It all started again...
when I read a story in my local paper about a radio control model airplane club losing their field to developers. Included in this story was mention of a club in Simi Valley along with a picture of their flying field.
As a kid I built model airplanes and flew control line and free flight models but radio control was mostly unheard of in those days. After serving in the USAF during the Korean conflict, I attended Spartan School of Aeronautics, and resumed my interest in model airplanes, including the purchase of my first radio control transmitter and receiver a Babcock BCR-3.
My introduction to flying radio control models really began after I moved to California in 1957 and was reunited with my boyhood buddy, Bill Grove who was employed as an engineer with Lockheed. Bill inspired me to take up the hobby again and with the help of Tony and Addie Naccarato who owned a hobby shop in Burbank, I soon learned to fly simple rudder only radio control models at the Sepulveda Basin field.
At this time, the late 1950's, proportional radio control was just in its infancy. The predominate means to move control surfaces was through the use of rubber band powered escapements which when commanded moved a control surface to a deflected position.
As proportional control became more popular and affordable, it greatly enhanced the ability to successfully fly radio control models. My first fully proportional radio was a P.C.S. made by Kraft and I put the radio in a model called "Ugly Stick" which had controls for the rudder, elevator, aileron and engine throttle. With this model I was finally able to master the most difficult aspects of radio control model flying which include correct application of control inputs when the model is flying toward you and landing.
I was employed by Flying Tiger's, a cargo airline based at LAX- the Los Angeles International Airport, when in 1969 I applied for a position with Lockheed on their new L-1011 commercial airplane program as a Maintainability Engineer, and was accepted. A couple of years later I moved to Simi Valley with my wife and four daughters. My career at Lockheed which involved international travel put a hold on my hobby, and it remained that way until my retirement in 1997. It wasn't until 2005 that I became aware of the Simi Valley Flyers club and that is when my pursuit of radio control model airplane flying was reborn.
My resumption in trying to fly radio controlled airplanes was a frustrating experience. I believed that my previous experiences would serve me well now, and I was very disappointed. On my initial attempts I managed to crash several times. Bob Fricke finally convinced me to do some training with a "Buddy Box"connected, so that when I got in trouble he could take control and recover. This did prove to be helpful,and after a few lessons i was able to successfully perform take offs and maintain stable flight. Landings were another matter altogether.
The airplane that proved most helpful in my finally making successful landings was the Hobby Zone Super Cub. Instead of buying the ready to fly version, I purchased the parts to make this model and installed a brushless outrunner motor with a new electronic speed control and a Lithium Polymer battery along with an AR6000 receiver for my Spektrum DX7 radio. Although this airplane has only rudder, elevator and motor control it provides good basic flight characteristics at a low cost and is easily repairable. With this airplane I made several touch and go landings on each flight. After 10 or so flights I finally was able to solo and land successfully.
More of my radio control adventures and models are found in the pages entitled "My Projects, Photos and Log Book". If you have any comments or questions, please contact me at the address at the bottom of each page.