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Lou Hansen's Wooden Model Aircraft
Lou is originally from a small farming town, Shaunavon, Sask. Born in
1930, he quickly learned a lot of different skills, one of which was using scrap
wood and a good knife to produce model aircraft. There were many British
Commonwealth Air Training Plan bases in southern Saskatchewan and seeing the
many types of aircraft flying over his house infected Lou with that dreaded
bug...aviation! Lou and his family now live in Langley, BC where he still
whittles, designs, builds and flies full scale aircraft, some depicted here.
The models shown here are but a few of the many wooden wings that he has
carved for his close friends. He always makes 2 of everything so that he
can enjoy his handywork. Lou spends a lot of time measuring the 1/1 scale
aircraft before starting on a wooden replica and the replicas are accurate.
Click on the pictures below for larger images. They are in no particular
order other than that's the way I photographed them...so enjoy.
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This model
is of Mike Davenport's Stinson which is based at Langley and other
than the drooped wing tips is "stock". It still has the 165 hp
Franklin engine. The model has a fully detailed interior replicating
the original including hand painted instruments. |
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Danny
Holliday of Langley wanted a good, new taildragger and so he and Werner
Griesbeck built this Not-quite-Piper PA-14 from scratch. It is
a cosy 4 seat fun airplane with good performance. Lou makes everything
in a model, right down to turning his own wheels and propellers. |
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Werner
"Barnstormer" Griesbeck has been building and re-building aircraft for over
40 years and when this Fairchild F-24K came available, he trucked it
home and turned it into an Oshkosh prize-winner...and of course Lou had to
build a model of it. |
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In the late
1960's, the Canadian Reds formation team was formed by ex-military, now
airline pilots using the Pitts biplane. They later changed
sponsors and for many years were known as the Ray-Ban Golds. And Lou
has built replicas of that team as well. |
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This is a
mini version of Lou's own design, the Shaunee. It is a 2 place, 150
hp baby Staggerwing built from wood, fabric and steel tubing. Lou
started this aircraft in 1979 and it first flew in 1987. These models
are all carved from pine, the fuselages hollowed out and then the interiors
added |
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Based at
Langley for many years, this WACO RNF is owned by Arnie Olson and the
model was built last year for his birthday. This is the only model
using what most modellers take for granted...cast resin parts. In this
case, engine cylinders provided by Engines n' Things. Everything else
was taken from measurements made by Lou whenever we could get Arnie out of
the hangar. |
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Werner
Griesbeck re-built this 1941 Porterfield from a pile of old parts,
turning it into another prize-winner. It is powered by an 85 hp
Continental. The models shown here all have hand-carved propellers
made from aircraft grade Ash...the scraps of which were left-overs from the
1/1 scale propeller on the next model. |
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This is the
Chinook designed by Lou and built from 1970-75. He used
fibre-glass to mould the wing ribs and skins over a wood spar, a method that
the Feds knew nothing about...but it still flies regularly. At the
time that this was built Lou was not a pilot, but his son, an instructor for
Skyways, taught him to fly in this aircraft. |
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Lou will
carve models of just about anything, and he has many shelves full of his
projects, including Brian Carr's modified RV-4. Note the paint
job...he used the original paint and hand-lettered the model. On all
of these masterpieces, the paint scheme is a mask and brush and polish job
that is flawless. |
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Lou mainly
builds in 1/32 or 1/24 scale but in this case all he had to work with in
1942 was an aircraft recognition booklet and using that he carved these 8
miniatures, all with about 3 inch wing span. I wonder how many
modellers can keep their pet projects this long? |
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Lou is a
"horse-trader" if there ever was one. He, at one time owned an
Ercoupe and a friend of his owned a Piper PA-17 Vagabond...well they
swapped aircraft and then some time later Lou got the Ercoupe back and it
resides in his hangar. He frequently flies this tiny 65 hp Vagabond
along with his other toys. |
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Since this article was first posted, Lou Hansen has passed away after a
short illness. He will be long remembered by the aviation community in
Langley, BC, Canada. |
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