How many of you guys are former/current R/C modellers?

Bill Rusk · Post by **Bill Rusk** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:15 am

Grew up on control line and FF. Did lots of combat w/ super tigre .35's and high nitro fuels. Went through lots of baby pacifiers.

Got into RC a little in college, mostly sailplanes, could not afford much, paying my own way through school.
First job I ever had was working in a hobby shop. Got into diesels back in the late 70's when no one in the USA was doing it. Had to mix our own fuels as you could not buy it here. Some of my best memories are centered around models; the smell of Ambroid and dope.
Building full size stuff now but have no doubt that I will someday go back to my roots.

Bill

KMac · Post by **KMac** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 1:51 am

I enjoy gluing that balsa together. A lot cheaper than therapy

! I have a sail plane (slope soarer) that is ready to fly and a fokker triplane that could be flown - but I haven't flown any of them for a couple years. The 170 has been keeping me busy enough on my days off to keep my wife irritated

so I haven't had time for the models. I have learned a lot from my years (30 or so) of building models that definately help me fly the full scale ones. My aunt asked me why I enjoy airplanes so much and the only excuse I could think of was the time I fell out of the tree in our front yard when I was a kid and landed on my head. I think it was shortly after that when I started riding my bike to the airport to watch airplanes.

cessna170bdriver · Post by **cessna170bdriver** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:53 pm

gahorn wrote:How 'bout this?

X-47A_First_Flight.asf

There's a whole list of 'em at http://www.elchineroconcepts.com/VIDEOS.htm

A flying buddy of mine here is one of the guys who flys the Global Hawk. He never talks about it that there isn't a smile on his face.

Miles

Post by **GAHorn** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 9:21 pm

Yeah, but the fact remains....there's little danger to himself personally. No basis to develop a swagger, or wear jodhpurs, or boots.... no scarf.... no reason to carry a .45, nylons, chocolate bars, prohylactics, etc.
Makes for a dull boy at the single's bar.

cessna170bdriver · Post by **cessna170bdriver** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 9:43 pm

Well, the topic IS radio controlled airplanes, eh? I have other buddies who fly T-38's, F-16's, U-2's, C-17's, etc, etc. This IS Edwards AFB, ya know.

Post by **GAHorn** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 9:54 pm

Yeah, yeah, yeah... but .. can they fly (U2's don't count...they got wing-walkers!) PISTON-SLINGIN' TAILDRAGGERS!

cessna170bdriver · Post by **cessna170bdriver** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 10:05 pm

gahorn wrote:Yeah, yeah, yeah... but .. can they fly (U2's don't count...they got wing-walkers!) PISTON-SLINGIN' TAILDRAGGERS!

Do Cessna 180's, 195's and Harmon Rockets count? That's what I see them fly. BTW, the U2 is a taildragger with the narrowest possible main landing gear... one in the middle.

Miles

punkin170b · Post by **punkin170b** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 8:31 pm

I started working in a hobby shop (under the table) when I was 14. Worked in hobby shops all through college until I got my "Office Space" job. Built tons of Eaglets, Eagles, MW Aerostars, for people who came into the shops and didn't wanna build. I made more money throwing those kits together and doing a decent Monokote job, than I did working in the shops! Flew my first RC plane (Marks Models Wanderer 72) off the slope of Greens Peak in Eastern Arizona when I was 12. Crashed it many many times. Didn't fly power until the hobbyu shop job made it "affordable". Won a couple fun-fly events in AZ with a rebuilt Royal-Air 20T (smashed in the box when shipped to the hobby shop). Built it back up with no dihedral, double-sized control surfaces, and fowler flaps; used a OS .48 four stroke for power. Still have the airplane in the closet 20 years later. Also have a "Fun Scale" P-51 with retracts (built it for "Warbird Pylon Racing"), a scratch built slope glider, and a 40-size trainer all in the closet ready for my 3 year-old son to start asking questions... When he does, they'll fly again after 15 years of collecting dust!

lcranton · Post by **lcranton** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:14 am

Hi Matthew, Sounds pretty familiar to me. I started working in a hobby shop at 15 and continued thru my first year of college. I started my R/C adventure flying single and two channel tube type equipment using escapement type servos. Finally moved up to Galloping Ghost equipment and then on to the first proportional systems. While working for the hobby shop I also worked as line boy for a couple of FBOs at Deer Valley Airport in Arizona. Got my private at the Deer Valley FBOs. Following that I went to work as an avionics tech for Sawyer Aviation at Phoenix Skyharbor. Worked at Sawyer while in college and then went on to work for Hughes Airwest/Republic/Northwest and now Boeing. I still fly all types of R/C(glow, electric, glider and heli's). Can't wait till the grandkids are old enough to see if there is any interest in flying. If so, I can tell my wife that we need more R/C stuff, you know, for the grandkids.

R/C has always been a part of my life and I think it has a lot to offer young people that have an interest in aviation. It gives them an understanding of the principles of flight and can also develop some basic mechanical/electrical skills.

punkin170b · Post by **punkin170b** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:30 pm

It never ceases to amaze how small-a-world it is in the aviation community. My Mom and Dad both got their PASEL/IRA at Sawyer. We kept our airplane at DVT - they still own it, but it's stabled up at Carefree SkyRanch now. I worked at Gordon's Hobby Lobby in PHX and then Classic Hobbies in Tucson. I guess my first "flight Instructor" job was teaching customers how to fly their planes without burying them in the sand! It was fun and made me a decent RC pilot - at the time! It also taught me good "people skills"...

I totally agree with all your comments regarding modelling and kids. It wasn't "cool" in high school to be into building models, but I kept the interest alive through my job and in the garage at home... It also taught me all the things you mentioned and helped spark the interest that became my career (although I went the long way around the barn to get there!). I can't wait until my son (and possibly daughter too? 2 weeks old today!) is old enough. He's already asking all the right questions!

Matt

Bill Hart · Post by **Bill Hart** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:51 pm

My wife and I had to go out of town this weekend and left our kids with my folks. On Sunday when I went to pick them up my 5 year old was on the computer flying my dadâ€™s R/C sim like a pro. He would tell me how do roll, loop, stall. I think it is time to let him fly mine some.

cessna170bdriver · Post by **cessna170bdriver** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:08 pm

Bill Hart wrote:My wife and I had to go out of town this weekend and left our kids with my folks. On Sunday when I went to pick them up my 5 year old was on the computer flying my dadâ€™s R/C sim like a pro. He would tell me how do roll, loop, stall. I think it is time to let him fly mine some.

It's NEVER to early; in fact, the earlier the better. At a slow Young Eagles rally in Bakersfield several years ago, I agreed to take a five-year old for a ride. He was the smoothest kid I EVER given the controls to. His straight and level was STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. With me on the rudder and him on the yoke, he executed a 30-degree-banked course reversal and the altimeter didn't waver a bit, and he rolled out right on heading. If he had been tall enough to see over the panel, I would have let him fly the pattern. I asked him if he had ever been in an airplane before, and he said no, just his Dad's computer flight simulator.

Also, I used to have a set of cup coasters that depicted the six basic flight instruments. My oldest daughter was able to name them when she was two. She could keep '98C upright before she could keep a bicycle upright. Alas, at about 12 years old her interests turned elsewhere...

Miles

Bill Hart · Post by **Bill Hart** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:30 pm

I did let Will, my son; take the controls of the Cub I was flying for awhile. What a ride that was. He was just having a blast yanking that stick around. It wasnâ€™t a problem until the approach when I felt him trying to push while I was trying to flare. I have had him flying since he was 2 months old. He used to insist on wearing his head set in the car with the portable intercom hooked up.

Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:04 pm

I've got to tell you that after nearly 16 years away from RC I had the opportunity to fly a friends Electric Park Flyer. This thing may not actually be a "Park Flyer" but it's the closest term I could find. Any way it it made totally out of flat foam board. No airfoil at all. All hot glued together.

By the time I got to fly the airplane it had it conventional landing gear sheared of. CG for the airplane was nearly at the trailing edge of the wing. I was assured the plane would fly quite well this way. the I was told I'll need to hold down elevator and right aileron because the wing had a twist in it.

This thing was a blast to fly. After about 1 minute of familiarization I was looping and rolling it as best as the plane was capable of. Just like I'd never quit flying RC.

Can't say if I'll have to build one of these but it sure is tempting.

mrpibb · Post by **mrpibb** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:22 am

Bruce, you were flying a flat foamy, they were meant for those 3D aerobatics. Be carefull, with the new tech on electric flight you will get addicted like I just did. Last summer I tried a friends little electric pylon racer, now I have 5 electric flight r/c aircraft, while they call them park fliers they really are full blown r/c airplanes, My latest addition is a 50" wingspan supersportser with a 350w electric motor swinging a 11-7 prop.
Remember the Ugly Stik ? well I just got a mini stick electric that snaps,rolls and spins like theres no tommorow. Now you know what I do when I cant fly the 170, my minimums are a lot lower on the r/c planes.