Some perspective on Harley's note....
I recently acquired one of the neatest books I've ever read: Do You Speak
Model Airplane? by Dave Thornburg. A wonderfully written history of model
aviation in the USA from day one into the 90's. If this out of print gem
ever comes your way, grab it.
Since so much of it happened before I was in the hobby, I can enjoy most of
it with a clear conscience. But some of it overlaps my hands on modeling
experience and left me wondering about things that happened while I was in
the game and how much of it I missed because I was "too busy".
When the next Do You Speak Model Airplane is published later this century,
covering model aviation from 1990 until 2050, there's going to be an early
chapter in it about this prolific designer-visionary from Walla Walla named
Harley. Every bit as prominent as Jim Walker and Carl Goldberg are in the
current version.
I'm pleased to have latched on to this piece of history while it was
happening and you have the opportunity to build a rocking chair moment
telling the grandkids you knew that guy and built his planes. I've never
met Harley, but the dialog we've had over the past two years is the most
treasured I've ever had in the hobby.
And jeez, you've got carbon cloth available instead of cedar shingles... :-)
Loren
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 18:28:15 -0700
From: "Harley Michaelis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <soaring@airage.com>
Subject: Re: Some history, status of things & a challenge
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
I suspect I have about as many years in model airplane design, engineering,
construction, flying, crashing and repairing as anyone on the planet. I got
hooked when Lindbergh did his 1927 flight to Paris. I thereafter never
complained "Mom. . . there's nothing to do!"
With the big Depression shortly underway and money unavailable even for
essentials, my building, originally with non-flying models, was done with
cedar shingles, fence posts and cigar boxes, apple boxes and what was in
the lumber yard scrap heap. The first adhesive I ever used was LePage's 48
Hour Iron Glue. It took that long to cure! Tools were my dad's hammer,
file, pliers and mom's kitchen knives.
In my teens, besides "Spicy Detective" with its stimulating artwork, I
discovered model mags offering things like Ambroid cement, balsa, tissue,
banana oil, etc. There were rubber powered kits, but with money so scarce,
I scratch built my own. Well, I did build one kit. It was a folding prop,
36" span, "Douglas Space Conqueror". To buy it at a whopping $3, I saved
up small change for 6 mo.!
By the time I had discretionary income, I was so comfortable scratch
building and with ideas popping into my head, I had no interest in kits. A
life of scratch building has kept costs down, unleashed and kept the
creative juices flowing and always given me something constructive to do,
even now.
Since getting into R/C sailplanes about 1965 I've built one kit, a Dodgson
Maestro I promptly sold. No discredit is meant to Bob's designs. I
remember a contest with 28 entrants I attended. 27 had a Dodgson ship.
It's not his fault, but as money became less tight and with younger guys
who never scratch built anything wanting to get in the game, kits became
the way to go.
Now with more money to spend and with guys showing up who are accustomed
to "instant satisfaction", and with the advent of ARF's and RTF's,
relatively inexpensive kits that can similarly perform are about
non-existent.
The upshot of this is that the joy and satisfaction of being creative has
been squelched, it costs too much, and because of costs it limits new
participation. Pity.
Sadly, guys who take this route do no original thinking, do nothing new or
creative and thus have nothing to pass on to make a meaningful
contribution. This is clearly confirmed in the pages of the model
magazines that used to contain such meaty and useful construction articles
that reflected the state of the art creations done by individual modelers.
I'm disheartened that so many guys have acquiesced to the notion that only
ARF airframes can effectively compete. This notion, in my humble opinion,
is erroneous and essentially the result of failing to develop and use
building skills.
Just my opinion, but I think the common excuses of "no time", "my time is
too valuable", "I can't build", "I want to be competitive", etc. have
little validity for most who express them. Rather, for most, I consider it
just a copout for their failure to develop and use skills and exercise
their creative abilities.
By now, readers must know of the Big Genie, the Genie Pro and the Genie
LT/S at http://genie.rchomepage.com/. These are unique, highly
competitive, scratch-buildable designs that, properly built and in skilled
hands, will perform as well as any ARF in their size classes. The "how to"
CD offered probably provides the most thorough instructions with pictures
of any model offered on the planet. Stick to the script, finish one and
you'll have learned skills to use for life as well as having something to
show up with you can be proud about.
What is needed to break out of the ARF shackles and set
examples is for a bunch of you experts to accept the challenge to build
one of the 3 ships over the winter. At near 85, I'm a "threatened
species", but still able and willing to help with e-mail support. By next
year, if still functioning, I may have lost interest in being so helpful.
I'd love to see a couple of dozen guys get to it pronto. I sure don't want
to find myself with nothing to do this winter after I finish a new LT/S
with the composite fuse and big Genie #29.
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