Any RC Pilots out there?

[Chiefblueman]

This thread has hit me with a wave of nostalgia. Matter of fact, I'm typing this through tears.

My dear Dad, rest his soul, was an avid R/C flyer. He was a founding member of The Sky Knights R/C Club in Portland, OR. I spent many an afternoon with Dad "flying". I remember the planes he built that used rubber band escapements for control. His first proportional radio set cost him nearly $600 back in the 60's, a considerable sum for a middle class family back then. He did free flight where the plane is set to climb in a circle and glide back down to you (not!). Spent lots of time looking for planes in the bushes at Delta Park U-control was another facet, no radio of course. I got in to this for a while and was a pretty fair stunter. I recall how hard that .35 Enya engine pulled at top speed in that long forgotten plane.

Dad wasn't a great pilot - The guys would razz him because he'd take off and get that plane so high you could barely see it. He always kept a business card on the plane just in case it flew away. Several did. One was recovered about 15 miles away, across the Columbia River in Vancouver, WA. It was returned, intact, by an honest soul.

@DaveMatthewsBand Dad had a similar maiden flight experience in '68. He had slaved over his new plane. I don't remember the name of it. It was sleek with a swept back wing, covered with the new, smooth MonoKote. Over 6ft span and built for speed. He put a brand new Merco .61 twin plug engine in it along with his prized Micro Avionics radio set. Most guys used Enya or O.S. engines and Orbit radios but Dad didn't want to follow the pack. I think I inherited that trait.

Anyway, the big day came for the maiden flight. Off to Clackamas High, our local and most frequently used field. Dad was afraid to fly it so he enlisted the skills of the club hotshot, Dick Hansen. He was a nationally known R/C pilot back in the day and could make a plane sing. Some old timers out there may recognize his name.

A little bio on Dick: http://www.sky-knights.org/hansenbio.htm BTW, I still have the club's rubber stamp of the logo shown at top left of the Sky Knights page. Dad was their secretary for many years.

Dad fired up the plane with his "chicken stick" and turned the radio over to Dick. He took off smoothly and made a couple of low passes over the field, then straight up in a spiraling climb, did a couple of rolls then down down down in a steep dive at top speed. As the plane approached the ground at what must have been nearing a hundred mph he began to pull out. I saw the flutter at the tail of the plane as it headed for the school courtyard. It caught the edge of the roof and scattered itself inside the courtyard. The school was locked up so we climbed a chain link fence to gain access. There we were greeted with a spray of balsa, an engine (bent the shaft), radio parts and my Dad's card. I remember picking up tiny gears and motors from the servos.

Dad dejectedly loaded the debris in the car, then we piled in to leave for home. He turned to me and said "Not a word of this to your Mom, understand?".

Dad was first and foremost a builder, crafting beautiful scale models and R/C specials his whole life. It was the one constant in his life and the hobby served him well. He started during WWII, he told me, building planes with matchsticks and tissue as a kid. He'd light them on fire and toss them out the bedroom window pretending they were enemy planes shot down.

He built small planes until Lewy Body disease stopped him and finally took him in 2015 at 83. I kept a few of his last planes, my favorite the SE 5A. He built several of these over the years of varying sizes.




BTW, Dad never flew a real plane in his life. The closest he came was a flight in a Waco biplane that I accompanied him on for my 50th on the island of Kauai. He was like kid again!


I dabbled in R/C planes, buggies and such over the years but it never really caught on with me. I went for cars and motorcycles and sports.

It's a great hobby and sport. I may not be an R/C pilot but the sport is very near and dear to my heart.

May your fields be smooth and your crosswinds light!


P.S. Sorry for the long post

[Country Campers]

Awesome post Chief, brought a tear to my eye for that and my own memories.

Brian

[rbrown597]

Really nice post. Glad you still have some really great memories. I know how your dad felt being a builder, then taking off on a maiden flight. You do your best to build and HOPE you got everything balanced and servos correct. Maiden flights really can be "interesting".

[el Rojo]

Thanks for sharing Chief. Good post.

Red

[MidwestCamper]

This is an excellent story Kim. I also have a J3 Cub with a Saito 4 stroke and when I have an opportunity will post a pic of this and a few other planes. Right now I'm working with the wife getting things ready for a house full of company.

[rbrown597]

Thought I might share a few from my hanger.

[rbrown597]

Well, If this doesn't work, I'll give up.

[Chiefblueman]

Thought I might share a few from my hanger.

Beauty!

Don't get excited, Bob. I meant the plane.

[Chiefblueman]

Well, If this doesn't work, I'll give up.

Can you tell me which model this is? Dad built one very similar to this.

[rbrown597]

Can you tell me which model this is? Dad built one very similar to this.

The biplane is a Sig AstroHog bipe and the other is a Four Star 60. Both fly really well. The Four Star is set up with a smoke generator. Both equipped with an OS 95V. I see you are in Duvall. Used to live in Marysville in the early 80's.