Early 70's the 5 channel open gimbal radios sold for $ 350 in 1973 dollars ! Well worth it cause the Kraft guys radio's would quit a couple times a summer usually costing an airplane while the Pro-Lines were reliable.

The setup in the day was a Phoenix V running a Super Tiger G60 ABC on a Rev-Up 11-7 1/4 on 30% nitro, Pro-Line radio and Rhom Air retracts.. Out slogging it out with the Mach I, Banshee, Trion and the rest..

Remember Dave Brown and those plastic Goldberg retracts ?

I love the idea of the classic pattern, just don't like the no retracts and 4 stroke engines.


Mike

Or how about those Sonic Tronic pneumatic actuators that you could pair with any mechanical retract. They were actually strong enough to handle those Goldberg retracts.

Jeff

I don't know why your "Kraft guys" radios died all the time, but mine never did. I flew Heathkit GD19 (kit built) first and then Kraft into the 80's, not a stich of trouble. Even had them narrow banded. Always great radios for guys in our clubs.

I have one of those Phoenix 5's and a Nutcracker kit. I also have the ST Bluehead ABC PDP new in box and the Rhom Airs (three sets). A pattern plane (even todays) without retracts is not cool.

Almost done with my Curare!

Jeff

there are some here who wouldn't have anything that wasn't 40 sized, stiff landing gear and monocote[:'(]. retracts, fiberglass and paint add a ton of work to a project but how many planes do you need? i have several (b)arfs (big ones, small ones), several kit built planes and several projects underway. i wouldn't have room if i didn't slow down my projects a bit. plus they look a lot better larger, with retracts and paint (and a pipe[X(]). i have no interest in competing so the additional weight bothers me none.

david

I used a Pro-Line custom comp 6 in the late 70's. Great gimbles! I still own the rig and it works.

Pro-Line's Jim Fosgate went on the start Rockford/Fosgate audio company I believe.

They weren't "SonicTronic" actuators, but "Sonic Systems" actuators. Different company. I used them with mechanical retracts in a Mach I in 1974-5.

I have a manual if anyone needs one! Used them on my fourth retract gear setup with CAS retracts. They worked pretty well.

Yeah, I do. I flew those areas up there with Dave Brown, Don Lowe, Jerry Luke, Alan Dupler, Jim Slater, Mark Radcliff, Hal Parenti, Jimmy Grier, and other's in the Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania area. Mike McConville's dad, Jim, was good also, look at what he taught his son. I used World Engine's Expert open gimbal with the black box tx. Never a problem. They were a long time getting there. Dave Brown helped World in the contest arena more then anyone. Tony Frankiowick, (spelled right?), was an asset also.

At a Chardon Ohio contest, rained all morning on first day, Saturday. We hand launched. Gears up, G60 ABC howling, everything wet and muddy, hold right below the stab and under the wing, take a few steps, almost throw it level.
Landing was gear up. Dave always used the Goldberg retracts.

If you are from West Virginia, there was a guy that called for his son from that area, I think Elkins, W Va. his son was very good.

Crank

My second radio was a Pro-Line (open gimbal)!

My fist radio was a Commander (green) in a Falcon (red)... never forgot!

Pro-Line helped me achieve my best season ever in 1974....

2nd in Novice Pattern at the 1974 Nats, and 1st (same class) at the Florida State Championships. I later flew with a single stick Pro-Line for a few years until I left the fold until April of this year.

ChiefK

I used Kraft radios for years with never a failure, then I "stepped up" to
Pro-Line and lost two new pattern ships within a month so Pro-Line to me
was a poor changeover. They looked nice though !

tommy s

Tommy,

I also had a Kraft before I switched to Pro-Line. I will not speak badly of Kraft. Both Kraft and Pro-Line were very reliable systems for me. I did though, appreciate the great gimbal feel of the Pro-Lines.

ChiefK

Crankpin

Actually Dad and I were from Parkersburg WV Vienna Sky Sharks.

We flew the Ohio - Indy - PA circuit. I competed in C - D novice against Jerry Luke and that dam Camo Mach I he flew. In the 74 Nats, Jerry placed 2nd and I placed 3rd.

What class - plane did you fly ?


Mike

Crankpin

I remember that contest, Dave Brown actually hand launched my Phoenix V every round, I remember having to take the muffler off the engine every round and dig out the mud. I still have the trophy from that contest.


Mike

I still have a 1970 Pro Line radio on 6 meters and it works great. Tony Stillman checked it out a few years ago and it's rock solid, although the servos are slowwwww by today's standards. Hasn't cost an airplane since it was purchased new in 1970 for about $500! Wouldn't put it in a ballistic plane, but have no fear about flying it in vintage pattern birds like a Kwik Fli, Kaos, etc.

OK. That is you. I flew Phoenix 5 's at the time. I was at that contest. Flew class B, never got past that. Only time I placed good, was at the first Rough River contest.
We used to have a few beers before flying the first round. Dave would help everybody. Is your dad still around ? He called for you all the time. Do you still fly ?

Vince
Hobe Sound, FL

During Pro-Line's hay day I was using Royal kit radios (I still have all of them), but I did (and still do) have a Pro-Line fast charger set up to charge my Royal Radio systems. As I recall, the charger was one of the first fast chargers.

It was a long time ago!

Crankpin

Dad died almost 10 years ago, if you remember him at all, he was a heavy smoker and it got him.

I still fly some RC, have a YAK with a YS160DZ and two newer pattern planes running YS140's. I find the modern pattern planes to be aerodynamically superior and engines are overkill. The radios let me crank out any bad habits to take all the challenge away. Just ain't as fun as flying the old P5 with a marginal engine having to manage the planes energy.

I also fly full-scale, we have a 1989 Piper Saratoga (PA32R-301T) and I have private, instrument, commercial and an inactive CFI ticket. Use the plane in business and to haul grandkids to the beach and golfing.

When I started flying full scale, I found the experience in models was a BIG help.

Mark Radcliff is still around and lives 2 hours North of me, he and I talk on email alot. He still flies big scale.

Love that Phoenix project you have going, I saw where the old Phoenix V is available again, would love to build one of those and put a Rossi or Jett engine in it using a modern radio.. it would be a ROCKET and I could do those 5-6 second slow rolls at 50 feet.


Mike

Hi all,

I was about 6 or 7 when my dad taught me to fly RC with a seven channel Pro-Line radio (donnow which model it was, we are talking about 1977 or 1978).
I know that it was a super radio set back then (and super expensive as well).
My dad was competing in pattern (in Israel!) back then, flying a Dirty Birdy powered by a Rossi 60RE on pipe and it also had the Rohm Air retracts.
I am flying modern pattern today however I will always love those Ballistic Pattern ships – they were awesome!
I still have a Bridi XLT in kit form, waiting to be built since 1994…
I have a set of Southern Pro (AKA Dave Brown?) retracts + an MVVS 90 (in RE “form factor�) + pipe for it.
Pattern ships rule!
Both old and new.

Cheers,

Danny

Here he is. Always helping everyone. He would assist someone that was only one point behind him, or a 1000 points ahead. If Dave was competing and needed full concentration, when he landed, and a kid came up to him; asking for help with his .09 powered Mini-Mambo with single channel and escapement, Dave would give him his full attention.

Crank

I remember those great days as well. I was a Kraft dealer and a Kraft Service Center here in Kentucky during the 70's and 80's and can't speak highly of them enough. Jim Fosgate's Pro-line Series were great radios as well and if I'm remembering correctly they used Kraft servos. Later ACE R/C bought the Pro-line inventory and I build several ACE R/C Silver Seven transmitters using the Pro-line open gimbal sticks. Still have one of the SS7s, a Kraft 7-channel and a Kraft Signature system. All three still work perfectly. Never lost a airplane with any. Of course that maybe because I flew on 6-meters and rarely ever had anyone even close to my frequency.
Glad to hear of everyone speaking so highly of Dave Brown. He is a friend of mine for over thiry years and I was one of those wet-behind-the-ears guys that Dave would give so freely of his time to answer questions. I finished a Phoenix 8 kit that I had been carry around for over 20 years. Built it in honor of Dave and Don Lowe. Flies great.

Always looked forward to Rough River every spring as it was usually my first contest of the year and I got to see all my pattern friends again.

Long live AMA straight pattern.

My first radio was an F and M Quasar, which was totally built from a kit. Servos had about 30 parts to them and had to be individually assembled also. Servos were push pull rather than rotary. Parts for the cases were kind of hard to come by and when you looked at my set after a few months you would notice some red parts among all the blue. Forgot at this time what the name was for the red parts. We did not know as much as currently about the batteries and that cost me at least one airplane. Cycling did not exist. But it taught me how to fly and how to solder.

I started flying RC in the late 60's. My first radio was a MRC 4ch and a top flite Headmaster with a Enya .19. After a couple of years of honing my skills, I thought I'd further hone them by competing in pattern contests. I lived in Lawrence, Ks at the time and belonged to the Jayhawk model masters club. The predominate radio's in my area was Kraft, Kraft Signature Series, Pro Line and EK Logictrol.

I started flying Class A pattern with a Bridi Kaos, 61 Veco with Perry pump and Carb. 15% nitro, EK Logictrol 6 Ch radio. I then went to the Bridi Super Kaos, equiped the same as my Kaos. Class A was getting harder to place in and you needed to fly the same equipment that the guys in Class D Expert are flying.

So I built a couple of Sweettaters, Equiped with Rhom Air retracts, same radio and power system, but 25% Nitro. I seized one of my Veco 61's running it a little too lean on the 25%, and I thought at the time, Oh No there goes my $10 Fox spinner.

I learned a lot by competing, had a lot of fun, met a lot of really nice people, and I think it made me a better flyer. Now I just fly for the fun, but I still go out and fly the pattern. Once a pattern flyer, always a pattern flyer.

Jim

One More.

My first pattern contest was the Mint Juliep at Rough River, Ky in 1976. Flew a Johnny Casburn Super Lucky Fly. Great airplane to introduce me to pattern competion. I always loved going to Paul Clemens' Kitty Hawk Contest in Paoli, In. That is were I won my first contest. Was flying a Kaos with Sally Brown, Dave Brown and Don Lowe as my judges on my final flight on Sunday. Talking about pressure!!

Here is a photo my partner, Carol Reesor, took of Dave Brown at a contest in Hebron, Ky sometime in the early 80's.