With a wingspan of only 12.5 inches, this peanut scale reproduction of a Bleriot XXV demonstrates that peanut models are small enough to be flown by, well, a peanut. It also demonstrates that modelers, like Bill Young, the builder of this model, have a sense of humor. The Bleriot XXV […]
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Bing Autoplan Conservation, pt. 7
Hey, it is an update on the Bing Autoplan! It has been awhile, sorry, but there was some logistics and paperwork that needed to be completed to finalize the conservation plans. It took time, but progress is being made. Covering: Remember how in the last post about the Bing Autoplan […]
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New Addition: Bob Cat FF model
Thank you Ward DeLano for donating a replica of Karl Spielmaker’s Bob Cat FF model airplane. The Bob Cat was a consistent winner at many Michigan contests in the late 1940s and the early 1950s. Thank you, Ward, for helping build the museum’s collection. Picture credit: National Model Aviation Museum, […]
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New Addition: Jasco Sailwing 50
A Jasco Sailwing 50 kit was recently donated to the museum In Memory of Jack A. Wilson. This kit box is in bad shape, but the pieces are intact. It was decided to build the kit and keep the completed Sailwing in the collection. A volunteer will be working on this project […]
Continue readingDon Burnham’s 1930 A-frame pusher
At the age of 14, Donald C. Burnham won the 1929 Junior Division, Outdoor competition, at the 1929 Nats in Detroit. He won a trophy, $200 cash, and a trip to Canada and Europe. Besides these perks, he also published his A-frame pusher design in Carl H. Claudy’s 1931 book […]
Continue readingBing Autoplan Conservation, pt. 6
Covering Mysteries When we first saw the Bing Autoplan, we assumed that it was originally covered in silk, as would have been typical of aircraft of the time. We were wrong. The conservators at the ICA first brought this to our attention after they finished examining the covering remnants that […]
Continue readingBing Autoplan Conservation pt. 5
More History on the Bing Autoplan The story of how and when our Bing Autoplan model arrived in the United States from Germany is unknown. What we do know is that it hung as a decoration behind the speaker’s podium at a party in St. Louis honoring Charles Lindbergh in […]
Continue readingBing Autoplan Conservation, pt. 4
General History of the Bing Autoplan A 1914 Bing Autoplan recently donated by Dick Moyer is the oldest original model aircraft in the museum’s collection. With no covering, flaking paint and dents, the model is only in fair condition. We recently sent the Autoplan to the Intermuseum Conservation Association for conservation […]
Continue readingBing Autoplan Conservation, pt. 3
Off to the conservator! Last week, the 1914 FF model Bing Autoplan was delivered to the Intermuseum Conservation Association in Cleveland, OH to begin its conservation review and treatments. Our interactions with the conservators there have been very positive, and we’re all excited about seeing what the Autoplan looks like […]
Continue readingJoe Konefes’ Buzzard Bombshell
The museum portion of August’s Model Aviation “In the Air” column looks at Joe Konefes’ Buzzard Bombshell in the museum collection. There wasn’t enough room in the column to share all of the information related to the model, so it is shared here in a “deleted scenes” type format. Joe […]
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