Anne,
Well said, indeed.
And Meg, you're 100% right. Chip brought the card modeling industry into
the digital age and changed the hobby in ways most of us old mail-order
modelers could never have imagined.
Although Chip may not have "invented" the digital distribution of card
models, he was right there at the very beginning, the pointy end of the
spear, so to speak.
Only having met them once when they stopped by for a few days on their
way out East to visit Annie's family, I consider Chip and Annie among my
best friends . A remarkably wonderful pair if ever.
I have not built every model Chip issued but have enough of them under
my belt to say his designs are still among the best available. His
simple-in-appearance style belied the quality of the finished product,
as evidenced by the many skilled builders on this list.
Built straight off the paper, Chip's models are fantastic. With little
additional effort, Chip's models stand proud and excel in the crowd.
And consider the range of subjects.
Chip assembled a collection of models that is, in my estimation,
unmatched in the business.
I miss you already, my generous, kind, honest and dear friend. Yet, as I
look at my stack of yet-to-be-built FG models, I realize I have many,
many hours yet to share with you.
Yah-teh-hey.
Wayne W.
On 9/2/2012 8:00 AM, Anne Gass wrote:
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
--
"Sapere aude!"
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