Radio Control: Old-Timers
Dr. D.B. Mathews 909 N. Maize Rd., Townhouse 734 Wichita, KS 67212
Many older modelers have loving memories of Miss Tiny. This one was built by the late Otto Bernhardt in the winter of 1967–68 and was flown for years (infrequently) as a sport free-flight powered by an Arden .09. Otto converted it to glow-powered RC in 1982, hoping to fly 1/2A Texaco. At 24 oz., it was not competitive. Today it flies for fun with a detuned Cox Tee Dee .049. Covering is pink silk with black K&B Superpoxy trim. A thin overall coat of clear Superpoxy gives a truly fuelproof finish. It features one of the original kit spun-aluminum cowls. Cowl and plans came from Barney Snyder's famed Modelcraft Hobby Shop in Gardena, CA.
The spirit of the Old-Timer movement is captured in an article that appeared in the October 1987 issue of AeroNews, newsletter of the San Diego Aeroneers. With apologies to the author and editor, I have shortened it just a bit.
"My First Gas Model"
By Art Way
It was a warm summer morning in Pomona, CA. I was eight years old, all alone except for my pooch Tramp, in a vast orchard of peach and walnut trees. I had the trusty Red Ryder BB gun that Santa had left me that Christmas of 1938. Tramp tripped over my heels in excitement as I sighted and shot at the blackbirds, filled myself with peaches, and quenched my thirst from the fresh water that bubbled down the irrigation ditches. The mud felt wonderful as it squished between my bare toes.
As we emerged from the cool shadows of the orchard into blinding light, the Pomona fairground was nearby. A sound I had never heard drew me toward some cars about a mile away. As I hotfooted it toward the area, I spotted what I now remember to be the first model airplanes I had ever seen. Now in a dead run with Tramp ahead of me, I was soon at the flight line and about to have a very large part of my thinking, emotions, time, and life changed forever. Model airplanes! Big ones! Small ones! It was like falling in love. Models that flew just like the real ones! I knew I just had to somehow do this—but how? Where?
I hung around all day asking questions about every model. I must have bothered every man there. Most modelers appeared to be pretty old—but then to an eight-year-old even a teenager looks old. I told my mother what I had seen, and a few days later she took me to a wondrous place—a hobby shop.
I bought a couple of model plane kits for a dime. The hobby shop owner carefully explained construction: "Build two sides, body, cut out ribs, don't use too much glue," etc. So I built rubber jobs and finished them. Very few months passed before Sunday would come and I would take Tramp and walk two miles to the fairground. I would sit in the morning and watch gassers fly, crash, fly; the smell of gasoline and oil was like an addictive perfume. Over and over I'd say to myself, "I've gotta find a way to do that, too."
By summer 1941 our family moved to San Diego. My stepfather, mother, and sister took jobs at Convair. I recall the events of December 7 and the winter and changes that brought us. I began to earn and save money selling papers. Marines at Camp Elliott, Miramar, and Linda Vista also mowed lots of lawns for a quarter at a time. I continued to build models in a small room attached to the garage.
An Ohlsson .19 was a birthday present. Drooling over the Modelcraft Miss Tiny kit in the window at Scotty's Hillcrest Modelcraft, I saved up $3.95, rode my bike way west on 5th Ave to Hillcrest, and bought the kit. Hurrying home I ripped the box open—what a kit: balsa, terrific plans, cement, clear dope. I'd earned it with my own sweat. Six months (days skipping junior high) later the model was completed, but I had yet to get the Ohlsson running. So I took it down to Scotty's, took it out back, started it, and he showed me the wire ignition system and made sure it was right before sending it home.
Miss Tiny, incredibly beautiful in white silk with red dope trim, ran great. I was now expert and ready to test hop. However, the instructions said it needed a test glide. Scared to death, I took a vacant lot behind the house. I'd run with it but couldn't bring myself to let her go. I must have tried six or eight times before I tripped and fell; to save damage, I gently tossed Miss Tiny just before my face hit the dirt.
Looking up, wiping sweat and dirt from my eyes, I discovered Miss Tiny still gliding in what to me was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. Look at her! She's beautiful; she's mine, and I made her with my own two hands!
The following Sunday my mother and stepfather drove me to the flying field I knew about, located just north of Linda Vista. Modelers were arriving, some of whom had been there since dawn. I hooked up the booster battery, gassed the Ohlsson, and let her take off at low engine RPM as I had been told to do. She rose with difficulty on the flat little balloon tires and lifted off! Miss Tiny flew out her full tank and was almost out of sight when she went into a glide and slowly descended to a bumpy landing.
Many years and many models later, the emotions associated with Miss Tiny always seem to come into a breathless "other world." I loved the model's name, and I loved that inanimate object as if it were a live person.
Three years ago, after learning to fly RC with close assistance from Don Hoyle and George Wagner, I built another Miss Tiny for 1/2-A Texaco RC. She climbed beautifully and thermalled just fine. I'm going to build another one. As a matter of fact, the plans are spread out right here on my desk as I write this. Yes, I'm powerlessly sentimental over Miss Tiny. She was my first love, you see.
When I first read Art Way's words, I was almost moved to tears. I'd hope that many of your readers can also closely relate to the feelings he so nicely brings to the surface.
Some loose ends. Miss Tiny will bring floods of memories to lots of folks, since the kit was so popular for so very long. In the same vein, an editorial by Jim Adams (editor of Sam Speaks and a candidate for the SAM presidency) reflecting on the English approach to Old-Timers has generated the concept of "Spirit of SAM Concours" events.
Bob Munn of the Aeroneers says:
"As a group primarily concerned with having a maximum enjoyment from all kinds of Old-Timers, we have decided to include an entirely new event in our annual contest. It is intended to encourage people to bring and fly interesting Old-Timers which may not be competitive under current rules — a sort of small-scale fun-fly.
"We'd like to see something like this included in SAM contests across the country as a means of restoring some of the variety and craftsmanship — rather than pure performance — in the Old-Timer arena."
Hmmm. That's much as SAM events were when the idea was new, back about 15 years ago. So, what do you think?
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
