Over 100 Aircraft Models Made At Norwood High School For War Training-This Day in Norwood History-June 26, 1942

THE BIG AND THE LITTLE of military aircraft is graphically shown by the scale models held by Clifford Wheeler, left, and James Garner, right. Mr. Wheeler, director of Norwood’s model plane project, holds a model of a Russian fighter Mr. Garner chief inspector for the Norwood school project, holds the model of the Pan American Clipper. Displayed on the table are the better than a hundred models made by manual training students for the U S. Navy and civilian defense.

Students in the manual training at Norwood High School have completed over a hundred model planes for the United States Navy and civilian defense The fifty plans, Norwood’s quota, for the Navy will be sent to Squantum.

These models, which have been under construction since March, in schools throughout the United States, will be used to instruct Navy trainees in types of planes, allied and enemy, and information instruction. Models for civilian defense purposes will serve to acquaint plane spotters with the various types of aircraft.

Models range all the way from the Pan American clipper, largest of the lot, to a tiny Russian fighter All planes are done to the same scale so that differences in size of the biggest and smallest plane is accurate.

Included in the models are Russian, Italian. Dutch, British, American, German and Japanese aircraft. Scale used is one inch equals six feet.

Boys were given a template sheet from which they traced their own patterns and made their own blueprints. They also had assembly sheets to work from. After the first cutting out of the pattern from the wood, the work was mostly hand whittling.

Work had to be done carefully and exactly as all models were submitted to a rigid inspection. Every model was subjected to five checks. Inspected were such things as the span, outline, dihedral, ailerons and flaps, distance from the lead edge, nacelle shape, rudders, etc.

Planes were inspected by a board of three. Chief inspector was James Garner, Bird & Son foreman. Helping him were Thomas White and Francis McAuliffe. All three had to check each plane and initial their approval.

Clifford Wheeler of the High School staff was in charge of the model plane project. Those that have seen work of other schools tell him that there is neither the quantity or quality to compare with Norwood’s work.

“Aircraftsmen” ranks were given boys for their work. Stanley Stoyanoff earned the rank of Lieutenant Aircraftsman (junior grade) with five models. Messerschmitt ME-109 (Ger.), Bell P-39D (U S ); Brewster SB2A-I (U. S.) ; Handley Page (Brit-); and Defiant (Brit.)

Ensign Aircraftsmen are Adam Smolski who made a Messerschmitt ME-109 (Ger ); Mitsabishi-36 (Jap.), and Blackburn Skua (Brit). Patsy Del Grosso who made a Vought Sikorsky OS2U-I (U S.), Dornier DOI8K (Ger.); and Saro Lerwick (Brit.); and Hollis Steele who mad£ a Curtiss P-40E (U. S».), Nakajima 95 (Jap.); and Fokker T-8-W (Dutch).

Other ranks were advanced cadets and cadets. Advanced cadets and the planes they made were

A. Bonfatti—Grumman F4F-4 (U. S.); Lockheed Lodestar (U. S.); R. Jones—Brewster F2A-3 (V S.). Mitsubishi 96 (Jap.); J. Start©—Grumman P4F-4 (U S.). Republic P-43 (U. S.); A. Silvestrj—Bell P-39D (U. S.); Martin B-26C (V S.); W. Maini—Bell P-39D (U. S.); Lockheed Lodestar (U S), A. Stoyanoff—Curtiss P-40E (U. S.); Curtiss SBC-4 (U S.); E. Kotak— Curtiss R40E (U S ), Junkers Ju 87b (Ger), G Smith—Douglas A-20-A (U S), Curtiss SBC-4 (U. S.), F Jones—Douglas A-20-A (U. S.), Martin PBM-1 (U. S.). S. Stembauer — Messerschmitt ME-109 (Ger), Junkers Ju 87b (Ger), Grumman F3F-2 (U. S.); J, Smith—Sent© Kl-001 (Jap.); Hawker Hurricane (Brit.); M. Curran—Bako Geki Ki-99 (Jap,); Brewster SB2A-1 (U. S.); F. Petratis—Baku Geki Ki-99 (Jap.), Lockheed P-38E (U. S-) ; P, Coughlin—Mitsubishi-96 (Jap.) ; Vought Sikorsky B2U-8 (U. S.) ; M. Benedetti—Spitfire (Brit,); Grumman J2F-4 (U S.); R. Readell— Northrop A-17A (U. S-); Handley Page (Brit), W. Dauksevitch— Hawker Hurricane (Brit.); Messerschmitt ME-110 (Ger ).

Cadets were.

K. Morrow—Douglas SBD-3 (U S.), E. Eppich—Vought Sikorsky 0S2U-1 (U S.); J Con-ton—Vought Sikorsky OS2U-1 (U S.), A Palo—Douglas TBD-1 (U. S.), R. Babcock—Consolidated PBY-5 (U. S.); R. Nead—Consolidated PBY-5 (U. S.), J Frates—Douglas A-20A (U. S.) A. Kneizys — Boeing B-17E (U S.); H. Pascoe—Boeing B-17E (U. S.); R. Flaherty—Douglas DC-3 (U. S.); J. McGilvary— Douglas DC-3 (U. S.) Palmerini—Heinkel HE. Ill (Ger ), J Kesinski—Heinkel HE-111 (Ger.); B. Riley—Sent© Kl-001 (Jap.); BL Richardson—Spitfire (Bnt); D. Sakrisen—Wellington (Brit); R. Wetta—Wellington (Brit); E. Koval—Northrop A-17A (U. S.); J. ^Adelman —Martin B-26C (U S.), E. Vasi-lanskas—Martin B-26C (U. S.)

T Curtin — Republic P-43 (U 8.); E. Gronrose—Consolidated B-24D (U. S.); C. Rich— Messerachitt ME-110 (Ger.), L. Carlson—Mitsubishi 96 (Jap.); T Rogers—Nakajima 97 (Jap.); J Donlan—Nakajima 97 (Jap.), C. Anderson—Bristol Blenheim (Brit), K. Palucci—Bell P-39D (U S.), E. Jankowski—Russian Fighter 1-16 (Russ.) ; E. Chandler —Boulton Paul Defiant (Brit); N. Gragnale—Vought Sikorsky SB2U-3 (U. S.); M. Campisano— Heinkel HE-113 (Ger.); Gomes— Heinkel HE-113 (Ger.).

Planes made by Non-students:

J. Garner—Boeing B-17E (U. S.); Dornier Do 18K (Ger.); Boe-ing C-4 (U S.) » Junkers Ju 88-Al (Ger ), E. Gamer — Russian Fighter 1-16; C. Wheeler—Consolidated PBY-5 (U. S.); Consolidated PB2Y-3 (U. S.); Curtiss P-40E (U S.); Douglas A-20A (U ’ S.), Scmto Ki-001 Jap); Douglas TBD-1 (U- S.); Spitfire (Brit.)

Incompleted Planes:

W Cistrinelli—Grumman F4F-4 (U S.), R. Holmes—Dougles SBD-3 ( U.S.); 9 Cistrinelli—Grumman F4F-4 (U. S.); C. Keeler-Consolidated PB2Y-3 (U. S.); J, Carroll — Consolidated PB2Y-3 (U S.), D. Bennett—Northrop A-17A (U S.) ; J. Vaughn—Messerschmitt ME 110 (Ger.); H. Johnson—Lockheed Lodestar (U. S.), ‘R. Owens—Bristol Blenheim (Brit).

(All articles were originally published in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)