1948 FF and CL Contest

[mike londke]

Ran across this, pretty cool old flying.

[EddyR]

Nice old film. That is pretty much how I remember the larger contest I saw in 1949-1950. Never made it to the NAT's until 1957.
Ed

[Crist Rigotti]

Very cool.  My how times have changed.

[Duke.Johnson]

Just had a chance to watch this, Great video!  I attended my first FF contest two summers ago and last summer entered my first contest.  I have fallen in love with it!  Thanks for the video Mike.

[FLOYD CARTER]

That was back when both the Plymouth Motor Co. and the AMA were interested in promoting model aviation.

F.C.

[Mike Keville]

Ah, yes...the days of REAL model airplanes - as opposed to today's RC drones.

[Norm Faith Jr.]

And Chinese ARF's!
Norm

[john e. holliday]

Look at all the youngsters in the video.   Wonder if the kid finished the caramel apple.

[Brett Buck]

Look at all the youngsters in the video.   Wonder if the kid finished the caramel apple.

  That was partly because at least for most of its existence, The Plymouth Internats was limited to kids. That was its undoing, ultimately.

    Brett

[Clint Ormosen]

  That was partly because at least for most of its existence, The Plymouth Internats was limited to kids. That was its undoing, ultimately.

    Brett

Yeah, but how many of those models were actually built by "kids"?

[john e. holliday]

Back then most youngsters learned to use their hands and I will admit that my self I had help on the first models.   True there were some that did fly daddy built planes.   Most of my learning thru was through the magazines and learning to read as well as look at pictures.  But in 48 I was not 7 years old until the end of the year.

[Brett Buck]

Yeah, but how many of those models were actually built by "kids"?

      Hard to say, but I was perfectly capable of building functional full-fuse stunt planes when I was 12 with relatively little help, so with a cut-off age of (I think) 18 wouldn't have been much of an inhibition. And I was hardly a prodigy.  George Aldrich made his reputation at one of the later Plymouth meets when he was a pup.

    I have numerous old books for kids with science fair projects, model boat building, radios, etc. You would be amazed at what was considered a reasonable project for pre-teen to early teens back in 1935, even more so by the early 50's. One project, as an example, was to first build a Van De Graff generator, then use that to power a *linear particle accelerator*.

      I wouldn't assume that this was filled with daddy-builts without some evidence.

    Brett

[Dan McEntee]

    The thing to keep in mind here is that this is what kids did back then, no TV, video games, cell phones, facebook or other things to occupy their time. Dad's did it also along side the kids and taught them stuff. These models were not that technically advanced and through repetition, you improved quickly. The other thing to keep in mind is that to get to the Nationals in Detroit, you had to earn your way through regional contests that were attended by hundreds of contestants. But if you made the cut, it was a full ride for transportation and accommodations, I believe. I've heard and read some stories of crazy things going on in the hotels during the contest. Wish I could have been there! There and the Mirror Meets also. It definitely was a different time for sure.
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[mike londke]

    The thing to keep in mind here is that this is what kids did back then, no TV, video games, cell phones, facebook or other things to occupy their time. Dad's did it also along side the kids and taught them stuff. These models were not that technically advanced and through repetition, you improved quickly. The other thing to keep in mind is that to get to the Nationals in Detroit, you had to earn your way through regional contests that were attended by hundreds of contestants. But if you made the cut, it was a full ride for transportation and accommodations, I believe. I've heard and read some stories of crazy things going on in the hotels during the contest. Wish I could have been there! There and the Mirror Meets also. It definitely was a different time for sure.
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

Well said Dan. None of the distractions that the youth have today. Just think, long winters were a perfect time to build planes.

[Robert Dible]

Kind of ironic that they emphasized science and progress of knowledge when they showed the Earth revolving the wrong direction.  Back when I worked for a high tech company in the Bay Area , our marketing department didn't know either.  Hell, for that matter, CBS didn't know either.  But the sun does rise in the east.  Usually.

[Brett Buck]

Kind of ironic that they emphasized science and progress of knowledge when they showed the Earth revolving the wrong direction.  Back when I worked for a high tech company in the Bay Area , our marketing department didn't know either.  Hell, for that matter, CBS didn't know either.  But the sun does rise in the east.  Usually.

     If it was in Hebrew, it would have rotated the right way around!

    Brett

[Robert Dible]

My bad, it was ABC new with Peter Jennings.  Theyp could have put the South Pole on top of the screen and had it correct.

[Paul Smith]

The old Plymouth Internats established modeling in the Detroit area.  Although it was over 60 years ago, the area still benefits from it, as do the old AMA Navy Nats venues.

Contestants had to register through their local Plymouth dealers, which was the intent of the program.  Chevrolet had the Soap Box Derby and Fisher Body had the Craftsmans Guild.  They all worked well for the car companies and the kids who competed.