Who in here has bought someting from "America's Hobby Center"?

[Rusty]

Just wondering who has bought something from AMC and when was the first order?

ME:  Yes, about 1969.  It was a combo package of a Sterling Mini Mambo single channel kit; a single channel escapement - push button radio system and a Cox .049.  We never bought any CL stuff from them because there was 2 excellent CL hobby shops here at the time.

[Dan Berry]

I walked up the stairs there in the 80s.  A couple of times.

[Ty Marcucci]

My first order was in 1954.  Still have the little punch ticket they sent instead of change. Went there once in NY in 1967.. Very rude people. 

[Dan Berry]

. Very rude people. 

A good description.

[Andre Ming]

1963: A 99 cent HO scale train car. (May have been a cattle car... can't remember.)

1966: A "combo" consisting of a Ringmaster and Fox 35 Stunt. The Ringmaster I received, but AHC was out of 35 Stunts and they were back ordered at the factory. They offered to substitute a Veco 35 stunt, which I accepted. Mistake. Neither I, nor the elderly Mr. Wardlaw (a long time C/L enthusiast) could get that Veco to run. I ended up finding a 35 Stunt at one of the KCMO hobby shops, and it started immediately when the time came.

From there any AHC memories get sketchy, but I may have purchased a Tee Dee or something from them in the early 1980s.


Andre

[Dave_Trible]

I'm sure we ordered a few things from them.   Mostly I remember carrying the little AHC catalog to school with me everyday to dream about when it was 'study time'.  We had five or six really good hobby shops in KC at the time ( mid to late 1960s) so didn't usually need to order much.

Dave

[Mike Hazel]

About 1966, bought one of their combo deals:  Goldberg Shoestring Stunter and McCoy 35.  8.99 plus postage fee if memory serves correct.  A few more items over the years.

[john e. holliday]

I used to buy from AHC in the mif 50's as the closest hobby shop was about 100 miles away in Springfield MO.   The other direction was Kansas City.   

[Frank Imbriaco]

Many times. My first "big" engine, a McCoy 35, in 1963 for $4.95 stands out in my memory.  Cashed in my coin collection for it. Took it to school to show my eighth-grade science teacher who promptly criticized the casting job. I enjoyed dreaming about everything in their catalogs and monthly ads .

[Juan Valentin]

      My first order was a $9.95 K&B Stallion .35 in 1968. I used a mail order blank from a Model Airplane News mag. I sent a US postal money order. I installed in a Veco P-51 Mustang stunter. Flew it many times before joining the Air Force in 1969. Here are some pics.
                                                                                                                  Juan

[Paul Smith]

I bought a lot of stuff from AHC although we had plenty of good hobby shops.
AHC had some discounted items the local shops didn't offer.

[Steve Helmick]

Seems like I ordered a 2nd Fox .15 steel fin and Ringmaster Jr. combo from AHC about 1959. The order took at least a month to arrive. And then there was the disappointment of the Ringmaster Jr. kit. The Fox .15 was the best part of the deal, so all in all, it wasn't a great experience. I never ordered from them again.  Steve

[Roy DeCamara]

In the summer of 1950 I ordered a Buzz 35, it may have been a 29, spark ignition motor.  I ordered from the nearest store which was in San Francisco.  ANC had stores around the country at that time.  The Buzz was what we now call a "slag motor".  The piston had two grooves, but no rings.  I actually got the thing to run on a glow plug, but it was pretty rough.  Still not bad for a ten year old kid.  IMHO.  Grins,  Roy D

[Dennis Moritz]

We biked up there or took the subway, must have started in late 1950s. Atwood Cadet 049 and solid fuselage Chipmunk combo. Painted it with Pactra enamel that dissolved right away when hit with fuel. Next project was a profile spitfire painted with Pactra dope. Flew ok. Paint was ok. Went from there. The array of European engines on display in the small salesroom was astonishing. When we went on to 35 size planes we took a long ride to Jamaica Queens to buy from Rays. Better prices. Must have bought rubber kits though from AHC. Thirty nine cents and less cheap enough. Had quite a few.The catalogue was encyclopedic, printed on newspaper stock. Almost all the glow and diesel engines past and the present of that era, same with the kits. We decided the deals AHC published in the mags were not that good, not exactly what we wanted. At Rays I bought my first Fox 35. Is it possible that I paid 5 dollars? Only Fox I ever bought. Still have that one. Others happened to turn up and appear.

[Carl Cisneros]

Think it was in the early/mid 60's. Bought a cox .049 and a scientific Cadet I believe.
Built it on the kitchen table and painted it there as well.
Learned to fly with that plane.

Then a few years later I bought a Controlaire Galloping Ghost outfit and a Goldberg Jr. Falcon.
Never did fly it. Not sure what ever happened to it.

Loved looking at their adds in the magazine.

Carl

[Dan Berry]

A friend of mine who made and sold kits and hardware told me they made their biggest order ever, went out of business and stiffed him.

[Paul Smith]

Think it was in the early/mid 60's. Bought a cox .049 and a Scientific Cadet I believe.
Built it on the kitchen table and painted it there as well.
Learned to fly with that plane.

The Scientific Cadet was  GREAT  little plane.  With its builtup airfoil wing and 1/16" box fuselage it was everything that the hollow logs were not.

[Will Hinton]

1956 Cox Thimble Drome Space Bug junior and a hollow log Stinson kit, my first powered combo.
The .049 motor was smaller than the name!

[Jim Kraft]

 
  1951. An OK Cub .049 and a Half Pint tether car.

[Mark Mc]

Around 1978.  I bought a two channel Futaba radio and a Kyosho Papillon 2 channel motor glider for my Babe bee engine out of an ad in Flying Models magazine.  I knew nothing about building models, so it only made one flight out of a dozen tries.

[frank williams]

In the 50's I studied the AHC ad like it was scripture.  I never ordered anything.

My brother-in-law was shorted on an order in the 70's.  He took it to postal inspector who said it happened all the time.

In the late 70's, someone sent an open letter to every chartered AMA club, describing in detail how he was shorted a K&B 40.  He had bought two and only got one.  He showed how the shipping weight was not enough for two engines.  I think he is still waiting for the second motor.

[944_Jim]

I bought a single channel radio to go with a Littlest Stick. The radio was operated once and I observed it fluttered one way more than "same flutter to both sides." The plane was never built. The radio was never used for it's purpose. I still have the radio and paper templates.
Sigh!

[Rick Campbell]

Yes! Mid/late 1970s I ordered one of their combo deals: A Ringmaster and a Fox 35. I remember the UPS truck pulling up in front of my house. It felt like Christmas. I may still have that Fox 35.

A few years later I got to visit New York City and of course, I went to AHC. I think I bought a Tatone engine test stand. 

Wonderful and powerful memories....like the Green Box Nobler I received for Christmas back then.