Peck-Polymers has been around for as long
as I can remember, which was in the late 1960s to early 1970s, when I would have
bought my first aeromodeling magazine (we relied on magazines back then for information
since Al Gore had not yet invented the Internet). In fact, Peck-Polymers was founded
in 1971 by engineer and free-flighter Bob Peck. According to the "About"
page on their website, Bob designed many of the models in the original Peck product
line. He and his wife Sandy we soon kitting designs by Bill Hannan, Bill Warner,
Dick Baxter and many others. Peck-Polymers has also long been at the forefront of
design and engineering of the many small parts that are so critical to free flight
rubber airplanes, such as the bearings and prop shafts. Bob passed away in 1991,
and his wife Sandy kept the company going until late 2007 when she sold it to Tim
Goldstein of
A2Z Corp. (now defunct) Tim created the laser-cut kits. In January
of 2015, Chuck Imbergamo of
Wind-It-Up Enterprises took ownership of the company and thankfully is committed
to carrying on the tradition of producing Peck-Polymer kits and accessories. Chuck
is rebuilding the inventory with hopes of restoring it to its former glory. Note
that the peck-polymers.com domain is also no-more; it goes by wind-it-up.com
now.
If you want Peck-Polymers to stay around
for another 40 years, then it is essential that you support them by purchasing their
fine products. Prices are very low for most items so profit margin per item is also
low. That means to stay in business large sales volumes are required. R/C modelers
think nothing of spending $500 for an airframe, $1000 for a radio system, or $3000
for a turbine engine these days. A similar order from Peck-Polymers would get you
a lifetime supply of wheels, propellers, and tissue covering. Maybe you could consider
procuring a large batch of low-priced free flight rubber kits to donate to a local
YMCA or other community group for introducing kids to modeling. You might also consider
contacting the
AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) find out what you could donate
to their youth outreach program.
Posted July 4, 2015
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