vintageflyer

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I was at borders book shop today and I couldn't find any books on the history of radio control.
Does anyone know of Any literature on the subject?

With all the knowledge around in this forum, it seems someone here can write a book on this subject. It would be a shame to have all this history gone.


DM

Dsegal

There is a chapter on the history of RC flying in Dave Thornburg's "Do You Speak Model Airplane?" This is the only book I know of for the history of aeromodelling in the US.

And the July, 1980 issue of Model Aviation has an article by Paul Plecan on "Milestones in RC" summarizing the most significant models over 40 years.

RFJ

Paul Plecan's article in Model Aviation is well worth reading if you are not familiar with how we got to where we are to-day ( well 1980 anyway) It covers eleven pages with 3-views of many famous R/C models.

If anyone wants a scan let me know your e-mail address.

I agree - someone should write a book before it's too late.

Ray

Dsegal

I just did a search at www.abebooks.com and the Thornburg book is selling for from $53 to $119 !

vintageflyer

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I was thinking about history books while I was in Classic Pattern here on RCU. I was interested in what models came first, which airplanes and engines (manufacturers) competed with each other, and who was flying them at the time. The information in that forum is much like this one, more detailed than I thought it would be. It's Almost like reading a book! As we all get older less information is passed down to the next generation of fliers, or just curious hobbyist. People could look up what it is they're looking for in past articles in such publications as MAN, RCM, Model Aviation, and so forth, but that is doing research. Most folks just will not go that far for curiosity sake. Heck most modern fliers wont take the time to cover a model nowdays, let alone look up who Phil Craft was, or, Carl Goldberg, Tom Runge, Joe Bridi, to name a few. It would be a complete shame to see the life's work of such great men fade away in the memories of a few fellow modelers.



DM

Live Wire

vintageflyer
There are some books back from the good old days (QST amateur radio) that give some history of planes and radios from way back. They show the planes and how the radios were made back in the 30s. Good reading and give you a perspective on the RC hobby.

jaymen

Sad, but true, little is published on the R/C history of our sport. Actually, most of it exsists, but in a blow by blow form, meaning you are left to reading the articles published by the variouse magazines of the day. From that a history can be compiled.

This is the reason I have posted little vignettes on variouse areas of R/C like the proportional and pulse proportional threads here on RCU Vintage R/C.

It would be hard to put everything together in a comprehensive way, as R/C is fractionated into so many venues, with each one off doing it's own thing. You have sport, pattern, pylon, scale, helis, boats, cars, gliders, and now electrics. One could write a seperate book about each venue and all the players.

Just trying to document the technological advances in the electronics is tough enough, let alone trying to credit the inventors who introduced it. This is because many of the desighns came out of weapons systems that only a few years before had been Top Secret. For years reed system(multi channel tone)s had been used for guidance of missles and planes, and had been developed by many different companies under contract with the DOD.

What we saw in the late 1950s-1960s was the transformation of exsisting tube type guidance systems to solid state. Therefore, although new to us modelers and John Q Public, these were really pared down and simplified versions for consumer use. They had been use prior to release into the private sector for many years by the military and other branches of government.

With that as a pre-amble, one can see why it is hard to pin down definitive dates and credit for the designs. About all one can do is document when the first hobby versions of these systems were released to the public. What guys like Good, Lorenz, Dunham, MacNabb, Fosgate, Hoover, Eliot/Krause, Babcock, Bonner, Kraft, Mathis, Spreng, Cannon, and countless others did was re-package the technology into a light weigtht, and relatively cheap form so we could use it to control model planes.

One has only to look at the Spread-spectrum "Spektrum" radios offered by JR to see this trend has continued into present day...we are benefitting from spin-off space and defense technologies that have become de-classified. Spread spectrum is an old technology dating back to the late 1940's and was one of the early crypto systems that was not dependant on any code, which could be cracked.

rcacro

Some information on the very eary single channel RC equipment, airplanes and their operation was covered in a paperback book published by Berkeley Models in 1954. The title was "Radio Control for model aircraft and boats". It was edited by Bill Winter and included information previously published in Model Airplane News and Air Trails. A few schematics and a explantion of some of the parts used is included.
I have a copy that I obtained a few years ago from an estate sale. If there is any interest, I will try to scan some of it and post it here.

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

In about the final year of RCM, there was a biggie article by Don Lowe on the history of aerobatic airplanes, and then one by Mr. Lee on history of the R/C glow engine in another issue. Was also a history of the R/C A/c from Guff to about 1975 in a 1980's edition of Model Aviation.

Wm.

RFJ

In the March, April and May 1986 issues of Model Aviation there is a (three part) article by Walt Good on the early history of R/C.

It's a real magnum opus and covers the period from the early 1920s until 1941 in great detail. I made pdfs of the three parts so if you let me have your e-mail address I can send any or all of the parts.

Be warned though; it is very long, over 30 pages, and somewhat esoteric for my taste but nevertheless a mine of information if you are interested in the very early developments of R/C.

Ray

HighPlains

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Any comprehensive history of RC would have to start in 19th century. Nikola Tesla built the first radio control system in 1898 and received a US patent on his invention. Although it was only a boat, consider that first he had to invent radio. This is after he had already invented three-phase power, transformers to step up and down the power, AC generators and motors. Truly the greatest engineer/scientist/inventor of all time, since he left so big an impact on the modern world.

Mad Man Marko-RCU

Another great book that is not technical but has a great story and true life situations is "Tales of an Ancient Modeler" by Norm Rosenstock.

He tells of both free flight adventures growing up in New York City and many types of early RC sucesses and failures.

Good reading. Check with AMA for availability.

Peace

Mark O

RFJ

I agree, but as Walt says in the introduction to his article " This story will be primarily about RC model aircraft, as contrasted with RC model boats and cars. Even though a model boat was probably easier to rig with RC because of its weight carrying ability, our interest - or obsession - is involved with RC planes"

Having said that, one of the first illustrations in his article shows Tesla's famous 1898 RC boat.

Ray

Thomas B

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And who in this thread knows when and where the first R/C model aircraft was flown?

Yuu

Probably that German bomber they flew in 1938...'das secret vepon' !!

RACE 66

Say guys/gals just noticed this post. I specially do not know of any "historical" reference publications regarding the history. But, I re call back in the sixties' I purchased a book by Howard McEntee, known as "RC Primer". As I recall it gave specifics on the operations of rc models and electronics. The photos consisted of alot of escapements etc. equipment. I remember I "thumbed" through that so much that I worn out the binding and pages torn. Of course I didn't have any money then being a teenager, but I would really enjoy to see if I could obtain another copy of that publication for "old school" sake.

Dsegal

You can read about the Good brothers at http://www.modelaircraft.org/museum/bio/Good-Walt.pdf

Dsegal

There are 8 copies of the "RC Primer" listed at http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...primer&x=0&y=0

PeterC

To the best of my knowledge the earliest attemps at radio controlled flying occured during World War I. I believe the British put a primitive radio system in a old biplane of some sorts and tried to use it for aerial observation with a camera attached to the side.
The first true radio controlled model (Guff) was built and flown by Dr. Walter Good. I believe this occured during the late 30's or early 40's. This model still exists in the Smithsonian Museum of Flight. My 1943 issue of Model airplane News shows some early attempts at R/C designs.
Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong or elaborate on details.
Peter

RACE 66

Thank you for the tip dsegal on rc primer

squeakalong

My Feedback: (8)

Some time ago I inquired at our local library as to a means of aquiring loaner books on the subject of model airplanes. One step in the process was a check at http://alabama.brodart.com for what is called a Le Pac Search. As a result of my search a printout of quite a few titles dealing with Airplane Models, Airplane Model Designs and Construction, Airplane Models Radio Control and other topics was available. Also, within various books would be a list of suggested readings showing additional titles and authors. This is a great way to investigate a particular volumn of information prior to investing $$$ in a book purchase that may not be what you are really looking for. Have read some great older books from as far back as 1911. Hope this provides positive direction for you. Joe

r_jsmith

Pick up copies of the Zaic yearbooks. They start at 1932 and were written with an eye towards preserving the history of the hobby through text and plans of what the author considered important models.

Mark in Michigan

A friend of the family yesterday gave me a copy of a brief article from the Kalamazoo Gazette (Michigan) that talked about the Good brothers, it was about 12-15 years old, he wasn't sure. They had come back to Kalamazoo to be recognized for their work. There was a picture of them with a model of the 'Guff' and they had their original transmitter, which was a cube about a foot in each direction with a big 6-8' antenna. We sure take for granted the small size and light weight of our radio's today. Peter is correct, the original 'Guff' is at the Smithsonian but the Kalamazoo public library had a model of it also, at least 12-15 years ago they did.

I had to laugh at one line of the interview where they said they would daydream and look out the windows during chapel in the mornings to see how much wind there was and plan their day. I do that myself as well, except the chapel part.