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Nov. 15 - Dec. 5, 2008 A+27
SL plane builder exhibits ‘model behavior’
Sun Lakes resident Tom Malthaner started out building
model airplanes the old-fashioned way: with balsa wood
and stamped parts that required cutting with a razor
blade and then gluing the pieces and covering them
with tissue paper-thin Silkspan. That was “leading-edge
technology” back in 1944. Now, 78-year-old Malthaner’s
models are made of plastic.
Between 1957 and 1984, Malthaner estimates he built
more than 200 scale models of World War II aircraft,
ships, tanks and motorized vehicles. He retired from his
job with the state of Michigan in 1984, carefully packed
his models in boxes between layers of popcorn foam and
shipped them to Sun Lakes in 1986.
Submitted photo STSN photo
His collection remained in storage for eight years
LOVES MODELS: Tom Malthaner builds model airplanes in his Sun A few of the model airplanes built by Tom Malthaner of Sun
before he rekindled his model-building interest. He
Lakes home. Lakes.
unpacked his collection for display in his Sun Lakes
membership in the Sun Lakes Aero Club, freelance He packed these models and shipped them to the
home and started building again. By the fi rst of this year,
writer Gary Vacin learned of Malthaner’s plight. Working NCHA, along with 24 model kits still in their original
his collection had grown to 333. Malthaner built two large
together, they prepared an article for a local newspaper, boxes.
display cases for his home to house the models.
leading to responses from two museums: the Planes of Kyle Morgan, video and photo editor at the Oregon
In addition to model planes, Malthaner has a keen
Fame Museum in Chino, CA and the National Combat museum, says his group was thrilled to acquire
interest in World War II history, accumulating a collection
History Archive, or NCHA, in Hillsboro, OR, a Portland Malthaner’s collection.
that includes more than 300 books, magazines and
suburb. “We had only a handful of World War II models, so
articles of reference.
Although the Planes of Fame Museum would expose this was quite an addition for us,” says Morgan. “We
When the Internet opened a new source of historical
his collection to wider view, Malthaner chose the Oregon have thousands of original photos and hours of original
World War II knowledge, he printed out hundreds of
site because its primary goal is to promote military footage in our World War II archives. The models we
pages of information on weaponry, including many items
history to young children and adults. received from Mr. Malthaner are helping us immensely
in his collection. He found much of the data useful in
“I don’t believe the schools today are teaching children in identifying aircraft and vehicles in our archives of
preparing detailed descriptions of each model, which he
the proper level of history, military or otherwise,” original photos and original footage.”
recorded in a loose-leaf specifi cation book.
Malthaner says. Morgan adds that his organization plans to build
He packed all 333 of his models into fi ve cushioned dioramas using models from the collection. Others will
Time to clean house
boxes for shipment to Oregon and included his paints, be hung from the ceiling in dogfi ght scenarios and
Three years ago, Malthaner decided to donate his
brushes and a copy of his specifi cations book. displayed in other locations around the museum.
collection to a museum, hoping to fi nd a suitable place
The story doesn’t end there, however. “I miss having my models around, but I am grateful
for public display. The collection was taking up too much
Malthaner had a number of unassembled model kits that I found a new home for my collection that will
space in his house, and he wanted to share his small slice
and went back to making models. He has assembled 16 be appreciated and cared for by the NCHA staff and
of military combat history with others.
more in the past few months, including two different exhibited to the public for many years to come,” he
Unfortunately, he had little success fi nding an Arizona
B-25s, a P-38 fi ghter, and British Mosquito and Tempest concludes.
location to accept his gift. However, through a common
fi ghter/bombers.
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