December 2011 123
A pause for celebration
[[email protected]]
Free Flight Scale Dennis Norman
2011 MARKS the 65th anniversary of my
happy involvement with model aviation.
Although I was only four years old, my joy
in seeing my first model airplane began a
passion for aeromodeling that remains a part
of my life to this day.
Model aviation has given me a creative
outlet. In times of stress, it has been a refuge
that has given me renewal and peace. Best
of all, it has put me in touch with some of
the most wonderful and gifted people that I
have been privileged to know.
Mentoring is a key to many long-term
pursuits, including constructing and flying
model airplanes. I owe my growth as a
builder and designer of model airplanes to
the tutelage and good influences of many.
Some were famous aeromodeling leaders.
Others were gifted artists who generously
shared their talents and skills with me.
As I reflect, I want to thank those kind
souls who mentored me and taught me
countless lessons of craftsmanship,
ingenuity, problem-solving, and friendship.
Not only did they help me grow as a model
builder, but they gave me useful lessons for
life.
I was the firstborn in my family. In 1944
my father was called to begin two years of
active duty with the United States Navy in
the Pacific Theater. Upon his return in 1946,
our relationship was renewed when I
watched him design and build a small stickand-
tissue FF model similar to those that he
built and flew as a teenager in the 1930s.
Being an engineer, Dad drew his own
plans. He took me to the neighborhood
hobby shop to get the materials needed to
construct his model. He let me sit with him
as he deftly turned balsa sheet and sticks
into an airframe, which he covered with
yellow Japanese tissue. He built the first
model for me in one weekend. (Remember
this: when building models for young
children, do it quickly to avoid infant
boredom.)
On Sunday night, he took me to a nearby
football field for test-flying. He wound the
strand-rubber motor by back-winding the
model’s small propeller. After a few
hundred winds, he launched his little aircraft
into a gentle evening breeze. Incredibly, the
tiny airplane soared high into the sky in a
flight that smoothly transcended the entire
length of the football field before coming to
rest in a chain-link fence.
Both of us were ecstatic at the
unexpected maiden flight. We laughed and
shouted as we ran to retrieve our treasure.
That experience marked a powerful
reconnection between us with feelings of joy
and accomplishment. Throughout the next
two years, Dad built more models for me
until the pressures of college, a new job, a
new home, and a growing family took
precedence. By then model aviation was
firmly rooted in my life.
I began “building” models on my own at
the age of six, when I put together some of
the wonderful solid models offered by
Strombecker. Within a year I discovered
Monogram’s Speedee-Built series. Although
I had learned to read, the beautifully
illustrated plans gave me added clarity and
confidence as I worked on those little
gems.
When I was seven, my dad bought
a couple of Cleveland SF Master kits
at a sale at the neighborhood hobby
store. He probably thought I might
build them “someday,” since the SF
kits obviously were beyond my
budding skills.
I managed to cobble together a ¾-
inch scale Grumman Avenger Torpedo
Bomber at the age of eight! It was crude, but
I managed to build the basic airframe and
covered it with red tissue paper. Details
such as the landing gear and cockpit canopy
remained unsolved mysteries. My parents
were delighted with my attempt and
encouraged me to continue modeling.
At age nine, I “drew” my first
construction plan. It was inspired by a CL
Spitfire project in a Mechanix Illustrated
magazine. Being a dedicated FF Scale
enthusiast, I drew my 36-inch span Spitfire
with the thought of powering it by strand
rubber. The fuselage did not have enough
formers. It still looked okay when stringers
were added, but after tissue was applied and
water-shrunk, the curvaceous subject took
At the 2011 FAC Non-Nats in Geneseo NY,
69-year-old Dennis Norman cheerfully
winds a Retro RC News Flash stick
model built by Jim Wiggin, the new
associate editor of Flying Models. Peter
Zbasnik Jr. photo.
The author’s passion for scratch-built Scale modeling has included static Scale subjects
such as these Nieuport 28 look-alikes he built at age 13. Mearl Norman photo.
on a decided swayback look as the stringers
sagged under the pressure of the tissue.
In a coup de grace, I painted my Spitfire
with blue house paint. It did little to
improve the project, but again, my efforts
were met with parental elation. I “modeled
on,” determined to do better.
A series of sensible Comet kit builds led
me out of the darkness. Best of all, they
flew! Our family home, in the 1950s, was a
Cape Cod bungalow on a narrow city lot. It
was part of a huge postwar housing
development in which Cape Cods were
closely planted between driveways. Most of
my test flying was done in the backyard. I
felt primal elation when a Comet 24-inch
span Hellcat flew across our backyard into
the next-door neighbor’s backyard (a flight
of 50 feet or less).
Making home-built static Scale models
also captivated me. I came across a picture
of three small Nieuport 28 look-a-likes
finished in olive drab with British markings.
I built the three at the age of 13 and “flew”
one while leading my six-year-old brother
and one of his buddies in simulated
missions over the backyard.
During these years, I took my inspiration
from the latest kits at the hobby shops and
from magazines such as Model Airplane
News and Flying Models. At age 13, I
received a copy of Flying Scale Models by the
English master modeler Ron Moulton. The
128-page tome covered the subject of flying
Scale models with precision and included
numerous drawings and photos. Moulton’s
delightfully dry sense of humor helped keep it
all in perspective. Flying Scale Models still
serves as a reference for me. Its pages are
yellowed and the binding is frayed after years
of use, but it still inspires me.
I had the pleasure of meeting Moulton at
the 1982 Weak Signals Show in Toledo,
Ohio. Bill Northrup made the introduction by
asking Moulton what he thought of modelers
who built and flew multiengine rubberpowered
subjects. Northrup did not say my
name, but Moulton looked at me and
exclaimed, “Are you Norman?”
I was flabbergasted to realize that one of
my greatest heroes knew of my work,
although we lived thousands of miles apart.
Moulton even autographed my book copy.
Moulton’s book also inspired me to
explore other types of Scale aircraft
modeling. In my teens, I dabbled with Jetex,
CL, ducted-fan, and gas-powered FF Scale
types, but my passion for rubber-powered
Scale remained supreme.
In my early 20s, I had the good fortune to
meet Joseph A. Brdlik. Twenty or so years
my senior, Joe was an immigrant from
Prague. His father held an important cabinet
position in the post-World War I Czech
government.
As his father’s only son, Joe had been
raised in luxury and had vivid memories of
traveling with his father to promote the sales
of Czech arms to other Central European
nations. On one occasion he saw the
formidable Italian Fleet on parade. The sight
of it inspired him to a lifelong interest in
model ship building. He was also an avid
builder of model airplanes from the WW I
era. In Joe’s view, “aviation ended in 1918.”
With Joe, I had a modeler who was a
skilled craftsman, avid historian, and a
patient and masterful teacher. Thanks to
him, I went to places like Old Rhinebeck
Aerodrome and the Toledo Show in the
1960s.
Although Joe never built FF models, he
inspired me with his scratch-built CL
models. One of those models was a 1¼-inch
scale version of the Italian Caproni Ca 3
bomber from WW I.
That grand project inspired me to design
and build a ½-inch scale version of the
somewhat-sleeker Caproni Ca 5 trimotor
biplane, which flew as a FF Scale model in
the 1976 AMA Nats at Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base. I subsequently donated the
model to the AMA National Model Aviation
Museum. In a completely unexpected
tribute, MA featured the Ca 5 in the
September 2011 issue in “In the Air.”
While in law school in the late 1960s, I
began publishing articles in the model
aviation press. My first effort was a
scratch-built, rubber-powered FF Scale
model of the de Havilland Mosquito IV,
powered by a single motor in the fuselage,
which drove the twin propellers by a
pulley system. The construction article
was published in the December 1966
issue of Model Airplane News (MAN).
One of the delightful benefits of
publishing with MAN was the opportunity
to work with legends such as Editor
Walter L. Schroder and other staff writers
including the dynamic William Northrup
Jr., who later went on to found the muchrevered
Model Builder magazine.
Throughout the years, I wrote
numerous articles for Model Builder,
Flying Models, MA, and other
publications. I also served as editor of
Crosswinds, the newsletter of the
Cleveland Free Flight Society, and
contributed to the Flying Aces Newsletter.
By designing the first Flying Aces
Club (FAC) T-shirt for the 1978 Flying
Aces Nationals, I started the FAC’s
merchandising program. In FAC
competition, I was awarded the Blue Max
Medal, was among the first to reach 100
Kanones (first-place wins), attained the
rank of Air Marshal, and was inducted
into the FAC Hall of Fame.
In 2002, Editor Bob Hunt tapped me to
succeed Fernando Ramos as the FF Scale
columnist for MA. Reporting on FF Scale
activities, I am enjoying the emerging
new leadership of the Flying Aces Club.
Today’s FAC is filled with gifted
designers, builders, and fliers whose
creations far surpass my own. Their
comfort with modern technology is
opening a way to sustain the interest of
seniors, while at the same time attract
younger generations to the joys of FF
Scale and FF modeling. A growing
interaction between the FAC and the
National Free Flight Society (NFFS) is
benefiting both and promises a bright
future for our part of the hobby.
Sixty-five years is a substantial period
of time. For me, it has been enriched by
the golden thread of model aviation,
which I have been privileged to know
continuously from late infancy to early
retirement.
Mark Twain once said, “If you can’t
reach 70 by a comfortable road, don’t go!”
I am happy to report that model aviation
has not only provided me with a
comfortable road, but also with a satisfying
journey which still continues. MA
Sources:
NFFS
http://freeflight.org
FF Scale
www.freeflightscale.com
FAC
http://flyingacesclub.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 123,124,126
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 123,124,126
December 2011 123
A pause for celebration
[[email protected]]
Free Flight Scale Dennis Norman
2011 MARKS the 65th anniversary of my
happy involvement with model aviation.
Although I was only four years old, my joy
in seeing my first model airplane began a
passion for aeromodeling that remains a part
of my life to this day.
Model aviation has given me a creative
outlet. In times of stress, it has been a refuge
that has given me renewal and peace. Best
of all, it has put me in touch with some of
the most wonderful and gifted people that I
have been privileged to know.
Mentoring is a key to many long-term
pursuits, including constructing and flying
model airplanes. I owe my growth as a
builder and designer of model airplanes to
the tutelage and good influences of many.
Some were famous aeromodeling leaders.
Others were gifted artists who generously
shared their talents and skills with me.
As I reflect, I want to thank those kind
souls who mentored me and taught me
countless lessons of craftsmanship,
ingenuity, problem-solving, and friendship.
Not only did they help me grow as a model
builder, but they gave me useful lessons for
life.
I was the firstborn in my family. In 1944
my father was called to begin two years of
active duty with the United States Navy in
the Pacific Theater. Upon his return in 1946,
our relationship was renewed when I
watched him design and build a small stickand-
tissue FF model similar to those that he
built and flew as a teenager in the 1930s.
Being an engineer, Dad drew his own
plans. He took me to the neighborhood
hobby shop to get the materials needed to
construct his model. He let me sit with him
as he deftly turned balsa sheet and sticks
into an airframe, which he covered with
yellow Japanese tissue. He built the first
model for me in one weekend. (Remember
this: when building models for young
children, do it quickly to avoid infant
boredom.)
On Sunday night, he took me to a nearby
football field for test-flying. He wound the
strand-rubber motor by back-winding the
model’s small propeller. After a few
hundred winds, he launched his little aircraft
into a gentle evening breeze. Incredibly, the
tiny airplane soared high into the sky in a
flight that smoothly transcended the entire
length of the football field before coming to
rest in a chain-link fence.
Both of us were ecstatic at the
unexpected maiden flight. We laughed and
shouted as we ran to retrieve our treasure.
That experience marked a powerful
reconnection between us with feelings of joy
and accomplishment. Throughout the next
two years, Dad built more models for me
until the pressures of college, a new job, a
new home, and a growing family took
precedence. By then model aviation was
firmly rooted in my life.
I began “building” models on my own at
the age of six, when I put together some of
the wonderful solid models offered by
Strombecker. Within a year I discovered
Monogram’s Speedee-Built series. Although
I had learned to read, the beautifully
illustrated plans gave me added clarity and
confidence as I worked on those little
gems.
When I was seven, my dad bought
a couple of Cleveland SF Master kits
at a sale at the neighborhood hobby
store. He probably thought I might
build them “someday,” since the SF
kits obviously were beyond my
budding skills.
I managed to cobble together a ¾-
inch scale Grumman Avenger Torpedo
Bomber at the age of eight! It was crude, but
I managed to build the basic airframe and
covered it with red tissue paper. Details
such as the landing gear and cockpit canopy
remained unsolved mysteries. My parents
were delighted with my attempt and
encouraged me to continue modeling.
At age nine, I “drew” my first
construction plan. It was inspired by a CL
Spitfire project in a Mechanix Illustrated
magazine. Being a dedicated FF Scale
enthusiast, I drew my 36-inch span Spitfire
with the thought of powering it by strand
rubber. The fuselage did not have enough
formers. It still looked okay when stringers
were added, but after tissue was applied and
water-shrunk, the curvaceous subject took
At the 2011 FAC Non-Nats in Geneseo NY,
69-year-old Dennis Norman cheerfully
winds a Retro RC News Flash stick
model built by Jim Wiggin, the new
associate editor of Flying Models. Peter
Zbasnik Jr. photo.
The author’s passion for scratch-built Scale modeling has included static Scale subjects
such as these Nieuport 28 look-alikes he built at age 13. Mearl Norman photo.
on a decided swayback look as the stringers
sagged under the pressure of the tissue.
In a coup de grace, I painted my Spitfire
with blue house paint. It did little to
improve the project, but again, my efforts
were met with parental elation. I “modeled
on,” determined to do better.
A series of sensible Comet kit builds led
me out of the darkness. Best of all, they
flew! Our family home, in the 1950s, was a
Cape Cod bungalow on a narrow city lot. It
was part of a huge postwar housing
development in which Cape Cods were
closely planted between driveways. Most of
my test flying was done in the backyard. I
felt primal elation when a Comet 24-inch
span Hellcat flew across our backyard into
the next-door neighbor’s backyard (a flight
of 50 feet or less).
Making home-built static Scale models
also captivated me. I came across a picture
of three small Nieuport 28 look-a-likes
finished in olive drab with British markings.
I built the three at the age of 13 and “flew”
one while leading my six-year-old brother
and one of his buddies in simulated
missions over the backyard.
During these years, I took my inspiration
from the latest kits at the hobby shops and
from magazines such as Model Airplane
News and Flying Models. At age 13, I
received a copy of Flying Scale Models by the
English master modeler Ron Moulton. The
128-page tome covered the subject of flying
Scale models with precision and included
numerous drawings and photos. Moulton’s
delightfully dry sense of humor helped keep it
all in perspective. Flying Scale Models still
serves as a reference for me. Its pages are
yellowed and the binding is frayed after years
of use, but it still inspires me.
I had the pleasure of meeting Moulton at
the 1982 Weak Signals Show in Toledo,
Ohio. Bill Northrup made the introduction by
asking Moulton what he thought of modelers
who built and flew multiengine rubberpowered
subjects. Northrup did not say my
name, but Moulton looked at me and
exclaimed, “Are you Norman?”
I was flabbergasted to realize that one of
my greatest heroes knew of my work,
although we lived thousands of miles apart.
Moulton even autographed my book copy.
Moulton’s book also inspired me to
explore other types of Scale aircraft
modeling. In my teens, I dabbled with Jetex,
CL, ducted-fan, and gas-powered FF Scale
types, but my passion for rubber-powered
Scale remained supreme.
In my early 20s, I had the good fortune to
meet Joseph A. Brdlik. Twenty or so years
my senior, Joe was an immigrant from
Prague. His father held an important cabinet
position in the post-World War I Czech
government.
As his father’s only son, Joe had been
raised in luxury and had vivid memories of
traveling with his father to promote the sales
of Czech arms to other Central European
nations. On one occasion he saw the
formidable Italian Fleet on parade. The sight
of it inspired him to a lifelong interest in
model ship building. He was also an avid
builder of model airplanes from the WW I
era. In Joe’s view, “aviation ended in 1918.”
With Joe, I had a modeler who was a
skilled craftsman, avid historian, and a
patient and masterful teacher. Thanks to
him, I went to places like Old Rhinebeck
Aerodrome and the Toledo Show in the
1960s.
Although Joe never built FF models, he
inspired me with his scratch-built CL
models. One of those models was a 1¼-inch
scale version of the Italian Caproni Ca 3
bomber from WW I.
That grand project inspired me to design
and build a ½-inch scale version of the
somewhat-sleeker Caproni Ca 5 trimotor
biplane, which flew as a FF Scale model in
the 1976 AMA Nats at Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base. I subsequently donated the
model to the AMA National Model Aviation
Museum. In a completely unexpected
tribute, MA featured the Ca 5 in the
September 2011 issue in “In the Air.”
While in law school in the late 1960s, I
began publishing articles in the model
aviation press. My first effort was a
scratch-built, rubber-powered FF Scale
model of the de Havilland Mosquito IV,
powered by a single motor in the fuselage,
which drove the twin propellers by a
pulley system. The construction article
was published in the December 1966
issue of Model Airplane News (MAN).
One of the delightful benefits of
publishing with MAN was the opportunity
to work with legends such as Editor
Walter L. Schroder and other staff writers
including the dynamic William Northrup
Jr., who later went on to found the muchrevered
Model Builder magazine.
Throughout the years, I wrote
numerous articles for Model Builder,
Flying Models, MA, and other
publications. I also served as editor of
Crosswinds, the newsletter of the
Cleveland Free Flight Society, and
contributed to the Flying Aces Newsletter.
By designing the first Flying Aces
Club (FAC) T-shirt for the 1978 Flying
Aces Nationals, I started the FAC’s
merchandising program. In FAC
competition, I was awarded the Blue Max
Medal, was among the first to reach 100
Kanones (first-place wins), attained the
rank of Air Marshal, and was inducted
into the FAC Hall of Fame.
In 2002, Editor Bob Hunt tapped me to
succeed Fernando Ramos as the FF Scale
columnist for MA. Reporting on FF Scale
activities, I am enjoying the emerging
new leadership of the Flying Aces Club.
Today’s FAC is filled with gifted
designers, builders, and fliers whose
creations far surpass my own. Their
comfort with modern technology is
opening a way to sustain the interest of
seniors, while at the same time attract
younger generations to the joys of FF
Scale and FF modeling. A growing
interaction between the FAC and the
National Free Flight Society (NFFS) is
benefiting both and promises a bright
future for our part of the hobby.
Sixty-five years is a substantial period
of time. For me, it has been enriched by
the golden thread of model aviation,
which I have been privileged to know
continuously from late infancy to early
retirement.
Mark Twain once said, “If you can’t
reach 70 by a comfortable road, don’t go!”
I am happy to report that model aviation
has not only provided me with a
comfortable road, but also with a satisfying
journey which still continues. MA
Sources:
NFFS
http://freeflight.org
FF Scale
www.freeflightscale.com
FAC
http://flyingacesclub.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 123,124,126
December 2011 123
A pause for celebration
[[email protected]]
Free Flight Scale Dennis Norman
2011 MARKS the 65th anniversary of my
happy involvement with model aviation.
Although I was only four years old, my joy
in seeing my first model airplane began a
passion for aeromodeling that remains a part
of my life to this day.
Model aviation has given me a creative
outlet. In times of stress, it has been a refuge
that has given me renewal and peace. Best
of all, it has put me in touch with some of
the most wonderful and gifted people that I
have been privileged to know.
Mentoring is a key to many long-term
pursuits, including constructing and flying
model airplanes. I owe my growth as a
builder and designer of model airplanes to
the tutelage and good influences of many.
Some were famous aeromodeling leaders.
Others were gifted artists who generously
shared their talents and skills with me.
As I reflect, I want to thank those kind
souls who mentored me and taught me
countless lessons of craftsmanship,
ingenuity, problem-solving, and friendship.
Not only did they help me grow as a model
builder, but they gave me useful lessons for
life.
I was the firstborn in my family. In 1944
my father was called to begin two years of
active duty with the United States Navy in
the Pacific Theater. Upon his return in 1946,
our relationship was renewed when I
watched him design and build a small stickand-
tissue FF model similar to those that he
built and flew as a teenager in the 1930s.
Being an engineer, Dad drew his own
plans. He took me to the neighborhood
hobby shop to get the materials needed to
construct his model. He let me sit with him
as he deftly turned balsa sheet and sticks
into an airframe, which he covered with
yellow Japanese tissue. He built the first
model for me in one weekend. (Remember
this: when building models for young
children, do it quickly to avoid infant
boredom.)
On Sunday night, he took me to a nearby
football field for test-flying. He wound the
strand-rubber motor by back-winding the
model’s small propeller. After a few
hundred winds, he launched his little aircraft
into a gentle evening breeze. Incredibly, the
tiny airplane soared high into the sky in a
flight that smoothly transcended the entire
length of the football field before coming to
rest in a chain-link fence.
Both of us were ecstatic at the
unexpected maiden flight. We laughed and
shouted as we ran to retrieve our treasure.
That experience marked a powerful
reconnection between us with feelings of joy
and accomplishment. Throughout the next
two years, Dad built more models for me
until the pressures of college, a new job, a
new home, and a growing family took
precedence. By then model aviation was
firmly rooted in my life.
I began “building” models on my own at
the age of six, when I put together some of
the wonderful solid models offered by
Strombecker. Within a year I discovered
Monogram’s Speedee-Built series. Although
I had learned to read, the beautifully
illustrated plans gave me added clarity and
confidence as I worked on those little
gems.
When I was seven, my dad bought
a couple of Cleveland SF Master kits
at a sale at the neighborhood hobby
store. He probably thought I might
build them “someday,” since the SF
kits obviously were beyond my
budding skills.
I managed to cobble together a ¾-
inch scale Grumman Avenger Torpedo
Bomber at the age of eight! It was crude, but
I managed to build the basic airframe and
covered it with red tissue paper. Details
such as the landing gear and cockpit canopy
remained unsolved mysteries. My parents
were delighted with my attempt and
encouraged me to continue modeling.
At age nine, I “drew” my first
construction plan. It was inspired by a CL
Spitfire project in a Mechanix Illustrated
magazine. Being a dedicated FF Scale
enthusiast, I drew my 36-inch span Spitfire
with the thought of powering it by strand
rubber. The fuselage did not have enough
formers. It still looked okay when stringers
were added, but after tissue was applied and
water-shrunk, the curvaceous subject took
At the 2011 FAC Non-Nats in Geneseo NY,
69-year-old Dennis Norman cheerfully
winds a Retro RC News Flash stick
model built by Jim Wiggin, the new
associate editor of Flying Models. Peter
Zbasnik Jr. photo.
The author’s passion for scratch-built Scale modeling has included static Scale subjects
such as these Nieuport 28 look-alikes he built at age 13. Mearl Norman photo.
on a decided swayback look as the stringers
sagged under the pressure of the tissue.
In a coup de grace, I painted my Spitfire
with blue house paint. It did little to
improve the project, but again, my efforts
were met with parental elation. I “modeled
on,” determined to do better.
A series of sensible Comet kit builds led
me out of the darkness. Best of all, they
flew! Our family home, in the 1950s, was a
Cape Cod bungalow on a narrow city lot. It
was part of a huge postwar housing
development in which Cape Cods were
closely planted between driveways. Most of
my test flying was done in the backyard. I
felt primal elation when a Comet 24-inch
span Hellcat flew across our backyard into
the next-door neighbor’s backyard (a flight
of 50 feet or less).
Making home-built static Scale models
also captivated me. I came across a picture
of three small Nieuport 28 look-a-likes
finished in olive drab with British markings.
I built the three at the age of 13 and “flew”
one while leading my six-year-old brother
and one of his buddies in simulated
missions over the backyard.
During these years, I took my inspiration
from the latest kits at the hobby shops and
from magazines such as Model Airplane
News and Flying Models. At age 13, I
received a copy of Flying Scale Models by the
English master modeler Ron Moulton. The
128-page tome covered the subject of flying
Scale models with precision and included
numerous drawings and photos. Moulton’s
delightfully dry sense of humor helped keep it
all in perspective. Flying Scale Models still
serves as a reference for me. Its pages are
yellowed and the binding is frayed after years
of use, but it still inspires me.
I had the pleasure of meeting Moulton at
the 1982 Weak Signals Show in Toledo,
Ohio. Bill Northrup made the introduction by
asking Moulton what he thought of modelers
who built and flew multiengine rubberpowered
subjects. Northrup did not say my
name, but Moulton looked at me and
exclaimed, “Are you Norman?”
I was flabbergasted to realize that one of
my greatest heroes knew of my work,
although we lived thousands of miles apart.
Moulton even autographed my book copy.
Moulton’s book also inspired me to
explore other types of Scale aircraft
modeling. In my teens, I dabbled with Jetex,
CL, ducted-fan, and gas-powered FF Scale
types, but my passion for rubber-powered
Scale remained supreme.
In my early 20s, I had the good fortune to
meet Joseph A. Brdlik. Twenty or so years
my senior, Joe was an immigrant from
Prague. His father held an important cabinet
position in the post-World War I Czech
government.
As his father’s only son, Joe had been
raised in luxury and had vivid memories of
traveling with his father to promote the sales
of Czech arms to other Central European
nations. On one occasion he saw the
formidable Italian Fleet on parade. The sight
of it inspired him to a lifelong interest in
model ship building. He was also an avid
builder of model airplanes from the WW I
era. In Joe’s view, “aviation ended in 1918.”
With Joe, I had a modeler who was a
skilled craftsman, avid historian, and a
patient and masterful teacher. Thanks to
him, I went to places like Old Rhinebeck
Aerodrome and the Toledo Show in the
1960s.
Although Joe never built FF models, he
inspired me with his scratch-built CL
models. One of those models was a 1¼-inch
scale version of the Italian Caproni Ca 3
bomber from WW I.
That grand project inspired me to design
and build a ½-inch scale version of the
somewhat-sleeker Caproni Ca 5 trimotor
biplane, which flew as a FF Scale model in
the 1976 AMA Nats at Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base. I subsequently donated the
model to the AMA National Model Aviation
Museum. In a completely unexpected
tribute, MA featured the Ca 5 in the
September 2011 issue in “In the Air.”
While in law school in the late 1960s, I
began publishing articles in the model
aviation press. My first effort was a
scratch-built, rubber-powered FF Scale
model of the de Havilland Mosquito IV,
powered by a single motor in the fuselage,
which drove the twin propellers by a
pulley system. The construction article
was published in the December 1966
issue of Model Airplane News (MAN).
One of the delightful benefits of
publishing with MAN was the opportunity
to work with legends such as Editor
Walter L. Schroder and other staff writers
including the dynamic William Northrup
Jr., who later went on to found the muchrevered
Model Builder magazine.
Throughout the years, I wrote
numerous articles for Model Builder,
Flying Models, MA, and other
publications. I also served as editor of
Crosswinds, the newsletter of the
Cleveland Free Flight Society, and
contributed to the Flying Aces Newsletter.
By designing the first Flying Aces
Club (FAC) T-shirt for the 1978 Flying
Aces Nationals, I started the FAC’s
merchandising program. In FAC
competition, I was awarded the Blue Max
Medal, was among the first to reach 100
Kanones (first-place wins), attained the
rank of Air Marshal, and was inducted
into the FAC Hall of Fame.
In 2002, Editor Bob Hunt tapped me to
succeed Fernando Ramos as the FF Scale
columnist for MA. Reporting on FF Scale
activities, I am enjoying the emerging
new leadership of the Flying Aces Club.
Today’s FAC is filled with gifted
designers, builders, and fliers whose
creations far surpass my own. Their
comfort with modern technology is
opening a way to sustain the interest of
seniors, while at the same time attract
younger generations to the joys of FF
Scale and FF modeling. A growing
interaction between the FAC and the
National Free Flight Society (NFFS) is
benefiting both and promises a bright
future for our part of the hobby.
Sixty-five years is a substantial period
of time. For me, it has been enriched by
the golden thread of model aviation,
which I have been privileged to know
continuously from late infancy to early
retirement.
Mark Twain once said, “If you can’t
reach 70 by a comfortable road, don’t go!”
I am happy to report that model aviation
has not only provided me with a
comfortable road, but also with a satisfying
journey which still continues. MA
Sources:
NFFS
http://freeflight.org
FF Scale
www.freeflightscale.com
FAC
http://flyingacesclub.com
