Saw this a few days ago, it's still sinking in, another big loss making it tough to come up with words. Even tougher with (me) very recently losing a couple close friends locally as well. Another good buddy of mine is also in intensive care as I type this. For some reason these types of things seem to mean even more during the holidays.
As many know Don was a genuine, super nice guy. We first "met" by phone long ago with me asking questions about one of his Warbird designs, the Dauntless I think. He had Minnesota roots and as soon as I introduced myself as also being from Minnesota we had a connection and he instantly made me feel like an old buddy. I don't recall exactly but later on we may have met personally during my one and only trip to VSC, in 2007 I believe. I first met many of my long time modeling idols that week and can't imagine not at least having a short chat with Don. I definitely remember seeing one of his planes there, a T-Bird? I think he had an Old-Timer there too.
I've admired every build of his I've ever seen, published and/or in person, always extremely well done. One of the things I've always noticed and liked is the simple clean paint schemes he applied to his models, always appropriate to the design and always tasteful. Through these things he's always given me much inspiration on my own projects. One of my favorites was his yellow full-fuse Navy Stearman stunter, a model so well done that it could also easily win at a scale contest.
Obtaining and studying many of Don's excellent Warbird plans was a major influence in giving me the confidence to design and build my profile PBY Catalina stunter back when I did. I had most of my "plan" figured out for it on my own but along the way many of my ideas were confirmed by studying and comparing his design philosophies, how to disguise and finish a fully capable stunt model with a very scale appearance. Talking with Don over the phone at times we pretty much had the same thought processes on balancing stunt/scale design. If it wasn't for seeing Don's work though, I may never have built that PBY that I've enjoyed so much.
I'd honestly love to build all of Don's Warbird designs but it's quite a long list and so hard to pick "the one". They're all awesome and very well thought out. I was the one who initially suggested and kept poking at him to design his B-25 Mitchell, one of my absolute all-time favorite aircraft and something I've always wanted to build. We talked about doing the B-25 over the phone and via email quite a few times before he finally did it. At first, for ease of design and build, he talked about just doing it with a straight wing but I insisted it had to incorporate the characteristic "gull", saying "it wouldn't be a B-25 otherwise!" Don then set about designing the B-25, with the "gull", and figuring out a slick functioning flap system that all came out with his typical and excellent attention to detail.
The only one of Don's designs I've actually completed is the P-38 Lightning I finished as "YIPPEE", the 5000th Lighting off the production line. The model was quite a challenge to build but is one of my most prized. For anyone interested in that design, a forum search here will find multiple threads covering that build project from start to finish.
All in all Don was one of the nicest people I've ever met. I'm not going to claim to have known his as well as many here, but well enough I think. I've always admired his work and really enjoyed the conversations we had, always an inspiration. He will certainly be greatly missed in our fraternity, my sincere condolences to all family and friends. Thank you Don.
Topic: Don Hutchinson (Read 5118 times)