model aircraft + being a kid 30 years ago = laughs

[Steve Nelson]

Calvin and Hobbes: Best...Comic...Ever!

This is one of my faves...

SN

[tom d. friedman]

calvin & hobbes........ a comic strip reflective of my youth with models. bummer it's not around any more!!!

[Jet Mech]

I remember a Guillows balsa and tissue kit I built, and attached some fireworks on the wing roots, then I wound up the rubberband engine. I knew just how long it would fly and it did really well. till the fireworks on the wings caught fire from my lighter just as it launched and what a inflight explosion it had. Made a nice crash. Three weeks to build, three minutes to destroy.

Kurt

[tom d. friedman]

that's what a botch job is all about. i do have some survivors though.

[TAdan]

The joy of a Guillow's glider + an Estes rocket engine. It dosent get much more fun than that!

My friend and I figured out you could duct tape an A, B, or C sized motor to one of the little Estes rubber band planes w/o propellor and it makes for a pretty good improvised ME-163 (Just as dangerous too!)

One flight I told my friend to tape on a new motor, and specifically told him to use new tape (so of course he didnt...) I still remember the motor popping off of the airplane and doing a perfect pinwheel right in between us at eye-level It could hav easily flown right into one of use...but it didnt...so its funny!

Then there was that time my neighbor called to make sure my house wasnt on fire after an Estes D motor decided to fly off with out my home made rocket...

I just finished building an Estes Space Ship One model and I am currently working on a Guillows Cessna 172...and I've got about 50 brand new rocket motors in the basement...

[Former Member]

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[TAdan]

John, the Bazooka sounds fun!

Have you guys ever built a "potato cannon" out of PVC? A friend of mine built one, and it was tons of fun!

Hmm a Rocket powered Cessna? I had been planning to just hang it from my ceiling but now you've got wondering...

I got the rocket and model building bug from my father (i'm 24...and still a kid at heart )...he has a ton of stories involving the usual rocket engines, burning models etc...

I also have heard stories from my great uncle about building wooden kits, giving them a fresh coat of dope and sending them on their first and last flights...

[Former Member]

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[tom d. friedman]

i've shot potatos, apples, oranges, water bottles etc out of my friend's tater gun. years ago, when i lived in my 1st home my neighbor had a crappy shed that was an eye sore, all rusty & deteriorating. well........ i felt compelled to ventilate it a little. 4 taters right through the rusty metal, bazzooka style. if you do it correctly those guns pack a wallop!!!

[TAdan]

if you do it correctly those guns pack a wallop!!!

No kidding! I watched my buddy dent the side of the bed of a dump truck parked at a construction site across the street from his house.

[Lightjug]

I have another story... not a destruction story but a near miss one if you will. Please bear with me as I tell a small tale.

I built a beautiful battery powered version of the Bismarck... about 18 inches long. When it was finally complete, I took it down to the local park that had two stocked trout ponds and let her loose. As I walked along the shore admiring her cruising along, she hit a patch of weeds that pushed the rudder knocking the ship into a permanent circle right in the middle of the pond. After pondering what to do for about five minutes, she suddenly straightened out and headed back to where she started. Then she hit another patch of weeds and started her circle path again. Geesh, now that I'm typing this, didn't the real Bismarck get hit in the rudder and cause her to go off course?! Wow... the irony!!

Anyways, she's spinning in circles and starting to slow down... and... is she getting lower in the water?! Augh, she was sinking! Let her go? Not on your life, I just slaved over that model for weeks, I'm not about to just let her go. I doffed my shoes and shirt, jumped in and swam out to the sinking ship. Just before I reached her, she dropped her stern, the bow rose in the air and quickly slipped beneath the surface. I grabbed down frantically and got lucky... found her and pulled her back up. I drove home trying not to get the seat wet on the truck... that was an accomplishment let me tell you. I cleaned her up and mounted her on top of the aquarium never to sail again.

Mark

[Former Member]

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[tom d. friedman]

excellent story!!!

[Michel Lemieux]

LOL....Brings good memory.

Trying to explode a 1/72 Spit. Fill it with matches head. Light it up......Kaboom !!!!!! Nope......Melted plastico pizzafire.

OK, Launch Matchbox 1/72 Stuka with taped on rocket motor on rocket ramp.

Fuselage take off successfull....wings....errrr departed fuselage after 2 feet. Fuselage......went horizontal at about 3 feet AGL......Kids.....run like hell.

Found this on youtube. First one is funny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19vtkUW_v04

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AQO-w55rus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKm-ZnTjtBk

[Lightjug]

Funny story Mark...it almost sounds like what happened to the real thing (except for the part of being saved).
John

excellent story!!!

Thanks guys, always willing to share a chuckle