Watson's
Whizzers, The 54th Air Disarmament Wing
Past
On 27 April 1945 an outfit know as Watson's Whizzers came into being. Col. Harold E. Watson was tasked with acquiring German aerospace technology as the Allies took over German occupied areas. Watson and his outfit the 54th Air Disarmament Squadron were to scour the formerly German held territory with a hit list of aircraft to appropriate. At the top of the list was the Me 262 and several of the other German jets. Hence the term Watson's Whizzers, the jet engine having a very different sound from the typically deployed Allied aircraft. Often if the aircraft were in good condition they were flown back to England and later placed on board an aircraft carrier for the U.S..
Present
Our version of Watson's Whizzers started as a small group of
members who built on the concept that a group
promoting the building and flying of models of
military aircraft of any era and origin. Our meetings
cover a broad range of topics with a very informal
agenda. The emphasis of this group and its meetings is
to keep the business in the background and the modeling in the
front. Typical meetings see members showing what they are working
on, asking for input on how to proceed or deal with issues slowing
progress on their project(s). We
also spent a considerable amount of time lLooking over new projects,
kits, plans, books and other information related to
military aircraft. Several of our meetings also
have included hands on demonstrations of
techniques and products.
Our meeting have historically taken place the 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Madison Labor Temple.The Whizzers are largely made up of members of the Madison Area Radio Control Society (MARCS). MARCS is based in Madison WI, USA, holds its meetings the first Thursday of every month at the Madison Labor Temple. The time of the meeting is 7PM and the Labor Temple is located on Park St. several blocks north of the beltline.