Airplanes and Rockets' history & copyright Google search American Modeler Air Trails American Aircraft Modeler Young Men Hobbies Aviation Flying Aces Saturday Evening Post Boys' Life Hobby Distributors Amateur Astronomy Engines & Motors Balsa Densities Silkspan Covering Comics Electronics My Models Model Aircraft Articles Plans Model Boat Articles Plans Model Car Articles Plans Model Train Articles Plans 1941 Crosley 03CB Radio Model helicopter articles & plans Crosswords Model Rocket Articles Plans Restoration Projects Photos Peanuts Collection Model Aircraft Articles Plans Sitemap Homepage Hints and Kinks Amateur Radio Archives of the homepage R/C Modeler Electronics About Airpleans and Rockest, Disclaimer, Terms of Use Model Topics Please Donate to Airplanes and Rockets Parole Plaza, Annapolis, Maryland Hobby Items for Sale Airplanes and Rockets Hero Graphic


Model Aircraft Museum, AMA - Airplanes and Rockets

Sketchbook
January 1961 American Modeler

January 1961 American Modeler
January 1961 American Modeler Cover - Airplanes and RocketsTable of Contents

These pages from vintage modeling magazines like Flying Aces, Air Trails, American Modeler, American Aircraft Modeler, Young Men, Flying Models, Model Airplane News, R/C Modeler, captured the era. All copyrights acknowledged.

Here are another seven hand-dandy tricks of the aeromodelling trade. As with many of the tips and kinks offered by readers of the era, some - if not most - involve materials and/or methods that have long ben replaced by more modern means. Still, you might find something useful in the extensive collection from vintage American Modeler and Air Trails magazines (see list at bottom).

Sketchbook

William Gilgore of Hellam, Pennsylvania, adds perfect fillets to models by applying ready-made leather fillet straps as used by patternmakers. Sizes range from 1/8 to 3/4 inch. Strips add strength.

Wires twisted together, These quick and simple wiring splices are next best thing to a soldered joint. Firmly twisted wires are covered by tight-fitting plastic tubing. Contributed by Thomas Pinto of Staten Island, New York.

Japanese modeler K. Wakatsuki, Toyko, submits his method of stretch-forming canopies, wheel fairings, etc., of celluloid or plastic. Important to secure sheet firmly over face of cut-out.

The precision free-flight flyer will appreciate tip sent in by Harry Murphy, Jr. of Anderson, Indiana. Screw adjustment allows close trim of stab tilt for precise glide turn control.

 

 

Hang on to used "TV Dinner" trays; use them to wash model engine parts says Michael Elliser of Bayside, New York. Loosen most dirt in first and second baths, final rinsing in clear third one.  

After discovering that neoprene tubing could be heated and stretched to small diameters, George Holeton of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, used tapered tubes for various model uses.

Simple solution to knotty problem by. Richard Miller, New York City. Area of irregularly shaped part can be determined closely by comparing weight of pattern with known weight of square inch part.

Got a new idea for construction, adjustment or operation of model planes. boats or R/C? "AM" pays $10 for each "hint & kink" used. Send rough sketch and description to Sketchbook. c/o American Modeler, 575 Madison Ave., New York 22, N. Y. Please note that because of the very large number of submissions, none can be returned to the sender.

 

 

Posted July 22, 2017

Sketchbook Editions

| Sep 49 | Jan 52 | Jul 54 | Aug 54 | Sep 54 | Dec 54 | Mar 55 | Jan 57 | Feb 57 | Mar 57 | Apr 57 | May 57 | Jun 57 | Jul 57 | Sep 57 | Oct 57 | Nov 57 | Dec 57 | Oct 58 | Mar 59 | Jul 59 | Aug 59 |Nov 59 | Dec 59 | Jan 61 | Feb 61 | Mar 61 | Apr 61 | Jun 61 | Jul 61 | Aug 61 | Dec 61 | Mar 62 | Jan 62 |Feb 62 | Jun 62 | Jul 62 | Oct 62 | Sep 62 | Dec 62 | Jan/Feb 63 | Mar/Apr 63 | May/Jun 63 |Jul/Aug 63 | Sep/Oct 63 | Nov/Dec 63 | Mar 67 | Oct 67 | Feb 68 | Apr 68 | May 68 | Jun 68 | Jul 68 | Sep 68 |

Back when the Sketchbook, Gadgetry, Powerless Pointers, and Engine Info columns were run, there were very few pre-built models, and there simply was not as much available in the way of hardware and specialized modeling tools. We were still a nation of designers and builders. The workforce was full of people who worked on production lines, built houses and buildings with hand tools, and did not have distractions like Nintendos and X-Boxes. Remember that plastics were not common material until the early 50s and the transistor wasn't invented until late 47. Enjoy the tips. Some of you will no doubt wax nostalgic over the methods, since you can remember the days when you did the exact same thing!

About Airplanes & Rockets 

Kirt Blattenberger, Webmaster - Airplanes and RocketsKirt Blattenberger

Carpe Diem! (Seize the Day!)

Even during the busiest times of my life I have endeavored to maintain some form of model building activity. This site has been created to help me chronicle my journey through a lifelong involvement in model aviation, which all began in Mayo, MD ...

Copyright  1996 - 2026
All trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other rights of ownership to images and text used on the Airplanes and Rockets website are hereby acknowledged.

Homepage Archives  |  Modeling News Archives

Webmaster:

Kirt Blattenberger

BSEE - KB3UON

Family Websites:

RF Cafe

Equine Kingdom

Academy of Model Aeronautics Government Advocacy Coalition - Airplanes and Rockets



Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) - Airplanes and Rockets

Academy of Model Aeronautics

Tower Hobbies logo - Airplanes and Rockets

Tower Hobbies

Horizon Hobby logo - Airplanes and Rockets

Horizon Hobby

Sig Manufacturing - Airplanes and Rockets

Sig Mfg

Brodak Manufacturing - Airplanes and Rockets

Brodak Mfg