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  • Engines of the Golden Era – G.H.Q. Aero

    // Stanley J. Stembera // Engines No Responses

    When Bernard B. Winston set up the beginnings of the huge America’s Hobby Center in lower Manhattan, in the middle 1930’s, he was an admirer of Louis Loutrel and the Loutrel engine being offered to modelers. When Loutrel failed to interest the modelers in his engine, Winston purchased the manufacturing rights, tooling and “goodwill” and dubbed it the “G.H.Q.”, which became his “house” model engine.

  • Engines of the Golden Era – Super Cyclone

    // Stanley J. Stembera // Engines No Responses

    Almost eighty years ago, MAN readers opened their copies of the December 1939 issue to be greeted by a massive three page advertising spread announcing a splendid new engine, the .65 cu. in. “Super Cyclone.” Produced and marketed by the rather grandly titled Aircraft Industries Corporation, of Glendale California, the Super-Cyclone joined (and eventually superseded) the popular .36 cu. in. “Baby Cyclone.”

  • The Pylon Buster by Armand Vasquez

    // Stanley J. Stembera // Aircraft No Responses

    Here is a gas model that is a contest threat in every sense of the word. It was designed with just one thought in mind—to prove that “pylons” are not necessary. The consistent and high performance this model turns in is a direct result of the constant improvement and refinement that has gone into several models of the same design during the past three years.

  • John W. Brodbeck (1913 – 2004) – the story of K&B engines

    // Stanley J. Stembera // Hall of fame No Responses

    John first started flying free-flight models in 1936 using a Brown Junior engine. He also turned to Baby Cyclone and Hurleman engines for some of his early planes. He was not happy with the performance of most of the early engines and, like many early flyers, did some fine-tuning and modification of his own.

  • ESSO – Swiss glider by Arnold Degen (building the fuselage)

    // Stanley J. Stembera // Workshop No Responses

    The famous Swiss vintage glider known as ESSO was designed by Arnold Degen in 1941 as a promotional model for the European branch of Exxon. I have chosen this model as another vintage project for incoming season which is close and will be actual in a few weeks sometime.

  • Engines of the Golden Era – Bernie Winston on the G.H.Q.

    // Stanley J. Stembera // Engines No Responses

    In the June 1987 issue of “Model Builder”, regular engine reviewer, Stu Richmond, took the GHQ as his subject. His review is especially noteworthy for reprinting a portion of a letter from Bernie Winston himself. The relevant section appears below, preceeded by Stu’s lead-in to the letter, followed by Bernie’s take on the GHQ.

  • Stuart L. Richmond (1929 – 2014)

    // Stanley J. Stembera // Hall of fame No Responses

    Stuart L. “Stu” Richmond, who devoted most of his life to teaching others about aeromodeling through hundreds of columns and articles, went to the flying field one last time with his son and grandson at the beginning of April 2014. He passed away April 12 at his home in Apache Junction, Arizona, at the age of 85.

  • Bericht vom Antik-Flugtag 2015 der MG Bern und eine kurze Jahresübersicht

    // Peter Renggli // Events No Responses

    Leute, die Freude an echten alten Motoren und Flugmodellen haben, kamen auch dieses Jahr wieder auf ihre Rechnung. Am 6. Juni rief unser Christian Tanner zum 21. Mal die Motorensammler aus nah und fern nach Oberwangen. Und sie strömten in Scharen herbei. Was da alles an Antrieben für Autos und Flugzeuge aus längst vergangenen Zeiten zusammen getragen wurde.

  • Irwin G. Ohlsson (1913 – 1996)

    // Stanley J. Stembera // Hall of fame No Responses

    Říká se, že Irwin G. Ohlsson byl Henry Ford letecko-modelářských motorů. V roce 1934 postavil své dva první miniaturní motorky. Oba o zdvihovém objemu .12 kubických palců, jeden poháněl malý kabinový model a druhý model dvouplošníku. Jeho otec, profesor na losangeleské střední škole, zemřel velice záhy, aniž by se dočkal synových úspěchů.

  • Der Grosse Tag in Arosa – 1941

    // Stanley J. Stembera // Events No Responses

    Arosa je známé švýcarské lázeňské město, ve kterém se 16. března v roce 1941 konala letecko-modelářská soutěž, které se zúčastnilo 22 družstev, 113 závodníků se 162 modely, z čehož bylo 5 poháněných benzinovým motorem a 2 gumovým svazkem (guma byla tehdy nedostatková). Soutež probíhala celou sobotu a neděli a všichni účastníci měli zajištěno ubytování a stravování. Ve filmu jsou zachyceni tři významní průkopníci švýcarské modelářské scény.