I first met Jim Tichy at Naha Air Base Okinawa in January of 1963. We were both in the USAF. He was a jet engine mechanic, and I was an autopilot/ compass systems technician. Naha had a base hobby shop building with an inside area with workbenches and lockers to build airplanes and store our supplies and tools. The hobby shop sold airplane supplies, and would order anything you needed.
Jim had brought a well worn Fox .35 to Okinawa, built a Midwest Magician, painted it light green, and proceeded to practice... a lot. I think that Jim had lived around Detroit when he was a young teenager. He mentioned seeing Bill Werwage fly up there.
We had a club on base called the "Aerial Habus". ( the flying snakes) In May or June of 1963 all of the Aerial Habus got to go TDY (temporary duty) to Tachikawa Japan for the All PACAF Far East Championships. We flew up there on a C-130, and Jim won first place in stunt with his Magician. Jim was already an extremely good stunt flyer.
After we got back to Okinawa, he finished an I- Beam airplane that he was working on called the Cirrus, I can't remember if it was his design or not. One day we were sitting around the base hobby shop, and Jim was reading a Model Airplane News magazine. There was a picture of Bill Werwage's Ares in there, and we thought the design was just beautiful. Jim said " I am going to design one of those". I said " Sure Jim!" ( you know how guys in the military go on about things) But, Jim got some brown paper and over the next few days drew up the plans for a large I- Beam stunter. He asked the Aerial Habus what to name it, and many names were suggested. The one that stuck was Colossus. He painted it a sort of a light maroon color. I don't remember any trim color on the airplane. He installed a VECO .45 in it, trimmed it out, and started practicing.
In 1964, around may, we all went tdy back to Tachikawa Air Base for the PACAF Championships. Jim won stunt again with the Colossus. I had built a Midwest Rat Racer and powered it with a Fox .40 rat race engine. I entered rat race in Tachi, and Jim was my pit man. We managed to win it, even though there were 5 other guys in the circle.
After we got back to Okinawa, Jim was getting short, and sold the Colossus to one of our club members. His name was Larry Barickman, and he wanted to fly the airplane right away. Jim loaned him the VECO .45 to fly it, and Larry took it across the street from the hobby shop to fly it.
There was one major problem with the Colossus. It was set up to fly clockwise, which is backwards for most of us. Larry took off flying the Colossus clockwise, and flipped it over so the controls would work normal. (for him) He flew a few manuvers, but soon got confused. When he flew it counter clockwise, the wheels were on top of the airplane. When he flew counterclockwise, the wheels were on the bottom . No matter which direction he flew, the wheels were on the wrong side. Finally, the differing views of the airplane confused his mind. The Colossus went straight in, and dug a hole in the ground. Pieces went everywhere, and the Colossus went to airplane heaven.
Jim Tichy idolized Bob Palmer, and wanted to be a wind tunnel model maker like him. Jim ended up as a patternmaker. He explained it to me as making patterns for molds by carving sugar pine into the desired shape.
Jim married his high school sweetheart, and they moved to Napa Valley, California and raised their family.
Jim Tichy died in August, 2010.
There was an article in the January 22, 2011 NAPA Valley Register that said the city council renamed the model airplane facility at Kennedy Park the " Jim Tichy Memorial Flying Circle." The council said that Jim played a major role in developing the current flying circle facility.
Dave Fitzgerald, who heads a local model airplane flying group won the endorsement of the Parks and Recreation Commission to name the circle after Jim Tichy.
Godspeed, Jim....
Topic: Jim Tichy - Designer of the "Colossus". (Read 8001 times)
