Stan Buthune looked proudly Saturday at the P-38 World War II-era Warbird plane he built with his own hands.
The 54-year-old Cleveland, Tenn., resident has been flying scale model radio-controlled airplanes for the past decade, and he spent 18 months and thousands of dollars working on the plane he brought to Summit Field in Ooltewah over the weekend.
Saturday, the Chattanooga Radio Control Club hosted its annual Warbirds Fly-In, and Mr. Buthune was one of 16 pilots participating.
About 50 models of military aircraft used from World War I to present-day jets were positioned along the 600-foot-long asphalt runway.
“All of it is to teach people more about the airplanes so they can kind of get a grip of what it really takes for an airplane to fly well,” said Allen Dickerson, contest director for the club. “These are models, but they still have to be able to fly.”
Planes range in wingspan from 3 to 7 1/2 feet, said club president Paul Wright, and cost between $200 and $8,000, depending on modifications.
Mr. Buthune said his passion for flying got him interested in the hobby, but his love of history and building keeps it going.
“I love to build; I like to toil away in the basement for hours,” he said, pointing out the working retractable landing gear and hydraulic breaks on his plane. “And I love all the old World War II movies — that era is my favorite. I think those guys are incredible heroes, and you’d be hard-pressed to get guys today to do what they did.”
Steve Payne, 57, joined the Chattanooga Radio Control Club when it began in 1967, and he has been around model planes his entire life. His father started flying the radio-controlled planes back in the 1930s, Mr. Payne said, and it’s been a family tradition since.
Though some pilots brought about a dozen planes to the field on fly-in day, Mr. Payne said he “just brought six this time,” as he flashed a grin.
“Almost anybody can fly one,” said the East Ridge resident. “But we prefer for new people to get a little training. … It takes a little more piloting for the heavier aircrafts, but it’s just like full-size aviation.”
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