Watch a video clip of Frank Macy and his brother Joe working together
on the Jim Walker sculpture in 1996. (click here)
Frank: "I guess I became a Jim Walker/American Junior historian when, as a child, I first saw Jim
demonstrating models in the parks of Portland. My father died when I was five, and Jim filled that void in
my life. He was a hero to me. And he was real, not like the Lone Ranger and Red Ryder that the others
boys like. Jim would talk to me, laugh with me, teach me, put me to work, and give me a swat when I
walked on the off-limit flight lines."
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Another sad note is that Gill Coughlin, pictured here with Frank Macy, also passed away on May 29, 2009. Gill was the winner of a contest sponsored by Jim Walker and he won an around the world trip courtesy of American Junior. Gill went on to be a great collector of American Junior models and memoribilia. You can see a video clip of Gill at the Jim Walker 101st birthday celebration. Just click here. Jim Walker lost two of his most devoted supporters on the same day. Now the three of them are reunited once again. |
Jim Walker was really one of a kind. He was a visionary, a showman, an inventor and a passionate promoter of Model Aviation. Whether he was flying his Two-Speed ignition engine Fireball with U-Control or his 10 cent Model 74 Glider, he captivated the crowds and the imagination of a generation of youngsters with his incredible flying skills. Producing Ready-To-Fly model planes years before balsa became common, his American Junior Aircraft Company shaped the furure of the hobby world with his innovative ideas and gave many of us the tools for the gift of flight. For those lucky enough to have met Jim Walker, we offer some precious fond memories. For those of us who never had the chance, we offer the chance to experience the fun and excitement of discovering the magic that was Jim Walker.
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