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Who was Howard Morey, and what is his Pennco Flyer? Howard A. Morey is generally recognized as the dean of aviation in Wisconsin. He left his home of Birchwood, Wisconsin in 1924 to begin an aviation career that spanned more than 60 years. After learning to fly at the Heath Flying School in Chicago, Morey returned to Wisconsin and began barnstorming around the state. In 1926 he purchased a Waco 9 and started Pennco Airport in Madison, Wisconsin. The following year he operated and managed Royal Airways located just southeast of Madison. Renamed Royal Airport, his was the first airport in Wisconsin with permanent buildings, and provided the public with the first scheduled flights from Madison to Chicago. Airshow at Pennco/Royal Airport: He also managed the Madison Municipal Airport (now Dane County Regional Airport) from 1938 – 1942. When the military took over Madison Airport, Morey moved his operations to Middleton. There he established Morey Field, offered flying instructions, and sold planes such as the Cessna on display below. With Morey (left), is Theodore A. Waterman, manager of Morey's Cessna distributorship: In 1939 Morey began providing civil pilot training for University of Wisconsin students. Howard also provided glider training for army aviators, part of the War Training Service Program, which trained 1,500 glider pilots. Morey's public service in the field of aviation was long and distinguished. In 1924 Governor Goodland called upon Morey to be a member of the Governor's Advisory Board on Aeronautics. Governor La Follette appointed him to the Wisconsin Aeronautics Board in 1937. This group functioned in an advisory capacity only since it had no appropriation. However in 1946 the state legislature created the Wisconsin State Aeronautics Commission and Morey served as its chair from 1947 until 1959. Howard Morey (exiting cabin) arriving in Madison on Wisconsin Central Airlines's inaugural flight (April 3, 1946) Morey also served on the Wisconsin Central/North Central Airlines Board of Directors being named to the board on January 14, 1948. He was named Vice President on April 23, 1952, and then served as President and General Manager from January 1, 1953 until March 9, 1954. Howard continued to fly until 1977, when he decided to withdraw gracefully in the face of declining health. On October 18, 1987, he was inducted into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame. After logging approximately 20,000 hours flying time and preparing over 2,000 licensed pilots, Howard Morey died of heart disease on November 2, 1995. “I’m the luckiest man in the world,” he had stated a few years earlier. “My work was my hobby.” Management of Morey Field changed hands to his son, Field Morey, and then to Richard Morey, the son of Field. The airport was sold to the city of Middleton in 1998, and its name was changed from Morey Field to Middleton Municipal Airport - Morey Field. Although the airport was sold to the city, Richard Morey still manages the FBO which provides services to airport users. From Howard Morey to his son Field Morey to his grandson Richard Morey, the Morey Airplane Company has become synonymous with Wisconsin aviation. Morey Field (Middleton Municipal Airport) today (where I do my real-life flying): So, what was Morey's "Pennco Flyer"? Pennco (The Pennsylvania Oil Company of Wisconsin) was a major contributor to Morey, hence the name "Pennco Airport". Morey employed his aircraft as "flying billboards" for Pennco. One of these was a Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny": The above is the only photograph I have found of this aircraft. "What???", you might ask. "That's a terrible photo. You can't build a model from that!" So true! But, it so happens that in the FBO office at Morey Field there's this large model hanging from the ceiling: and this, boys and girls, will be the markings reference for my build. In that respect, I will be building "a model of a model". Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of choices when it comes to kits of the Jenny. Olimp has a couple of very nice ones in the gentlemen's scale (where I usually work), but I hesitate to do this one in 1/72. Primarily because of this: Rigging. Lots of it. Something I have only a smidgen of experience doing. So, I thought 1/48 might be a wiser choice. But, the only readily-available Jenny in 1/48 is this classic kit: So be it. The good news for me is, this road has been travelled before, in great style! I'm thinking of @clive_t 's most excellent Jenny build, documented here: which I will follow as faithfully as I can, with the hope that my result will be somewhere as nice as what Clive was able to coax out of this old kit. That's my plan, and I'm sticking to it! Now, back to the bench!