wonwinglo
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 6,754
- Points
- 113
- First Name
- Barry
Harold Towner was one of the leading lights in scale models during the 1930's when one considers the lack of variety in commercial items available in the UK during the golden years,modellers like HJT managed very well indeed,unlike the States where scale kits abounded the days of building from plans were very much the norm here,thankfully this helped swell the range of excellent drawings produced by such experts as Harold Towner,a friendly exchange of formulae often prevailed within the pages of the Aeromodeller magazine at that time,this in turn met with friendly competition to produce 'the best' flying scale model.
Writer of books on the subject and also a designer for the Astral company during the forties,Towner designed a Short Stirling,Vickers Viking,Fairey Barracuda and a Vickers Wellington all intended for rubber power,the twist was the kits were made from a material called balsa substitute,which was in fact obeche,I have one of these treasured kits unbuilt in my collection for a Lockheed Hudson bomber,you got a tool for cutting the wood in the kit,no more than a small saw that would fit into a file handle,it is doubtful if the models could be made to fly from this heavy wood supplied but wartime production precluded the use of balsa at that time in kits,and by the way only members of the armed forces,Royal observer corps,ATC etc were eligible to purchase kits,these must have been difficult times for the model builder.
HJT went on to build more fine models post war including a control line Avro Lancaster and a Dragon Rapide for the same medium,plans were published in the good old and much lamented Aeromodeller magazine.
When he passed away some years back I wanted to know what happened to his models ? further enquiries led me to the R.A.F Museum store at Cardington,the then curator Ray Funnell kindly allowed me to visit and see the models first hand,although they were difficult to photograph being stored in hermatically sealed bags they had been purchased by the R.A.F Museum for possible future display.
The standard of construction was superb,HJT was a true pioneer in every sense of the word and I am very proud to record him here.
Writer of books on the subject and also a designer for the Astral company during the forties,Towner designed a Short Stirling,Vickers Viking,Fairey Barracuda and a Vickers Wellington all intended for rubber power,the twist was the kits were made from a material called balsa substitute,which was in fact obeche,I have one of these treasured kits unbuilt in my collection for a Lockheed Hudson bomber,you got a tool for cutting the wood in the kit,no more than a small saw that would fit into a file handle,it is doubtful if the models could be made to fly from this heavy wood supplied but wartime production precluded the use of balsa at that time in kits,and by the way only members of the armed forces,Royal observer corps,ATC etc were eligible to purchase kits,these must have been difficult times for the model builder.
HJT went on to build more fine models post war including a control line Avro Lancaster and a Dragon Rapide for the same medium,plans were published in the good old and much lamented Aeromodeller magazine.
When he passed away some years back I wanted to know what happened to his models ? further enquiries led me to the R.A.F Museum store at Cardington,the then curator Ray Funnell kindly allowed me to visit and see the models first hand,although they were difficult to photograph being stored in hermatically sealed bags they had been purchased by the R.A.F Museum for possible future display.
The standard of construction was superb,HJT was a true pioneer in every sense of the word and I am very proud to record him here.