Old-Timers
As PAMPA's Stunt News are aware, I do tend to get carried away on this topic; I often babble for several paragraphs. I don't intend to do that here, but suffice it to say that I have an overwhelming fondness for the days when nearly everyone built his or her own models; when you could fly them at the local park and draw an admiring crowd; when the neighborhood hobby shop stocked everything needed; and, as I've mentioned before, when it was okay to burn the leaves but not the flag.
Today everyone is a specialist — or so it seems. Rarely do we see modelers crossing paths to participate or help out in other categories. When someone does, it's rather notable.
Vic Lichtenberg is a Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) member. Last year he was on the cover of SAM Speaks — the group's bimonthly news magazine — with two modeling pals circa 1946. We were quite pleased when Vic arrived at this year's CL Vintage Stunt Championships to work the pull-test area for us. Thanks, Vic.
And thanks to others who don't feel bound to any single category; it's all modeling, isn't it?
Another good example is Dave Platt, who is responsible for those magnificent RC Scale kits and Top Gun entries. A master craftsman, he also builds and flies FF Rubber Scale and OT and Classic CL Stunt.
Some people may not be aware that Dave has won the Rubber Scale event at the Nationals, flying a beautiful 45-inch-span Grumman Guardian. He has also competed in OT Stunt at the Nationals.
Dave and others like him find great joy in model building, regardless of the category.
Nostalgia Gas
A while back, while recalling FF designs such as the Fubar, the Clive Boy, the Ramrod, etc., a letter arrived from Jim Bassett of Toledo, WA. He enclosed a photo of his original Sandy Hogan — an early 1950s design kitted by Berkeley. Built in 1952, the model has been flown continuously ever since. The in-flight photo shows the Hogan climbing out.
Originally powered by a sand-cast-case Fox .35, it's been re-engined with an ignition Forster. It's also been re-covered — perhaps many times, although Jim didn't say. All other components except the landing gear are original.
Jim staked a claim he expects will be challenged. Does anyone out there have a model that is older and still flying? Jim claims his is the oldest, adding, "This should get your mail flowing."
If you have a currently airworthy model built earlier than 1952, please send a photo and description.
PAA-Load Update
I received a nice packet of material from well-known Free Flighter Rudy Kluiber. He is a key contact for those interested in the event. In addition to sending photocopies of 1953 and 1954 Air Trails articles, Rudy wrote a brief history of the event(s):
- What is PAA-Load? For those who still have no bald spots growing out of their hair, a short history lesson might be in order. PAA-Load is the granddaddy of what we know today as the AMA .020 Payload event.
- From 1948 to 1961 Pan American World Airways sponsored a number of weight-lifting events, among which were 1/2 A, A and B Gas events through 1957. Since by 1958 Pan Am was into jets, they dropped all of the gas-powered PAA-Load events, replacing them with a single "Jet" (Jetex rocket) event.
- In 1959 they had a slight change of heart, returning to a single gas-powered PAA-Load event, but it was now .020-powered, plus the heretofore Clipper Cargo event was also reduced from .049 to .020 power.
- These retained Pan Am sponsorship through 1961, then it was all over until the NFFS (National Free Flight Society) picked up the latter two events for Nationals special-event purposes at the 1968 AMA Nats in Olathe, KS. AMA Payload Gas became an official event around 1974, I think.
Thanks, Rudy.
For those interested in the early PAA-Load designs, Rudy has a rather complete list of designs, old photos, and magazine articles. He also runs an informal Nostalgia PAA event at his club's annual meet in Muncie, IN.
If you're interested, contact Rudy at:
- 2021 Lakeland, Lakewood, OH 44107.
Stanzel Kits/Plans
Several months ago a rare find was made in Texas. Original, in-box kits were discovered in storage at the Victor Stanzel Co. location. I'm not certain if any are left as of this writing, but among those unearthed were the 36-inch-span G-Line Tiger Shark and the two in the photo: a Shark G-5 (in the foreground) and a twin-finned Sharkadet.
Seattle, WA's Dave Gardner built both models, and they are classic examples of early CL designs.
Also available are kits and plans for several of Stanzel's Mono-Line fliers, such as:
- ABC Trainer
- Lil' Raider
- Tuffy
In addition to the kits, full-size plans exist for all G-Line and two-line designs in the Shark series, including the rubber-powered Shark P-60. (Yes, rubber powered. Several years ago Jean Andrews flew one on lines as his entry in Old-Time CL Stunt — and it worked.)
The company also offers full-size and scaled-down plans for solid models from the Golden Age of aviation, such as:
- P-6E Hawk
- Gee Bee Sportster
- Curtiss Goshawk
- Boeing F4B-4/P-12E
If you're interested, contact the Victor Stanzel Co. soon:
- Box 28, Schulenburg, TX 78956
- Tel.: (800) 422-6823
- Fax: (979) 743-4870
- E-mail: [email protected]
Photo and Correspondence Notes
Bob Ottmann, Wilmington, NC, wrote:
"You had an item in the March column showing an advertisement for a model called the Super Sunduster. Enclosed is a photo, taken at Curtiss Field, Long Island, NY, showing one that I built in 1946.
"I entered this model in the Daily Mirror meet, missing first place when it flew out-of-sight on my third flight. It was found the next day, 40 miles from Grumman Field in Bethpage. The Sunduster lived up to its name. I had many out-of-sight flights with it."
Speaking of photos, I have a request: please do not write on the back of them; it makes them nearly useless from the editor's point of view. Many otherwise excellent photos have been ruined by heavy application of ballpoint ink or heavy felt-tip marker.
Please lightly "key" each photo as number 1, 2, 3, or whatever, along with a separate identification sheet, or use removable sticky-back notes. That way there's a much better chance of having the photo(s) published here.
I continue to receive quite a volume of letters and E-mail requesting sources for plans or kits of OT models. Since not everyone is a member of SAM or PAMPA, these sources are unknown to many.
Therefore, I have compiled a list of sources for plans, kits, and products related to OT modeling. The list is far from all-inclusive, and it's meant to serve as a starting point; it is not to endorse any particular source or product. A legal-size self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with one stamp will bring a copy.
Meanwhile, let's not forget that the primary purpose of OT modeling is to enjoy recreating those grand old designs and seeing them fly. The purpose is not to knock the other guys' socks off or to advance the state of the art.
As always, your E-mail and letters are welcome. If you'd like a quick reply, please enclose that SASE.
Although I like Old-Timers I am not retired, so sometimes there's a short delay in my replying.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
