Flying for Fun
D.B. Mathews | [email protected]
International Plastic Modelers' Society introduced and explained
The secretary of the L-4 Grasshopper Wing in Gould, Arizona, advises that, contrary to the long-standing legend, no L-4s were constructed in Piper’s Ponca City, Oklahoma, plant — only J-3s and PA-12s were built there before the facility was closed. A total of 5,673 L-4s were built, and many of them are still flying. All L-4s were built in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.
Richard Geide of Wichita recently sent an article from the April 1928 Aviation, illustrating with text, photo, and three-views the Williams Monoplane: a low-wing, single-place, three-cylinder, 30-horsepower Anzani-powered prototype produced by the Niles Aircraft Corporation of Niles, Michigan.
The remarkable thing about this aircraft is its close resemblance to the Ford Flivver I wrote about in the July issue. Its dimensions, landing-gear spread and setup, and the covered tailwheel strongly resemble the Flivver’s. However, the Monoplane’s wing is fully cantilevered with no exterior bracing.
The copy of the picture I have is inadequate for scanning for this column. Try the Internet for a photo. Since the Williams was introduced in 1928 and the Flivvers went into production in 1926, one can reasonably presume a strong Flivver influence on the Williams.
I lack enough information to answer questions such as: did Otto Koppen, the Flivver designer, have any connection to the Williams? Were there industrial spies involved? If any reader has answers to this matter, I’d be delighted to pass them on.
Most of us are familiar with the plastic models sold by the hundreds of thousands, primarily to 9- to 14-year-old boys and girls. These are easy-to-assemble, injection-molded styrene scale models of all sorts of prototypes, including cars and ships. You essentially snap the parts together with some glue, and then paint to suit.
These models essentially replaced the wooden “solid” models of our youth, but they are infinitely easier to develop into an acceptable-looking model. They do not require carving or sanding.
Plastic model kits have appealed to builders for more than half a century and have been sold to many generations of kids. Their simple assembly almost assures at least some degree of success, which is an immense attraction for youngsters. The painting and decoration sometimes leave much to be desired, but many are true works of art. These craftsmen deserve as much admiration from us modelers as we give scale-model builders. We just seldom cross paths in our hobby activities. If we would, I think we would quickly learn to be more tolerant and appreciative of plastic models and those who create them.
Recently a friend called to tell me to get out to Arlo Schroeder’s house before the Navy came to haul his display models away to the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida. I snobbishly presumed they were the usual collection of plastic models snapped together from kits. As the photos illustrate, I was way off. Much in the manner of those who spend countless hours researching as much detail on a subject as possible for their flying models, Arlo says he spent years getting everything just right for some of his display models. That obsession with detail is evident in the photos accompanying this column.
Arlo's reference materials range from the always-respected drawings of William Wylam, Joe Nieto, Paul Matt, etc., as published in various magazines, to three-views found in old Aero Digest issues. There are numerous other drawings from even more obscure sources. I have mentioned several of these in previous columns. Strangely, some prototypes are much more photographed than drawn in three-views.
Arlo prefers to add as much internal detail to his models as possible using erection and maintenance reference manuals from various sources. These are essentially well-illustrated assembly and repair instructions that field crews use.
I was once privileged enough to spend two whole days in the research files at the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, by sort of blundering my way in. To my surprise, I found far more erection and rigging material than photos and three-views. I couldn't see much use for them at the time, but I was obviously wrong, so don't hesitate to search such sources.
Arlo estimates that building a model can take from a few months to two years, depending on the complexity and the amount of scratch work needed. When he started, he did not have access to plastic models of the rare prototypes, so he built many models by scratch-building methods using styrene sheet, strip, and rod material.
He describes his work as near-scratch because only small details such as landing gear or engines were modified from kit parts. Many of his models incorporate turned aluminum or brass parts such as props, landing gear struts, gun barrels, and engine details.
One reason for modeling from scratch is reproducing prototypes that are unavailable in kit form. You might notice in this month's photos that a major portion of Arlo's work is devoted to way-out-of-the-rut aircraft. That attitude ties into what I have been preaching in this column of late.
These models begin with intricately assembled interior framework and then are covered with vacuum-formed exterior shells, which duplicate the metal and fabric covering. The shells are vacuum-formed over finely carved hardwood forms.
The parts are then joined so that the internal structure ends up being covered with a thin exterior shell, exactly like full-scale metal aircraft are built. Imagine what is underneath the skin of the other models.
Much of the internal detail in Arlo's models makes use of plastic structural shapes available in model-railroad shops. He often turns the necessary wheels from hardwood using a lathe. The scale motors are partially vacuum-formed, and then fins and other details are added from all sorts of unusual sources. The propellers are hogged out of aluminum by hand using files and similar tools.
According to Arlo, many correct naval aircraft colors are available on color charts for automotive lacquers. He matches the colors and then either buys stock lacquer or has an automotive paint dealer custom-mix them. He applies the paint with a hobby-type airbrush.
As a youngster Arlo built and flew FF and CL models. He still has a ubiquitous Veco Dakota in his basement. Arlo went on to work for Boeing in Wichita in 1951 and was a flightline mechanic in the experimental and modification divisions.
He retired in 1985, after 34 years with the company. Since then he has been busy creating magnificent static display models of naval aircraft.
Arlo took a Grumman TBF torpedo bomber model to an IPMS convention in Washington, D.C., where it won its class. Bob McLeish, who was with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, saw it and asked Arlo if he would construct a smaller, 1/32 version in the markings of the TBF in which George H.W. Bush and his crew were shot down in the South Pacific during World War II.
Arlo researched all the markings and details of that particular TBF and constructed one of his magnificent display models. He and his wife were then invited to the White House in 1990 to present the model to President Bush, who, judging from the photo, was delighted with it.
That is a thrill most modelers only dream of. Many of Arlo's models are now on display in Pensacola, having been picked up by two National Museum of Naval Aviation representatives. After seeing these wonderful models, it is no surprise that they are extremely desirable to the museum and to the former president.
If someone tells you his or her neighbor builds "plastic models," it would be wise to ask a few additional questions.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
