On May 11, of this year 2011, we lost one of the most influential persons in the large scale model armor hobby in the person of Jochen Maier. He was also one of the kindest, warm and generous persons I'd ever met with a great sense of humor to boot.

Many of today's RC tank enthusiasts do not know of or have not heard of Jochen Maier. Among other things he started the company Jochen Maier Modellbaubedarf. To most of us he was most famously known for his groundbreaking 1/10 scale Panther Ausf A. By today's (2011) standards the model is very dated and the level of detail and fidelity to the full size article is not exact. What set Maier's work apart was the absolute \ perfection in execution of all components. His late type transmissions are the standard by which all other commercial units of its type may be judged to this day. Jochen did other things of course as model sales by themselves were never enough on their own to sustain. Jochen once created a very limited ( 2 examples?) 1/10 Leopard II and happily was able to realize his long standing dream to produce a 1:10 scale model of the Kaelble Z6W2A 130 heavy towing tractor - Schwere Zuglastmaschine. I remember being at his shop in 1996 when he proudly showed me the prototype and gearbox. We had made and agreement that I was to get one from him at a favorable price but other home related expenses preempted that plan which I was sadly never able to revisit. Jochen later sold his company to his partner Jurgen Stehr whose name the firm yet carries. I know Jochen had mixed feelings regarding the sale, alas a feeling many shared.

I'm not proud of the fact that I'm writing this some 3 months after Jochen's passing. While I posted news of this event on several RC armor related forums within a few days of his passing I neglected to write a word about him here.If you've followed this site for any time you'll know the last time I posted any memorium here it was about my father in 2001. I'd not posted anything regarding Littlefield's passing or any other armor related figure here. Why, you may well ask.

It is difficult to describe just how influential meeting Jochen and obtaining my first of his wonderful Panther models back in 1976, although the order here was actually buying first and meeting him several years later.

When I bought my first Panther back in 1976 I knew nothing, I was a 25 year old that had no skills or insight into engines, radios or what it took to make a model work. And a tank model?? You have to understand the tank hobby the way it existed in the early to mid 1970s in America. Zilch, zippo, null; there was nothing, no help, no one to turn to. Imai was a rumor, Tamiya had just released their Sherman and Bandai 1/15 scale was about it here. You read the odd article in a British magazine if you found one about sme large tank project. But a model powered by a glow engine?? Absolutely nothing.

I traded a few letters back and forth with Jochen which I had the good fortune to have translated by an acquaintance in the area I lived( a story for another day as he was a graduate of the Luftwaffe Flyer training program during the war years). Shortly after I received the Panther Jochen told me he needed the gearbox returned as there had been a problem uncovered. About year later I got a gearbox back, as I recall completely different. It was then that I learned a valuable piece of information regarding Jochen- he stood behind his work!.

I had the good fortune of being able to meet Jochen along with several of his friends when they visited San Farncisco in the early 1980s. It was a memorable time. I made an attempt to sell Jochen's products here but it really wasn't very successful. After my mom passed in 1984 I dropped from the modeling hobby for quite a few years and lost contact with Jochen.

Fast forward to 1991 or 1992 several years after I had experienced a full tilt rebirth of my rc armor hobby I decided to try to look up Jochen. I found him and that becgan the second pahase of our friendship which remained unbroken until his passing.

Like all who get to know a person I have many fond memories of Jochen, his humor, his insight into many subjects, the joyous week when I stayed at his home with his wonderful wife Irene. The great dinner in the Gasthaus in Munchen, riding with him on his motorcycle to Castle Altena and Lindau. And of course our many conversations over the years

Why was meeting Jochen and his models so influential? That one model, the first Panther bought so many years ago now taught me many lessons; patience, problem solving and above all that I could figure things out. If I applied myself I could work out a problem with which I had no prior experience. I can't tell you how many times and approaches I tried to get that model to run properly in the early days. How many times it would start and sputter to a stop or run 3 feet and die. It gave my father some amusement and even he tried to help once in a while. It was in thos early days my father said "you run it for 5 minutes and fix it for 3 hours afterwards". I very nearly gave up on the model, it also revealed either a determination or stubborn streak ( take your pick) that required me never once to write Maier as to how to get it to work or seek help with at least the engine set up. That one model made me determined to be able get it to function perfectly; to make things on my own. That spurred me on to learn the principles of design and machining; of pattern making and foundry work as well as all manner of related technologies and processes. A substantial part of my life and my productivity has gone into this hobby; a fully equipped machine shop and the capabilities that come with it is all due to the path that first model set me on. Because of this I've met some of the finest people I've ever known, not just here in the US but the world over and has been the basic motivation to travel carrying me to Europe multiple times. All you need do is look within the pages of this site to understand what I have been writing. That problem solving ability even carried over into my professional life and was key to getting my first position as a programmer; a profession that sustains me to this day. I know the casual reader will probably be incredulous of these statements however having lived it I know the truth of it. Some may see it as foolish or nonsensical I have no doubt but for whatever reason this involvement that began nearly 40 years ago spurred some passion in me. Would I be the same person I am today without this? Who can say, I want to say yes however to loosely quote Frost without the ability to go back and travel The Road Not Taken I'll never know.

I think I will add some other photos to this page from time to time. I really want it to be a joyous thing even though I feel the loss. I saw Jochen as a joyous fellow and think he'd like it that way.

So THANK YOU JOCHEN, thank you for your models, thank you for helping me find my place in the world, thank you for many, many wonderful memories and above all thank you for allowing me to be your friend. You will be missed. Godspeed