Author Topic: POST-A-PHOTO of your FIRST AIRPLANE MODELS? (Read 2032 times)

Shultzie · « **on:** May 03, 2008, 10:00:11 AM »

My twin sister...sent me a photo she found in an old book that belonged to my mother....of me holding what could have been a couple of my first models. A V Tail Baaanaaaannaaaa' and an old J-3 cub.
I bought those kits at a little hobby shop in NE DesMoines..near the Fairgrounds waaay back in 1951.
I am not sure but I think they were either Strombecker or Comet kits...or similar that were sold in those early 50's.
My mother was shocked at just how "stinky" those little tubes of glue and paint were...but hey maybe it was payback. I reminded her that they reminded me of her fingernail polish and often used her fingernail polish remover to clean my brushes and fingers. She was not happy when she found her bottle of nail polish remover had taken on a tint ofPiper Cub J-3 yellow.

HEY OLD GRUNTS...DIG THROUGH YOUR OLD ALBUMS...N' POST YOUR FIRST PHOTOGRAPHED MODELS."GADS...I looked sooooo proud and smart azz in this picture...check out the funny jeans with the embossed long horns...OH MY GADLY!!! DIDN'T ONE OF THE "VILLAGE PEOPLE" WEAR JEANS LIKE THOSE?

(Wow! My Mommie dressed me funny then...nice "GIG LINE" too, on the Shirt to Belt-n'brithes huh?

Randy Powell · « **Reply #1 on:** May 03, 2008, 10:55:37 AM »

Don,

No such thing exists for me. The did, but my cousin threw away the photo album when the guy that taught me to fly (her husband) died. Sigh...

Shultzie · « **Reply #2 on:** May 03, 2008, 12:15:10 PM »

Quote from: Randy Powell on May 03, 2008, 10:55:37 AM

Don,

No such thing exists for me. The did, but my cousin threw away the photo album when the guy that taught me to fly (her husband) died. Sigh...

That is just too sad.... I know the pain of loss is really difficult. Still it is so hard to understand why some folks distroy their past...(Humm? Shades of what happened to Jim Kostecky's models n' stuff.)

Warren Leadbeatter · « **Reply #3 on:** May 04, 2008, 07:12:02 AM »

This photo was taken in 1977 when I was 13. These were some of the models we flew at the 1977 Nats in Australia. I'm the one on the right. The guy on the left is my good friend Andrew who's son Tom will be flying F2D at the world championships in France this year.

The 2nd shot is one of my first control line stunt models "Little Brother" from May 1977 Aeromodeller mag. I still have this airplane and the plan in my garage... it's a lot faded now.

Dennis Adamisin · « **Reply #4 on:** May 04, 2008, 08:01:19 AM »

Not my first model, but the oldest pix I can find... (1966 NATs)

Shultzie · « **Reply #5 on:** May 04, 2008, 11:10:37 AM »

Warren n' Dennis...
Thanks for posting these great ol' photos...

Warren....I used to fly Mini and Sandy Hogan freeflight models near the corn fields in Iowa...in the early 50's before changin to CL.

Nice looking models...guys!
Dennis...Great lookin model and what a "happy face of a kid havin a good time."

Dennis Adamisin · « **Reply #6 on:** May 04, 2008, 11:41:18 AM »

Thanks Schultzie!

Showed that picture to my daughter - even after I told her she didn't think it was really me!

BTW the "Delphinus" (Dolphin) still resides in Big Art's basement...!

Steven Kientz · « **Reply #7 on:** May 04, 2008, 03:01:54 PM »

My picture is dated 12/65, that puts me at the ripe ol' age of 28 mos. As you can see I got an early dose of high nitro and fast combat planes. The covering is womens head scarfs, I still love poka dots on planes to this day. My plane was tot powered, but probably the loudest one we had. My first REAL flying plane was a Goldberg Shoestring (profile) built by Steve Ragsdale, one of the guys my father flew combat with. It was orange, silk and dope, fully decallled, fox .35 powered. My father used it for balloon bust, I was listed as the planes owner, practically begged him not to crash it. not sure what happened to that one. It is on my shortlist of planes to build, once my finishing skills can do it justice.

Jerry Eichten · « **Reply #8 on:** May 04, 2008, 10:01:46 PM »

1969?

I was 11 and finished this Streak the night before a Mankato Modeleers contest in Minnesota.

Won the best crash trophy!

Mike Spiess · « **Reply #9 on:** May 05, 2008, 08:05:55 AM »

Hey Jerry I remember that it was in the parking lot at Madison East Shopping center. I was there I didn't fly was hanging out with Mike Stott for a little while that day. A looooong time ago. Do you still live around here (Mankato area)?
Oh I see by the web site you have you probably live In Oregon.

Bill Mohrbacher · « **Reply #10 on:** May 05, 2008, 08:40:51 AM »

1955, Wowee, Cub .074. I was 11 or 12 (I don't know if the picture was taken in March or October) and could only dream of getting a "BIG" engine like a Fox 35 someday. Back in 1953 I got a Wasp .049 Aeromite for Christmas. Next came a Wen Mac Aerosonic Turbojet, a Firebaby with a Cub 049X, and the Wowee, my first built-up gas model.

Michael Brooks · « **Reply #11 on:** May 05, 2008, 08:50:22 AM »

Goldberg Buster with a Green Head .35. The picture was taken in Aug., 1968. We still lived in KCK. I was all of 13.

Mike

Shultzie · « **Reply #12 on:** May 05, 2008, 10:13:29 AM »

REALLY GREAT PHOTOS!!! PRICELESS!!!
CHECK OUT THE EXPRESSION OF PRIDE AND HAPPINESS IN ALL THESE YOUNG FACES!!!
THANKS! FOR SHARING THESE MEMORIES WITH EVERYONE.

Keep diggin through those old albums...looking forward to seeing more of these.

Mike Gretz · « **Reply #13 on:** May 05, 2008, 01:54:55 PM »

These pictures have made my day. Great fun! Thanks to all the parents, mentors, or whoever made it possible for us young guys (at that time) to have so much fun.

Dennis .. LOVE the white socks with the red and blue stripes. I think everybody had those!

Cody and Jerry .. the contest at Madison East Shopping Center was 1972. The building in the background does look like the brick on the shopping center. Was it taken there Jerry?

I don't have a picture of my first control line model. It didn't last that long! I was way too anxious to get it in the air to even think about taking a picture.

Mike Gretz

Mike Gretz · « **Reply #14 on:** May 05, 2008, 01:58:37 PM »

LOL! Sorry Mike Spiess .. I called you Cody. That's your son's name, if I remember correctly.
ANOTHER sign of old age creeping in.

Mike G

Shultzie · « **Reply #15 on:** May 05, 2008, 03:16:48 PM »

Quote from: Mike Spiess on May 05, 2008, 08:05:55 AM

Hey Jerry I remember that it was in the parking lot at Madison East Shopping center. I was there I didn't fly was hanging out with Mike Stott for a little while that day. A looooong time ago. Do you still live around here (Mankato area)?
Oh I see by the web site you have you probably live In Oregon.

Mike Stott...here he is in 68 where he won Senior

Dennis Adamisin · « **Reply #16 on:** May 05, 2008, 08:42:19 PM »

OK so what's the point of having big brothers if you can't pick on them some times??? Besides, I have the stash of old photos, AND the scanner.

* First pix is Arch posing his then new Ambroid Ares. He modified the fin to give it a "stinger" tail. Red with black scallops - look GREAT flew awful...!

Later that same summer Dave and his Chief with the FIRST Adamisin Trohy in Stunt. Little brother Alan is behind the OB wing. Note the photographer has not mastered of "Art" (or was it Betty?) of shadow positioning...!

Mike Spiess · « **Reply #17 on:** May 06, 2008, 01:45:13 PM »

Quote from: Mike Gretz on May 05, 2008, 01:58:37 PM

LOL! Sorry Mike Spiess .. I called you Cody. That's your son's name, if I remember correctly.
ANOTHER sign of old age creeping in.

Mike G

What do you mean old age creeping you remembered my son Cody.

And yes that does look like the door at Madison East. And for remembering dates or years I'm really terrible at that. I have a hard time remembering when Cody was born.

Jerry Eichten · « **Reply #18 on:** May 07, 2008, 09:27:21 PM »

Yep, the yellow Streak was at Madison East shopping center in Mankato, Minnesota. Was a small contest there late in 1971? I have a few photos of a big contest at the Mankato airport earlier in 1971.

By 1972 I was in the middle of stuffing Banshees into the ground trying to learn the pattern. I'm pretty sure the Modeleers had contests at the shopping center in '72 and '73 ? I have pics of Mike Gretz's scale Zlin from there, and I remember Mike practicing with a beautiful blue stunter another year.

Mike Gretz · « **Reply #19 on:** May 08, 2008, 08:32:30 AM »

Jerry and Mike,

My memory is that the 1971 contest was held at the Mankato airport - Dan Nirk was the CD.
The 1972 contest was at the Madison East Shopping Center - Sgt. Jerry Caldwell was the CD.
I don't recall a 1973 Mankato contest.

Mike G.