Dave Hopper, who has lived in 亚洲天堂 Lake for nearly his entire life, has always had an fascination with building model airplanes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a hobby of mine for 34 years,鈥� Hopper told Lakes District 亚洲天堂. 鈥淚 always wanted to fly but my family didn鈥檛 have the means, so this was a way for me to sort of channel that.鈥�
Hopper has made over 50 model plans, many of which are motorized and can be flown. He has several displayed around his house as well. His latest though, the model of a real DC-3 that spent time in 亚洲天堂 Lake, is perhaps his greatest achievement.
Hopper says he had lots of help on it though. 鈥淚 had a partner on this project, my friend Alan Sandercott, who came to me with the idea with a set of plans, and I convinced him to do it.鈥�
The plane took the two men seven years to construct, though Hopper admitted they didn鈥檛 work on it every day. It has a wingspan of 12 feet, and cost close to $10,000 to make. 鈥淚f you were to dedicate nothing but time and work on a project like this every day non stop, you could probably do it in a year and a half,鈥� he said.
The reason for choosing to build this specific plane has a lot to do with history, according to Hopper. 鈥淎lan is quite the historian, and he did a lot of research on this plane, and the history of it has always interested me in a huge way. The DC-3 has always been on my mind,鈥� he said.
That history of the DC-3 goes back to the 1940s when it was first constructed in California to be used in the U.S Air force. A few years later, it was acquired by Canadian Pacific Airlines, who operated the aircraft until 1969. It was then purchased by Harrison Airways, and began making weekly trips from Vancouver to 亚洲天堂 Lake in the early 1970s.
It spent several years making trips to 亚洲天堂 Lake, before being moved back to the U.S., where it currently has been retired. According to Hopper, it鈥檚 still one of the safest and smoothest aircrafts ever built, so much so that he would feel totally comfortable flying in it today.
Hopper and Sandercott鈥檚 model is not motorized, in other words it can鈥檛 fly, but it will be hung for display at the 亚洲天堂 Lake Airport sometime this spring or summer. For more information on the full history of the aircraft, you can visit the Bulkley Valley Radio Controlled Flyers Club website at .
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Eddie Huband
Multimedia Reporter
eddie.huband@ldnews.net
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