Milwaukee Model Aero Club
Part 1 — Jim Noonan
Model airplane clubs have been around for just about as long as model airplanes. Then, as now, clubs have made our activity more enjoyable through fellowship and advanced the state of the art through shared knowledge.
At age 10 in 1927 I became an "aeronaut." Lindy flew to Paris, visited my adopted hometown of Milwaukee on his national tour following the flight, and before you knew it the skies began to fill with planes. Among them was Milwaukee's own Hamilton Metalplane. Eventually I discovered model airplanes through books in the public library and quickly found out that model building was already much older than I was.
My first model-building attempt was a twin pusher made from kite sticks and bent-wood props; the best it would do was a poor power glide. My grandfather, who had farmed with oxen in his youth, observed my efforts without comprehension. He could not understand a boy who wanted to fly. Despite this early failure, I kept at it, using the helpful but often inadequate books available.
My interest in aviation grew. Some of the books listed model clubs, but they were rarely still extant. Most had disbanded after the end of World War I. Among the clubs listed was the Milwaukee Model Aero Club, long since broken up. Being just a kid, I couldn't hope to follow up its history.
The next year, model plane building was taught in the schools, and of course I was there. The balsa, tissue, Ambroid, banana oil, and wire were provided, as well as needed tools. The Airplane Model League of America, sponsored by American Boy magazine, supplied the basic guidance (see Frank Zaics' book Model Airplanes and the American Boy). So I learned to build and fly in a whole new era, but my desire to know the history of modeling in Milwaukee never quite left.
My search for the club's history began at the Milwaukee Public Museum. I was somewhat disappointed, though, as the museum was devoid of any reference to aviation except for a small display honoring Quentin Roosevelt — Teddy Roosevelt's youngest son.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
