Andy Lennon

Lore & Background

Andy Lennon's involvement in aviation began at age 15 with a ride in a Curtiss Robin, after which he joined the Montreal Flying Club and flew D.H. Gypsy Moths and early Aeronca cabin monoplanes. He later entered the Canadian aircraft manufacturing industry and then moved to general manufacturing as an industrial engineer, while continuing to study aeronautics through texts, NACA and NASA reports, and aviation periodicals. He tested aeronautical theories by designing, building, and flying nearly 25 experimental R/C models, including the Seagull III, a flying boat with wide aerobatic capabilities.

Lennon began publishing model aircraft designs in 1957, starting with the Flamingo Flying Boat in Model Airplane News. Over the decades he published 16 designs across multiple magazines, including Model Aviation, Model Builder, R.C. Modeler, and Radio Control Models & Electronics. His designs included canards, STOL aircraft, flying boats, and a tandem wing biplane. His last published design was the Robin STOL in May 2000, which he noted as one of his favorites alongside the Seagull III.

Lennon's books were well regarded; 'Canard: A Revolution in Flight' featured a foreword by Burt Rutan, and 'Basics of R/C Model Aircraft Design' had an introduction by Bob Kress, designer of the F-14. The only known design of Lennon's to be produced in kit form was the Robin, developed in collaboration with principal designer Ken Charron, who also holds the majority of Lennon's unpublished designs.

Reader's Guide

Andy Lennon's significance lies in his systematic application of aeronautical theory to R/C model aircraft design, bridging the gap between full-scale aviation and modeling. His nearly 25 experimental models served as testbeds for potential light aircraft, demonstrating that R/C models could be used for practical aeronautical research. His published designs, spanning from 1957 to 2000, covered a wide variety of configurations—canards, STOL, flying boats, and tandem wings—each embodying specific aerodynamic features. Lennon's books, particularly 'Basics of R/C Model Aircraft Design' and 'Canard: A Revolution in Flight,' became reference works in the modeling community, with endorsements from industry figures like Burt Rutan and Bob Kress. His legacy is further cemented by the Robin, the only one of his designs produced as a kit, developed with Ken Charron. Lennon's work continues to influence model aircraft designers and hobbyists who value technically grounded, innovative designs.

Did You Know?

• Andy Lennon was a licensed pilot in both the United States and Canada.
• His book 'Canard: A Revolution in Flight' had a foreword written by Burt Rutan.
• The only known kit produced from his designs was the Robin, developed with Ken Charron.