Chip's contribution to our hobby/industry is unexcelled. Think how
many people have simply framed a few uncut model sheets and hung them
as the art they surely are! Think of how many people have had great
fun proving that FG planes can easily be made to fly, and eve3n
powered flight!.... Think of that little gem - or collection of
little gems - the WSAM museum. How many of us have a bit more idea
what the English countryside looks like because of his early efforts?
Or have chuckled at his Western town?
My nautical-themed living room is graced by a number of Chip's
lighthouses, and they occasion many compliments and much amazement
when people see how they're made. Not a few people have been inspired
to try paper modelling after seeing them! And my model train, which
comes out every Christmas, winds through his New England village in
N-scale. It looks and feels so appropriate, here in New England, I
almost expect to see the same things out my window! And if I could
see a hundred miles or so, I could!
About the planes; Chip's historic - and humorous - notes included
with each model have not only greatly increased our enjoyment of
building them and appreciating them when completed, they've provided
a huge increase in our knowledge of the history of flight in all its
aspects, and of the contexts in which each model was designed and
used. Not a little good science and engineering in there, either! Not
only was he an educator in that sense, he also made his works
available free-of-charge to teachers and students worldwide. Several
of my mentees have received massive compliments - and extra credit -
for bringing to school their completed FG models germane to whatever
they were studying at the time - although about half the time their
teachers have refused to return their works!
His generosity has also extended to our hospitalized wounded
warriors. An he was happy to allow me to donate FG models to our
local firemen to help them while away the long hours waiting for
something they hope won't happen. Hospitalized children have played
with models contributed by myself and several others, and older ones
have enjoyed building them. I have received several models - and one
collection - as gifts during the years of our correspondence, and
then there have been the freebies all of us have gotten from the
Fiddlers Green site.
Speaking of which, how many of us have enjoyed seeing their pictures
of their completed FG models published thereon?
I'm going to miss my Magic key models - it's been like a birthday every week!
I hope we'll soon find out the Fiddlers Green will be around a lot
longer so we can help Annie with our purchases - as well as complete
our own collections! I, for one, refuse to give up my plan of
building a large mobile of WSAM-scale bi- and tri-planes!
My condolences to Annie, the Westies, and indeed, all of us in the
paper modelling community who have lost a friend, a mentor, and an
all-around great man.
Annie Gass
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