Academy of Model Aeronautics · National Model Aviation Museum
The people, clubs and companies that built model aviation, in their own words.
Search 1,062 biographies of modelers, designers and contest fliers, plus the histories of 62 clubs and 26 companies, preserved by the AMA History Project.
- Histories
- 1,150
- Pages
- 4,653
- Earliest birth
- 1850
People under D
1–24 of 38 entries ·
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16 pages Autobiography
Douglas A. (Doug) Dahlke
1936–2012 · AMA 24114
Career: Early 1950s: Served as secretary of the Oshkosh Aeronuts 1950s: Co-organized the Mather Air Force Base Globugs in Sacramento, California Late 1970s-: Has conducted design experiments on the subject of massive, balanced, lateral area for Control Line Stunters Late 1970s - 1980s: During eight years of competing, won 110 awards 1982-1983…
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3 pages
Robert O. (Bob) Dailey
1929– · AMA 720387
Career: A pioneer of precision aerobatics Skilled Control Line and Free Flight flyer and competitor Developed the I-Beam wing with the flapped NACA-0018 airfoil, and the all flying tail. 1949-1951: He had a genius for designing U-Control stunt models that won many contests during. Hundreds of beautiful classic I-Beam stunters are still being built…
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2 pages
Michael Dale
Biography
I Am the AMA Michael Dale, Former president of Jaguar Cars North America and former RAF pilot JS: How did you get involved with model aviation? MD: I grew up in the industrial center of England – Birmingham – during World War II and the air was full of aircraft and this lit a passion for flight. Constructing and flying models was an outlet for…
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4 pages
Joseph (Joe) Dallaire
1919– · AMA 1861
Career: Dallaire Model Aircraft manufactured machine cut balsa propeller blanks Dallaire's made their own Dalloid model airplane cement They produced over 60 model airplane kits Best known today for the nine foot Dallaire Sportster Frank designed and first produced the Asmall bore Pee Wee engine in 1938 Frank and Joe, during WW II were in the Navy…
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2 pages
Robert Dance
Biography
I Am the AMA Robert Dance, Artist and illustrator JS: How did you get involved with model aviation? RD: I was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1934. At an early age, my brother and I used to fly rubberpowered models in that country. At that time, Japan was already at war with Manchuria and because of increasing tensions between the United States and…
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4 pages
Tim Dannels
Biography
AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame Nomination for Tim Dannels Editor and publisher of the Engine Collectors’ Journal and the American Model Engine Encyclopedia Submitted by Bill Mohrbacher, MECA President, AMA 2825 I am nominating Tim Dannels for induction into the AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame to recognize him for 55 years of continuous service to…
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5 pages
Shadel, Dave
Biography
Dave’s first exposure to model aviation was in 1957, when a neighbor boy was flying a Control Line airplane in a vacant field near Dave’s home in Lennox, California. Southern California was a hotbed of modeling activity in the late fifties, and a hobby shop just a couple of blocks from his home provided an outlet for Dave’s early modeling…
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2 pages
Erick M. Davidson
Biography
Erick M. Davidson of Beaverton, Oregon, received $5,000 to help him with his expenses at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He plans a major in Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering. As a student at Aloha (Oregon) High School, Erick graduated with a 3.96 GPA. An AMA member for six years, Erick completed his first Radio Control aircraft at age…
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2 pages
Jesse Davidson
1913–1983
Career: A leading authority of the history of the United States Air Mail Service Staff writer and then editor of Flying Aces magazine during the 1930s until World War II when he entered the military Wrote the book, “Famous Firsts in Aviation” Was Time/Life’s leading consultant for their book “Flying the Mail” Had many articles published in…
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7 pages Autobiography
Larry Davidson
Autobiography · AMA 118
Career: Built and flew Control line and Radio Control in younger days C. 1970-: AMA Contest Director Beginning humbly in his own basement in 1968, Larry branched out to own two different hobby stores and a successful distributorship, D&D Hobby Distributors, Inc. Started Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) #75 Long Islanders around 1987 Vice…
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6 pages Autobiography
Alvin G. Davis
1919–1998
Career: 1933: Managed his first indoor contest at age 15 Was the aviation reporter and editor for Oak Leaves newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois; later delved into photography and public relations 1935: Helped build a tri-motor airplane 1938: Attended his first Nationals in Detroit, Michigan; the plane crashed during the official flight Over time he…
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2 pages
James (Trey) Davis III
Biography
James “Trey” Davis was awarded a $4000 Charles Hampson Grant scholarship. He is attending the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa where he plans to study electrical and computer engineering. Trey was nine years old when he and his father attended a flying event in Irvington, Alabama, following hobby-shop owner Rob Baker to the field. “When we got…
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2 pages Autobiography
Robert (Bob) Davis
1936–2019 · AMA 68251
Bob Davis is a lifetime modeler. His early aircraft experience included the diesel-fueled Drone Diesel engine marketed by Leon Shulman. Bob’s nomination came from longtime modeler and friend, Stu Richmond. In 1975, Bob formed the Davis Diesel Development Corp., which developed Davis Diesel Converters. These converters were precision-manufactured…
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2 pages
William J. (Bill) Day
Biography
Career: Ran a hobby shop in North Carolina part-time in addition to working full-time for the state as a medical administrator Helped his customers with flying problems as well as helped other modelers he would meet on the flying field Served as president of his local Radio Control club for many years The following is a letter sent to the Model…
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2 pages
Dr. Ralph C. Brooke, DDS
Biography
Dr. Ralph C. Brooke, DDS, formally of Seattle, Washington, passed away on June 6, 1989. Dr. Brooke practiced dentistry from 1959 until failing health forced him to retire in 1976. Interestingly, he firmly believed that his success in dentistry and as a dental educator was directly related to the experience he gained through modeling. Ralph began…
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4 pages Autobiography
Lt. Gen. Clyde D. (Dick) (C. D.) Dean
1930– · AMA 152926
Career: Began flying stick and tissue, then gas and U-Control models as a youngster Worked a couple of local hobby shops during his youth Placed first in junior class A and class C Free Flight and first in junior class B speed at the 1946 Southwestern Championships; missed being grand champion by only one point Served in the military from 1950 to…
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1 page
Glenn A. Dean
Biography
Glenn A. Dean, a native of Moreno Valley, California, is a freshman at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, studying aerospace engineering. He was awarded $6,000 by the Committee and $1,000 from the Toledo Weak Signal Scholarship fund. An AMA member since 1985, he is a member of the Riverside RC Club and the Miniature…
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2 pages Autobiography
John Delagrange
1932– · AMA 61204
Career: Designed and built a Control Line speed model that he believes was the first speed Control Line model to be flown in a park in Seoul, Korea His Air Force friend took the model to Japan and flew it to second place in the Far East Command contest at Tachikawa Started Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) Chapter 100, The Second Chance Squadron…
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2 pages
Don DeLoach
Biography
I Am the AMA Don DeLoach, NFFS Digest editor and FF competitor by Jay Smith Jay Smith: How did you get involved with model aviation? Don Deloach: I'm a third generation modeler, born in 1972. I was taught by my dad, who was born in 1937 and grew up during World War II and the golden age of modeling. He progressed from Free Flight (FF) to Control…
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1 page
Gerald (Gerry) O. Deneau
1925–2001 · AMA 9350
Gerry was an avid Control Line modeler. He competed in C/L Scale and C/L Navy Carrier events. He worked as a Pawnee Plane Administrative Engineer at Cessna. At this time, he met lifelong friend Evyinn Schoenberg at a Cessna Model Club meeting. They met the night the club introduced using plastic Royalite sheets to create custom Cessna scale…
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17 pages
Reginald Leigh Denny
1891–1967
Previous work by NR (08/2001) & SS (10/2002); Updated by JS (04/2016, 08/2021) Career: Famous actor of screen and stage Designed and sold the concept for a Radio Controlled drone to the military Manufactured and sold the Dennymite Airstream model engine Owned and operated a model hobby shop on Hollywood Boulevard in California Honors: 1983…
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2 pages Autobiography
Stanley Denton
1923– · AMA 21629
Career: Started flying in competition at age 17 and won first place in CO2 Free Flight at his first contest Built Radio Controlled (RC), indoor rubber and Free Flight gas airplanes ranging from quarter scale to peanut scale Designed most of his own planes; made his own blueprints, engines and CO2 motors Designed and developed his own CO2 motors…
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9 pages Autobiography
John A. deVries
1924– · AMA 1427
Career: Learned to model at YMCA camp at age 10 Won a “gold” medal and $5 at his first contest at Rochester (New York) Polo Field Made more than 20 ID models for the Navy in his high school shop class during World War II Volunteered for aviation cadet training in 1943 leading to an almost 30 year career in what would eventually become the U.S. Air…
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3 pages Autobiography
Loren W. Dietrich
1930–2003 · AMA 382564
Career: Was unable to compete as a youngster because competitions were too far away; set his own standards based on model magazines and the designs of Charles Grant and Earl Stahl In 1944 chosen to be the president of a new U-Control club in Lodi, California Led a model club for his students at Reedley College starting in 1961 His Tee Dee Bee…