny, including a construction
article for a Denny Plane Jr. that I wrote
which was published in the January 1977
MA. Now that’s flattering!
Reginald Denny was born in Richmond,
Surrey, England, on November 21, 1889,
and he died in the same place in June 1967
while visiting his hometown. He acted in
more than 200 movies and plays between
1919 and 1966. Both his parents were in the
theater, and Reginald first appeared on
stage at age 7. His father once played in a
musical comedy opposite Lilly Langtree. (Do
you remember the movie Judge Roy Bean?)
152 MODEL AVIATION
Actor and modeler Reginald Denny lived from 1889 until 1967.
Reginald Denny’s hobby shop on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard was open from
1935 until 1963 under several owners who retained the name.
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:09 am Page 152
July 2004 153
Reginald quit school at 16 to pursue a full-time theatrical
career. He was successful in numerous roles in English Music Hall.
He visited the US with a touring group in 1911 and moved here
permanently in 1914. A moderately successful career in silent films
followed.
When World War I broke out, Reginald enlisted in the Royal
Air Force and was sent to Hastings, England, for pilot training. The
war ended before he completed his training, so he saw no combat.
This service left him with a lifelong interest in flying full-scale and
model aircraft.
Returning to Hollywood in 1921, Reginald was frequently cast
as the all-American athletic type since he was in excellent
condition. The advent of talking pictures ended this illusion, but his
rugged good looks and sophisticated manner made him ideal for
character roles—particularly playing sophisticated Englishmen.
The list of Reginald Denny’s performances in movies is much
too long to print here, but his more familiar roles were playing
While surely posed, this photo captures the excitement kids find
in hobby shops. Reginald Denny is showing them some
interesting models.
Classic airplanes hang in Denny’s hobby shop. These fuselages
are the Jr. type. They were for sale as ARFs in 1938!
Jane Withers with a Dennyplane Jr. used in her film Holy Terror.
Jackie Cooper received one as a gift from Reginald.
Child actor Freddie Bartholomew prepares to fly a Dennyplane
Jr. at Mines Field in California.
Commander Schmidlapp in Batman, Henry Percival in Cat Ballou,
the police chief in Around the World in 80 Days, Frank Crawley in
Rebecca, and Algy Longworth in the Bulldog Drummond series.
He created a role in the stage production of “My Fair Lady,” and
his last movie was Assault on a Queen in 1966. During his career he
acted in such varied movies as Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde (1953) and Romeo and Juliet (1936).
Chances are extremely high that you have seen Reginald Denny
in a movie. You may not have been able to put a name to the face,
and you probably didn’t know of a connection between the actor and
model airplanes.
Reginald Denny, Modeler: Charles Lindbergh’s solo crossing of
the Atlantic set off a nationwide aviation craze, as has often been
documented. Everyone young and old was focused on aviation and
aviation events, and this interest and enthusiasm extended to
building and flying model airplanes.
Numerous companies jumped into the activities with kits for
rubber-powered models. As we illustrated with our photo coverage
of the local Jimmie Allen contests, any event involving model
airplanes generated huge crowds.
Combining his longtime interest and activities with full-scale
aircraft, Reginald formed a company to develop and manufacture
model airplane kits in 1934. By 1935, sales through local
advertising were strong enough that he opened a retail model shop
on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California,
just visible from the exit off the Hollywood Freeway.
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:09 am Page 153
154 MODEL AVIATION
That location remained open until at
least 1963 under the management of Peter
Veer. Apparently in 1963 (there is some
contention on this date) the shop was sold
to Col. Tom’s and combined with a store
farther south in West Los Angeles.
As was typical in that era, the shop was
a special place for modelers of all ages but
was particularly magnetic to the young
children in the neighborhood. Numerous
modeling friends who are 50 or older often
relate what places of total fascination and
dreams hobby shops were in their youth.
One of my favorite items that illustrates
that phenomenon was an article published
many years ago centering on kids in hobby
shops titled “How Much Are Your 10 Cent
Gliders?”
Reginald enjoyed young people and
was exceedingly accommodating to them
in his shop. Legend has it that no child
was denied the joy of building a model
airplane from one of his kits just because
he or she had no money.
Reginald also developed a wonderful
reputation for presenting his kits or
completed models to child stars of the day.
A photo on the cover of Mechanics
Illustrated several years ago showed a
young Mickey Rooney launching a
Dennyplane. And as you can see from the
photos I’ve used, several other child stars
had those models.
In 1937, Reginald added a realisticlooking
“gas” design called the
Dennyplane to his rubber-power kit line.
This original version was notable because
of its all-sheet-balsa tail surfaces;
aluminum-tube wingtips; and two-piece,
plug-in wing.
The Dennyplane also used an
experimental engine that was apparently
developed and produced by Major
Mosely’s Aircraft Industries in Burbank,
California—the same company that made
and sold Baby Cyclone engines. A
modeling-press advertising campaign,
most notably in Model Airplane News,
generated worldwide sales.
Later versions of the Dennyplane were
designed around the Dennymite engine
that Walter Righter developed and
manufactured and Reginald sold under
license. This power plant, although crude
in some ways, started and ran reliably, and
it was sturdy—more than could be said
about many of its counterparts.
The Dennymite was not produced
during World War II, but it was sold again
in the late 1940s. The advent of glow
plugs and fuel brought the curtain down on
it because it was not robust enough to
stand such use.
A source of confusion for many years
is the “Jr.” version of the Dennyplane.
This was a design featuring a one-piece
wing, simplified landing gear, and overall
simplified construction. It was sold as a
lower-priced kit, eliminating much of the
deluxe hardware and liquids of the more
expensive Dennyplane.
Both designs could hardly be thought
of as “Duration” models, particularly
when compared with contemporary East
Coast and upper Midwest designs of the
era. The popular competition events for
Free Flight Power in the California area
placed emphasis on appearance and
realistic flight, presenting appearance
points combined with points for realistic
takeoff, landing, and flight path. This
preference is easily detectable when you
look closely at the designs of Joe
Weathers, Barney Snider (Model Craft),
Danner Bunch, etc.
As a consequence, the Dennyplane
series has never been popular with those
who fly old-time designs competitively.
However, its undeniable eye appeal made
the Dennyplane series quite popular with
the Free Flighters back then who had more
interest in aesthetics than duration.
The Dennyplane Jr. lends itself very
well to conversion to three- or fourchannel
RC; the original hinge lines can
be retained, and the round cowl can be
selected from stock of several aftermarket
fiberglass suppliers. (Mine used one
designed for the old VK Nieuport 17 kit.)
Check the catalog for Fiberglass
Specialties, 51200 Milano Dr., Macomb
MI 48042; Tel.: (810) 677-0213.
Construction plans and drawings of the
Dennyplane Jr. are available from the
AMA plans service.
Next Month: There is such a huge volume
of material about and photos of Reginald
Denny—the modeler—that I want to
share, I will continue this theme in the
August column. MA
This month we list those who have
donated $10 or more in support of the
Academy’s programs, the National
Model Aviation Museum and the
Aeromodeling Center, and those
organizations that have provided
grants for which AMA has applied and
received. These people have made
more than a donation—they have
made an investment in the future of
aeromodeling.
When you see these folks, thank
them! They are now among the
thousands who have given back to
model aviation part of what model
aviation has given to them. Many
things will be possible due to the their
thoughtful giving and generosity.
We list our supporters monthly.
These donations represent amounts
processed in the month of March
2004. If your name is not listed,
please write to the Membership
Department and include a canceled
check. We want to recognize all
contributors!
Thank you.
$100 up to $500
Thomas C Adamson Jr - MI
Jim A Barto - WA
Frank W Beatty - IL
Frederic H Blaser - CA
Solomon C Clark - NJ
Robert L Coates Jr - MI
James A Harris - OH
Alvin R Helms - TX
William G Hulbert - OH
John C Kimble - FL
Robert E Lampione - NY
James P Lewis - GA
Larry C Mick - IN
Douglas D Oleson - IN
Romulo C Pontual - NY
William S Reid - SC
Bud Romak - CA
Paul E Simon - MI
Frank G Slaughter - WY
Charles J Slusarczyk - OH
Randy D Smithhisler - WA
George L Westbrook - UT
James G White - FL
Gordon Wisniewski - WI
$10 up to $100
Your Contributions do Make a Difference!
Robin J Jackson - NC
Duane Renken - MI
John E Schroder - FL
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:10 am Page 154
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 152,153,154
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 152,153,154
D.B. Mathews
F l y i n g f o r F u n
909 N. Maize Rd., Townhouse 734, Wichita KS 67212
I HAVE PREVIEWED kits for 3-D miniature foam electricpowered
fliers by Fancy Foam Models. They are made from
precisely CNC-cut and routed Depron, ready to have the included
graphite rods and such glued in, and slots for the servos, etc. are
neatly cut. This is good news for those who are unable or unwilling
to gather all the nontraditional materials and hardware for these
little wonders.
These models are available in levels of completeness ranging
from high-performance packs, including everything but the
transmitter, to replacement parts and hardware. Contact
www.fancyfoam.com for a catalog and ordering instructions. This
is high-quality stuff!
The following material is excerpted in large part from an
interesting Web site—www.ctie.Monash.edu.au/hargrave/
dennyplane_jr.html—which was created and is maintained by
Russell Naughton, who is a staff member of Monash University in
Victoria, Australia.
Who is Reginald Denny? One evening I watched Mr. Blandings
Builds His Dream House on the Turner Classic Movies television
station. This entertaining 1948 comedy stars Cary Grant and Myrna
Loy as the Blandings, and Reginald Denny as their architect.
While I was watching it, it occurred to me that not many
modelers associate movie stars with our hobby. Some collectors
and some of us older guys recall Dennymite engines and
Dennyplane kits, but few fully realize their connection to a
successful actor. I thought that could be the basis of a few
interesting columns if I could access photos and articles on the
subject.
Jack Maxwell wrote a two-part article about Reginald Denny’s
association with Radio Plane—one of the first firms to supply
radio-controlled target drones to the military, in the late 1930s—
that was published in the July and August 1992 issues of MA. Jack
had served in a Navy unit that maintained
and flew those drones during World War II.
That article was supported with
numerous photos and data, so it was
obvious that the material existed
somewhere. I made a quick trip to the
Google Internet search engine and turned up
the aforementioned Reginald Denny site. It
includes several hundred photos from what
is obviously the Denny family album and
reproductions of material published about
Reginald Denny, including a construction
article for a Denny Plane Jr. that I wrote
which was published in the January 1977
MA. Now that’s flattering!
Reginald Denny was born in Richmond,
Surrey, England, on November 21, 1889,
and he died in the same place in June 1967
while visiting his hometown. He acted in
more than 200 movies and plays between
1919 and 1966. Both his parents were in the
theater, and Reginald first appeared on
stage at age 7. His father once played in a
musical comedy opposite Lilly Langtree. (Do
you remember the movie Judge Roy Bean?)
152 MODEL AVIATION
Actor and modeler Reginald Denny lived from 1889 until 1967.
Reginald Denny’s hobby shop on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard was open from
1935 until 1963 under several owners who retained the name.
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:09 am Page 152
July 2004 153
Reginald quit school at 16 to pursue a full-time theatrical
career. He was successful in numerous roles in English Music Hall.
He visited the US with a touring group in 1911 and moved here
permanently in 1914. A moderately successful career in silent films
followed.
When World War I broke out, Reginald enlisted in the Royal
Air Force and was sent to Hastings, England, for pilot training. The
war ended before he completed his training, so he saw no combat.
This service left him with a lifelong interest in flying full-scale and
model aircraft.
Returning to Hollywood in 1921, Reginald was frequently cast
as the all-American athletic type since he was in excellent
condition. The advent of talking pictures ended this illusion, but his
rugged good looks and sophisticated manner made him ideal for
character roles—particularly playing sophisticated Englishmen.
The list of Reginald Denny’s performances in movies is much
too long to print here, but his more familiar roles were playing
While surely posed, this photo captures the excitement kids find
in hobby shops. Reginald Denny is showing them some
interesting models.
Classic airplanes hang in Denny’s hobby shop. These fuselages
are the Jr. type. They were for sale as ARFs in 1938!
Jane Withers with a Dennyplane Jr. used in her film Holy Terror.
Jackie Cooper received one as a gift from Reginald.
Child actor Freddie Bartholomew prepares to fly a Dennyplane
Jr. at Mines Field in California.
Commander Schmidlapp in Batman, Henry Percival in Cat Ballou,
the police chief in Around the World in 80 Days, Frank Crawley in
Rebecca, and Algy Longworth in the Bulldog Drummond series.
He created a role in the stage production of “My Fair Lady,” and
his last movie was Assault on a Queen in 1966. During his career he
acted in such varied movies as Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde (1953) and Romeo and Juliet (1936).
Chances are extremely high that you have seen Reginald Denny
in a movie. You may not have been able to put a name to the face,
and you probably didn’t know of a connection between the actor and
model airplanes.
Reginald Denny, Modeler: Charles Lindbergh’s solo crossing of
the Atlantic set off a nationwide aviation craze, as has often been
documented. Everyone young and old was focused on aviation and
aviation events, and this interest and enthusiasm extended to
building and flying model airplanes.
Numerous companies jumped into the activities with kits for
rubber-powered models. As we illustrated with our photo coverage
of the local Jimmie Allen contests, any event involving model
airplanes generated huge crowds.
Combining his longtime interest and activities with full-scale
aircraft, Reginald formed a company to develop and manufacture
model airplane kits in 1934. By 1935, sales through local
advertising were strong enough that he opened a retail model shop
on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California,
just visible from the exit off the Hollywood Freeway.
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:09 am Page 153
154 MODEL AVIATION
That location remained open until at
least 1963 under the management of Peter
Veer. Apparently in 1963 (there is some
contention on this date) the shop was sold
to Col. Tom’s and combined with a store
farther south in West Los Angeles.
As was typical in that era, the shop was
a special place for modelers of all ages but
was particularly magnetic to the young
children in the neighborhood. Numerous
modeling friends who are 50 or older often
relate what places of total fascination and
dreams hobby shops were in their youth.
One of my favorite items that illustrates
that phenomenon was an article published
many years ago centering on kids in hobby
shops titled “How Much Are Your 10 Cent
Gliders?”
Reginald enjoyed young people and
was exceedingly accommodating to them
in his shop. Legend has it that no child
was denied the joy of building a model
airplane from one of his kits just because
he or she had no money.
Reginald also developed a wonderful
reputation for presenting his kits or
completed models to child stars of the day.
A photo on the cover of Mechanics
Illustrated several years ago showed a
young Mickey Rooney launching a
Dennyplane. And as you can see from the
photos I’ve used, several other child stars
had those models.
In 1937, Reginald added a realisticlooking
“gas” design called the
Dennyplane to his rubber-power kit line.
This original version was notable because
of its all-sheet-balsa tail surfaces;
aluminum-tube wingtips; and two-piece,
plug-in wing.
The Dennyplane also used an
experimental engine that was apparently
developed and produced by Major
Mosely’s Aircraft Industries in Burbank,
California—the same company that made
and sold Baby Cyclone engines. A
modeling-press advertising campaign,
most notably in Model Airplane News,
generated worldwide sales.
Later versions of the Dennyplane were
designed around the Dennymite engine
that Walter Righter developed and
manufactured and Reginald sold under
license. This power plant, although crude
in some ways, started and ran reliably, and
it was sturdy—more than could be said
about many of its counterparts.
The Dennymite was not produced
during World War II, but it was sold again
in the late 1940s. The advent of glow
plugs and fuel brought the curtain down on
it because it was not robust enough to
stand such use.
A source of confusion for many years
is the “Jr.” version of the Dennyplane.
This was a design featuring a one-piece
wing, simplified landing gear, and overall
simplified construction. It was sold as a
lower-priced kit, eliminating much of the
deluxe hardware and liquids of the more
expensive Dennyplane.
Both designs could hardly be thought
of as “Duration” models, particularly
when compared with contemporary East
Coast and upper Midwest designs of the
era. The popular competition events for
Free Flight Power in the California area
placed emphasis on appearance and
realistic flight, presenting appearance
points combined with points for realistic
takeoff, landing, and flight path. This
preference is easily detectable when you
look closely at the designs of Joe
Weathers, Barney Snider (Model Craft),
Danner Bunch, etc.
As a consequence, the Dennyplane
series has never been popular with those
who fly old-time designs competitively.
However, its undeniable eye appeal made
the Dennyplane series quite popular with
the Free Flighters back then who had more
interest in aesthetics than duration.
The Dennyplane Jr. lends itself very
well to conversion to three- or fourchannel
RC; the original hinge lines can
be retained, and the round cowl can be
selected from stock of several aftermarket
fiberglass suppliers. (Mine used one
designed for the old VK Nieuport 17 kit.)
Check the catalog for Fiberglass
Specialties, 51200 Milano Dr., Macomb
MI 48042; Tel.: (810) 677-0213.
Construction plans and drawings of the
Dennyplane Jr. are available from the
AMA plans service.
Next Month: There is such a huge volume
of material about and photos of Reginald
Denny—the modeler—that I want to
share, I will continue this theme in the
August column. MA
This month we list those who have
donated $10 or more in support of the
Academy’s programs, the National
Model Aviation Museum and the
Aeromodeling Center, and those
organizations that have provided
grants for which AMA has applied and
received. These people have made
more than a donation—they have
made an investment in the future of
aeromodeling.
When you see these folks, thank
them! They are now among the
thousands who have given back to
model aviation part of what model
aviation has given to them. Many
things will be possible due to the their
thoughtful giving and generosity.
We list our supporters monthly.
These donations represent amounts
processed in the month of March
2004. If your name is not listed,
please write to the Membership
Department and include a canceled
check. We want to recognize all
contributors!
Thank you.
$100 up to $500
Thomas C Adamson Jr - MI
Jim A Barto - WA
Frank W Beatty - IL
Frederic H Blaser - CA
Solomon C Clark - NJ
Robert L Coates Jr - MI
James A Harris - OH
Alvin R Helms - TX
William G Hulbert - OH
John C Kimble - FL
Robert E Lampione - NY
James P Lewis - GA
Larry C Mick - IN
Douglas D Oleson - IN
Romulo C Pontual - NY
William S Reid - SC
Bud Romak - CA
Paul E Simon - MI
Frank G Slaughter - WY
Charles J Slusarczyk - OH
Randy D Smithhisler - WA
George L Westbrook - UT
James G White - FL
Gordon Wisniewski - WI
$10 up to $100
Your Contributions do Make a Difference!
Robin J Jackson - NC
Duane Renken - MI
John E Schroder - FL
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:10 am Page 154
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/07
Page Numbers: 152,153,154
D.B. Mathews
F l y i n g f o r F u n
909 N. Maize Rd., Townhouse 734, Wichita KS 67212
I HAVE PREVIEWED kits for 3-D miniature foam electricpowered
fliers by Fancy Foam Models. They are made from
precisely CNC-cut and routed Depron, ready to have the included
graphite rods and such glued in, and slots for the servos, etc. are
neatly cut. This is good news for those who are unable or unwilling
to gather all the nontraditional materials and hardware for these
little wonders.
These models are available in levels of completeness ranging
from high-performance packs, including everything but the
transmitter, to replacement parts and hardware. Contact
www.fancyfoam.com for a catalog and ordering instructions. This
is high-quality stuff!
The following material is excerpted in large part from an
interesting Web site—www.ctie.Monash.edu.au/hargrave/
dennyplane_jr.html—which was created and is maintained by
Russell Naughton, who is a staff member of Monash University in
Victoria, Australia.
Who is Reginald Denny? One evening I watched Mr. Blandings
Builds His Dream House on the Turner Classic Movies television
station. This entertaining 1948 comedy stars Cary Grant and Myrna
Loy as the Blandings, and Reginald Denny as their architect.
While I was watching it, it occurred to me that not many
modelers associate movie stars with our hobby. Some collectors
and some of us older guys recall Dennymite engines and
Dennyplane kits, but few fully realize their connection to a
successful actor. I thought that could be the basis of a few
interesting columns if I could access photos and articles on the
subject.
Jack Maxwell wrote a two-part article about Reginald Denny’s
association with Radio Plane—one of the first firms to supply
radio-controlled target drones to the military, in the late 1930s—
that was published in the July and August 1992 issues of MA. Jack
had served in a Navy unit that maintained
and flew those drones during World War II.
That article was supported with
numerous photos and data, so it was
obvious that the material existed
somewhere. I made a quick trip to the
Google Internet search engine and turned up
the aforementioned Reginald Denny site. It
includes several hundred photos from what
is obviously the Denny family album and
reproductions of material published about
Reginald Denny, including a construction
article for a Denny Plane Jr. that I wrote
which was published in the January 1977
MA. Now that’s flattering!
Reginald Denny was born in Richmond,
Surrey, England, on November 21, 1889,
and he died in the same place in June 1967
while visiting his hometown. He acted in
more than 200 movies and plays between
1919 and 1966. Both his parents were in the
theater, and Reginald first appeared on
stage at age 7. His father once played in a
musical comedy opposite Lilly Langtree. (Do
you remember the movie Judge Roy Bean?)
152 MODEL AVIATION
Actor and modeler Reginald Denny lived from 1889 until 1967.
Reginald Denny’s hobby shop on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard was open from
1935 until 1963 under several owners who retained the name.
07sig5.QXD 4/23/04 10:09 am Page 152
July 2004 153
Reginald quit school at 16 to pursue a full-time theatrical
career. He was successful in numerous roles in English Music Hall.
He visited the US with a touring group in 1911 and moved here
permanently in 1914. A moderately successful career in silent films
followed.
When World War I broke out, Reginald enlisted in the Royal
Air Force and was sent to Hastings, England, for pilot training. The
war ended before he completed his training, so he saw no combat.
This service left him with a lifelong interest in flying full-scale and
model aircraft.
Returning to Hollywood in 1921, Reginald was frequently cast
as the all-American athletic type since he was in excellent
condition. The advent of talking pictures ended this illusion, but his
rugged good looks and sophisticated manner made him ideal for
character roles—particularly playing sophisticated Englishmen.
The list of Reginald Denny’s performances in movies is much
too long to print here, but his more familiar roles were playing
While surely posed, this photo captures the excitement kids find
in hobby shops. Reginald Denny is showing them some
interesting models.
Classic airplanes hang in Denny’s hobby shop. These fuselages
are the Jr. type. They were for sale as ARFs in 1938!
Jane Withers with a Dennyplane Jr. used in her film Holy Terror.
Jackie Cooper received one as a gift from Reginald.
Child actor Freddie Bartholomew prepares to fly a Dennyplane
Jr. at Mines Field in California.
Commander Schmidlapp in Batman, Henry Percival in Cat Ballou,
the police chief in Around the World in 80 Days, Frank Crawley in
Rebecca, and Algy Longworth in the Bulldog Drummond series.
He created a role in the stage production of “My Fair Lady,” and
his last movie was Assault on a Queen in 1966. During his career he
acted in such varied movies as Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde (1953) and Romeo and Juliet (1936).
Chances are extremely high that you have seen Reginald Denny
in a movie. You may not have been able to put a name to the face,
and you probably didn’t know of a connection between the actor and
model airplanes.
Reginald Denny, Modeler: Charles Lindbergh’s solo crossing of
the Atlantic set off a nationwide aviation craze, as has often been
documented. Everyone young and old was focused on aviation and
aviation events, and this interest and enthusiasm extended to
building and flying model airplanes.
Numerous companies jumped into the activities with kits for
rubber-powered models. As we illustrated with our photo coverage
of the local Jimmie Allen contests, any event involving model
airplanes generated huge crowds.
Combining his longtime interest and activities with full-scale
aircraft, Reginald formed a company to develop and manufacture
model airplane kits in 1934. By 1935, sales through local
advertising were strong enough that he opened a retail model shop
on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California,
just visible from the exit off the Hollywood Freeway.
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154 MODEL AVIATION
That location remained open until at
least 1963 under the management of Peter
Veer. Apparently in 1963 (there is some
contention on this date) the shop was sold
to Col. Tom’s and combined with a store
farther south in West Los Angeles.
As was typical in that era, the shop was
a special place for modelers of all ages but
was particularly magnetic to the young
children in the neighborhood. Numerous
modeling friends who are 50 or older often
relate what places of total fascination and
dreams hobby shops were in their youth.
One of my favorite items that illustrates
that phenomenon was an article published
many years ago centering on kids in hobby
shops titled “How Much Are Your 10 Cent
Gliders?”
Reginald enjoyed young people and
was exceedingly accommodating to them
in his shop. Legend has it that no child
was denied the joy of building a model
airplane from one of his kits just because
he or she had no money.
Reginald also developed a wonderful
reputation for presenting his kits or
completed models to child stars of the day.
A photo on the cover of Mechanics
Illustrated several years ago showed a
young Mickey Rooney launching a
Dennyplane. And as you can see from the
photos I’ve used, several other child stars
had those models.
In 1937, Reginald added a realisticlooking
“gas” design called the
Dennyplane to his rubber-power kit line.
This original version was notable because
of its all-sheet-balsa tail surfaces;
aluminum-tube wingtips; and two-piece,
plug-in wing.
The Dennyplane also used an
experimental engine that was apparently
developed and produced by Major
Mosely’s Aircraft Industries in Burbank,
California—the same company that made
and sold Baby Cyclone engines. A
modeling-press advertising campaign,
most notably in Model Airplane News,
generated worldwide sales.
Later versions of the Dennyplane were
designed around the Dennymite engine
that Walter Righter developed and
manufactured and Reginald sold under
license. This power plant, although crude
in some ways, started and ran reliably, and
it was sturdy—more than could be said
about many of its counterparts.
The Dennymite was not produced
during World War II, but it was sold again
in the late 1940s. The advent of glow
plugs and fuel brought the curtain down on
it because it was not robust enough to
stand such use.
A source of confusion for many years
is the “Jr.” version of the Dennyplane.
This was a design featuring a one-piece
wing, simplified landing gear, and overall
simplified construction. It was sold as a
lower-priced kit, eliminating much of the
deluxe hardware and liquids of the more
expensive Dennyplane.
Both designs could hardly be thought
of as “Duration” models, particularly
when compared with contemporary East
Coast and upper Midwest designs of the
era. The popular competition events for
Free Flight Power in the California area
placed emphasis on appearance and
realistic flight, presenting appearance
points combined with points for realistic
takeoff, landing, and flight path. This
preference is easily detectable when you
look closely at the designs of Joe
Weathers, Barney Snider (Model Craft),
Danner Bunch, etc.
As a consequence, the Dennyplane
series has never been popular with those
who fly old-time designs competitively.
However, its undeniable eye appeal made
the Dennyplane series quite popular with
the Free Flighters back then who had more
interest in aesthetics than duration.
The Dennyplane Jr. lends itself very
well to conversion to three- or fourchannel
RC; the original hinge lines can
be retained, and the round cowl can be
selected from stock of several aftermarket
fiberglass suppliers. (Mine used one
designed for the old VK Nieuport 17 kit.)
Check the catalog for Fiberglass
Specialties, 51200 Milano Dr., Macomb
MI 48042; Tel.: (810) 677-0213.
Construction plans and drawings of the
Dennyplane Jr. are available from the
AMA plans service.
Next Month: There is such a huge volume
of material about and photos of Reginald
Denny—the modeler—that I want to
share, I will continue this theme in the
August column. MA
This month we list those who have
donated $10 or more in support of the
Academy’s programs, the National
Model Aviation Museum and the
Aeromodeling Center, and those
organizations that have provided
grants for which AMA has applied and
received. These people have made
more than a donation—they have
made an investment in the future of
aeromodeling.
When you see these folks, thank
them! They are now among the
thousands who have given back to
model aviation part of what model
aviation has given to them. Many
things will be possible due to the their
thoughtful giving and generosity.
We list our supporters monthly.
These donations represent amounts
processed in the month of March
2004. If your name is not listed,
please write to the Membership
Department and include a canceled
check. We want to recognize all
contributors!
Thank you.
$100 up to $500
Thomas C Adamson Jr - MI
Jim A Barto - WA
Frank W Beatty - IL
Frederic H Blaser - CA
Solomon C Clark - NJ
Robert L Coates Jr - MI
James A Harris - OH
Alvin R Helms - TX
William G Hulbert - OH
John C Kimble - FL
Robert E Lampione - NY
James P Lewis - GA
Larry C Mick - IN
Douglas D Oleson - IN
Romulo C Pontual - NY
William S Reid - SC
Bud Romak - CA
Paul E Simon - MI
Frank G Slaughter - WY
Charles J Slusarczyk - OH
Randy D Smithhisler - WA
George L Westbrook - UT
James G White - FL
Gordon Wisniewski - WI
$10 up to $100
Your Contributions do Make a Difference!
Robin J Jackson - NC
Duane Renken - MI
John E Schroder - FL
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