Stanzel Museum

By Frank McMillan

As seen in the September 1999 issue of Model Aviation.

There’s a small farming community just off of Interstate 10 in Southeast Texas. Most of you have probably never heard its name: Schulenburg.

For more than 50 years, Schulenberg was the home and strength to Victor and Joe Stanzel, unique engineers and entrepreneurs. Although some of us know their contributions to aeromodeling, few are aware of the variety of their lives’ work.

Joe and Victor have passed away, but as a tribute to their spirit, their family established the Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum and the Stanzel Family Foundation. The family hosted the Museum’s grand opening on March 28, 1999, and it is open to the public. It provides a grand tour through the highlights of two interesting lives.

The Stanzel Family Foundation and Museum. A replica of Victor’s Boeing biplane model is on the pedestal out front.

Victor Stanzel was fascinated with aviation from childhood. He would often stop plowing on the family farm to watch private airplanes and military aircraft that flew over Schulenburg in the early 1900s.

That early exposure sparked the brothers’ lifelong involvement in modeling. In their relationship, Victor was the idea man, and Joe was the one who turned the concepts into reality.

Victor’s first commercial enterprise was the construction and sale of a solid display model of the then-current Boeing F-18 fighter biplane. His craftsmanship was excellent; even at the 1929-significant cost of $20, sales were brisk.

Then Victor decided that producing kits in volume would be more profitable. Through 1933, the Stanzels produced a line of solid model kits based on the first model, which had three sizes; the construction of 11 models was possible from nine kits.

Victor and Joe in their original office, designing one of their creations. Victor had the ideas and Joe executed them.

Victor and Joe seized the general public’s interest in aviation in 1934; they conceived and designed the Fly a Plane carnival ride. It was the airplane in which “Happy Landings” were assured.

The ride was home-based on the company grounds, and was ready to travel to local farms and other local venues. It was the first of the unique inventions patented by Victor that were not directly related to model airplane kits.

The “Fly a Plane” was poised at the end of a supporting beam structure. It was a conventional high-wing, cabin-type monoplane, capable of supporting one to two passengers. A 5- to 7-1/2-horsepower electric motor driving a regular propeller provided thrust.

At the opposite end of a supporting beam, a variable-ballast tank of water partly counterbalanced the loaded weight of the passengers. Inside the cabin, the passenger(s) could zoom, dip, and experience the thrills of flying up to 25 feet at 20 mph.

The ride cost 25¢ and was very successful.

The museum includes a representation of Victor and Joe Stanzel doing what they loved: teaching children about aviation.

In 1935, the Stanzel brothers designed and produced the 20th Century Strato Ship carnival ride. The design of the Ship strongly resembled that used in the Flash Gordon comic strips.

The ride was immensely popular at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas in 1936.

Following up on their success with amusement devices, the brothers developed an electronic pinball machine of unique design. The principal was to control the arc of fall of 1-inch steel balls onto a bowed, flexible steel sheet. The point of impact on the sheet controlled where the ball would land and score.

The original unit is on display in the museum.

The year 1939 marked the start of some extraordinary contributions to the modeling world by the Stanzels, with their first Control Line (CL) model airplane kit: the Tiger Shark. The control afforded was a gentle up and down. The design of the Tiger Shark typified all of the flowing Stanzel designs, as did the red-and-yellow color scheme.

For the next few years, there was a dazzling array of new airplanes and new control systems. There were several Free Flight designs, including the Texas Ranger and Interceptor. However, the Stanzels’ first love seemed to fall to wire-controlled models, with increasingly sophisticated control systems.

Many of the designs in the 1939-1941 time frame had unusual wire loops attached to the elevators and rudder. The loop arcs intersected, and were used to trim the model for stable flight. With these early models, a successful flight was a safe landing and takeoff with stable flight in between; climbs and dives were possible.

World War II impacted everyone. Joe and Victor served at Duncan Field in San Antonio, using their talents as draftsmen and welders.

In 1943, their innovative drive was still keen. They thought up the Big Tiger Shark, conveived as a target airplane for gunnery; it was a truly unique concept for the time. The 5-1/2-foot model weighed 20 pounds. Powered by a 1.2-cu. in. two-cylinder engine, it flew on a 100-ft line attached to a pylon, mounted on a 1942 Chevrolet. The airplane featured an automated rudder, with electrical systems to operate the airplane’s elevators.

Target Big Tiger Shark with flying mount: 1942 Chevrolet. Model flew on 100-ft line attached to pylon on top of car.

After the war, the Stanzels continued development of their Shark designs, with the Super G and the twin-tail G5. The control systems were continuously upgraded, requiring various patents along the way.

In 1955, the Stanzels decided to market products based on the now-world-famous Mono-Line control system. It featured handles, control wire, and various control mechanisms.

The Mono-Line Thunderbird Dale Kirn used for his cross-country demonstrations. He gave demos from his car for three years.

The principal of the system was to apply torsion to the flying wire via the handle, which then translated to elevator movement with the torsion turning a worm gear.

The system was revolutionary, maintaining positive control even though the line was slack, and perhaps even more significant, having the drag of only one line.

In Speed, the success of Mono-Line was immediate. Dale Kirn, a well-known Speed flier, was recruited to promote Mono-Line’s Speed and Aerobatics capabilities. This association has lasted through today. From 1955 to 1958, Dale traveled the US in a new Chevrolet, giving demonstrations.

Poster of the countrywide demos by Speed flier Dale Kirn. He showed the Mono-Line system’s speed and aerobatics abilities.

For a short period, cash prizes were offered to Nationals winners in Stunt who used Mono-Line systems.

The year 1957 marked the transition of the Stanzel Corporation into the toy business; Victor and Joe invented an electric-powered airplane.

The motor and batteries were housed in a flashlight-like handle. The drive to a propeller was through a flexible shaft housed in a 5-foot sheath. The airplane was controlled by propeller speed and raising/lowering the handle.

The model replicated the feel of the early “B” liners. That it worked well and was a financial success is shown by the many varieties still in production today—more than 40 years after initial production.

Examples of various control systems and plans: Twin Tail G5 with the “control it” device. “Thumit” for up and down.

Perhaps the best depiction of the Stanzel brothers is the lifelike representation in the museum of Victor and Joe demonstrating the Electric Flash to a group of children. They brought the wonder and joy of flight to thousands across the nation, and they had a profound influence on everyone with whom they were associated.

Victor and Joe have left a legacy that is continued through the Stanzel Foundation. It provides college scholarships to worthy local students, and has funded 87 students since 1991.

Another area that the Stanzel Foundation supports is the increase of medical technical capability in local rural areas. The Foundation works with the Texas A&M University Rural Health Department.

The museum is well done and a worthy stop if you’re traveling Interstate 10. The models alone are worth the trip. They are originals, lovingly restored by Dale Kirn during a four-year period.

This article relies heavily upon the information available within the Stanzel Museum.

Note: Victor and Joe Stanzel were inducted into the AMA Model Aviation Hall of Fame in 1985. Read more about their lives, model aircraft, the Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum, and the Stanzel Family Foundation in their AMA History Project biography. The link is listed below in “Sources.”

SOURCES:

Stanzel Museum (979) 743-6559 www.stanzelmuseum.org

Stanzel Family Foundation (979) 743-9119 www.stanzelfamilyfoundation.org

The AMA History Project Presents: Biography of Victor & Joseph (Joe) Stanzel www.modelaircraft.org/sites/default/files/StanzelJoeAndVictorStanzelfamily.pdf