Red Scholefield - Who is this guy??

C. L. "Red" Scholefield started modeling at the typical age (pre-girl) for a depression kid. While the exact date cannot be established, family photos reveal him holding models of the Megow, Comet and Gillow vintage.

Driven by a love for airplanes he enlisted in the US Army Airforce upon graduating from High School only to learn that Privates were not issued their own P-40. Discouraged when he had to turn in his Ike jacket for a bus drivers uniform, he finished his hitch having picked up a fair amount of electronic training, turned in his Sergeant stripes and he joined General Electric as an apprentice designer. As a journeyman designer he found himself working for engineers with far less knowledge. This drove him to become one, an engineer. The fact that the cute secretary in the office thought engineers were neat played only a minor role in the decision. Four years later he graduated from Iowa State with a BSEE and three daughters (the cute secretary was now having second thoughts). Now with "credentials" he went back to General Electric to ply his trade in the aerospace divisions designing and testing all kinds of neat things, from gattling guns to space hardware and also with number 4, discovered where daughters came from and ending those experiments. As aerospace endeavors fell out of public favor he looked for some cutting edge technology and ended up in General Electric's Battery Business Department as Manager of Design and Application. He languished here through hot wheels and sizzlers, electric spoons, power tools and tooth brushes, lap tops and cellular phones with all the batteries one could ever hope for his R/C models. He somehow miraculously made it through downsizing, rightsizing, acquisitions and divestitures, working at essentially the same desk for GE, Gates Energy Products and finally Energizer Power Systems, until faced with an increasing threatening pile of unbuilt models, he decided to retire at age 65 and two months.

During his working days, his international battery lecture circuit was supplemented by articles on batteries appearing in hobby and trade magazines. Such proliferation of essential information to the hobby resulted in his present freelance writing for modeling publications and establishment of the only internet information site dedicated to batteries for R/C model plane control.

While he did achieve minor national status by coming in 7th in Rudder only in the '58 Nats, his modeling is best described as "un-specialized", some would say "unfocused", he would say "experimenter". He spends nearly as much time setting up models, testing and replacing batteries for local modelers, and reviewing chargers/batteries for his column in Model Aviation Magazine as he does building and flying. He can be found at most electric fun fly events in and around North Central Florida.

AMA 951 - since 1958 – Leader Member