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My first airplane... Starting small!

Posted by Chuck on Sat Jan 31, 2004 11:52:26 AM

In reply top Re: My first airplane... Start small! posted by Tulio on Sat Jan 31, 2004 04:47:50 AM

My first airplane was a P-47. I bought it in 1975 when I was 8 years old. My family wasn't rich but we could afford the Revell version which was in the D model variant. I assembled the plane myself which was a tremedous feat at my age. I logged all of that time towards my A&P (which I am still working on). The other kids on the block got intersted in the warbird movement after seeing how much fun I was having learning to zoom around the sky in my P-47 in my parents front yard. That was my first grass field take-off and landing. They bought a Zero and Me 109 kit and I helped them with their restorations. By this time I was working up to John Lanes standards and we turned out some nice fighters. Sometimes we would have to open up the hangar because the glue would make us feel funny. Soon we were accomplished pilots and engaged in dogfights between each others houses. I added to my collection a Corsair and Hellcat and was feeling like Kermit Weeks with the most extensive collection on the block. Then I began to play the role of the military/government. I learned to play with firecrackers and gunpowder. I did blow up my first airplanes and I regret it to this day. They are all gone now and I wished I had them back.
So having been a restorer, pilot, and scrapper, I would recommend starting small and working your way up to bigger airplanes.

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