by rayd » Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:56 pm
Yo, scigs30, that yellow one looks kinda like a Fairchild 24. Yes, no, maybe? Early teens eh. Ok here's one, moreso one of those "poor stories"... couldn't affored dime models, but once I think, I was gifted with a solid balsa plane (no, certainly not Strombecker). They were primo. Plastics were not out yet. Think the solid balsa was a nickel or dime, as a some gift.
So, I'm like 9 or so wanting to be an ace of course, and I start carving this thing using dad's Gillette blades but the body turned out looking like a carrot or Ginsing root, just not right. It shortened my interest in solids. Next up, a freebie plan obtained of a high winger. No money for supplies, but old fashioned mucelage glue always around, toothpicks, wax paper, and mom's straight pins.
I read "Boys Life" in school library. Got ideas but had no balsa. Aha! Toothpicks. (A born genius I tell ya.) Don't recall details but I wound up making a "toothpick model" and covered it with wax paper. I treasured it for a week and proudly showed it off. Ok, time to fly (hand powered). It travelled about a yard, no not backyard, 3 feet..then crashed returning to many toothpicks. I didn't cry, but my dad bought me a 10 cent Guillow's glider at corner candy store. He made me happy.