I saw the original article in Scale Ship Modeler that Stan Watkins had writing up. I think that was back in 1979 or 1980. Had always dreamed of doing something like this back with I was in my early teens when I first heard about RC. I contacted Stan and got some additional information about the hobby. In fall of 1981 we moved to Houston, Texas and had an opportunity to attend the 1982 Nats in Amarillo, Texas. Prior to that Fluegel was gracious enough to open his home to a wayward 19 years old who's only thought was the hobby. It was interesting to see Martin Snyder with his Tirpitz and James West in his pseudo Graf Spee literally destroy the allied fleet! Spirt guns galore! Saw the first Hood built by Dale Beaver take on Fluegel's Bismarck. The funny thing was that there was no swimming in the lake we were using and the Hood got hung on a bag on the far side of the pond. The police stopped right when the ship got hung up and we were waiting for them to leave (which they didn't for about 10 minutes!) and Dale was getting really antsy because it was obvious that the Hood was sinking! Well the police left right when the Hood lurched to port then sank. Got a picture of Dale running into the water to get the ship! It was quite hilarious!! That was back when everyone was thinking that capital ships were going to be nothing but big targets. My how things have changed! I have a lifetime of memories and friends that have made it all worth blood (cutting wheels), sweat (100+ at the pond) and tears (having to fix a car instead of attending an event or trying to get your hand unstuck from the ships it's now glued too). Been involved IRC and with starting up 3 groups ranging from big gun to treaty. Everyone of them have had one thing in common, quality people who want to have a good time and who love ships and enjoy each others company. I think that's why we do this...some of us for a very, very long time!
Wow I can't say I know anyone with that level of dedication to a hobby. Would be interesting to know how many odometer clicks you've spent on Nats trips haha!
Carl, like you I saw the early 1980s articles in Scale Ship Modeller and joined the 'International' club in 1984. I still have the small original rule pamphlet with blue cover, and bought one of Stan's freon guns. Fluegel and I exchanged cassette tapes in the late 1980s and he provided encouragement to get into the hobby. My first model was the WWI version of 15" gun monitor HMS Terror; it was completed in 1985 but never saw any combat action. No one else in the Canadian Maritime provinices seemed interested in the hobby until Curt Stokes showed up at a model show in Halifax, NS in late 1995 and ran a demo battle the next day in a near-freezing lake. I was hooked and within 3 months had produced the first of multiple combat models and fiberglass hulls for the hobby (12 now sold by Strike and 1 by Battlers). I put most of the blame for getting me into the hobby on Curt Stokes!
I, too, got roped in by couple of magazine articles in the late 80's. I was about 10 at the time, so I wasn't able to participate, but I always remembered how awesome it looked. Fast forward to 2011 or so and I re-discovered the hobby and got hooked in with SCRAP. So it only took me 20+ years....
stumbled across it one time on the internet while looking up WW2 ship hulls/plans ... still haven't made an active fighting ship yet (nor am I aware of any active in my area) ... but plans are plans
I was on a business trip and USAir Magazine had a reprint of the Dave Barry article "The Many Things Women Just Don't Understand." The article led me to the MBG, which led me to Brian Alexander and what was then the Blacksburg Battle Group, before we became the MABG.
I bought similar magazines in Ontario and saw Swampy's Add. Bought his video, and then in 1999 bought the SMS Hindenberg kit. I met Dan McGuffin and from there the Ontario Attack Force club was born. It took me 2 season to work the bugs out of my ship with Dan and his Kirishima but we didn't give up. From there the Obsession took hold and I have a lot of ships (11) in my garage ready for battle, but no time to battle them. Life and commitments get in the way. Winter seems to give me spare time to build, so I do. I've been to 2 or 3 Regionals in the USA and enjoyed every minute of the time meeting great people interested in this hobby.
