Largest Model Airplane Collection
John Kalusa's Collection
The largest collection of handmade miniature aircrafts belonged to John Kalusa, the USA. For this outstanding person creating airplanes presented the lifetime work. Over the years beginning with 1936, John made 5,829 wooden airplanes, actively creating, on average two model airplanes a week till the last day of his life. After his death on February 17, 2003, the collection has been donated to the Embry - Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Arizona, USA, and housed in the university's library. To induce the collection into The Guinness Book of World Records the university held a special ceremony dedicated to the event.
Among the Kalusa Collection's items you would discover a wide range of preflight, private, commercial, military and rocket aircraft models. The miniatures have been made of balsa wood using a broken razor blade, glue, watercolors, clear sealant, bamboo and wire. The constructions of all the models correspond to a 1/8-inch-to-foot scale to ensure that all aircrafts in the collection have accurate size in relation to each other. Kalusa painted the aeroplanes in the way to follow the exact details and markings characteristic to the original aircraft.
Some facts about the Collector
In 1936, at the age of 14, Kalusa made World War I model aircrafts for playing war games with his friends. In 1939, when Poland was invaded by the German troops, he was absorbed by building more-modern airplane models. During World War II, Kalusa served as an aerial photographer in the South Pacific and also worked as a mechanic. He then traveled around Australia until the United States occupied Japan. Kalusa was awarded by seven Battle Stars and was honorably discharged in January 1946.
When World War II was over, Kalusa resumed his hobby, and his comprehensive model aircraft collection was gradually growing. In 1962, Kalusa together with his wife, Bernice, moved from Chicago to Los Angeles, where he got a job in the purchasing department at Rocketdyne. Kalusa occupied with procuring items for ground-support equipment used for the F-1 engines used on space-launch missiles.
In 1985, he retired to Mesa, Ariz., still pursuing his model aircraft hobby. He also worked as a guide at the Champlin Fighter Museum and took part in volunteer work at the Southwestern Museum. Kalusa passed away at the age of 81 at his home in Mesa, Ariz.
John W. Kalusa worked hard handcrafting his collection over much of his life.
The Embry-Riddle University
Embry-Riddle, the world's largest, fully accredited university that specializes in aviation and aerospace, takes care of organizing educational, training, research and consulting activities to meet the needs of modern students and industry. Embry-Riddle's educational programs comprise more than 25,000 students every year through the master's level at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, at more than 130 teaching centers around the United States and Europe, and through distance learning.
People interested in studying the exceptional collection of the Kalusa Miniature Aircraft are welcome during library hours. A video about the collection and Mr. Kalusa is also available for viewing in the collection area. Private tours may be arranged in advance.
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