Carmichaels man is top producer of model aviation kits
Model airplanes hang from the ceiling at Brodak’s Hobby Shop in Cumberland Township.
A few of the model airplanes that hang from the ceiling in Brodak’s Hobby Shop.
One of the many model airplanes that hang from the ceiling in Brodak’s Hobby Shop.
Jan Hower, manager of Brodak’s model airplane manufacturing plant in Cumberland Township, boxes model airplane kits.
John Brodak and Jan Hower, manager of Brodak’s model airplane manufacturing plant, with one of the model airplanes Brodak’s company sells.
John Brodak and Jan Hower, manager of Brodak’s model airplane kit manufacturing plant, examine a balsa wood part for one of the company’s many kits.
John Parker, an employee at Brodak’s model airplane manufacturing plant, checks the pattern on a computer for a machine that laser cuts balsa wood parts for model airplane kits.
John Brodak works on a model airplane he was preparing for competition.
One of the model airplanes that hangs from the ceiling in Brodak’s Hobby Shop.
CARMICHAELS – John Brodak is taking his love of flying model airplanes to new heights.
In addition to winning several national flying titles, Brodak is credited with reviving control-line model aviation, a form of flying in which the model airplane is flown in a circle, guided by lines attached to the pilot’s hand control.
His company, Brodak Manufacturing and Distribution, has brought back many of the famous control-line models that were no longer in production and has become the world’s largest manufacturer of model airplane kits.
For his newest venture, Brodak will soon start construction of a museum focusing on the history of model airplanes and aviation in general. It will be built as an addition to his 10,000-square-foot manufacturing plant on Park Avenue in Cumberland Township.
“I want to preserve it,” Brodak said of his reason for building a museum for model aviation.
Many of its avid fans have collected items associated with the hobby for years.
“These guys are dying off,” he said.
They want to pass on what they have collected to someone who will make good use of it, and not just throw it away.
“These people have given me so much stuff, I told them to stop, I don’t have a place to put it all,” Brodak said.
In his youth, Brodak loved to fly model airplanes, preferring control line over radio control flying.
“I tried it (radio control), but I didn’t like it. You have no feel of the airplane as you do with control line,” he said.
But it was radio control that eventually would become more popular.
Brodak, 77, has proved himself in a number of businesses. He now owns and operates three grocery stores, two beer distributors, a hobby shop, a mobile home park and other rental properties.
He re-discovered his love of flying model airplanes in 1985. It began when he and his family were on vacation in London, England, and he and his son went into a hobby shop. They saw a model airplane of a P-51 Mustang.
His son was looking at the plane and, Brodak said, he told him that he used to build and fly model airplanes.
“So we bought the airplane and we built it,” he said, “and boy, it started all over again.”
Back in the states, Brodak said he tried to find parts and accessories for the airplane, but at all the hobby shops he visited he was told the same thing: “Control line is dead.” But Brodak disagreed.
He found people who made various control line parts and supplies, just small “cottage industries.” He contacted them and arranged to distribute their goods and published a catalog of available items.
It went well, too well for many of the producers who had only made the items, such as fuel tanks and propellers, as hobbies and didn’t want to do it full time, Brodak said.
“I started buying them out and ended up with all these companies,” he said.
Brodak also began taking over companies that had made control line airplanes. Some were going out business and some just gave up on control line aviation.
“They threw away everything that was control line. There was so much more profit in radio control,” he said. “They just stopped doing it, so I just started doing it.”
He also saw the practical advantages since the control line planes were 1/10th the cost of remote controls planes that could range from $2,000 to $3,000.
Brodak has recreated many of the famous, successful model control line airplanes. He also helped promote the sport, publishing a quarterly magazine and holding a competitive flying event each year in Carmichaels known as Brodak’s Fly-In.
In 1997, his first fly-in attracted 35 flyers. In the last few years, the number of flyers has been in the 140 to 190 range. He holds the events at his house, where he has developed six flying circles. The fly-in attracts people from throughout the United States and from other countries.
“When you come to our contest, you see families with children, everybody is there and it’s fun, the people are so nice,” he said.
This year, the Fly-in will be held June 13 to 18.
Control line aviation has now made a comeback, Brodak said. His company now produces 115 styles of model airplane kits. Many of them are made in Carmichaels, starting from scratch with, for example, planks of balsa wood for wing and body struts, flat metal for fuel tanks and small blocks of word for propellers. He also produces numerous parts and accessories for model airplanes and even has his own line of paints.
“Nobody thought at the time this would catch fire,” he said.
Though other big manufacturers produce model airplanes, his is considered the largest to produce kits. Building the airplane yourself: “that’s part of the fun of it,” he said. Brodak has been given credit for helping to revive control line flying. An article in the November 1997 issue of “Model Aviation” refers to Brodak as the only manufacturer now producing a significant number of new control-line kits.
“I just found a niche. Now everybody is saying how great control line is,” Brodak said.
Brodak started to develop plans for his museum several years ago. The Academy of Model Aviation has a “very nice” museum in Muncie, Ind. but, he said, he had wanted to focus more on control line aviation.
“I have stuff that goes back to the early 30s and on up,” he said. “We have original engines from day one all the way up to the present.”
He estimates that he has about 1,200 engines and he has received a donation of model airplane magazines going back to 1915.
Brodak said he also will have items in the museum from other types of model aviation as well as aviation in general; for instance, he said, he has a radio from a B-17 and various pilot helmets.
Brodak received county planning commission approval in April to construct the addition for his 7,000 square foot museum. He said he hoped to have the addition under roof by August.
“It keeps me busy and I enjoy it,” Brodak said of his work with model aviation, which obviously is much more than a business to him.
His activities also have brought him into contact with people from all walks of life and all corners of world.
“I enjoy all the friendships I’ve made all over the world. No matter where I go,” he said, adding that he once was invited to attend a model airplane club’s meeting while visiting Ireland. “It’s been amazing.”