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Announcements => In Memory of our friends => Topic started by: De Hill on April 27, 2012, 12:16:52 PM
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Larry Scarinzi called me this morning and let me know that Leroy Ducharme passed on last week at his home in florida of a heart attack.; He was 76 years old. Leroy and Larry were in the USAF together, and were flying buddies. Leroy designed the Lieutenant , a classic legal airplane, and won stunt at the Mirror Meet in 1955 flying the old MM pattern. There are many more things that Leroy accomplished than I have listed here.
De Hill
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Thank you, De.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
Bill
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Leroy was a great friend. His passing is a true loss to his family, his friends and our hobby!
Leroy and I worked together, on an International Missile Development Program, back in the '80s. At this time we learned that we had both flown CL "Stunt" back in the mid 50's and promised we would try to do it again, together, someday.
In late 1999 or early 2000, after we both retired, we finally got together and flew at a local field in Titusville, FL.. Leroy was always a pleasant and helpful flying partner. I regret that I have not seen him since the KOI 6 or 7 years ago as we lived quite a distance apart.
Sincere condolences tohis family.
May he rest in peace.
Roger Vizioli
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I new Leroy was going to be at the KOI a number of years ago so I took my Easy and had him sign it. Any one remember that design. The plane must still be around rhe Tampa Bay Area
Ed
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Leroy's EASY was published in the January 1957 issue of FLYING MODELS. I remember buying that issue and reading the article in 1957 when I was 16 years old (I will be 72 in June). The EASY was a cleverly designed airplane what could be flown in Stunt Events (with landing gear) and Combat events (with landing gear removed). I never built Leroy's EASY, but I still have that issue of FLYING MODELS. It contains, not only the article describing construction, but full sized patterns of the ribs and other major parts. Leroy Ducharme was one of many well known modelers of the 1950's and 1960's that we looked up to and whose careers we followed. I am sorry to hear of his passing.....it reminds us that we are all getting older and we should continue to enjoy this great hobby as long as we are able. D>K H^^
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I new Leroy was going to be at the KOI a number of years ago so I took my Easy and had him sign it. Any one remember that design. The plane must still be around rhe Tampa Bay Area
Ed
Ed,
When Leroy started flying again, in the early 2000's, he built an Easy and a Lieutenant and flew them with us at our field. Looking back now reaffirms our thoughts of how fortunate we were to have Leroy recreate his designs of the late 50's and fly them with us almost 50 years later.
Roger V.
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Rodger Here is my Easy built in the mid 1990's. I built one in 1956 from the article. I still have the Magazine #^
Terrence You and I are the same age. My date June 6th 1940
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Hey Ed,
You are 14 days older than I am.....my birthday is June 20, 1940. We are both products of those early control line days of long ago. That is a nice looking EASY you have there. What engine did you use on it? Who knows, maybe one day I will get around to building a Ducharme EASY. It is a fairly simple design to build and a good example of Sport/Stunt/Combat thinking in the mid 1950's. Yes, those were the days!.... Terrence y1 D>K H^^
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Terrence I used a Fox .35 and flew it in a couple of Classic contests. It was not a stellar performer ~^
Ed
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I too want to offer my sympathy to his family and friends. My first attempt at "scratch" building from plans was a Lieutenant back in the late 'Fifties.
I always thought that some day I'd build another.
May He rest in peace, and may God bless his family and friends...
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The first I heard his name was in Larry Scarinzi's article on his Blue Angel. Larry mentioned one of the design features was the overhanging rear fuselage; he called it the "Ducharme Hangover" after Leroy's Lieutenant design. Much later did I actually see a copy of the lieutenat plans , and later the Easy plans. Thankfully at least these two designs have been documented and shall remain in our heritage.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Leroy, but I feel like I have lost another hero. May he rest in peace, may his family and friends be blessed with comfort in their grief.
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I can't say that I new Leroy well. I met him at several contests when I was starting out. He had another flapped stunter that flew very well. Maybe someone will remember it. It was 2 tone blue as I remember. There was a contest in South Jersey that he flew stunt and then flew combat. I can't remember if the combat match was with his Leutenant, but he used a stunter for combat that day. The airplane survived it too.
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Allways sad to hear of another UC flyer passing on. Best to friends and family.
Dan H^^