drdenny

My Feedback: (1)

I have be thinking about how and what I used to start my R/C airplane hobby twenty years ago, and thought it would be fun to talk abvout some of the things we used to use a while ago. For me, I had a all foam .15 size trainer with a Enya .15 engine. This plane was a three channel design with a state of the art(at the time) Futaba Attack 4 4 channel AM radio. The guy who taught me to fly was an awesome pilot. He had dozens of planes and he really helped out. I remember him telling me to get a 4 channel plane and to switch to FM radios and 4 cycle engines. Now, twenty years later I have all that stuff but wanted to know what the readers have to share as they began their journey into the RC world. What did you start with, how did you learn?

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

I remember escapments and I still have an MRC Mark 5 radio. It was top of the line in 1970. Good Luck, Dave

jettstarblue

I started with an electric glider with an on/off switch for motor control and two buttons on a box that "pulsed" the rudder.

First glow plane was a Cox EZ Bee II with a two channel "real" radio.
Finally in the early 90's I bought a four channel radio and a real live O.S. engine.

I still use only 4 channel radios and two strokes (mostly, I have one FS and a few electrics).

I prefer silkspan and non-CA glues, a step backwards in many minds, I'm sure.

RCPAUL

My Feedback: (1)

Gee, all newbees here. I started in 1957 with a gas tube receiver and a ground based transmitter. You folks do know what a gas tube is don't you?

paul

Knight_74

Yeah! those are the things that my dad would cuss at followed by a trip to the hardware store.

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

Does remembering buying gas for 26 cents a gallon count?

Josey Wales

My Feedback: (61)

LOL!! Man you are older than I thought!!

My first plane was a Dynaflight Piece-O-Cake

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

Yeh,, hard gas tubes, big dry cell batteries, O&R engines !

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

I bought a kit built LT-40 that one of the guys at the LHS had put together. That was 1998. He had sold the kit to some guys girlfriend. It was to be the guys Christmas present. She paid the LHS to put the plane together and then gave it to him for Christmas. Apparently, the guy didn't have the nerves for RC airplanes, because he told me that he flew it 3 times and then hung it in the basement for about 2yrs.

He took the plane to the LHS and thats where it hung from the ceiling for another 6 months before I stumbled in one day looking for my first plane.

I bought it complete and RTF with an Airtronics Vangaurd 4ch radio. The plane had a TT Pro 46 engine and standard Airtronics servos that came with the Vangaurd system. I paid $350 for it, which at the time seamed like a decent deal. I bought a flight box from the LHS that same day along with a 12V field battery and an electric starter and a few other accesories. I went to the local field and joined up. Bought my AMA insurance. I think I had about $600 invested in the hobby at the time.

I think I've probably spent about $60,000 over the years. No joke. [sm=spinnyeyes.gif] Jeeze--that averages out to about $600 per month. I should NOT have added that all up.

kamakazie frank

My Feedback: (2)

I started RC in 1970. Built a 60 size Ugly Stik on my apartment kitchen table. Covered it in monocoat using my wife's clothes iron. The radio was an MRC and in my opion was the worst radio of that time. In the nose was a Ueda 60 with twin glow plugs on the head. The guys at the field use to tell me "u needa" new engine Frank. Another 1st and last experience in RC.



KF

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

I started in R/C around 1984 with a Goldberg Eaglet and an HB .21PDP. I actually started modeling in about '59 or '60 at the age of 5, building FliteStreaks and Ringmasters with Fox & Johnson .35s, (my dad was a serious C/L modeler, so we did'nt mess with 1/2A). Should have seen the face on guy that was going to teach me to fly, when I showed up with a trainer all built correctly, & balanced ready to fly.

Tommygun

My Feedback: (2)

I'll admit, I liked more about the hobby back in the day. More flying fields, less fear of regulation. LHSs were well stocked and very plentiful; carried lots of hard to find oddball stuff. Wider selection of kits. Metal Tatone hardware; I thought they made some neat stuff. I also started about 20 years ago. Even before that, my father built a RCM/Bridi Trainer .60 with an OS MAX .60 and a Kraft 4 channel. He lost much of his eyesight and wasn't ever able to fly it when he finished the model. It's still in his basement. This inspired me to attempt flying with an Sureflite cub and a Flitecraft solo one. Both were utter failures. I also had a Cox Canario, which barely flew and was demolished. (See my gallery, I have a new build Canario with updated gear.) I finally learned to fly with a Duraplane. I had some cars too, actually I still have them. An old Kyosho Vanning and a Tamiya Hotshot, both recently restored shelf pieces. (In the gallery.) Loved the hot 2 stroke, piped pattern ships from back then- Tiporares, Curares, Supra Flis etc...YS made 2 strokes, OS still made 2 strokes with pumps. IMO they had a much better selection of models back then, I just don't like too much of the newer stuff. Most of my models are pretty old, because that's just what I like. Always will. I don't care for 3D at all- I feel it's unscale and unexciting to watch. Jets are neat to see fly, but not something I would ever spend money on. Everything is ARF now. But I guess that's just progress, and I'm stubborn when it comes to change. What I do like about the hobby today is the electric and radio stuff, and the fact that nearly all questions can be answered via the internet.

blikseme300

My Feedback: (118)

I remember when ......

Dang! Whatwuzzit?

3 signs of old age:

1. Can't remember so good no more.

2. .........!?

Can't remember the other 2.

Safe Flying!

PS - So many good memories.

rcjake

I started with a 3 channel Sig Kadet built on a card table in my living room using white glue. Remember that? Apply glue, pin in place and let set overnight to dry! It took forever to build a kit then!!!

Powered it with an Enya 35 (Remember that you got two heads with this engine, the standard installed and a high compression to install later?) and guided with a Futaba Gold Case 6 channel radio. (72.400 orange/white flag) Tried to fly it myself and it just about flew away forever! Any radio input resulted in wild gyrations of the aircraft. After it landed (crashed?) I decided to join a club and have someone teach me to fly.

The poor fellow that took off my Kadet was barely able to control it, but did get it safely to the ground. After landing he exclaimed, "This Kadet is tail heavy and we need to balance it before it will fly!" Hmmmm. What does he mean by balancing the airplane?

Anyway, that was over 30 years ago and I cannot count the number of friends that RC has brought me along with the countless memories and good times! A brother recently asked me if I was still flying those rc planes. I replied, "I'm still breathing, aren't I?"

Jake

Stickbuilder

I remember the Strombecker line of solid models. You glued the parts together and sanded off everything that did not look like an airplane. Had a prop made from aluminum stock, and held to the nose with a wire brad. Then came the Megow's and Comet kits. Testors cement, bannana liquid, and a thin coat of colored dope. 4 strands of rubber, 350 turns and it actually flew, I remember the ground based transmitters (mine was a charley CG, and it cost $250.00 in 1957), and escapements. rudder, elevator and quick blip for throttle. Exhaust gags for the throttle control. I even remember K&B Torpedo Greenheads, Duke Fox's engines, Veco kits, Veco engines, Johnson engines, McCoy redheads for $5.95, Thimble drome engines, Herkimer engines, Holland Hornets, and OK Cubs. I remember Ignition engines with timers run on white gas, 70 weight oil, and broken props. I remember Ambroid, both the glue and the kits. The Ares and the super Whipsaw were neat. I remember Eureka kits, and Bill Effinger's Berkley kits. I remember Jim Martin, Percy Hallock, Chuck Gill, and lots of the others for whom we owe our easy life in this hobby. I remember Sterling kits,Jetco kits, Livewire Champs, Roberts Kits, 3rd line U-Reely's, Magnesium Speed Pans flown from rat traps using Hy Johnson't super tuned engines with pen bladder fuel cells with rubber banded wooden clamps to provide pressure. I remember the Stanzell monoline controls. What I don't remember is becoming an old Fart, remembering this useless stuff. There is still this 14 year old kid inside here that wants a ride to the flying field. Where did the years go?

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1

blikseme300

My Feedback: (118)

Well put. Growing up is optional, growing old mandatory. I choose NOT to grow old.

As long as we keep the passion for aviation then there is no petty BS at the airfield.

Safe Flying!

Bruno Stachel

My Feedback: (4)

I like to throw this out not and then. It's from a sign at a large swimming pool in Cincinnati.

"You don't stop playing because you get old.
But you get old because you stop playing."

I'm middle aged, and only got into the hobby 5 years ago. So I don't have the memories of many here. But a friend from my club showed me some of his control line equipment, dating back to the 50's and 60's. I was amazed at the wooden form he had to fabricate metal fuel tanks with. I believe he soldered them together. I wish I could recall the names of the plane kits he built. But they were beautiful, with the fuselage and cowl area made as one solid unit. No plastic or fiberglass cowl that may or may not match the fuse.

Dr1Driver

I started C/L in the late 60's. I definitely remember the McCoy redhead engines, Flite Streak airplanes and waiting for the white glue to dry. I could only drool over the Goldberg ads in magazines and the Ranger 42, Skylark and other R/C gems.

I started R/C in the early 80's. My first plane was a Northwest Aerodymanics Trainer .40. The engine was a Picco .45 that had a kick like a mule. My first radio was a Futaba 7-channel "gold box".

Does anyone remember this old equipment and the great old ads?

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I remember going to the field with my dad with that ground-based transmitter, and single-channel escapements.

Then flying with "Reed" systems - For those of you not familliar with them, Reeds were the first 4-channel systems with a TX that had a toggle switch for each channel, and they were NOT proportional, so when you gave "Up", you got FULL up. You had to "Blip" the switches to avoid inputting too much control.

When Proportional Kraft radios came along in the late 60's it was a Godsend! (I still have a few of those old Kraft systems)

So what is one of my fond memories? I remember having to bring a hand drill (Non powered) with a hook where the drill bit goes for winding up the Escapement's rubber band

I also remember not needing a muffler!

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

I've only been doing this for about 4 years, now; doesn't sound like I missed much as far as the technology (or lack thereof) of the '50's and '60's went.

Can you imagine the reaction in about 1955-1960 at your field, everyone with their escapement or ground based tube radios, flying a big (for then) .60 size plane; some guy shows up with a tandem trailer, unloads a 40+ % Yak with a DA-150, or better yet, a BVM F-100 turbine, and has the latest JR-Futaba-HiTec-Airtronics 9 channel PCM computer radio?

They'd wonder what planet he was from.

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

After countless Guillows models I built a Sterling Models "Fledgling". It crashed on the maiden flight and I never repaired it, looking back it was minor but I was very discouraged. Twenty years later (1991) I got a Kadet Senorita and learned to fly. I just bought another Fledging kit new in the box off E B A Y, it was a lot cheaper than therapy would cost.

Jim Messer

My Feedback: (2)

I remember everythiing that Stickbuilder mentioned, plus a few others. I started building models in 1937, and have never stopped. I have been a member of the Olean Model Airplane Club, now known as STARS, for 65 consecutive years. My bother Bill is right behind me with 64 consecutive years. Same goes for membership in the AMA - 65 and 64 consecutive years respectively.

In that time period, I have built hundreds of models, all different sizes and descriptions. I put the first giant scale gas engine on the market in 1976 (Quadra 35), and enjoyed a lucrative world-wide model business for several years before selling it to retire to Florida. Last year the AMA granted our club the pretiguous AMA Heritage Landmark Award for our pioneering efforts in the evolution of "Giant Scale" models. It is their highest award, and only the second one given out in by AMA since 1936.

I have participated in many Nats, flying free flight models. I got into R/C in the early fifties, having purchased my first radio from Germany, as there were none in the states at the time. I saw my first R/C model fly in 1948, with the Good brothers at the 2nd. Internatiional Model Plane Championships held in Detroit Michigan, sponsored by the Plymouth Motor Corporatiion, where only the top 500 modelers world-wide were invited.

I have written a book (not published), but for my kids entitled "A Lifetime in Model Aviation". It is 88 pages long and contains my life history as related to models. I have also produced a condensed version of this book on DVD (45 minutes) also for my kids.

I hope that everyone that reads this gets the chance to enjoy the hobby as much as I have. But - it's different now. Back when I was a kid, most model clubs were sponsored by other organizations - like we were sponsored by the Olean Exchange Club. It was all free flight and U-control, and there were lots of contests sponsored by those organizations every week-end within a hundred mile radius. Lots of good prizes were handed out, like kits and engines, so there was always the desire to build a better model and learn to trim it for maximum flight times, to win those excellent prizes. Above all, it was FUN!

I still have my first 1941 AMA NATS contestant felt patch. I wonder who else of you out there has one.

My current project is building a 40% Vans RV-6A to duplicate my sons real airplane. Also have a new 40% J-3 Cub to test fly when I can get the opportunity. Most of my time these days is devoted to taking care of my wife who has enjoyed this hobby with me, but presently in poor health. That really cuts into the available flying time, but she goes with me to the field when she can, and we do manage to get a few flights in now and then.

It's been a great ride for me.

Cheers,

campbec

Hi Jim,

Impossible to top your involvement in the hobby! Congratulations and many thanks for your involvement in progressing innovation.

My involment is much more prosaic. Here in Australia (like most) I started with control line about 48 years ago progressing through models such as a "Taipan" trainer with a 2.5 cc diesel to a Nobbler with a fox 35. I still have the Nobbler.

Started in RC in the seventies and could sort of fly a CG Falcon with a 35 OS. Then a hiatus with, surfing, marriage, children, etc. I returned to the Hobby about five years ago and now have a hanger that is all kits and models built from plans. I enjoy building as much as flying.

Current models ready to fly include CG Ultimate, CG Chipmunk, Dirty Birdi, DynaFlight PT19, Sputfire profile 3D and a self designed amalgam of a Contender/Chipmunk.

Cheers,

Colin

drdenny

My Feedback: (1)

Gee Guys, Keep up the great posts! I know I haven't been in it too long, but it's a lot of fun remembering what we had and how we did it.
Thanks,
DrDenny
[8D]

drdenny

My Feedback: (1)

Just wanted to add to my original thread that I have a 20 year old Sig Colt that I am currently working on...I never finished it. Do you guys remember this plane? I will post pic's when I finish it.
D