Harold Carstens Frank Macy - 2009/09

September 2009 161
The past few months have seen the passing of many of our
friends in model aviation. Each may be generally known by many in
our hobby, some can be specifically known to related groups, and in
smaller circles each can be special and personal friends.
One person who left us on May 29, 2009, can undoubtedly be
counted in all three categories. I refer to Frank Macy, the gentleman
who made every effort to keep the legacy of Jim Walker’s American
Junior Models ongoing. This gentleman’s passing will leave a huge
void.
Frank was not only an entrepreneur; he was a craftsman, artist,
historian, and personal friend to many. We can remember the
Fireball, Firecat, Firebee, Firebaby, Hornet, 404 fold-wing glider, 74
glider, and ceiling walker. Over time, specifically the last 25 years,
Frank was able to put these models back into the market on a limited
basis. Today these aircraft command a huge following by collectors
and even more so by those who remember Jim Walker. Plans had
been underway to continue the production of these models as a
result of Frank’s declining health. Only time will tell if this will
come to fruition.
I will miss Frank, for my interest in model aviation began back
in 1951, while waiting orders to depart Fort Meade, Maryland, for
VII Corps, Kelly Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany.
I was nine years old and my mother had purchased a 50¢ model
down at the corner general store. That was a lot of money in 1951,
but the A.J. Hornet was worth every penny. My model had the metal
front end hanger and a landing gear with turned balsa wheels. And
this model flew and flew and flew. Jim Walker’s company produced
and sold more than 230 million units.
Frank Macy was my personal friend and I have many precious
memories of the times we shared, good and those times where his
declining health would have stopped most in their tracks, but his
dream stayed ever conscious in his plans.
So as he now has shed all those earthly confrontations, I can
envision he and Jim all flying in the same circle, three Fireballs at
one time, a fourth in formation, and a 404 swing-wing glider
catching the eternal thermal.
My good friend, I bid you goodbye only for now …
—Colonel James Duckworth
Modeling enthusiast, author, and publisher Harold “Hal”
Carstens passed away June 23, 2009. He was a lifelong resident of
New Jersey.
As president and former publisher of Carstens Publications,
Inc., the firm publishes three internationally distributed monthly
magazines: Railroad Model Craftsman, Flying Models, and Railfan
& Railroad. Carstens also publishes soft- and hard-cover books,
primarily in the model hobby and railroad fields.
Hal joined the publishing firm in 1952 as associate editor of
Railroad Model Craftsman and Toy Trains magazines while
attending Fairleigh Dickinson University at night. He studied
journalism and art at the Philippine Institute for the Armed Forces
in Manila. He was appointed managing editor of the two
magazines in 1954, becoming editor and vice president in 1957
and president in 1962 following retirement of founder Charles A.
Penn. He had his first article published in Railroad Model
Craftsman while a student at Dwight Morrow High School in
Englewood, New Jersey.
Hal graduated from the Army School of Roentgenology in
Memphis, and served in the Philippines with the 103rd Medical
Service Company, U.S. Army Medical Department, during World
War II. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Hal Carstens was listed in Who’s Who in America, and Who’s
Who in the World, and was a past president and secretary of the
Hobby Industries of America, Inc., a 2000-member trade
association 1971-1972, and served 11 years its board of directors.
He served as chairman of the the organization’s Public Relations,
Management Review, Education and Awards committees. He was
chairman of the Publishers
Section and the Model
Railroad Division, and was
vice president of the
Educational Foundation of the
Hobby Industry Association.
He authored many articles
on model railroading,
railroads, photography, the
lumber industry, and motor
cars. Publications in which his
articles and photographs have
appeared include Railroad
Model Craftsman, Toy Trains,
Railroad Magazine, Railfan &
Railroad, Creative Crafts & Miniatures, Flying Models, PSA
Journal, The Lutheran, Ladies Home Journal, New York Lumber
Trade Journal, Book of Knowledge encyclopedia, The Morganeer,
and Hobby Merchandiser. He edited many books on model
railroading, railroads, crafts, miniatures, and model aviation. His
150 Years of Train Models published in 1999 covered the history
of the model railroad hobby and industry.
This is just a small sampling of Hal Carstens’ countless
accomplishments in and outside of the modeling and hobby
industry. You can learn more about him on the Flying Models Web
site at www.flying-models.com.
—Information provided by Frank Fanelli
Editor Flying Models
Harold Carstens: 1925-2009
Frank Macy: 1935-2009
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