Modeling Spoken Here
Bob Hunt Aeromodeling Editor
"The point is that our hobby has changed."
I'VE BEEN EXTREMELY blessed to have known many excellent model-builders. From these talented people I've learned to take sheets and blocks of balsa wood, bits of plywood and wire, and scraps of tissue, and glue and transform them into mostly successful model airplanes.
Because I listened to their suggestions and read and absorbed their published works, I became probably a better-than-average model-builder. Still, as I mentioned in the December editorial about competition, building is a journey—not a destination.
I've often mentioned and credited my father as a great model-building influence, and that's certainly true enough; he started me on the proper path of patience and craftsmanship. But there were many others who added considerably to my arsenal of building skills.
Among them are practitioners of all types of models. For some reason, however, I can credit Free Flight model builders with an inordinate amount of influence. There is just something about that type of modeling in particular that seems to breed exceptional craftsmen.
In early 1975 I picked up a copy of the then-new Model Builder magazine and was stunned by the model depicted on the cover. It was a one-inch-to-the-foot Bucker SIAI model of the Polish Wilga. It was mesmerizing!
There were actually two shots of the Wilga on that cover: one taken from a three-quarter front view and one from a rear angle. I knew it was a model, but my mind seemed to want to believe that it was a full-scale airplane that was somehow shrunk to model size.
That was perhaps the first time I encountered what I'll call "magic" in model-building—the possibility of capturing the true spirit of an airplane in miniature replica. I quickly flipped to the table of contents to see what page the story about the Wilga was on.
Alas, there was not a construction feature presented on that model, but there was a three-page story that told me a bit about the model's innovative features and its builder, Don Topliff.
I'd heard about Don and his incredible model-building talent, but this was my first look at a sample of his work. (If you want to read the article, it was in the January 1975 Model Builder. A copy of that issue is in the AMA museum library. Article reprints are available for $3 from the library.)
Not too long after that, I was fortunate enough to meet and come to know Don as a friend.
I learned many things about model-building from Don, but the main thing I learned was a deeper perception of that aforementioned spirit and the realization that I had, or could develop, the ability to instill some of that magic into my models.
Don, as I quickly learned, was interested in all types of modeling and all types of airplanes. He has had articles published about Control Line (CL) models and is an expert in Radio Control (RC) construction techniques, with many how-to type articles to his credit.
I could go on about Don's gifts for several pages, but you get the idea; this is a very special person with very special talents and, more importantly, the ability to express to others how they can realize their own hidden talents.
In a recent conversation with Don, we discussed why model-building seems to be on the decline. We share many thoughts on the reasons for this decline, but Don has some interesting perspectives on the subject that I thought warranted a forum.
So, without further fanfare, here's Don!
"Why am I writing a guest editorial here in Bob Hunt's space? It goes back a couple of weeks and about 60 years.
"Bob Hunt and I are old friends. Although neither of us started in the hobby far enough back to truly be called old-timers—that appellation being more or less reserved for the now-ancient geezers who were throwing models into the air in the 1930s—we do go back to another time.
"The conversation Bob and I had a couple of weeks ago was the old-modeler's lament about the proliferation of ARFs and the accompanying de-emphasis on model building in our beloved hobby.
"It was prompted by a discussion I'd been having with Mike Cook, another old modeler, about the 'Builder of the Model' (commonly called BOM) rule in AMA-sanctioned competition, and how it no longer seems to be relevant, enforceable, or, by some, desired.
This is the legacy we are destined to accept throughout the modern world when something computer-generated displaces an analog technique? Will we not even give a thought of appreciation to those who traded their lives to learn and practice a craftsman's or artist's skills?
To be fair, the computer can't spit out perfect CAD drawings without the guidance of a new type of artist. These programs are intuitive, but they don't turn the selves. There are many skills to learn to be able to produce perfect-looking drawings, and those who have learned these skills are to be revered for their dedication and artistry. It's a new paradigm.
Still, when I see an outstanding example of the old-style pen-and-ink drawing, it simply mesmerizes me. Perhaps this is because I have long dabbled in the medium myself. I've produced well more than 100 pen-and-ink on mylar drawings for magazine articles and for personal models. I know how difficult and frustrating it can be to try to achieve that illusion of perfection. And when I see the work of a master at this craft, it simply blows me away.
One such master at this art is Robert C. "Bob" Sweitzer. When I first came aboard at RCM some years ago, I received a letter from Bob asking if there was any need for someone to ink our drawings. I told him we had a staff that did that sort of thing, but I asked him to supply me with a sample of his work for evaluation anyway.
Bob responded with a large tube filled with copies of drawings that he had produced. As I began to unroll the contents of that tube, I knew I'd found a new hero. Among the many masterpieces I received that day was a drawing of his original 1/4-scale Ryan PT-22. There were five plates to this drawing, and one was approximately 14 feet long! All of the drawings were inked by hand, and the detail was exquisite beyond belief.
Bob added dozens of isometric and perspective detail drawings to the plan that enhanced the finished product and allowed anyone building the model from the plans to achieve scale detailing that was beyond the norm. The details were complete, right down to the scale logo embedded in the rudder pedals! Amazing!
I'm happy to say that since the day I received that roll of plans, Bob and I have begun a close friendship. I've learned a tremendous amount from this talented man, and I have come to understand that this life has been all about design and craftsmanship in modeling and his real-life employment.
Bob started flying model airplanes in 1949 and has built and flown all types, from stick-and-tissue Free Flight, to Control Line (Stunt, Combat, Scale, and Speed), to Radio Control (RC) sport and scale.
In 1969 Bob started a custom plans service and designed roughly 28 airplanes—mostly RC scale. Eventually, he sold this plans business to Sid Hogan at Vintage RC.
For gainful employment in 1978, Bob worked for Rust Engineering. While working on a large paper-making machine for the company, Bob was placed in charge of the structural section of the project and developed an extremely detailed, all-plastic model of the machine. His modeling skills certainly came into play here.
In 1982 Bob started R.C. Sweitzer Enterprises, and he produced the company's first plan: a D.H. 89A. Using a personally developed lofting method, Bob was able to make original drawings from which a model could be completely built with virtually no modification of the drawn parts. The fit was that good!
In 1983 Bob also started a plans service for Scale RC Modeler magazine and produced seven plans in the next three years. In addition, he provided a water-color rendering of an F-8L Falco to accompany the plans and model article.
Remember that Ryan PT-22 I mentioned earlier? A set of those plans was presented to Willis W. Allen Jr., a curatorial member of the San Diego Aerospace Museum, in thanks for his assistance in providing much-needed scale data for the project. Mr. Allen was so impressed by Bob's work that he put the plans on display in the museum! Bob and his wife also received rides in the PT-22, courtesy of Mr. Allen!
Bob has done drawings for many of the modeling magazines throughout the years, and he has developed isometric construction drawings and three-views when required. He's a treasure for sure, and I'm more than pleased to be able to present his work in these pages.
Bob inked the plans for Mark Finneman's fabulous Free Flight Jumbo Scale Piper J-3 Cub full-size presented in the September 2001 RCM issue, and the outstanding Free Flight Scale version of the Beta Blue Chip Racer by Tom Detter and Larry Kruse in the May 2002 issue.
In this issue you can see another example of Bob's genius: he traced and inked the plans for Frank Baker's stunning Westland Lysander. Take a look at the line work, the shading, and the lettering on those two plates. If you haven't had an appreciation for this type of work before, I predict you will after seeing Bob's.
Now here's an interesting item: Bob is also an expert in the field of AutoCAD, with approximately 20 years' experience in that medium, and he has prepared plans in that format too. When asked which type of drawing he likes best, he answered the pen-and-ink-on-Mylar variety. When asked why, he said, "They have far more personality." I couldn't have said it better myself!
If you would like to see more of Bob's work, you can get in touch with him through R.C. Sweitzer Enterprises, Box 834, Hillsboro OR 97123. Please be self-addressed, stamped envelope for information on available Bob Sweitzer plans.
You can reach me at (610) 614-1747; write to me at Box 68, Stockton, PA 18083; or e-mail me at [email protected]. Hey, at least I can still manually shift my motorcycle! km
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
