Old-Timers
Mike Keville, 6218 E. Evergreen St., Mesa AZ 85205; E-mail: [email protected]
MOST OF THE Old-Timer (OT) categories feature low-key competition of one type or another. Some include an award for the best-appearing model, called the Concours—short for Concours d'Elegance, which is a French term meaning "Mercy, what a beauty!"
Concours is often misspelled as "Concourse"—an entirely different term meaning those 83-mile corridors between connecting flights at O'Hare.
In an effort to display authentic replicas, many builders take infinite pains to select their covering material, decals, and accessories. Free Flight (FF) models may sport an Austin timer. Control Line airplanes (CL) will certainly have, among other things, cloth hinges.
Often overlooked is the propeller. It is not unusual to see a nicely built OT carrying a carbon-fiber propeller. That's fine for flight, but not so fine for display if you're trying to win the Concourse, er, Concours.
An excellent choice would be the replica Y&O brand; the original wide-blade Yates and Owrich propellers were popular with CL and FF fliers midcentury.
Out of production for a couple of decades, the propellers were revived and produced for several years by the late Clarence Bull, who named them B-Y&O. Today they are available from Brodak Manufacturing. (See advertisement for address.)
The B-Y&Os have excellent balance and thrust—and they look neat.
Of course, it is possible to take this to extremes and go off the deep end. I have a small OT CL Stunt model with all the right stuff: silk covering, cloth hinges, vintage engine, etc.
However, it's about as aerobatic as a 1947 Studebaker because I spent more time trying to be "authentic" than I spent on installing a decent engine-tank setup.
Some would say I'm more interested in a Spirit of '52 avatar than in winning a Stunt event; they would be right (though I'm not sure why I mentioned that).
Radio Days
Vintage Radio Control (RC) fans consider OT to be anything prior to 1970, and rightfully so. The meet features three nostalgic categories: Old-Time for designs prior to 1953, Classic for pre-1970 designs (including those gorgeous, low-slung, I-beam-wing models), and a Spark Ignition event for the really Old-Time designs.
Florida's Fred Carnes presents an annual award for the best I-beam design.
Appearance awards include a Spirit of '52 for OT, a Spirit of '46 for Ignition, and a Spirit of '64 for the Classics.
There are many other special awards and plaques for first through fifth places for the highest-scoring patterns.
Because of the large turnout, advance entry is required. (Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope for an entry form if you're not a member of the Precision Aerobatics Model Pilots Association.)
Spectators are very welcome. The VSC is AMA sanctioned and will be held March 21-24 at Christopher Columbus Park on Silverbell Road in Tucson AZ.
OT and OT Ignition are flown Thursday and Friday, and Classic is flown Saturday and Sunday. There is one round each day, and each competitor's scores are added for a total.
E-mail or write to me for additional information.
Cleveland Kits
Before we go into models that actually flew, most of us built them for display. There were Hawk and Strombecker solids, Monogram Speedee-Bilt™ s, and a fabulous selection of stick-and-tissue kits from Megow, Peerless, Comet, Ott, Cleveland, etc.
Many considered Cleveland kits to be the finest. I had neither the skills nor the patience to complete one—much less have it resemble the models in the ads—but nonetheless spent many hours drooling over the photos.
Years later, with my skills finely honed (or so I thought), I searched in vain for one of those red-white-and-blue boxes full of pinwound. They can be found today, but only in the hands of collectors at exorbitant prices.
However, the plans are still available for those who have a desire to build a Cleveland model.
I always wanted to build the 71-inch span DC-3 in United Airlines markings, but I probably never will since umpteen other plans and kits await my attention, and I'm, well, basically lazy.
There's no question about it: the words "Cleveland kit" bring a thousand-yard stare to the eyes of many older modelers. For now, though, we'll have to be satisfied with the plans, which, come to think of it, is a pretty good deal.
The illustrated catalog of more than 1,100 plans (in seven different scales) costs $5 ($10 foreign). Mail to Cleveland Air Line, Box 55962, Indianapolis IN 46205-0962; Tel.: (317) 257-7878; Fax: (317) 257-7877.
I very much welcome good, clear photos of completed Cleveland models. Because I'm on a bimonthly basis here, it may be awhile before I can get them published. Try for good lighting with an uncluttered background.
I'll do my best to see that your photos are returned if so requested. Please don't write on the backs of the photos; enclose a separate note indicating who, what, how, etc.
Those who don't belong to SAM (the Society of Antique Modelers) might think OT modeling is confined to the United States. The fact is, you'll find a large contingent of OT modelers in the United Kingdom, Italy, South Africa, Australia, and many other countries.
There is just something about the "gluing together of sticks" to produce a flying model that has worldwide appeal.
OT Wakefield is quite popular in the UK. Among its adherents is Ron Prentice, who also flies OT CL and RC and FF Power.
In "real life" Ron crafts world-class stringed musical instruments for members of leading symphony orchestras. He has many modeling friends in the US and was a close friend of the late George Aldrich, which brings me to a subject of some concern.
As you're probably aware, "GMA" (George) passed away July 4 after a lengthy illness. In 2001 we also said good-bye to John Pond, Bill Melton, Al Gluck, and several others known primarily to those in the OT modeling community.
Although I am a relatively youthful 61, the vast majority of modelers in this niche are quite a bit older. The hobby as we know it will eventually disappear unless younger people are introduced to building and flying "the way it was."
Yes, I know this is the same song as "The Junior Problem." However, we can't force others to like the same things we do. We're facing strong competition from computer games and Ready-to-Fly park flyers.
Be that as it may, as long as we're able, we Old-Timers will be out here chewing Ambroid off our fingers while building models from balsa, tissue, and silk. Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer choice.
Thanks to all who have sent nice words regarding this column. They're appreciated. MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
