Modeling memories
My four year old grandson was rummaging through some boxes in the garage the other day. He got excited about something he found and soon was running up to me waving this model airplane in his hand. "Papa!" he shouted. "What's this?"
This, if I remember correctly, is a Hawk 1/48 Ryan PT-22. I was about ten years old when I built this one, which would have been in 1968.The reason I remember so well is because I was shooting touch and goes off my desk with this model in school one day when I was supposed to be doing something else. My teacher, not appreciating the beauty of a perfect landing, confiscated the model and it spent the rest of the school year hangared in her top desk drawer. I used to wonder sometimes if she would take it out and play with it when no one was looking.
I have no idea where the landing gear went, and I had to glue both horizontal stabilizers back on. Now the grandkids run around the house with it, making airplane noises and having a grand old time.
We all started this hobby somewhere, and I got lucky and happened to get a little piece of it handed back to me by someone very special who might just carry on the tradition. We'll have to see what happens...
That's the way I started scale modeling; flying a monogram Spitfire through the front yard in 1963.
That's cool, my parents met at an airport after WW2 and they instilled a love of planes in us. My father started me building, there are many hours in my imaginary log book flying everything under the sun in our house and around the yard. My "little brother" builds great stuff now. They passed that on to us.
His whole family builds now, yep even his daughter and wife!
Make great memories with your grandson, PASS IT ON!
I love it Jaime. My dad still has the first kit I ever built circa 1969. It was (is) a Monogram 1/72 P-51B that was literally "melted" together with at least 3/4 of a tube of the classic Testors cement. Still have a few of my oldies still intact from my youth. Great story about your Ryan.
Have a great day and thanks for sharing.
Mark
yep fond memories for sure. I have to hand it to you after forty years those decals are still on and it looks pretty good even now.
Hi Jaime, what a great story. It's lovely to come across a treasure like that & see someone else enjoy it.
What a coincidence, Jaime. I've got one waiting for paint right now ! I knew they were old, but not THAT old. I did my first PT-20/STM-22 a few years back, and decided I needed the float plane version (STM-22). I know the feeling you had seeing an old"playmate" again. I'm glad I saved some of mine, regardless of their condition. I better not catch the grandkids playing with them ! Maybe someday, their kids will play with them...and they can do their own "touch n go's". Thanks for posting.
It still looks great, Jaime, and if it fires up the enthusiasm of the younger generation then that's a real bonus.
Jamie,
Love this and love the story.
Nice memories Jaime, I wish that some of my kits had survived.
Lets hope that your Grandson picks the hobby.
Here's mine!
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.