OLD-TIMERS - 2005/02

I’LL START BY thanking several contributors who sent photos
and material for use in this column, a couple of which were
exceedingly generous. There is a great deal of interest out there in
“gluing Part A to Part B” despite the current popularity of “buyand-
fly” items. Stick-and-tissue, rubber-powered airplanes remain
a favorite of many modelers, including replicas of the 1930s
Jimmie Allen designs.
An annual postal contest is held for those models, and thanks
to Hal Schwan of the St. Louis Thermaleers, I received complete
results from last year’s affair. The top team was the FAC (Flying
Aces Club) Cactus Squadron based in Gilbert, Arizona, which
consisted of Neal Hudson, Joe McGuire, and Jim Kutkuhn. Their
club name is now engraved on the perpetual championship trophy
that was originally donated by Larry Oliver of the San Diego
Orbiteers.

OLD-TIMERS - 2004/09

DURING HIS 31-year career with the US
Air Force, Colonel Bob Thacker, who is
now retired, flew in three wars,
participated in the service test program for
the Lockheed P-80, and later graduated
from the Test Pilots’ Academy at Edwards
Air Force Base in California. He is perhaps
best known for his 1947 record-setting
flight from Honolulu, Hawaii, to New
York in the P-82 Twin Mustang “Betty
Jo,” named for his wife.

OLD-TIMERS - 2003/05

WOULDN’T YOU know it? After writing in January’s column
that I answer E-mail within 24 hours, our computer went down and
was in the shop for three weeks. I may not have E-mail again until
we get to Maine since we’re packing now. Regular (snail) mail
will hopefully be forwarded to our new home, though I don’t know
where that is yet because this is being written on New Year’s Day
(for my January 10 deadline).

OLD-TIMERS - 2004/03

THE POWERHOUSE saga continues. The topic may have
overstayed its welcome here, but the final (I promise) word comes
from Richard Kaufman of Phoenix, Arizona. He wrote to dispute
those claims that the design was prone to crash.

Pages