This post was "lifted" from the Tom Brett thread. I want everybody interested in Classic Pattern, and interested in RC Pattern history to know about this video. We have had essentially 50 years+ of RC Pattern history now, filled with very interesting planes and personalities. This is a very rare video because people for the most part, didn't take the time to record what was happening...they were just having fun flying, and time got away from them. Too many old movies that WERE taken haven't survived this long, or are sitting in a drawer somewhere waiting to be viewed on the old 8mm or 16mm movie projector, (which probably doesn't work any more). Chuck Winter, in addition to being a retired fighter pilot, has always been one of those individuals who was always bothering people with his movie camera. About a year ago, he took the time to put his collection on DVD, and shared it with the rest of us. Now he is nearly finished with an expanded video, and has over 50 minutes of vintage airplane footage from the "Golden Era" of pattern.

Well.... looks like our fighter pilot friend has been busy since the end of August. A view days ago I received a preliminary version of the promised DVD video update he has been working on all this time. He wanted an HONEST CRITIQUE, and he certainly came to the right guy. I sometimes have been TOO HONEST with my opinions, but that's another story.

In one word, the new, expanded DVD is spectacular if you care about the history of RC pattern, (actually early RC in general as I will explain). Since this is a "Classic Pattern" forum, most of us should fall under that heading.

Remember, the video originally came from home movies of three Detroit Invitational meets, (held in 1963, 1964, and 1965, what many consider to be the early part of the "Golden Era" of RC pattern). This meet was one of the largest, most prestigious pattern contests in the nation at the time...similar in some ways to the TOC. People attended ONLY by invitation, and a "whos who" of RC pattern pioneers would gather, (LIKE A REUNION) each September to compete, and have fun, people like DeBolt, Kirkland, Kazmirski, Izzo, Keck, Hester, Lowe, and many others. It was wonderful to see these classic airplanes actually be flown by their designers. We are so used to seeing these planes in "still" pictures. To see them taxi out and take off is sooooo cool. ANYBODY interested in vintage RC pattern should be "begging" Chuck to get a copy of the original video, and now it's even better with a new section that is a tremendous tribute to Tom Brett, who belonged to and was president of the Radio Control Club of Detroit at the time, and 1962 World Champion.

Chuck has combined still photographs, (many from Helen's personal scrapbook), along with the Brett's personal home movies of their trip to England for the 1962 World Championships, (which Tom won in a flyoff). There is even rare professional "movie newsreel" type coverage of the 1962 "Worlds", with that old-style narration of the proceedings...great fun.

The single thing I enjoyed the most was part of the professional coverage showing a close-up of Tom flying the Perigee with his Bramco reed system. There may be video somewhere of somebody flying an old reed system, but I have never seen movie or video footage of a world champion, (and one of the pioneers of RC), actually demonstrating his skill with "reeds". It is a whole world removed from today's modern programmable proportional radios, and a real treat to see. Tom was "playing" that Bramco like a piano, when you watch the speed and agility by which he toggled the controls...amazing.

Chuck will be adding a few more rare photos from the personal scrapbook, and putting the final touches on the video in the days to come. I don't think Chuck is making any money with this video...it is a rare gift to anyone wo says they are interested in RC pattern history, and a MUST to see.

I'm just glad you enjoy doing this kind of thing because I don't have the inclination, interest, skill, or patience necessary to do it. Thank goodness for people with different skills!!!

Duane

Read more: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_89...#ixzz1AE9gNhu3

Thanks Duane, is the DVD going to be available for sale ? I don't know how I missed your thread's of these time's, must have had my head in the sand.

Vince

Chuck will hopefully enter his contact information here in the thread, and whatever he needs to defray expenses. I have developed a real appreciation for RC pattern history over the past three years, and love this kind of thing. The field where these videos were shot was also the first RC club I joined, and my Dad and I would "go out to the field" all the time. The site is familiar to me. I was in my early teens at the time, and people like Tom Brett were heros and role models to me. I even remember going out to Selfredge AFB with my Dad, to see what must have been Chuck and his fighter, but I don't remember the details well enough.

My first plane was painted in traditional "Brett colors". Being around Tom and his friends, plus the Invitationals got me interested in RC, and pattern. That's where I my love of vintage, (not at the time) pattern models originally came from...I know I attended at least the the 1965 meet that is covered in the video, and I saw all these guys fly "in person". I was like any impressionable kid, and these pioneers of pattern really influenced me long term.

I wouldn't have started this separate thread if I didn't feel the video will be a welcome addition to any well-educated modeler's video library. If you enjoy it HALF as much as I do, you will love it.

Duane

The first DVD was/is awesome! I'm looking forward to the next one, which I'm sure is better than the first.

FB

FB

The "new one" is the same as the old one, but with a new section added as a tribute to Tom Brett...to bring it to about 50 minutes. If only ALL of the pattern pioneers had so much information and video about them. Wouldn't it be great to "go to the library" and pull out a video about each of the pioneers?

Duane

Last night I reviewed the final version of Chuck Winter's expanded DVD of his home movies showing RC pattern's pioneers...a "whose who" of early RC pattern. The newest part of the video is a tribute to Tom Brett, and is a video documentary of sorts of his brief, but colorful RC career.

This final version is more complete than the first version of the tribute I looked at a few days ago, which concentrated on the photos that started the Tom Brett's Designs thread, and the Brett home movies of their trip to England. The final version highlights each of Tom's aircraft designs, (it never fails to amaze me when I see those 30 seconds of video that shows Tom's TBX-1 start up, taxi around, then fly by while pulling up into a Victory Roll), with a combination of video and still photos, while mixing in the professional footage of the 1962 World RC Championships, (FAI). Chuck is getting better and better in the production of his video, and the way the story "flows"...very very nice storytelling.

As I said earlier, I loved the close-up video focused on the transmitter as Tom flew his reed radio system, (playing it like a piano). I also enjoyed the preparation of the travel crate that carried Apogee and Perigee to England. Tom's workmanship in constructing his custom crate that fit both planes "like a glove" was amazing...the fit of all the pieces demonstrates his meticulous manner in everything he did.

You can see glimpses of personality in video that don't come through in a still photo. The same is true of his writing...(Tom was a talented and colorful writer), a great deal of his personality comes through in his magazine construction articles, almost like you get the feeling you know him, (I never actually had the pleasure of talking to him even though we were in the same RC club...it's too bad I was on the "shy side" back when I was an early teen).

An added and unexpected bonus was discovered about 20 minutes into the 52 minute video when I suddenly recognized my (departed), Dad in the crowd of onlookers watching the event during the 1965 Invitational...I had never seen him before when I viewed the video, (I was not in that footage). The resolution of the 45 year-old 16mm movies wasn't crystal clear, but both my wife and I were able to pick him out separately, so it had to have been him.

Thanks so much Chuck for doing this; I'm glad you had the inclination, desire, and skill to put this project together for the rest of us.

Duane

Hi Tom Brett and Classic Pattern Fans, Yes the updated DVD is available now. Send me your mailing address if you want one. All I ask for is the cost of mailing. Col. Chuck Winter

Hi,

Great! PM sent to You for an order of one DVD.

/Bo

Hi,

I got the Updated DVDtoday from Charles Winter- what a great video of pattern flying from the past!
Highly recommended for anyone interested in old classic pattern.

/Bo