The Harvey County Radio Control Club…

HISTORY:

Over six million women took to the workforce when the men went off to fight during World War II. Some of the positions that needed filling were typists, farm workers, taxi and bus drivers, and factory and shipyard workers. A large number of the jobs were on assembly lines in factories that produced munitions and war supplies. Propaganda was distributed to recruit women to “Do the job he left behind.” Thus, Rosie the Riveter was born.

One such Rosie was Newton’s own Connie Palacioz. She is ow 99, but following high school graduation, Palacioz took a job with Boeing in Wichita. She spent about two weeks in training as a riveter, earning $0.50/hour, before she was ready for the B-29 assembly line, where she would make $0.75/hour. All Palacioz needed was a bucker; the person working inside the plane. The bucker held in place a metal bar that acted as an anvil as the rivets were inserted. The back of the rivet mushroomed out against the bar, keeping the rivet secure. She found her bucker in Jerri Warden, with whom no one would work because she was black. Palacioz, being Hispanic, had no qualms about working with Warden, who turned out to be a very good bucker, and the team produced four B-29 nose sections per day.

Palacioz could not have known that she would be reunited nearly 60 years later with a bomber she helped build in 1944.  A B-29, nicknamed “Doc,” returned to Wichita for restoration after sitting 42 years in the California desert. “When I saw the plane in 2000, it was in pieces!” Palacioz exclaimed. However, the nose section, which she and Warden built, was complete except for broken glass. In fact, only seven of their rivets were missing. Palacioz joined Doc’s restoration effort, volunteering three days each week for 16 years. “I cried when I saw it fly,” she said, “thinking of some of the people who worked on the restoration but passed away before the flight.”

To honor Connie, we are having our inaugural paper airplane contest. Kids of all ages will construct airplanes in the Time Out 4 Kidz area and then compete later in the day for air superiority.

COMPETITION RULES:

Age Groups:

– 0 to 15

– 16 +

Other Rules:

– Each participant will have three attempts to throw their paper airplane. The same paper airplane must be used for all attempts. Participants may use only those materials allowed by the organizers.

– The longest of the three attempts will be recorded for their official score.

– Participants must throw their paper airplane with their feet behind the start line. A running start and jump is allowed, but if any part of the participant’s body touches the ground beyond the start line, then that attempt will be disqualified.

– The release of the airplane, and the participant’s hand or arm may extend over the start line.

– Distance will be measured from the start line to where the paper airplane first touches the ground. If the paper airplane  flies out of bounds, then the measurement will be made to the point on the ground directly below the point of contact with the out-of-bounds line.

COMPETITION RULES:

Age Groups:

TBA

Other Rules:

TBA