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Finding poetry, short stories, and even songs
in magazines was common up until sometime in the 1970s. I'm not sure why it stopped
(or nearly so), but as a reader of many vintage magazine types - airplanes, woodworking,
mechanics, electronics, and others - I can attest to it. Both here on Airplanes
and Rockets and on my RF Cafe engineering website, I have posted quite a few examples.
Here is yet another from the July/August 1963 edition of American Modeler
magazine. As time goes by, I wonder how many of today's readers are even familiar
with some of the tunes the songs are meant to follow. What Next?
- Modelin' Folk Singers
By Dick Schwarzchild
 TERRIBLE TRIO
(To the tune of Three Blind Mice)
Three blind judges, three blind judges,
What's with you? What's with you?
Why do you look in the sky so late?
You always goof on my figure eight.
Once I'm airborne I can't wait.
Phooey on you! You! You! You!
THAT'S JAN ALL OVER
(To the tune of Clementine)
In a cellar, in a cellar, dwelt a modeler name of Jan.
Oh he never saw much daylight for he had a master plan.
(CHORUS)
Oh the wonder, oh the wonder, oh the wonder of it all.
He will solve a major problem and will surely have a ball.
First some balsa, some good balsa, then some pins and sticky glue.
And a square of heavy nylon with a dab of clear dope too.
(CHORUS)
Then to try it, can't deny it, t'was a most unusual plane.
Sixteen wheels-a large umbrella, and crossed with a weather vane.
(CHORUS)
Got it going, got it going, took it up into the air.
Did the full R/C stunt pattern, landed smoothly with no care.
(CHORUS)
What's the gimmick? What's the gimmick?
Why sing of this modeler's lore?
Well the plane was a ten footer, but the modeler, one foot four!
(CHORUS)
He did fly it, he did fly it. He sat at the real controls.
He was airborne twenty minutes doing eights and some slow rolls.
(CHORUS)
Oh the wonder, oh the wonder, oh the wonder of it all.
He sure solved a major problem and he truly had a ball ...
 Till fall ...
Had a stall .....
Hit a wall .....
That's all!!!
I'M HEADIN' FOR THE HILLS, BOYS
(To the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel)
All around the speed ar e a, the flyers found some earth banks.
They scattered like a load of shot when Pop went the bell-cranks!
REAL ORIGINAL STUFF, HEY? (To the tune of Oh Susanna)
Oh I come from American Modeler with my pencil in my hand,
I'm going to make a copy of your National's winning plan.
Your fame will spread both far and wide, you'll really be well known,
And just because you switched your rig and now are using tone.
Oh cruel modeler, how could you be so mean?
Your circuit is a copy of the guts of "Mr. Machine."
RECORD FLIGHT, RIGHT?
(To the tune of Brother John)
Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven
Up so far, up so far,
If you see my free flight at a record new height
It's no star, it's no star.
Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven,
Like Noah's ark, like Noah's ark,
Get out your tape measure, you'll increase my pleasure
With a new mark, with a new mark.
Friendship Seven, Friendship Seven,
Come on down, come on down.
AMA won't buy it, claims I didn't fly it.
 I think I'll drown, I think I'll drown!
LAMENT OF THE NON-DETHERMALIZED
(To the tune of the Artillery Song)
Over hill, over dale, why did my short fuse fail, so my free flight went sailing
along?
Through the muck and the mire, gee I started to perspire, as my free flight went
sailing along.
Oh it's "drat" and it's "darn," the fool thing hit a barn and smashed the nose
to smithereens!
So where ere you go you will always know that I wrote this to the sound of my
screams ...
Oh I'm hurting ...
That I'm having some awful bad dreams!
GOOD WHILE THEY LASTED
(To the tune of Good Night Ladies)
Good loop Henry, good dive Bill, too bad it happened, you both got a kill!
Now you pick up many a spar, cracked spray bar, from the tar.
Now you gather all the parts and head for the glue ...
So blue .... .
In a stew ..... .
Whew!!!
Try out my Scale
Calculator for Model Airplane Plans.
http://www.modelaircraft.org/plans.aspx
Posted October 18, 2023
(updated from original
post on 7/28/2012)
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