NAS Memphis (Millington) Hobby Shop Memories

For Sparky and Zuriel -
This is what we did the next summer after seeing Sparky's pressurized ST35 Ringmaster.

Jeff launching one of my Nemesis's (Nemesi?), Navy barracks in the background, dizzying action in the circle:

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Mass production on the picnic table (next to Bob Hunt Scorpio foam cores), combat planes in the grass.
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My Scorpio (sold it, dadgummit!), with Jeff holding one of my Toothpicks
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I was dividing my time during these years between work, college, and model airplanes - trying to figure out which one to do! It was fun, though.

After the NAS Hobby Shop -

Built these in Atlanta. The combat plane is my mod of a Nemesis. I used a Toothpick engine mount - solid, one-piece maple cut out with a band saw, and a single strut modeled after the Nashville Nimbler's and Roho's. I sent this pic to Howard Rush a few years ago when I was trying to get his 4 digit NACA airfoil equation.

Flew this one and another one just like it with Randy Smith by the General Foods plant in Chamblee, GA. We didn't do any combat, but I would talk him into it just to get the feel of 2 planes in the circle again. Everyone in Atlanta only flew Stunt - no combat. I think he was the only one around here that wasn't fazed out by the speed, noise, hemostats on the fuel tubing, and finger starting high compression Fox Combat Specials with Rev-up speed props. Sparky would be proud.

I had no idea who Randy Smith was at the time.

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This one's my own design, a profile "Starfire." Grossly underpowered with a Fox 35, and the fuselage would flex like a willow tree. I flew it with Scott Bair, but I mostly just helped and held his plane all the time. It jumps out of a hard corner, but it's fun over asphalt. The trike gear lets you fly it on the ground.
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I still have both of these, and a couple of Toothpicks.

>Flew this one and another one just like it with Randy Smith
>by the General Foods plant in Chamblee, GA. We didn't do
>any combat, but I would talk him into it just to get the
>feel of 2 planes in the circle again. Everyone in Atlanta
>only flew Stunt - no combat. I think he was the only one
>around here that wasn't fazed out by the speed, noise,
>hemostats on the fuel tubing, and finger starting high
>compression Fox Combat Specials with Rev-up speed props.
>Sparky would be proud.

I am just glad that someone got somthing out of it. It was real fun in those days.

LAST EDITED ON Sep-28-04 AT 12:08 PM (CDT)
 
Tom,

The black and white pictures don't do the colors justice. I was 15 or 16 at the time and to me everyone wanted to fly combat and I wanted to fly stunt. One of the pictures show the walk path throught the middle of the circle. We also used to fly three and four up 1/2a combat in the grass over by the PX/BX, my Air Force roots are coming out. I was disappointed to get into the service and find so few modelers and base support facilities.

I like the shop I have now, but I remember the old shop with long tables and lockers for the guys to build and store there wares. I guess I didn't realize what a great think I was a part of back then.

I would love to see more posts like this.

Tom, It was Bluff City Hobbies.

I remember standing in the door way of the hobby shop on base looking at all the tables and lockers of planes. I also remember the smell of dope, ambrois glue and paint. I did have a old P-51 Cox in a box that I flew out there a few times.

Paul

I am a retread, - I did C/L in my youth and did not know what I was doing then other then having fun. And not much has changed.

Yep - how about the wood shop? Whatever you wanted to make - saw, drill holes, sand, etc. I bought one small piece of maple, planed it, and band sawed it into about a dozen mounts. Sanded for the final shape, drilled the mounting holes, then stepped right back into the locker areas to put it together.

You are right. Things like that now cost money, money, money.