Recent Museum Acquisitions

The following are new artifacts that have been recently accepted by the museum's acquisition committee, and processed into the museum collections.

When the Museum Registrar Maria VanVreede is asked how many artifacts the Museum has, the answer is generally, “about 8,000.” That’s going to have to change now that she cataloged the 9,000 artifact into the Museum’s collection the morning on July 20, 2010. Granted, this is the combined total of artifacts in the Permanent Collection and the Education Collection, but still 9,000 is a lot – and that’s not even counting the undocumented materials that Maria is slowly working her way through cataloging. So, what was the lucky number 9,000? Mark Radcliff’s Super Fli Radio Control model, built by his father George, and flown by Mark in the 1978 Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas. The 1978 T.O.C. is important because it was the first where pilots were flying stand-off scale examples of full scale stunt airplanes. Flying this airplane, Mark took 11th place at the event and won $800.
Mark “kissed his airplane goodbye” (literally!) on Sunday when he formally donated it to the Museum. He also included so much documentation and photographs that it took Maria over two hours to sort through it and make sure it was all properly marked and filed. Thanks to Mark for the Super Fli, and to all of the Museum’s donors who have contributed to making our collection as historically significant and complete as possible.

W. Hewitt Phillips, was a noted NACA/NASA engineer for his entire working career, as well as an active modeler. We recently received from his sons a small selection of the many trophies he won during his lifetime. All of the trophies are unique in their design and represent his interests and accomplishments, as well as events that were not previously represented in the trophy collection. The trophies include: 2nd Place, ROG Indoor Fuselage Type, 1933 Junior Aviation League NE Championships. 2nd Place, Texaco Contest, 1936 Nationals. 1st Prize, Beginner’s, Bellanca Trophy, 1932 Jordan-Traveller Junior Aviation League contest. 3rd Prize, Senior, Junior Aviation League Pitcairn Autogiro Scale Model, 1933 Jordan Marsh Company. Edward R. Mitton Challenge Trophy for Jordan Traveler Junior Aviation League Stick Type Rise of Ground (for more on the care of this trophy, check out the upcoming Summer 2010 Cloud 9 article).
	This Sig Riser 100SW has been modified by a team of students from Perdue University’s Mechanical Engineering 463 Senior Design Class to operate using electricity generated by the solar panels attached to its wing. The power system uses a Multiple Power Point Tracking charge controller to supply the correct power to the battery, which then powers the Himax HG-2025 5300 (170 Watt) motor. This aircraft was accepted to showcase the research potential of model airplanes in college classes and learning engineering, as well as for the solar-powered aspect. The team of students who built, flew, and donated the model include Tom Sharkey, Stephen Gal, Stephen Leuck, and Tim Davis. They received assistance from their professor, Dr. John Nolfi, as well as from members of the League of Silent Flight, and the Lafayette Cloud Jockeys.
The Control Line Team Racing started in the late 1940s on the West Coast and gained in popularity as it moved east. By 1950, its popularity was enough to justify holding the event at the 1950 Nationals. Surprisingly, the event winner was Don Post – an East Coast kid who flew a model based on one of Keith Story’s designs. Don’s wife, Irene, recently donated the model airplane to the Museum, along with the two take-home trophies Don won for the event. Sadly, one of the trophies was damaged during shipment, but the Museum has already sent it to a conservator, and it should be fixed by the end of the year.
	Mitchell Shore once flew Byron Originals P-51 Mustangs, and had several spare parts for them still lying around his shop. When he heard we were looking for parts to restore a Byron Originals P-51 Mustang that arrived damaged last year, he donated his extras to the Museum for use on the model restoration.
The Plymouth Internats were a very popular event in the late 1940s and early 50s. Between its popularity, and the willingness of the organizers to spare no expense to make the contest stand out, the Museum has quite the collection of Internats related items. Among them are several patches, mechanic and pilot armbands and, of course the trophies. What we didn’t have, however, was a T-shirt with the event emblem. Thanks to Hubert D. “Sonny” Myers for donating a T-shirt from the 1948 event, this gap in the collection has been filled.
	Louis Pinard received this model engine cuff link and tie pin set as a Christmas gift from his brother in 1956. Mr. Pinard commented that he really enjoyed them, but did not wear them more than six times. It is no wonder, for such little things, they are pretty heavy.

Other donations include:

Geoff Sanders donated a Picco ducted fan engine.
Jack Frost donated four early digital transmitters, in honor of Wayne Krenz.
William Landwehr, donated an OK Cub .049B.
The Las Vegas Radio Control Club donated a lapel pin commemorating the 50th anniversary of their club.
Scott Cheslik donated a Trexler inflatable tire pump for balloon wheels.
Joan Netzeband donated a Midwest Half-Fast III kit designed by her husband Wild Bill Netzeband.
Lorin M. Miller donated a set of Comet balsa wheels that are still in their original wax paper packaging.
Mark Schmaltz donated two copies of the club patch for the Grand Rapids, Kent (Michigan) Radio Aeromodelers, Inc. Once copy is to be placed on display with the rest of the club patches, and the other is for the permanent collection.
James K. Olson donated an O.S. 90 engine, complete with the original Japanese spark plug.