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  #1  
Old 06-27-2009, 11:34 AM
cskuhn cskuhn is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Urbana, MD
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Exclamation Howard Kuhn Stuff

Hi, I am Howard Kuhn's (CMR) son Craig and over the past months I have been cleaning out my Father's former home in Alexandria, VA and have come across many of the old, orig models he used for years at contests here and overseas. I do not want them, but know they should not be thrown out. Some of the models include a one of a kind RC Manta I remember him playing with, as well as several scale models and a scale launch pad. Many others as well.

I also found years of magazines, many with duplicate copies, including some addressed to him, me and CMR. I have saved them all as well.

I would love to tell everyone that I have everything from CMR, but everything CMR was destroyed in a once a lifetime flood about 10 years ago. For years CMR was in a basement space in an old shopping center about a mile from the Potomac river which was hit during a major storm. The entire basement was under water and all was lost because it took days to pump out the space and then the landlord barred entry due to collapsed walls, mold, etc. All was lost and I have found no CMR stuff in the home. Sorry..

Finding this site while searching for model rocket related info has brought back memories of the many meets I had been dragged to as a child and seeing many names I remember from the past. It has also been interesting reading posts on various sites about my Father's death. To set the record straight, he is still alive at 88, but in bad shape and on his last months of life in a nursing home in Richmond, VA.

Please let me know what everyone thinks is the best home for his old rockets and magazines and if anyone has any questions, I would be happy to try and answer, maybe even ask my Father when I see him in 2 weeks. He has good and bad days, but on good days he can still remember many things, including his years with model rockets.
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Old 06-27-2009, 11:45 AM
Ltvscout Ltvscout is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cskuhn
Please let me know what everyone thinks is the best home for his old rockets and magazines and if anyone has any questions, I would be happy to try and answer, maybe even ask my Father when I see him in 2 weeks. He has good and bad days, but on good days he can still remember many things, including his years with model rockets.

Welcome to YORF, Craig. You should contact Bill Stine (son of G. Harry Stine) of Quest Aerospace. Bill is putting together a model rocketry museum which will help preserve model rocket history. I'll send you a PM with his email address so you can contact him.
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  #3  
Old 06-27-2009, 12:09 PM
shockwaveriderz shockwaveriderz is offline
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Craig, I basically would like to hear about your father's and CMR's place in model rocketry history. How and when did he first get into model rocketry? why? what was the backstory on him staritng CMR?

CMR was always one of my favorite vendors way back in the day due to its really unique designs.

Anything you could tell us about your Dad's background, hsi entry in rocketry, CMR would be great.


terry dean
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Old 06-27-2009, 09:37 PM
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dwmzmm dwmzmm is offline
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Welcome, Craig!! I'm a long time fan of CMR products and still have quite a few CMR models used for competition and sport flying. I still have the CMR D-Region Tomahawk kit "in-the-bag" awaiting assembly........
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Old 06-29-2009, 08:25 AM
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Shreadvector Shreadvector is offline
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If there is anything that Bill Stine does not want for preservation, I would suggest donating it to the NAR for the annual educational fund raising auction at NARAM.

Some of CMR still exists in the items that Doug Pratt makes such as the lightweight nose cones.

I remember Col. Kuhn attending many of the east coast modroc events (competition meets and conventions). I still fly Manta gliders and I hand out the plans to new folks who see it fly and who want to build an easy glider that actually glides.
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  #6  
Old 06-29-2009, 01:38 PM
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Jerry Irvine Jerry Irvine is offline
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I'll go one better. If there is anything that others do not offer a home for, I will offer to ship it at my expense, store it at my expense and keep it available for whoever becomes a museum in the future. So many collections are lost simply because there is no place suitable to store it. I offer to solve that particular problem at my expense (if anyone wants to help with shipping cost, that would be nice).

I can have boxes sent to you from u-line suitable for shipping also at my expense.

Jerry 01rocket@gte.net
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  #7  
Old 06-29-2009, 04:52 PM
cskuhn cskuhn is offline
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I want to thank everyone for your well wishes for my Father. When I see him next week, I will pass them on.

And thanks everyone for your recommendations on what to do with my Father's old rockets. I have decided that I should hold on to them until a time when there is an actual rocket museum up and running. At that time I would be happy to donate them for public display and enjoyment. I am not sure why there is not an online rocket museum with photos of old rockets, meets, etc. Seems to me that could be opened quickly for all to enjoy. No real need for a brick and mortar museum these days.

When I have the time to photograph my Father's items, I will post them in my gallery and post the link for all to see and comment on. I will need everyone's help as I have no idea what many of them are.

It has been fun to see names of people I remember from my brief days in rocketry. It is interesting to see that so many people have continued in the sport and still remember CMR and my Father. Too bad all of CMR was lost and nothing remains other than the orig nosecone machine that Doug Pratt has and uses. I spent many hours making nosecones with my Father in the background yelling "Just shut up and push the button!!". I wish I understood child labor laws back then....

Craig
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Old 06-29-2009, 05:12 PM
cskuhn cskuhn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shockwaveriderz
Craig, I basically would like to hear about your father's and CMR's place in model rocketry history. How and when did he first get into model rocketry? why? what was the backstory on him staritng CMR?

CMR was always one of my favorite vendors way back in the day due to its really unique designs.

Anything you could tell us about your Dad's background, hsi entry in rocketry, CMR would be great.


terry dean


When I visit with my Father next week I will see if he can answer your questions. I am trying to document what I can about my Father, but know very little of his rocket and CMR history.

All I remember is coming home from school and having to stuff rocket kits in our basement and spending my weekends making nosecones. CMR was basically a sweatshop to me. As it grew, I had to spend summers stuck in the back of my Father's old Dodge van selling CMR goodies at meets. Later when CMR moved out of the basement, it became a source of Summer employment for all my friends. After a Summer or 2, many of us soured of CMR and started having some fun. Check your old nosecones for funny messages inside. Did any of you ever receive an egg capsule with a live roach inside? Hey, we were just kids and unaware of customer service and child labor laws.

I will pass on what I learn from my Father.

Craig
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  #9  
Old 06-29-2009, 05:33 PM
Ltvscout Ltvscout is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cskuhn
Check your old nosecones for funny messages inside. Did any of you ever receive an egg capsule with a live roach inside? Hey, we were just kids and unaware of customer service and child labor laws.

Hehehe. I have about 50 or 60 old CMR cones here. I'll have to look through them to see if there are any hidden messages.
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  #10  
Old 06-29-2009, 06:43 PM
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Jerry Irvine Jerry Irvine is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cskuhn
When I visit with my Father next week I will see if he can answer your questions. I am trying to document what I can about my Father, but know very little of his rocket and CMR history.

All I remember is coming home from school and having to stuff rocket kits in our basement and spending my weekends making nosecones. CMR was basically a sweatshop to me.

Craig


My son feels the same way. Don't tell him I told you so!! I need the cheap labor!

If you need unlimited free web space for the photos, I offer.

My shipping offer stands just in case.

Jerry

Last edited by Jerry Irvine : 06-29-2009 at 07:00 PM.
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