View from HQ - 2003/07

184 MODEL AVIATION
THE EVERGREEN Aviation Museum
hosted the Second Annual Static Model
Aircraft Show February 15-16, 2003.
The coordinators, Roger Weeks and
Cecil Mead, spearheaded the event, and
they hope it will become the premier
flying-model show in the Northwest—
and possibly on the entire West Coast.
Roger and Cecil are part of a volunteer
force of more than 200, many of whom
share in this increasingly popular
avocation.
The Evergreen Aviation Museum,
located in McMinnville, Oregon, has
hosted roughly 400,000 guests since its
opening nearly two years ago. The
museum is home to Howard Hughes’
Spruce Goose and more than 40 vintage
and modern aircraft, and it offers many
aviation and educational exhibits.
The organizers of the model show
plan to expand the scope of its events to
include anyone who buys, builds, or flies
model aircraft. This model display also
has a significant appeal to the regular
museum guests.
Organizers of the static show
included Roger Weeks, Cecil
Mead, and Bill Lawrence.
Eight categories of airplanes
presented visitors and exhibitors with
models from the past and present.
Models included Frank Macy’s 1947
Fireball on floats (a restored original
early Control Line [CL] model from
1947), a Radio Control (RC) helicopter
This is a great harbinger
of the future.
Joyce Hager Executive Director
View from HQ
Happy flying,
Joyce Hager
Executive Director
[email protected]
imported from Italy, and a tiny rubberband-
powered Free Flight aircraft. There
were many RC sport airplanes and Scale
models of various sizes including Vern
Ahlberg’s Scale Masters-prize-winning
WACO. Gliders, modern CL Stunt
aircraft, and electric-powered models
were also on display.
According to Roger, more than 60
models were exhibited at this year’s
show—“about double from the first
year’s offerings.”
Cecil noted, “no doubt the numbers
will increase as the word gets out about
this opportunity to display prized model
aircraft of all kinds. It is an opportunity
that is available to all flying-model
builders and owners.”
Unique craft were brought for display,
including an Italian Caproni built just
before World War II, a Nieuport 28 from
World War I, and several of the
venerable J-3 Cubs built in the late
1930s. Cecil showed a kit-bashed Cloud
Dancer he calls the Dancer 52, which is a
modern RC aircraft. Gliders ranged from
an old standby Cirrus from the 1970s and
1980s to a little Styrofoam sloper.
Ted Atmore with his unique YP-39E,
a version of the P-39 and P-36, won the
Best of Show plaque. Vern Ahlberg won
Best of Scale with his incredible WACO
which featured a gas engine, three-battery
backup system, a beautiful paint job, and
immaculate detailing.
This airplane was flown at a local club
field two days before the event “just for
the fun of it,” said Vern. Roger noted that
“it looked so much like the original, one
had to blink several times to tell the
difference when it was in the air.”
Vern Ahlberg won Best of Scale
with his WACO biplane.
A new RC flying field is being
developed for the Evergreen Aviation
Museum. It will be built to the north of
the building. Del Smith, founder and
chair of the museum’s board of directors,
has provided the land. This new field
will present an opportunity for people to
fly their models. The opening of the field
is planned for this spring and will be a
wonderful addition to the Northwest
modeling world.
The museum staff has asked that
members of the modeling community
provide educational model-aircraft
opportunities in the museum itself. Cecil
has committed to teaching beginners how
to build models on Saturdays in the
museum facilities. There will be
educational programs developed to
support this plan and the current handson
exhibits and simulators.
A close relationship between the
Evergreen Aviation Museum and
community aeromodelers has quickly
taken shape, and it is anticipated that it
will continue to grow. This is a great
harbinger of the future.
For more information contact Roger
at (503) 554-8187. MA