N.W. Model Expo '89
By Christian Weinreich, Puyallup, WA
To say the Pacific Northwest Model Expo is popular is something of an understatement. Some 10,000 people braved the coldest weather in 35 years to attend the event the first weekend in February. Held at the Washington State Fairgrounds near Tacoma, the Expo is the biggest show of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. Attendees came to see models on display, view new products being introduced, swap and trade engines and equipment, and renew old friendships.
Overview
Because of the weather, overall attendance was down from previous years, but the swap meet and manufacturer exhibits remained busy. Sixty-seven manufacturers exhibited at the Expo, many small, local Pacific Northwest firms. Only four manufacturers reportedly could not make it because of the weather.
The Expo is organized by the Mt. Rainier Radio Control Society, a 90-member club. Mark Reynolds, the club president, noted that lower booth rents make the show affordable for small manufacturers. The club has run the Expo for eight years; longtime volunteer Bob Pfeiffer—first Expo chairman—is credited with building the event’s manufacturer's support and publicity.
Swap Meet
The swap meet, held in a dimly lit, cavernous building, resembled an oriental bazaar—especially on Saturday when many items were on sale. Engines, half-finished models, plastic kits, plans, magazines, RC equipment, and aviation paintings were available for cash or trade. Buyers jostled one another along crowded aisles, picking up engines and haggling over kits. The general hubbub was occasionally punctuated by the soft toot of model trains.
The Expo also included cars, trains, and boats: railroad clubs had layouts on one side of the swap meet, and model car enthusiasts were racing around a track on the other.
Exhibits and Awards
Manufacturers’ booths were on the first floor; model displays and club booths were on the second. Although fewer models were entered for judging this year, many excellent examples remained on display.
- Public's Choice — Best of Show: RC F4U SN Corsair built by Earl Aune
- Painted flat black, built from Bob Holman plans, powered by an O.S. Surpass engine.
- Also won first place in Precision Scale. Featured an extendable arrestor hook with a working shock absorber.
- Judges' Choice — Best of Show: Free Flight Taylorcraft BF 12-D by Eric Dittman
- Silk-covered, gray-and-maroon model with a fully detailed cabin.
- Powered by a Davis Diesel .049 conversion. Dittman noted the model had survived a tree collision on a golf course; a rescuer had crushed the rear fuselage when lifting it.
- Sailplane (Sailplane/Slope Soaring): First place — Rotor by Rick Edris
- A slope-soarer unique for having independently pivoting wings for control; the stabilizer is rigid.
- Seaplane (Seaplane category): First place — RC model of an EDO-OSEL by Steve Mitros
- The prototype was an experimental WWII single-seat plane with an inverted in-line engine.
Notable large display: a 13-ft PBY-5A Catalina built by Mickey Stiffon.
Notable Stories
Emil and Iris Neely of Ikon N'West (Post Falls, ID) faced travel difficulties because of wind and ice. Emil had planned to rent a large van to bring multiple large models but could not because rental trucks had been blown off the road. The Neelys drove 320 miles in a pickup and managed to bring a Curtiss Robin and a new 1/2-scale Stinson SR-8 they were introducing.
Many attendees wore yellow oval stickers promoting the 1989 AMA National Contest (Nats) to be held in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State in mid-July; the AMA booth at the Expo also promoted the Nats.
New Products Introduced
Several small Pacific Northwest firms used the Expo to launch new products. Items included:
- Ikon N'West (Box 306, Post Falls, ID 83854)
- New 1/2-scale Stinson SR-8; retail $295.00.
- Northwest Hobby Supply / Pete Bergstrom (13923 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98444)
- Shoestring (Formula I pylon racer); retail $175.00.
- Quicky 500 airplane; retail $79.95.
- Yellow Aircraft Co. (11918 98th Ave. E., Puyallup, WA 98373)
- 1/9-scale Spitfire fiberglass kit, available late spring; approximate retail $280.00.
- Fourmost Products (4040 24th Ave., Forest Grove, OR 97116)
- Fuselage Fixture Jig for aligning fuselages; fits structures up to 4 ft long and 8 in wide; retail $59.95.
Products from outside the Northwest included:
- Golden Age Models (Box 807, Penn Valley, CA 95946)
- Quarter-scale Ryan STA; 90 in. wingspan, true to scale; expected delivery July/August; retail $300.00.
- Conley Precision Engines (820 Ridge Ave., Suite G, Lombard, IL 60148)
- New engine: belt-driven, dual-overhead-cam, 1.2 cu. in., single-cylinder, four-stroke with four valves; retail $269.95. Designed by Gary Conley.
Conclusion
Despite the harsh weather that kept some people away and altered other exhibitors’ plans, the N.W. Model Expo '89 remained a lively event with a strong swap meet, solid manufacturer participation, notable new products, and many fine models on display. The show continues to be the region’s primary winter modeling activity and an important gathering for Pacific Northwest modelers.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
