Growing up in the early 1960s, I was introduced to model airplanes by my father at a very young age. We built plenty of stick and tissue free-flight models from 5- and 10-cent store kits, and I remember the smell of the dope, Testors Model Cement, and Ambroids quick drying glue. I always had bits of tissue paper and silkspan stuck to my fingers. It wasn't until several years later that I flew my first successful RC airplane. My dad's generation was very active and there were countless events and national competitions to fly the early free-flight models at. In the days before RC radios, these early models relied on built-in stability and the modeler's skills in properly trimming its wings and tail surfaces. After only a 15- to 20-second engine run, the model would glide back to Earth and land on its wheels (hopefully).
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