I AM THE AMA
MARK SIRIANNI
Model aircraft designer and watchmaker
By Jay Smith | jays@modelaircraft.org
JAY SMITH: How did you become involved with model aviation?
MARK SIRIANNI: My dad got me started building and flying model airplanes when I was in junior high school. He built models when he was a kid and we started building and flying Control Line models first then slowly moved up to RC.
JS: How has model aviation impacted your life and/or career?
MS: When I was first married in 1985, I started my own business of custom-built model airplanes. Marks Model Building helped me bring in some extra money and it eventually turned into a full-time business.
I built hundreds of models for myself and my customers. I also started designing my own models to sell through my website. Model building has been a big part of my life since I was about 14, and it continues to be a great hobby today.
JS: What disciplines of modeling do you currently participate in?
MS: I have gone through many phases of model airplane building. Early on, I flew .40- to .60-powered sport models. I then moved into larger Scale models, mostly World War II fighters. Now I fly only electric airplanes, mostly sport aerobatic models of my own design. I like models in the 50-inch wingspan range, small enough to easily fit in my car but large enough to fly in any kind of weather.
JS: What other hobbies do you have?
MS: My hobbies are building Legos, cross-stitch, and reading. My wife and I walk everyday, no matter the weather. I need something to help relieve the stress of my full-time job as a watchmaker.
JS: Who or what has influenced you the most?
MS: My dad was my biggest influence on my hobbies and life. I worked for him at our family jewelry store for 22 years before starting my own watch repair business that I now run with my son, Tom.
JS: What advice do you have for someone who is looking to design their own aircraft?
MS: If you are thinking about designing a model, don’t be afraid to ask questions of other designers or club builders. Most people who have a lot of experience building will gladly give you some “secrets” to help you improve your designs.
When I was designing one of my early airplanes, I was stuck on how to build a particular wing design. I found the name of a designer/builder from one of the magazines and called him. He was very helpful and gave me a great piece of advice: “Don’t try and reinvent the wheel, young man,” meaning that he had already solved that problem, so if I just followed his advice, I’d be all set. It’s advice that I still use today.
