Model builder seeks home for WWII miniatures
Gary L. Vacin
Special for The Republic
Feb. 27, 2008 08:00 AM
Sun Lakes resident and World War II historian Tom Malthaner spent 63 years building his collection of more than 330 WWII scale models. Now he wants to give them all away.
Malthaner started building models as a boy back in Michigan in 1944, during the height of World War II. He has a photo of himself with that first model, a Grumman F4-F Wildcat with a 36-inch wingspan. His collection has grown to 333 airplanes, tanks, ships, guns and vehicles.
All are built to the same scale, 1/72, or 1 inch to 6 feet. And all are miniature replicas of the genuine vehicles. Most measure between 6 and 12 inches in length. The smallest, a German Bucker BU-133 Jungmeister, has a 3½-inch wingspan. The largest, a German Messerschmitt ME-321 Gigant heavy glider transport, measures 30 inches.
Among his collection:
• A five-engine German plane designed to tow gliders.
• Adolf Hitler riding in his Mercedes Benz, standing up and giving the Nazi salute to the crowd.
• John F. Kennedy's PT-109
• Three German Stuka dive bombers, each painted in distinctive campaign colors.
• A German Tiger tank like those used in the Battle of the Bulge.
Malthaner built most of his models from 1957 to 1984 while living in Lansing, Mich. By then his collection had grown to 200 and he carefully packed them all in boxes between layers of popcorn foam for shipment when he moved to Sun Lakes in 1996.
His collection remained in storage for eight years, until he decided to unpack and display them in his home. He started building models again, and built two vertical display cases for his models. Then he had to make an addition to his house to accommodate his collection.
Now he wants to pack his entire collection once again and donate it to a museum that would provide a suitable place for display to the public. "My goal is to find a museum nearby so I could help maintain the collection and add to it as I build more models," he said.
So far he has had little success in finding a suitable location, but has not given up.
Malthaner also has a keen interest in World War II history. He has accumulated a huge collection that includes more than 300 books and magazines and articles of reference.
The Internet opened a new source of historical information on the war, particularly armored vehicles and ships. He has printed out hundreds of pages of information and photos of World War II weaponry, including many items in his collection.
A book by Gen. Colin Powell holds a special place in Malthaner's library.
"I wrote to the general after reading his took, telling him how much I enjoyed it, Malthaner said.
He proudly displays a letter he received back from Powell thanking him.
Malthaner also developed an interest in Laurel and Hardy and Three Stooges memorabilia. He has a large collection and is a virtual walking encyclopedia of information about the comics. Laurel and Hardy earned more than $1.5 million during their acting careers, but both had little left when they died, he said.
"Both were married numerous times, and most of their earnings went for alimony payments," he said.
Model builder seeks home for WWII miniatures
Model builder seeks home for WWII miniatures
For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman. 
