TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- Many Airmen volunteer their time, but not all of them get to be a part of history.
Staff Sgt. Ryan Spencer has seen his efforts on display in one museum, and now a second project is under way for another museum.
As the builder of two large-scale model aircraft carriers, as well as the restorer of an F-86 Sabre and a Sherman tank, Sergeant Spencer is preserving and learning about military history. In fact, he’s been doing it most of his life.
“I enjoyed learning about all the names and history of the models I built,” he said. “My dad was in the Air Force, and I asked him how he knew the names and numbers of all the planes. He told me I just had to learn about them.”
Building models helped him learn the history of the subjects and how to follow directions. This helped in school where he gained further model-building skills in classes such as art, ceramics, wood shop and metal shop.
Sergeant Spencer began building models when he was 4 years old. He started out using kits to build trucks, cars and planes, and soon moved on to building models from scratch.
“I found out I didn’t have to build something that came out of a box,” said Sergeant Spencer, who works in the 325th Maintenance Squadron as an aircraft structural maintenance journeyman. “Once you learn the general techniques, you can make anything out there.”
His drive to learn and increase his skills not only helped him with his projects, but with his job as well.
“Our job is very meticulous at times,” said Master Sgt. Terry Gabbert, the squadron’s structural maintenance superintendent. “A lot of times we will be required to fabricate our own parts or come up with a repair that will need to be approved. Sergeant Spencer is always looking for a better way to accomplish the mission.”
It was 1991 when Sergeant Spencer decided to take on his first big mission: building a 1/72nd scale model of the USS Hornet that would measure 12 feet long and weigh 150 pounds. With the help of Fritz Hammer, the curator of the South Carolina State Museum, he gathered as much information as possible on the carrier and decided to have it finished one year later, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid.
The Doolittle Raid occurred April 18, 1942, when 16 B-25 “Mitchell” medium bombers took off from the USS Hornet to conduct a surprise attack on the Japanese during World War II. The “Doolittle Raiders,” as they are known, were to meet at the South Carolina State Museum for their anniversary, and it was planned that Sergeant Spencer would unveil his project there.
“I can’t explain how I did it,” he said. “I had to make my own plans of the carrier using black and white and color photos, as well as a smaller scale model. I also made all my own molds, including fire hydrants, catwalks and ladders. Attention to detail is very important when building a model for a museum.”
Sergeant Spencer also created his own 48-star flag, because he could not find any that were to scale. He created individual wood slats for the runway, because that’s how carriers were built at that time.
“I was building the Hornet by myself, and found out later that a team of 30 to 50 people built its sister ship, the USS Enterprise,” he said. “We worked on the same size projects, and we finished at the same time.”
His hard work paid off, though, when the Raiders finally saw the ship.
“What touched me the most was what happened April 18, 1992,” Sergeant Spencer said. “The Raiders who attended the function gathered around the model. I looked and some of them were crying. ‘You’ve done a really good job,’ they said. It still sends chills up my spine.”
The ship is still displayed in the South Carolina State Museum and now sits in a Plexiglas display case. Sergeant Spencer is finishing up a model of the USS Independence, which will be displayed at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. Besides the carriers and military vehicle restoration, he also helps with special projects around the base.
Sergeant Spencer has kept busy building static displays of an F-15 Eagle, an F-16 Fighting Falcon and a UH-1N Huey for the Silver Flag training area, Sergeant Gabbert said. He also recently completed a display for the 325th.
What big project does Sergeant Spencer have planned next?
“I’d like to repaint my car soon, too,” he said.