avaco

My dad recently passed away, leaving my mom with a basement full of beautiful, large, hand-crafted 1-of-a-kind RC planes. He was a master builder who did from-scratch model airplane building and flying from the time he got out of the army when he was in his mid-20s. From his mid-50s until he was 80, ge spent at least 30 hours a week researching, designinh, building, and finishing these gorgeous RC models. Most of them are brand new in the sense that he never went out and flew them after completing them. Many of them are contest/model show winners. There's one smaller trainer model that he did fly and it's for sure going to my son who says he wants to learn to fly himself. We've also got loads of motors, many supposedly vintage and rare, as well as boxes of conntrollers and flight electronics (and various bundled modeler and RC magazines going back decades), not to mention a huge array of modeller's tools, batteries, etc. I'm just wondering if anyone can give me any advice on how to go about moving any of this equipment and planes to "good homes." My mom is going to want to put the house up for sale in the spring (assuming the market doesn't collapse further)and she says she'll just bust up the planes (they are basically balsa wood, I guess) and stuff them one at a time, piece by piece in their old wood-burning stove this winter, which is what my dad told her to do if no one was interested in them after he died. It seems like that would be a horrinle shame though. given the thousands of hours he put into the hobby that he loved and the amazing results he achieved. Any ideas? what would you do if you were in our place? Thanks for any suggestions.

airbusdrvr

You could take pictures, list in the classifieds here on RCU or put up for bid at that other auction site, pack them and ship it all away. A lot of work but the most money. There are people out there that buy a collection like you describe(J J Freestyle is an RCU name that comes to mind) and then resell them. You will get less but don't have the hassle. Utah does put you a long way from most people being able to "local pickup" the items. I'm sure others will have some ideas.

foodstick

I am sure there are peopl close enough to make it worth everyones while... I hope you won't have to literally trash a single thing !

Villa

Find a Radio Controlled Model Airplane Club in your area. Go to http://www.modelaircraft.org/ and click on membership. Go to a club field and
discuss your problem. If they are willing to auction the equipment you could let the club have 50% of the proceeds or what ever seems reasonable. They could also help teach your son to fly.

avaco

Although I am in Utah, the planes are all in northeast Ohio amd I will be going there shortly in advance of the Christmas holidays. I plan to take my son's digital camera for JPG pics but don't really know how to go about posting them. I could try selling on Ebay, but I don't see that Ebay looks like a promising place to list and sell RC models like these. Thanks for your suggestions. I'm sure I get lots of good ideas from RC experts like yourself. I was just at a standstill and need to be able to get back to my mom with something hopeful didm't want to see the planes destoyed.

bassfisher

My Feedback: (21)

Posting on RCU is easy, it won't cost you anything with just one picture per plane per ad. Just follow the instructions. I look forward to seeing them

Mike Emilio

Instead of talking about fireplaces, , , , It's a bit sad that you can't carry on your dad's legacy, and pass it to your own children.

avaco

I think I'm already too old (58) to pick up a new passion, and I know I don't have room for these they ar literally taking up an entire basement floor of my folks' home and they are hanging (wingless) nose down from rafters, not spread out on the floor. I would rather give them away than destroy them, but my dad's wishes were that they be destroyed rather than being given away to people without any passion at all for RC modelling and only a desire to make some quick bucks. He loved building them for their own sake, so in that sense I suppose they already have served the purpose he intended for them. He gave several away during the last year of his life to guys he knew who would appreciate them. I, unfortunatley, won't know or be able to fetermine that. You know, RC flying takes a lot of work, dedication, and skill and I'm not sure a lot of kids today have the patience for it. I'm pretty sure my 19 year old son doesn't, but we'll see. This is a fast-junk-food, throw-away leftovers world and these are a slow-cooked, home-cooked meal to be savored. I'm just worried there may not be a place for these in people's already crowded lives.

flyfisher431

You really need to get the pictures posted and have a sale. It sounds like your dad has a wonderful collection and they need to be passed on to future generations. I'm 52 and just picked up the hobbie 4 years ago so never say your too old. If you can't find any buyers then contact AMA and see if they would like them for the museum. Please don't let them go to the furnace.

TFF

Dont trash them. If it comes to that I will come with a trailer, but I am sure there are many things that could be done. Applicable scale planes could be donated to a museum, engines are big collector items, I have even seen some hanging from restaurant ceilings. Pictures are your best bet and knowing what is there will help with recommendations. Their are many people who would cherish the planes.

Ram Jet

Good advice from airbusdrvr. For starters I'm looking for any Enya four cycle engine-any engine-any size. PM me if you have one to sell. My local flying club is having a flea market this Saturday. These are the kind of guys who would appreciate your dad's models. And do yourself a favor and keep your favorite aircraft and hang it from the ceiling to always remind you of your dad's dedication to the sport and a tribute to his creativity and craftsmanship. Go to the AMA website and find a modeling club in your area. You might want to buy and 18 lb. sledge and do in your mom's wood stove.

Bill

avaco

Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions. I think I will just have to spend some time in Ohio going through things, cataloging, and taking photos and then decide what to do. I can understand that a lot of RC fliers like most of the guys in the local club who knew him are reluctant to fly plames as perfect and beautiful as his. I mean, were you to wreck one of these, it would not be like wrecking a pre-made/assemble-out-of-box job and you'd have to know as much about aeronautics as my dad did in order to repair and rebuild back into flying shape were you to damage one. They are almost too nice to fly and if I were ever going to give RC a try, I certainly would not start out with one of these. The distance between Utah and Ohio is the biggest logistical obstacle, plus my general lack of knowledge about RC planes (and planes and flying in general).

theo63

i work in toledo ohio and would be willing to take a look and help you out pm me if interested

TomCrump

This gentleman may be a good bet.

The other, as mentioned before, would be to contact a local club. Setting up an auction, with both your Mother and the club as beneficiaries, would solve your problem. You wouldn't need a professional auctioneer, just somebody wiling to take on the task.

That way, your Mother will get some extra cash, and her home cleaned up. The local club will gain some money, and maybe most importantly, your Father's legacy will be preserved.

avaco

I don't know what it means to "pm me" so I'm just doing another post (about all I know how to do) and saying thanks again. It's pretty overwhelming when you have items like this with value but little knowledge of how to present useful info on them. I will have to call my mom and ask her about how to contact the local RC fliers' club that my dad belonged to. When I get back there in a couple of weeks I can try to locate an auctioneer, although I believe it will be difficult to bring together enogh interested parties in the greater Cleveland area at one time and place to hold a physical auction maybe an online auction could be set up. I can see that I have a lot to research. Certainly, his planes going to his fellow fliers and/or club members would be a nice memorial to all his work and dedication, plus of course my mom needs the extra financial help with funeral expenses and such. Thanks for the continuing input.

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

Look at the bottom of this post. You'll see a little menu bar with "PM" under a caption balloon. That link will let you send a Private Message to the poster.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

bkdavy

My Feedback: (1)

Talk to the local club members and see if there is a preferred hobby shop where the plans can be sold on consignment.

There's no such thing as a plane thats 'to perfect to fly". Creating a flying model and not flying it is a shame. Part of the artistry is not just the outward appearance, but the comparison of the model to the real thing in flight characteristics. Far better to see these planes flown and crashed that fed piece by piece into a wood burning stove!

I'm certain that there are at least 50 people here on RCU that would willing drive to Toledo to pick up the models rather than have them destroyed. Heck - I'm 400 miles away and I'd consider it. Get pictures posted. You'll be amazed at the response.

Brad

airbusdrvr

avaco, just make sure you pick a post that theo63 wrote to follow these directions. Or, go to theo63's post above and click on his name at the left of the post. This will then open a page describing this person. On that page you will see a "PM" symbol. Click on that 'PM" and a RCU e-mail(PM personal message, I guess) form will open. Use that form to send the message.

the mother of invention

I live in northwest Ohio and a member of a club there. We have taken collections of deceased flyers like your dad's to swap meets and sold the items for the widow in the past. I'm sure that we could do the same for you and your mom if it wasn't too far away logistically for us. If this interests you let me know because this is the time of the year all the swap meets are going on in Ohio and Indiana where we go.

If this is not what she wants to do, I could probably take the time to help you with what some of the stuff is worth and help you list it on here or Ebay if that is more of what she would want.

There are many people that would cherish the stick built models just like your dad did. Please don't think that they would not be appreciated and destroy them.

avaco

I'll ask my mom what she wants to do. She won't do anything, I'm sure, until I get out there in a couple of weeks. I can try contacting his club in Cleveland, but I think the guys in the club know she has all my dad's planes and no one has called her, though that might be just out of respect. My sense is that he had been offering his planes to guys in the club for some time and all who were interested had gotten what they wanted already, so I'm thinking I need to open this up to a larger group somehow. I could certainly arrive with a truckload of equipment in Toledo or Detroit or Indianapolis or Pittsburgh if necessary, although I've never done the swap meet thing and have only ever been to a couple. I really do appreciate your suggestions, and the thought of scrapping my dad's planes is pretty much out of my mind as it was almost unthinkable for me from the start. I can sort of foresee one problem being, for example, getting a bid of $100 on a plane that took my dad maybe 300 hours to build, in which case We'd probably rather give the plane away to a guy who loves flying but can't afford the $100 than to take the money from somebody who's totally flush with cash and just planning on heading down the road to the next swap meet. Know what I mean? But I don't want to make this too complicated . . . we'll get something worked out one way or the other.

foodstick

I have never been a big wheeler dealer as I become to attached to what I build, but if the worst thing that happens is a middle guy makes a few dollars and allows you to do a easy clean out of planes don't sweat it too much. many times a one price takes everything is way smarter than spending tons of time hauling it around.. That choice is yours of course. I have a feeling every plane will work its way to someone that will smile when they fly it.

I just hope you get a fair price , with little stress, and the planes get back in the air.. heck it wouldn't be too hard to ask everyone to send a picture of the planes flying to you ! In this day and age of email..you could cover a bulletin board with picture of your dads airplanes where they were mean't to be, flying !!!

yojoelay

It might be a world away down here is Aus, but I have to say that I'm having a lot of luck with 'that auction site' cleaning out my garage of some old modeling gear. All the prices I've recieved have been more than fair, better in fact than I've done at swap meets.

Good luck and sorry to hear about the loss of another builder. I'm only 35 and I figure I'll be the last one left.

Joel

avaco

These are some photos I took of one of the planes, the smallest and simplest one, which has a 46" fuselage length and a 59" wing span. Are these the kind I should be posting to see if anyone is interested? I'm not sure what kind of view people need.

zippome

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your dad. The plane in the picture is indeed beautiful,he certainly did put craftmanship and pride in his models. I too lost my father last Feb. and had to go up to Wisconsin to go thru his things. Since my trailer and vehicle could not hold everything he had,(How he stashed so much stuff in his hobby room I'll never know) I retrned home with a few models to both remember him and to hopefully rejoin the hobby he and I shared when I was younger. I'm not sure where in N.E. Ohio he was in, but there are quite a few clubs in the area. I'm sure that the members are being respectful to you and your mother by not wanting to look like a pack of vultures. I would try to look up a member and talk about what you and your mom want to do.
I would highly recommend keeping one for yourself tho, As everytime I look at one of my dad's planes I think of him and the times we had flying together. Best wishes to you and yours in this Holiday season.

avaco

I am going to keep a couple of planes for myself and my son, although neither of us knows how to fly. Two exquisite very large ones that don't have engines and have never been test flown are going to cousins. The largest, a huge scale model of a WWII fighter, is being saved for a freind of my dad's who will come up from Florida to get it. I've tried to contact the club admins listed for many NE OH clubs on this site but have not heard back. My understanding from the fellow who visited yesterday is that there were only 12 remaining members in their old club and none were interested in my dad's planes as they all all prefer flying ARFs that I guess are eaier to repair. All the guys thought my dad's planes were incredible, sort of too pretty to fly. The cousins mentioned are just planning to suspend theirs from cathedral ceilings in their homes. I've also contacted the AMA museum to see if they might be interested in dispalying any. Have not heard back from them either.