I have some updates for the SC history that are important for those of you who have followed this there issome important updates and corrections.

According to Toomin in the interview he gave to MAN in the fall of 1960 which was published in Jan 1961 he does not mention Zel Taking over. This means the interview had to have been before late August when Zel did take over. More importantly however is that Hershel clearly states the Space Control was under development in concept for 15 years, and extensively field tested for three (3) years.

This throws the timeline completely off that we have on RCHoF. As Zel, Herschel, and I have long maintained, the first Space Control flights were in the late 1950s. Back dating 3 years from the fall of 1960 when Hershel was interviewed we arrive at the fall of 1957. This means by Late 1957 he had a working prototype. This would most likely be s/n 1 which Doug Garabrandt had. I'm willing to bet it has late 1950s date codes on the tubes. Garbrandt has told us how it was not flyable until Mathes and Spreng put a gas tube in the receiver. This also point to the fact that it was a super-regenerative receiver initially, and the crystal controlled superhet (all transistor) came later.

Another thing is the RCHoF timeline shows the Space Control not coming out until well after the crash in Dallas, and we now know it had been flying in Zels planes for over 6 months prior to the contest in Dallas dated July 1960.

There is no mystery involving the reference to Electrosolids in the Space Control catalog,
Zel merely wanted to make it clear this was where the unit had it's roots but he had taken over, it was a tribute to Toomin, and also assured customers they were getting the same proven design, not a knock-off, or copy. There was absolutely no business arrangements between the two, Zel was given the company lock stock and barrel with no strings attached. I have confirmed this with both Zel, and Toomin.

Gerry Widowsky is the one who took and had a Space Control sent to the DOD at the Pentagon for a demonstration, but there was never a flying demonstration. Somehow, over the years the story has been re-told and people have assumed the demonstration a flying one, it was not.

There were 5 Marks of the Space Control not including pre-production prototypes:

Mk I is the Solidtronics units w/ arms on the servos
Mk II is the S-100 system W/ revised receiver board, round servo wheels. A weird version with no trims on the face or side was a touched up picture that never existed.
Mk III units had the yellow silk screened "F-86 Saber jet" logo, slide rule meter, light to the right of the switch. Some MK III units were made into Dual Trainers, and a few had gold cases with the yellow logo. The Mk III was produced in the lowest numbers, less than a dozen.
Mk IV had the gold case, slide rule meter w/ Gardena address, black F-86 Saber jet logo.
Mk V had a revised circuit board in the Tx that used tube sockets designed to be inserted into the printed circuit board, sealed control pots, and more capacitors on the Tx board.

Other notes: Production had reached about 50 units when the Mk III was replaced by the gold cased Mk IV. Mk IV units have four digit serial number beginning with 2. Mk V units 4 digit serial numbers begin with 22.

Jim Kirkland pulled a very nasty trick on Zel, who invested quite a bit into getting him a Space Control for his Beachcomber...this is on the same underhanded level that Cliff Weirick stooped to when he backstabbed Howard Bonner and defected to Kraft. It does not say much for them, Harry Sampey, or Phil Kraft. History needs to portray their acts for what they were and not glorify them in any way. Schwartz's letter to McNabb shows how everyone was attempting to copy Toomins design and was essentially an act of industrial espionage, When Zels accountant absconded, it put the final nail in Space Controls coffin, and it must be pointed out that these factors had far more to do with the companies troubles than any crash at Dallas ever could have. It goes to show how the very first R/C designers and builders were true hobbyists, and the ones that followed with successful R/C businesses were ruthless and greedy businessmen that ultimately destroyed the USA R/C manufacturing market by undermining each other with predatory practices.