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Author Topic: William C. (Bill) Schwagerman Jr.  (Read 1420 times)

Offline Bill Schwagerman

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William C. (Bill) Schwagerman Jr.
« on: November 10, 2020, 05:53:57 PM »
Dad passed away two days ago at the age of 86. After completing his US Navy duty in Japan in 1960 Bill moved back to the Kansas City area and was employed by Western Electric and served as an electrician for 30 years.  In 1961, Bill got back into model airplanes and eventually began a popular mail order hobby business (evening and weekend business while working at Western Electric) which over the course of many years lead to his reviving numerous previously closed cottage businesses. Here are some of the highlights of Bill's model airplane hobby efforts:

Mid-1960’s to early 1990’s Bill’s Mail Order Hobby (an international mail order business)
1968 – 1970 Rite Pitch, X-Cell, Air-O, Super Stunt, Spitfire Propellers
1970 – 1980 Y & O Propellers (A family operation involving 3 generations) (The Y & O "jet" logo props was Bill's creation. Dad's strategy was to use the hardest and stiffest locally cut woods and then properly air drying for over a year before beginning the cutting process using much of the original Yates & Orwick equipment to make props.)
Viking & Wizard Twin Ignition Engines
Vivell & Madewell Ignition engines
Custom Model Kits
Springfield FF Kits
1960’s Kansas City Sky Devils Club
Model Engine Collector’s Association (MECA)
PAMPA member
SAM member
Main model airplane interests include most all Control Line events and various Free Flight events
He was also a Control Line Stunt Judge, Contest Sponsor and Contest Director
His three sons were fortunate to grow up in the hobby with many warm memories and currently fly Control Line nearly every week.




Offline john e. holliday

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Re: William C. (Bill) Schwagerman Jr.
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2020, 09:42:45 PM »
This is really sad news as I knew your Dad from flying with him at Swope Park.  I was also privaleged to be his pilot in some races that were held.  Used his Y&O props when I could get them.  Still have the COX RR-1 that I bought new from him.  It is faster than any Tee Dee I ever had or have.  Also spent many a night in his shop.  May he rest in peace. :(
John E. "DOC" Holliday
10421 West 56th Terrace
Shawnee, KANSAS  66203
AMA 23530  Have fun as I have and I am still breaking a record.

Offline George S

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Re: William C. (Bill) Schwagerman Jr.
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2020, 03:22:43 PM »
Our Dad was a great teacher, even though I personally didnt think he was doing any teaching when I was a kid. Everything was pretty much hands on while growing up. He would show us how to do it or we would just watch him and then we would be replicating how he did it soon after. It wasnt until later in life when I truly realized what he did for us. All 3 sons learned how to use tools and become craftsmen and at a very young age.

When Dad started making the Y&O props it was from start to finish. He would go out and pick the trees, have them cut down and hauled to the Saw Mill and we would go and watch the logs get cut into rough cut boards. We would then load it into our Neighbors truck (before Dad got a truck of his own) to haul it home...most of time time grossly over weight for the truck!. Then us boys would carry the long heavy boards into the shop and up into the attic and stacked neatly and spaced appropriately for air drying. Dad knew his stuff. He was very exacting and detail oriented.  He had built his work shop himself (with the help of our grandfather... (Dads Dad) and our neighboor) and built it so he could store many tons of wood in the attic. We took dry boards down as needed and cut them to length, then down to managable strips of wood before doing all the various other steps, Shaper, drill press, rough sanding, finish sanding, stamping, varnishing etc, then into the “ready to sell bin”. Dad sold all we could make. He had a full time day job and we all went to school but in the summer time we could crank out a lot of propellers. I helped him make props up until I was about 17 years old (I think I started when I was about 7) He sold the propeller business not long after that.

Growing up and watching him, he was a true craftsman. There was nothing he could not make or repair. By trade he was a Master Electrician with skills to do some of the more precise technical trouble shooting and even some engineering of electrical boards and components. He was a great Machinist, Woodworker and Mechanic. He had a shop full of about every tool and machine needed to build and make anything. Lathe, Mill, Table saw, band saw, etc etc, he had it all. I didnt realize how good he was when I was young... I thought every kid had a father like him!

Dad was great at everything he did. He loved fishing and to this day I think if there was only 1 fish in a 1000 acre lake he would have no problem finding and catching it. The best fisherman I have ever seen.

So many great memories. He will be missed by his family.

George Schwagerman- youngest son
George S 
     
AMA 9385

Offline Bill Schwagerman

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Re: William C. (Bill) Schwagerman Jr.
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2020, 08:23:24 PM »
This is really sad news as I knew your Dad from flying with him at Swope Park.  I was also privaleged to be his pilot in some races that were held.  Used his Y&O props when I could get them.  Still have the COX RR-1 that I bought new from him.  It is faster than any Tee Dee I ever had or have.  Also spent many a night in his shop.  May he rest in peace. :(
John,

I do remember you piloting a couple of times. I remember Jim Dunkin piloting some also for dad. John, at Swope Park you spent some time down near the big tree at the lower grass circle flying some combat matches eh? I remember a guy getting hit in the head with a flying combat plane one day. He was bleeding pretty good and dazed but he just stood around as if he wasn’t too concerned. He wanted to stick it out.  Those were the days! I always stayed up at the safer paved circle with the stunt and racing people. As kids, my brothers and I enjoyed hanging out at Swope Park. We must of crashed that indestructible baby clown 50 times over the seasons. Dad was left handed and flew clockwise and we were right handed. He had us fly left handed and that didn’t fair well. We learned quick once we built our own planes flying with our right hand counterclockwise.

Bill S. lll

Offline De Hill

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Re: William C. (Bill) Schwagerman Jr.
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2020, 07:42:52 PM »
I first met Bill Schwagerman Jr. At our annual Tulsa MECA Collecto. It ran for about 15 years. Bill always had a bunch of rare stuff (Airplane Kits, Engines, and accessories)  He did not like to dicker over the prices.

Larry Scarinzi used to go by Bill's home on the way back from the VSC, and buy goodies from Him.

After He got out of the Airplane stuff, I was told that He acquired a bunch of fishing lure parts, and started making and selling fishing lures.

After the Tulsa Collecto shut down, I never saw Bill again.

Bill Schwagerman was a very talented man; I'm sorry that He has passed.
De Hill

Offline Dan McEntee

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Re: William C. (Bill) Schwagerman Jr.
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2020, 08:28:46 AM »
   Sorry to hear of Bill Jr's passing. I can't remember if I ever met him in person but I think I have done some business with him by mail over the years. I know I have met his son Bill III at some swap meets and such. he sounds like my kind of guy! I love George's comment about how he thought everyone had a dad like him!! I also did not know he had an involvement with the Y&O props, I would have loved to have seen that operation in action.  You just will not find people like him in the younger generations of today. My condolences to the entire family.
  Best Regards,
  Dan McEntee
  Florissant, MO
AMA 28784
EAA  1038824
AMA 480405 (American Motorcyclist Association)


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