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The AMA History Project Presents: Biography of R. SAL TAIBI
April 5, 1920 – December 20, 2012 Started modeling in 1933
AMA #3255
Career:
- In September 1938, he designed the Powerhouse
- In April 1939, set a national record with a Bay Ridge Diamond Demon with an Ohlsson .23
- Met Joe Ransante in 1939; it 1939, designed a 12-foot Radio Control model for him.
- In 1940, the Powerhouse model won contests and the plans were published in Model Airplane News
- Designed the Brooklyn Dodger in 1941
- Went to work for the N.A.C.A at Langley Field, Virginia in 1941
- Won a first at the National Model Airplane Championships at Chicago, Illinois in 1941
- In 1958 designed another model called The Starduster
- Has been flying Old-Timer and modern Free Flight since retiring in June 1970
- Served as president of the Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) in the mid-1980s for four years and as secretary/treasurer for two years
- Attended every National Championship (Nats) from 1939 to 1994, except in 1946 when he was still in Germany
- Attended every SAM Champs since 1966
- A member of AMA since 1936
Honors:
- 1974: Model Aviation Hall of Fame
- 1975: AMA Fellow
- 1978: National Free Flight Society Hall of Fame
- 1989: SAM Hall of Fame
Lifetime Membership in the following organizations:
- AMA
- SAM
- The Fresno Club
- The Scamps club
- The Thermal Thumbers Club
The following was written by Sal Taibi in 1996.
The AMA History Project Presents: Biography of HENRY A. (HANK) COLE, Jr.
1921 – 2023 Started modeling in the mid-1930
Career:
- 1938: Won second place in the Tacoma News Tribune model airplane contest; Joined the Tacoma Gas Wings
- 1946-1949, 1951, 1955, 1958-1959, 1967, 1980, 1984, 1993: Placed well in the AMA Nats (first through third places)
- 1947: Held the A Speed National Record
- 1948, 1955, 1981-1992, 2001, 2004-05, 2007: Place in first in Western regional contests
- 1957, 1962: Held the Nordic National Record
- 1959: Held the Wakefield National Record
- Several of his airplanes, including the Smoothie and Stratosphere, were published in modeling magazines.
Honors:
- 1959: AMA Fellow
- 1980: NFS Hall of Fame Inductee
- 2005: SAM Hall of Fame Inductee
- 2009: AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame Inductee
The following biography was written by AMA staff for the January 2010 issue of Model Aviation magazine, part of the article “Model Aviation Hall of Fame Class of 2009”. This and other Model Aviation issues can be read online in the Model Aviation Digital Library at https://library.modelaviation.com/ma/.
AMA History Project Biographies
Web: With more than 1,080 completed biographies, the AMA History Project has a great deal of information to offer. Many people whom you might read about in Model Aviation have a biography available online. For example, in Bob Angel’s “Old-Timers” column, on page 46 of this issue, he mentions Henry A. “Hank” Cole Jr. and Sal Taibi—both of whom have a biography available through the AMA History Project! The AMA History Project and its biographies can be found at www.modelaircraft.org/history-recognition/history-project/ama-history-pr....
The Practice of Building With Foam
Web: On page 78 of this issue, Heath Bartel’s “RC Combat” column discusses building wings with foam board, keys to building using foam board, and the different types of foam that can be used. For more insight into the practice of building with foam, listen to AMA’s podcast on the topic: https://bit.ly/3JdnTiy.
Visit the National Model Aviation Museum
Web: The National Model Aviation Museum is now open and ready for you to visit! Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday through the end of August, there are tons of great exhibits for all to witness. To see a full calendar of the museum’s hours, visit www.modelaircraft.org/welcome-national-model-aviation-museum.
