Staff photo / J.T. Whitehouse .... Rich Evans of North Lima poses with his 1/2 scale Cub, radio-controlled airplane. Evans has been in the RC hobby for close to 40 years.

NORTH LIMA — Rich Evans, 82, has nearly 40 years into the hobby of radio-controlled aircraft. His four decades includes building 1/2-scale models and test flying for military models.

Evans grew up in North Lima and graduated from North Lima High School in 1958. After graduation, he got into construction and eventually opened his own company that he ran for more than 30 years.

He said he always had an interest in aircraft, but he didn’t really get into the hobby until his son Rick turned 13.

“I was in my 40s, and my son gave me a reason to get into RC planes,” Evans said. “Rick got into it, and then faded when he turned 16. I kept going.”

Evans said his first model plane was a Cadet, which was an easy-to-fly aircraft that really got him into the hobby. He began studying more and got his own pilot’s license.

“I had a 1980 Cessna 150,” he said. “I flew it out of Salem Airport.”

He continued flying until he developed heart problems and had a pacemaker installed in the late 1990s. While he could no longer pilot the real planes, he did take pleasure in building and flying model aircraft.

Evans averaged one new model each year. The models were built from balsa and other lightweight woods. The planes were not kits, but were made from blueprints that are available for purchase. Each piece of wood is carefully cut and assembled to create the final aircraft.

Details include the mechanisms to control the rudders, the gas engines that have to be powerful enough for flight, and other details such as a realistic interior and a pilot. For his Cub, Evans has a stuffed bear cub sitting in the pilot’s position.

The scale of aircraft ranges from a roughly 2-foot wingspan to the 1/2-scale with a wingspan of roughly 18 feet.

In the 1980s he joined the Academy of Model Aeronautics. He also joined the Mahoning County Model Club and, through both, he picked up new skills and techniques to make his hobby even more enjoyable. He also attended various model events that led him to an interesting opportunity in 2011.

“I was flying my 1/2-scale Cub at an event and a manufacturer saw me,” Evans said. “They asked if I would like to be a test pilot on a military model plane.”

In 2011, Evans made the trip to California and tested a military plane. He said his 1/2-scale Cub weighs 70 pounds, but the military plane was 412 pounds.

“It flew like a rock,” he said.

He never found out much about the big government model. He did his job and tested it for the company and returned back home.

Today Evans still enjoys the hobby and has a workshop set up in a large accessory building. Many of his models hang from the ceiling, and he said he could get any of them down and fly them. Some of his planes are well detailed military aircraft, and some have dual engines.

The door to the model plane building says “Rich’s Toy Shop,” a sign his wife Sandra made for him. While the building is full of airplanes, parts and building tables, one other item in the shop brings back memories.

In one corner of the building sits an original 1953 Allstate scooter. Evans said he purchased the scooter when he was a teenager and had a paper route for the Youngstown Vindicator. He paid $297 for the scooter that was purchased from the Sears store in Salem. He kept the scooter in great condition all these years.

For the future, Evans said he plans to keep going in the hobby.

“I want to keep flying as long as I can,” he said. “I’ll continue in the local club because everyone needs a little help now and then. Plus, when you get to be my age, another set of eyes is a good thing.”

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