Howdy,
When I was a kid there seemed to be no limit to tin, plastic and wooden airplane models with moving control surfaces. Essentially toys but with all degrees of quality and fidelity. Over the past 2 weeks I have been to Michaels’s, Target, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, numerous RC specialty shops and pilot supply stores........no airplanes with moving control surfaces. On the web: innumerable pilot supply concerns incl. but not limited to Sporty’s and Aircraft Spruce. On eBay ........couldn’t find squat. Pugs’ is the only reasonably quality option, but to get movable flaps you need at least 5-6 channels and that takes you up to $300.00 or more and it is made out of .........styrofoam. ToysRUS here .......closed.
I will tell you what I DID find: all manner of rockets, spaceships, interstellar craft, star wars knock offs, martian modules, lunar landers, alien battle-stars, etc, etc, etc. All futuristic and really hardly existing, in their infancy, pie in the sky, fake stuff. The fact seems to be that airiplanes don’t seem to be popular at the present time. This is INCREDIBLE!! ........ At a time where all professional aviation observers are projecting a massive shortage of pilots, due to attrition in the current ATP ranks, this lack of foresight is simply **** poor headwork and low information planning.
If you do not get the next generation interested in what is arguably one of the most interesting, dynamic and rewarding professions on earth, you are blind. Kids nowadays are predisposed to extreme facility in the interface operation of automated and sophisticated electronics and computerization. Aviation continues to be one of the watershed creations of humans. Like the wheel and the stirrup, like calculus and antibiotics.....it ain't going away anytime soon.
And yes, I ordered a “Desktop Teaching Control Airplane” from Sky Supply. And it should arrive here tonight. It just doesn't look like an airplane. Its 2 dimensional and has a flat fuselage. What the hell is that? Is that the best teaching tool we can produce? I guess I am asking too much.
I am trying to interest my 13 year old son in Aviation as a career. My grandfather owned a flying school, my father was a gold seal instructor and a 1011 EAL CAPT. my brother is a 747 CAPT, (Northwest/Delta), Ret. And Im a USN Flt. Surgeon, Ret.-com, instr,M/E. By the grace of God, I own an paid for 1977 Rockwell Commander TCA, available to me 24/7. I plan to get my CFI soon........
................................I want a really good, old time, simple teaching model airplane with movable control surfaces To teach my son!!!!!!
,,,,,,,,,,,............................I am asking too much????????