Through hardship to the stars

Rainer Mattle, a gifted model builder, passed away on July 19, 2025, after patiently enduring an illness. Rainer leaves behind a huge void with his unique spirit, but he also leaves behind many one-of-a-kind model airplanes that will continue to take flight.

We can admire his works of art in the form of model airplanes, for what Rainer managed to get into the air is truly astonishing. He usually chose special projects; the ordinary didn’t interest him much. Over time, this resulted in many models that couldn’t be admired anywhere else. About 10 years ago, it was Rainer who introduced me to MG Buttikon through his Kalinin K-7. Given my hobby of making videos of model airplanes, it was a little slice of paradise for me to be able to experience his extraordinary projects up close. I was usually invited to the maiden flights to capture the action on video and in photos. It was always exciting to see what Rainer brought to the field; it didn’t always work out right away, but Rainer never gave up until one of those “contraptions” took flight.

He was able to sell many of his creations; some went to owners far away abroad, but a few real gems ended up with members of the MG Buttikon.

In this way, Rainer will remain fondly remembered by us.

Rainer is no longer with us; we’ll miss his unique style, but we’ll cherish his memory.

"Your 6 is clear!" A touching comment on Rainer's farewell video