Kenny's Old Time Model Airplane Magazine:
March 2002


Editorial

Hello everyone, and welcome back to my virtual magazine. We have a distinct theme this month, seaplanes! Without getting too terminologically technical, seaplanes were big news in the 1930's. Whether they were flying boats, amphibians, float planes, or planes with a pontoon, aircraft that could land on water were the greatest invention for the explorer and adventurer. Nothing could stop one from going anywhere in a plane that didn't need an airport to land.

Combining the romance of a sea cruise with the cutting edge adventure of trans-continental air travel, seaplanes were the stuff of dreams. This was a time of dreams, of private men and women striking out into the unknown while it was, still, the wild blue yonder.

Be well, and enjoy Vol. 2 No. 2.

This issue I would like to dedicate to my heroes, the Women and Men of Canada's Gold Medal Olympic Hockey teams. You've thrilled a nation; you've made us all proud. -- Yeah Baby!


The Story

This month we return to Bill Barnes. Few understood the value of amphibious aircraft better than ol' Bill.

I love these stories 'cause they make real what us readers would imagine to be obviously intelligent. "Wouldn't be cool if you could have a fighter with floats that could be retracted, and with another seat in the back so that a gunner could cover your six, be able to haul around some bombs to drop on bad guys, and maybe add another high horsepower diesel inline to crank the speed up and...." Why not?

Here Bill has to fight off enemies, down right thugs actually, who also have seen the amphibian light. Has Bill met his match?

Enjoy, Earmarked Gold.

Earmarked Gold - to print & read with glorious illustrations
Earmarked Gold - to read off web (sorry no illustrations)

The Rubber Powered Model Airplane Plans

We return to the drawing board of Alan Orthof, though this time we shed the skis of his Snowbird Stick and build a couple of floats for some fun in the sun. This month we present a nice straight forward 30" span Hydro Fuselage sport model on floats. As I said, planes on water were taken very seriously during the 1930's. Hydro models had there own class back then, and were regularly published in the mags. They would bring in large pans of water for indoor R.O.W. events! Check this one out.

I'm afraid that reality wasn't quite as much fun as fantasy. Though there were a few aircraft that fit into this month's theme, such as any of the Schneider racers, I'm afraid I have none in my nowhere near complete magazine collection. Navy planes I got, so lets take a look at a gorgeous little Grumman FF-1 two place fighter. This model, by Lawrence McCready, is taken from the April 1935 issue of Model Airplane News. A biplane with retracts... now we're talkin'.

Thermals.
Orthof's Hydro Fuselage
Grumman Shipboard Fighter FF-1

The Solid Model Airplane Plan

This month's solid model is a beauty. The British, those sea going explorers from way back, were as keen to keep their dominance of the seas in the air age as they were in the age of the tall ships. This model of the Short flying boat "Caledonia" gives one the thought that they were serious. Designed by Nick Limber, this one originally appeared in the February, 1938 issue of Model Airplane News.
Solid Model of the Short Sky Liner "Caledonia"

How To

Man, the poor "How To" article. Now in its third month, it has only actually been a "how to" once. This month it has been nudged out by a... lets call it a hand launch glider. For those of you familiar with the "Frontroom Flyables" line of sheet scale gliders, this is the granddaddy of them all. Tucked within a fascinating history and instruction article are the plans for this model of the Martin PAA China Clipper. It's an oddball, but seriously cool! Originally brought to you by Jesse Davidson and the good folks at Model Airplane News, June 1936.
China Clipper Glider

The Advertisement

This month's ad is off the back cover of the October 1935 issue of Flying Aces magazine. Featured is the Lewis Model Aircraft company of Berwyn Illinois. All the models shown are solids, which in itself is interesting, but also they present some interesting subjects. Of interest this month is the Grumman FF-1 Fighter, the rubber scale model of the month. Even cooler are the "Chrome Models - The Newest Sensation in Solids" from the bottom of the ad. These nifty looking fantasy fliers, decked out with skull & crossbones insignia look to be the adversaries of Barnes, or Keen, or one of the other good guy heroes. A few of you filled me in onto the history of Hawk models, are there any of you out there with Lewis info? ...Chrome models....?, I gotta get one!
Lewis Model Aircraft


Heroes

As new heroes are born and rise to international fame, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the passing of a great hero. Though few outside of Canada knew of him, to myself, and I suspect millions of others, Peter Gzowski was the greatest living Canadian. As a writer, broadcaster, and humanitarian, Gzowski touched so many. Peter, we are all the richer for your contributions.

The following words of Peter's just seem so right:
The boys I played hockey with have gone on, the more successful of them, to run newspapers and department stores, to become chemists and lawyers. But there is not one who would not have been a hockey player if he could have been. As we matured, we chose other heroes, and even in the days of our boyhood there may have been those among us who dreamed of other futures. But all of us dreamed of hockey glory. Later, when Elvis Presley sang or Pierre Trudeau made his way through adoring throngs, we envied and admired them. But when Bobby Hull wheeled down the wing, his sweater bulging in the wind, we were there with him. We understood; we knew what it felt like. All that separated us from our true heroes was that they were better at something we all had done. They belonged to us, as no other kind of hero ever could, at once more celebrated and more approachable because of what we shared. They were of us, playing the game of our lives.

Peter Gzowski 1934-2002

more on Gzowski

Many of the documents I will be sharing will be in .pdf format

PDF files are to be read using Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is a free download from Adobe and is a simple tool from which these documents can be viewed and printed. To print, under print options select "print as image." This should result in a printed copy equal in size to the original.

Please e-mail me at khorne@ualberta.ca if you have any comments or suggestions for my website!

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