RC Heros – Tips from “The Father!”

After a winter hibernation, Larry Wolfe [my dad!] , also known locally by friends and fellow modelers (tongue in cheek) as “The Father” or “Da Fath”, has been located!  He is engrossed in building a 36″ span Easy Built Models’ Rearwin Speedster rubber band model airplane.

Returning to stick and tissues, where he first began building models, is one of Larry’s favorite activities.  Not everything needs to be long-term or a difficult task.  It can be a relaxing effort and as simple as 1, 2, 3!  Prior to foamies, model airplanes required balsa wood and glue.  Putting the sticks together into a something that could and would fly was required.  This is still something that EVERYONE can do with a little patience, an xacto knife, and a bottle of CA glue.  Depending on size and construction materials, models can be powered by rubber bands, glow engines, gas engines, electric motors, or turbines….the sky’s the limit!

The Rearwin Speedster is in its second day of construction.  Yesterday Larry built the horizontal stabilizer, dorsal fin, and the fuselage.  The fuse is being covered in yellow tissue using thinned dope.  Only construction of the wing is yet to be accomplished.  Of course, a lifetime of experience makes anything go along more quickly, but it doesn’t take long to develop skills and technique.  Pride in workmanship and ownership are some of the byproducts of building something yourself.  Whatever you haven’t done before is a learning experience so each successive project becomes easier and more well done.

If you are interested in challenging yourself, you might want to take a look at a building project–be it rubber band powered or something larger and faster.