I AM THE AMA
STEVE BROOMe
Model Aircraft Designer
By Jay Smith | jays@modelaircraft.org
JAY SMITH: How did you become involved with model aviation?
STEVE BROOMe: I was born wanting to fly. At an early age, I put together all of the plastic Century Series fighters plus the B-58 Hustler. In my 20s, I went to the Wichita Falls RC flying field and watched a P-51 flying close to a flock of geese.
I kept all of those memories hidden until I was 29, when I got my first RC foam trainer. I flew it until I couldn’t glue the pieces back together. From there, I progressed through the hobby.
JS: How has model aviation impacted your life and/or career?
SB: I chose accounting as a career. It has been rewarding but is very repetitive and stressful. I found that flying RC allowed me to de-stress. Actually, it was a different kind of stress that allowed me to maintain balance in my life. I don’t put down other hobbies, but there is nothing more exhilarating than flying an RC airplane.
JS: What disciplines of modeling do you currently participate in?
SB: At the age of 72, I have begun scaling back. I have some big electric warbirds, small foamies, and some fine nitro burners. My favorite is an O.S. .61-powered sport aerobatic airplane that was built in 1995. Who says RC airplanes can’t last? I have lots of electrics, but I mostly enjoy flying multiengine nitro aircraft.
JS: What other hobbies do you have?
SB: I have always been a fisherman, and I live close to lakes that have abundant striped bass, bass, and crappie. I have owned almost as many boats as RC airplanes.
I inherited a card-playing gene from my grandmother, and I play in a weekly poker game. I win enough that I basically play for free. I suppose poker must be related to my accounting background.
I have always been a space nut and flew to Florida to watch SpaceX launch Elon Musk’s sports car to Mars, and I just returned from watching the first Starship launch from south Texas.
JS: Who or what has influenced you the most?
SB: Joe Petz and Raymond Swaney were fellow fliers who were role models that any man could look up to. I feel sorry for people who do not have role models. My dad taught me morals and values. Joe and Raymond taught me how to fly.
JS: What advice would you give someone looking to design their own model aircraft?
SB: I have designed many airplanes throughout the years. My advice would be to create something that follows your vision and your pocketbook. Whether for speed, aerobatics, or size, just follow the first rule of airplane design: If it looks good, it should fly.
After my Scat Twin project, I had four good nitro engines, so I turned them into a quad-powered, swept-wing aerobatic monster that I named Beast Q4. I hope to have a new one flying soon. I also designed a twin-boom trimotor cargo airplane that could drop a roll of paper, candy, or a Barbie. If you can dream it, then build it.
