| HN Mirror

Y	Hacker News new \| ask \| show \| jobs


	by ishi 2170 days ago
	Building paper airplane models was a very popular hobby in Israel (and probably other countries) during the 1960's. Each issue of the Israeli Air Force Journal came with a model which you would painstakingly cut and glue. Here are some examples of what these models looked like: http://starry-side.com/wpe/wordpress/index.php/2019/08/08/ol... Of course, this guy is on a whole different level of detail and dedication (plus he designs everything himself). Amazing work.

2 comments

lisper 2170 days ago

I have PDFs of some of these Israeli model kits. If anyone is interested LMK and I'll post them somewhere.

link

mkalimani 2170 days ago

I'm interested. LMK if you end up posting them. Thanks for sharing.

link

lisper 2169 days ago

Here are the links for these files at archive.org. I have the actual files too in case any of these links have stopped working.

http://web.archive.org/web/20040607002835/http://www.iafe.ne...

link

mkalimani 2168 days ago

The links work. Thank you!

link

p_l 2170 days ago

Was also very popular in communist era Poland, including people extending the paper models to be capable of self-propelled taxiing and certain set of "moveable" features implemented as extras.

link

malkia 2170 days ago

Same thing in Bulgaria. One good side of "communism" was free modeling clubs for kids like me, so we've got rocket modelling (made 2, even 3 phase rockets while 3rd-4th grade), plane modelling (balsa wood, rice paper, etc.) - all for free - you pay for neither materials, nor courses, later it was computers (that's how I got into them). Before that also slot cars racing, ship modelling, there was even knot-making club (our city is on the black sea, so makes sense - future sailors!)

I mean, even if communism is evil, there were some good things - way overpay, or pay anything for clubs that should've been free to begin with and get kids into them... It doesn't take much to support them compared to many other things...

link

errantspark 2170 days ago

Czech Republic, reporting in! I'm too young to remember much of communism but I remember the balsa and rice paper gliders I built with my grandpa very fondly. There's something so fantastic about the fragile beauty of those planes with their skeletons visible beneath that translucent skin.

There's a magazine in the Czech Rep. called ABC which always had plans for some sort of papercraft model in the back. I used to love them as a kid.

https://www.abicko.cz/kategorie/6333/navody-z-abc

link

rimliu 2169 days ago

Mały Modelarz, right?

link

p_l 2168 days ago

Yes, exactly.

I also had a book about techniques to use when building planes from such cut outs, and it included a chapter on "extras" like putting lights, small electric engines, etc. into the plane which sometimes allowed enough power that they would taxii on the table :)

link