r
Tuesday, March 6, 1834
Daily Ncbraskan
Pago 3
1
iper planes propel professor's plans
Ey JlnBcnyiaan
After watching some classmates fly a paper air
plane in elementary school, Walter Erbach knew the
quest for the perfect hobby was no longer up in the
air. Or was it?
More than 50 years ago Erbach, a UNL engineer
ing mechanics professor, was intrigued by that glid
ing piece of paper. Today at C5, his hobby has grown
so big that he i3 recognized as one of the top model
airplane builders and flyers in the world.
"I was so intrigued watching them play with the
paper airplane that I asked my mother to buy me
one " he said. "It flew the first time I tried it."
Since then, Erbach's planes have become more
detailed and complex, requiring just the right mate
rials for flight, he said. Made of hollow cylinders of
wood and light paper material, Erbach's creations
are lighter than feathers. One plane weighs only
l30th of an ounce.
Most of the planes are powered by an all-natural
strand of tightly wound rubber4 similar to a rubber
band, he said.
About 50 other Americans build planes like Erb
ach's, he said, including one of his two sons, who
now lives in Canada.
Erbach has filled his trophy case with awards,
and set records at national model plane competi
tions. Because of a lack of time and money, Erbach
has not participated in any world competition.
However, his travels have taken him to Europe,
where he has made a name for himself among his
colleagues.
"Once in Austria, I went to the apartment of a
colleague," Erbach said. "I identified myself, and
practically had my arm pulled off by the man's wife,
showing her hospitality," he said.
"There's no one in the United States and damn few
people in the world involved with model planes that
do not know my name," he said.
But don't try to call him a celebrity.
"We're just a group of people w ho ail know each
other and respect each other," he said. "It takes a
reasonable amount of inteligence and desire to
accomplish this, but it's pointless to think that I'm a
celebrity."
While other model plane builders may be in the
field for a number of reasons, Erbach said, his rea
son which has kept him flying planes for more than
half a century, is the satisfaction he gets from
watching his prized planes glide through the air.
"I'm doing this only for the satisfaction of having
one something" he said. "There are no financial
awards. Just the satisfaction of being able to say
that my model was the best at that contest, or I
accomplished something, makes it all worthwhile."
Admitting that his hobby does turn heads now
and then, Erbach said he maybe considered a "nut,"
but, he said, he loves it.
"Unlike many people, everything interests me,"
Erbach said. "The world seems so full of things that I
would like to know about, but I don't have enough
time to explore everything. If I could live to be 200, 1
couldn't get to know everything I would want to
know."
As the final few students exit the Bancroft build
ing this May, Erbach will be making an exit of his
own. A UNL associate professor of engineering
mechanics for 37 years, Erbach plans to retire at the
end of the semester, and devote his time to his
life-long loves: planes, photography, and his wife,
Rowenna.
"I'm over-booked for the summer," he said, refer
ring to the two model plane events he plans to
attend. "I have so much planned that I've got to live
to be at least 200," he said.
Erbach said he will miss teaching, but he's off to
conquer new horizons.
'People ask me why I do this, and I always say the
same answer that somebody said after climbing Mt.
Everest: Because it was there. That's why I'm fasci
nated with model airplanes. Because they're there."
r VWorld Fcmcm"
TiTh
3&L 3. WO
Walter Erbach shows his cward-Tfirrdr.3 plane.
Dave TroufeaDsiiy Ueorasnan
2
O 1
Jx
Af? L
ru
tsw you can afford
o Ths finest contact lenses
The finest continuing care
o Free In-office trial
o 45-CO day home trials
o Special 24-hour contact
information 475-4U4U
r
Call today fcr a FREE in-office
contact lens trial &
consultation.
3200 "O" St. - 475-1030
Hh minimum down poynnwt and quolilled credit
UNL speakers capture titie
SPECIAL FACTORY AUTHORIZED
SIERRA $100 TRADE-IN OFFER!
The UNL speech team defeated nine
other teams to win its fourth consecu-.
tive Nebraska Intercollegiate Forensic
Association title last weekend.
Koger Aden, a senior from Scottsbluff,
took first place in oratory, extempo
raneous speaking, rhetorical criticism,
informative speaking and pentathlon.
He 'was second in impromptu speak
ing. Chris Wallace, a junior from Fre
mont, was second in oratory and pen
tathlon, third in extemporaneous and
teamed with Lynne Olson, a junior
from Lisco, to place third in duet act
ing. Olson also placed third in rhetori
cal criticism, while Wallace was a final
ist in that event Brad Walker, a freshman
from Lincoln, placed third in impromptu
and was a finalist in extemporaneous.
Jerry Roemer, a freshman from Hooper,
was a finalist in both extemporaneous
and impromptu. Val Benton, a sopho
more from Fairbury, was third in poe
try. Mary Trouba, a sophomore from
Lincoln, was a finalist in rhetorical
criticism and Jill Pilkelman, a fresh
man from Hartington, was a finalist in
poetry.
Z '
l
.
i
Talks and Topics present
s
l : :
,E!ERP.:(
fjA ) ' ) ". Model 3400 Cover-Up I I
Is , . . Correction Typewriter 1 U.I U I
i, S,:J .v i or new 3500 Lift-Off
' "Tv' 7VsL-Correction Typewriter. mmm '
. ....... h f "'' A A.n" r imT"!
- n . " w M
l tnim'm j Correction Key
fkZJCm Hi1-' ,: 1 illih n ,
a hi.) .
OUR LIFE IN ART
by Dorothy Lyman
All My Children's
Opal Gardner
Tuesday, March 6th
7:30 PM
Union Centennial Room
$2.00 UNL'Studente .
$3.00 General Admission
Yes, we'll give you
$100 IN-TRADE for
your old, used manual
or used electric type
writer when you buy
the brand new Sierra
3400 Cover-Up Correc
tion or Sierra 3500
Lift-Off Correction sin
gle element typewriter.
Your trade-in machine
doesn't even have to
be in working condition.
Don't pass up this op
portunity to own your
own "IBM SELECTRIC
-LIKE" machine and
SAVE $100 with your
old trade-in. Trade-in
offer expires March 17,
1S34.
Park Free Next to Our Door,
Now Open Weekdays 8:30
I 3333 "O" ST.
XALL .477-7131
- ' j
These new single element typewriters are now priced less than
half the cost of a new IBM Selectric . . . and both the Sierra 3400
and Sierra 3500 include an exclusive dual .correction feature. The
3400 provides "cover-up" correction capability, while the 3500
offers clean, convenient "lift-off" correcting . . . in either case
with the correction key your hands never leave the keyboard.
Typing balls interchange with IBM. Stationary carriage, only the
element moves. 60 CPS keyboard entry speed. Superb print quality.
Typists feel immediately at home with the Sierra 3400 or 3500
if they have experience with IBM's SELECTRICi The Sierra 3400
sells everyday for $495. The Sierra 3500 sella everyday for $595.
WE'LL GIVE YOU $100 FOR ANY OLD
TYPEWRITER TRADED-IN ON THE NEW COVER- 7 T"! CZ
SIERRA 34C0! REG. $435. NOW WITH TRADE .lwvJ
WE'LL GIVE YOU $100 FOR ANY OLD
TYPEWRITER TRADE-IN ON THE NEW LIFT-OFF """ 7? QZ
SIERRA 3500! REG. $535. NOW WITH TRADE . . . J m
oil .errcT i i
fipi office farniture office machines office equipment c 13 1
1 ')