Author: Dennis O. Norman
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/10
Page Numbers: 152,153,154
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FREE FLIGHT SCALE - 2004/10

Dennis O. Norman, 11216 Lake Ave., Cleveland OH 44102

Hi, Skysters! There is lots of news—most of it happy but some of it sad. Following my old reflex to people saying that they have "good news and bad news," I will share the bad news first.

In Memoriam: Bob Thompson

The Flying Aces Club (FAC) has lost one of its founding fathers; Bob Thompson passed away February 11, 2004. He was one of the organization's zaniest members. He often flew in FAC character, complete with leather flying helmet and goggles. When depicting the "bad boys" of the FAC, he was also known to wear a short, black scalloped cape.

As are so many FAC members, Bob was well educated. He graduated from Deerfield Academy, earned his bachelor's degree in history from Stanford University, and earned his master's degree in history from Yale University.

He followed his education with a 40-year career as a history and German teacher at Francis T. Maloney High School in Meriden, Connecticut, until he retired three years ago. Bob was kind, charitable, and brilliant. He was a multifaceted man of letters who spoke passionately about ancient and modern history.

Bob was not only a scholar, but he was also a loving father of two sons who have cherished memories of him rumbling down the road in his Bentley or his vintage Volkswagen, talking, laughing, and enjoying life to the fullest. His great sense of humor and his dynamic and unusual approach to life made him a natural leader. We are all indebted to him and inspired by his memory.

The Flying Ace (poem)

Several years ago I wrote a poem to memorialize FAC members who have passed on. It was inspired in part by the sonnet "High Flight" by John G. Magee—a 19-year-old American pilot officer who was killed while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force in England in December 1941. I call my poem "The Flying Ace." It speaks to all who have enjoyed our fine hobby.

Oh I have seen the clear blue depth of summer sky; And felt thermals in the lush warmth of their best. I have stood on meadows in grass waist high; Dreamed, drew, cut, built, covered, and put to test.

Fragile birds of sticks and tissue with rubber hearts; God's sun shone through them with a beauty bright; Calling out colors and the details of their inner parts; As high they soared overhead, sometimes out of sight.

All my dreams have risen far from my mortal touch; But ever closer to the eternal touch of my Divine Maker. Though I aged, the happy child in me lived, did much; And gave, and got, a joyful life that shamed its taker.

Bob Holman Plans

Kevin Lehnert of the Alamo Escadrille FAC enjoyed my blurb about laying out construction plans from three-view drawings. I will elaborate on this in a future column, but as I stated earlier, there is good news for you.

Bob Holman has just published his latest list of old-time plans and laser-cut parts, and it is a beauty. CAD-drawn plans, assuring parts accuracy, bring new life to classic FF types such as the Cleveland Gull, the Comet Sparky, the Flying Aces Moth, the 1939 Korda Wakefield, the Lanzo Cabin (1933), the Earl Stahl Hurricane, the Vito Garofalo Heaven Bound, several Jimmie Allen types, and many more.

For those who want to remind me that this column is supposed to be devoted to FF Scale, I hasten to add that Bob Holman also presents several Scale subjects by such greats as Chet Lanzo, Earl Stahl, and Henry Struck.

Bob laser-cuts high-quality wood and is justly proud of his efforts. You can obtain a free copy of his latest list by sending an SASE and a few stamps to:

Bill Hannan and Hannan's Runway

Bill Hannan had kind words about the April 2004 column and the FAC presentation. Hannan’s Runway remains one of the best sources for flying Scale publications. His latest catalog lists significant titles such as his Stick & Tissue series, his impressive Ampersand series, Models and Methods International, Don Ross’s Flying Models, Book 2, Harper’s 1913 Aircraft Book by A.H. Verrill, and the late Paul Matt’s Scale Aircraft Drawings (two volumes).

Bill also offers The Master Scratch Builders by Alcorn, Lee, and Cooke; numerous informative videos (including one about me); and most of the excellent Windsock series of datafiles (World War I from England).

Those are but a few publications that are available. For more information, contact Bill at Hannan’s Runway:

Bill also sent a photo of a much younger me preparing to demonstrate my rubber-powered Tu 95 “Bear” for Ichiro Yamada, his charming wife, and a few friends.

Golden Age Reproductions (GAR)

Jim Fiorello of Golden Age Reproductions (GAR) is 81. After 15 years, he is putting his business up for sale. Started by the late Joe Fitzgibbon and his friends Harry Keeshian and Bill Harney in the mid-1970s, GAR made a notable contribution to our hobby by restoring and preserving hundreds of classic Scale plans from the 1930s.

Those of you who are fortunate enough to own a copy of the original GAR catalog know what a magnificent effort it was. The company still markets a large number of plans and kits based on reproductions of classic rubber-powered Scale subjects. If you would like further information, contact Jim at:

  • Golden Age Reproductions, Box 1685, Andover MA 01810
  • Tel.: (978) 687-0024
  • E-mail: [email protected]

Albatros D.Va covering-kit project

In speaking with Jim, I mentioned that I have an idea to use his kit of the Albatros D.Va (22-inch span) as the first subject for a new series of covering kits printed on Japanese tissue, using the color-copier method I described in my article “Color Copier Techniques” in the June 2002 MA.

My thought is to create a full set of color markings for a famous Albatros D.Va such as “Stropp”—the one owned by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum—which will fit the GAR kit. I am working on the artwork for Stropp as this goes to press. If I finish it in time, I will be showing it at this year’s FAC event that will be held at the AMA site in Muncie, Indiana, September 11–12.

Propeller carving resources

Robert J. Passerelli wrote in asking for information about carving balsa propellers. I sent him a short list of published materials, which he found extremely helpful.

That list included:

  • One-page excerpt from the July 1939 Air Trails magazine
  • “Propeller Pitch” by Duncan McRae, Windsock newsletter, March/April 1998
  • Chapter 6 of Making Scale Model Airplanes Fly by W.F. McCombs
  • “Building and Finishing” chapter by the late J.D. McHard in the plans book Flying Scale Models of WWII (Model Builder magazine, 1974)

There are many other sources of information about carving propellers, but these helped answer his questions.

Club newsletters and the Cloudbusters

One of the best sources of information about FF Scale activity is the various club newsletters that have been published throughout the years. The Cloudbusters Model Airplane Club of Detroit is in its 65th year and publishes the wonderful bimonthly Cloudbusters’ Newsletter.

As do many club newsletters, it usually contains photos of members’ latest projects, plans, sketches, and diagrams showing various useful techniques. The May/June 2004 issue presents a classic way to make spoked wheels using a fixture.

Cloudbusters membership and a subscription are available for $10 per year, which is well worth it. For further information, contact:

  • Cloudbusters Model Airplane Club, care of Fred Gregg, 37693 Gregory Dr., Sterling Heights MI 48312

Of course, there are many other newsletters, and I will tell you about some of them in the future. Clubs are welcome to contact me with newsletter specifics. I will be happy to share the details with you as they arrive.

FAC Nats reporting

I have the honor of reporting on this year’s FAC Nats. At this writing, I am pleased to tell you that the photographic talents of Bob Clemens, Fred Wunsch, Vic Nippert, and others who want to help will be featured. I am creating a slip which will be given for each photographed model. I cannot promise that every airplane photographed will be published, but I can assure you that any model that gets its picture taken must have a slip filled out and turned in to be considered for publication.

There will probably be too many pictures for the FAC Nats article, but there should be a rich supply of photos for future use. I look forward to seeing you and your fine work at this year’s contest.

Till next month.

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.