THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODEL AVIATION - Page 8
RADIO CONTROL
THE RADIO-CDNTROLLED MODEL AIRCRAFT IS BY NO MEANS MODERN.- IN FACT, THE FIRST RECORD OF MODEL FLIGHT UNDER RADIO CONTROL IS THE LESTER-BEST MODEL AIRSHIP WHICH IN 1910 WAS FLOWN ROUND THE TOTTENHAM PALACE THEATRE UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF CLAUDE GRAHAME-WHITE. THIS MODEL WAS ABOUT 12 FEET LONG AND WAS ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN. A SPARK COIL TRANSMITTER AND COHERER RECEIVER WERE USED.
DURING THE 1930'S FURTHER ATTEMPTS AT RADIO CONTROL WERE MADE, BUT THE EQUIPMENT WAS NOT SMALL OR LIGHT ENOUGH AND WAS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ANYTHING BUT COMMERCIAL USAGE. WITH MINIATURISATION, BETTER PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES AND LATER-THE INVENTION OF THE TRANSISTOR, EQUIPMENT BECAME ADEQUATELY LIGHT AND THE COST WITHIN THE REACH OF A FAIR PROPORTION OF AEROMODELLERS. RELIABILITY OF EQUIPMENT, IT'S PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY ARE HIGH, AND R C MODELS ARE NOW COMMON PLACE, AND ARE OPERATED TO PERFORM, IN MANY CASES, A GREATER RANGE OF MANOEUVRES THAN FULLSIZE AEROBATIC AIRCRAFT. CONTESTS CONSIST OF FLYING A DESIGNATED SERIES OF
MANOEUVRES. ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR EVENTS FOR RADIO CONTROLLED MODELS IS PYLON RACING, WHERE A NUMBER, USUALLY THREE MODELS, ARE FLOWN IN CONTEST ROUND A COURSE
OF PYLONS. THE MODELS REACH SPEEDS OF ABOUT 120 MPH .AND THE OBSERVERS AT THE PYLONS
WEAR CRASH-HELMETS.
RADIO-CONTROLLED GLIDERS HAVE GAINED MUCH POPULARITY, AND ARE FLOWN IN EXACTLY THE SAME MANNER AS THEIR FULL-SIZE VERSIONS BOTH IN THERMAL SOARING, SLOPE SOARING AND AEROBATIC- MANOEUVRES.
CONTROL LINE MODELS
THIS SECTION OF MODEL AVIATION STARTED JUST PRE-WAR WITH THE TETHERED, OR 'ROUND THE POLE' MODELS. WARTIME, WITH ITS RESTRICTION ON POWER-MODELS, THE BLACKOUT, SHORTAGE OF MATERIALS AND TIME, LED TO A SPATE OF RTP MODELS OF ENDURANCE, SCALE .AND SPEED TYPES. THEY WERE IDEAL IN PROVIDING AMUSEMENT DURING THE LONG DARK EVENINGS ENFORCED UPON US.
A LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT WAS THE OUTDOOR TETHERED POWER DRIVEN MODEL WHICH APPEARED POST WAR. THIS WAS DEVELOPED TO THE C L MODEL AS WE KNOW IT TODAY, WHERE THE ELEVATOR IS NORMALLY OPERATED BY TWO WIRES WHICH TETHER THE AIRCRAFT TO THE OPERATOR'S HANDLE. PLANE AEROBATICS MAY BE PERFORMED OVER THE HEMISPHERE IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT IS CONSTRAINED TO FLY. WHERE C L SPEED MODELS ARE USED IT HAS BECOME USUAL TO FLY THEM TETHERED BY A SINGLE WIRE, ELEVATOR MOVEMENT BEING IMPARTED BY TORSION APPLIED TO THE WIRE.
SCALE MODELS
AS IN ANY MODEL HOBBY, THERE ARE THOSE WHO ATTEMPT WORKING SCALE MODELS OF THE FULLSIZE ARTICLE. SCALE MODELS OF AEROPLANES HAVE BEEN BUILT SINCE THE WRIGHT BROTHERS FIRST FLEW .AND THIS FASCINATING BRANCH OF THE HOBBY IS VERY PREVALENT
TODAY.
-8-
THE RADIO-CDNTROLLED MODEL AIRCRAFT IS BY NO MEANS MODERN.- IN FACT, THE FIRST RECORD OF MODEL FLIGHT UNDER RADIO CONTROL IS THE LESTER-BEST MODEL AIRSHIP WHICH IN 1910 WAS FLOWN ROUND THE TOTTENHAM PALACE THEATRE UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF CLAUDE GRAHAME-WHITE. THIS MODEL WAS ABOUT 12 FEET LONG AND WAS ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN. A SPARK COIL TRANSMITTER AND COHERER RECEIVER WERE USED.
DURING THE 1930'S FURTHER ATTEMPTS AT RADIO CONTROL WERE MADE, BUT THE EQUIPMENT WAS NOT SMALL OR LIGHT ENOUGH AND WAS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ANYTHING BUT COMMERCIAL USAGE. WITH MINIATURISATION, BETTER PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES AND LATER-THE INVENTION OF THE TRANSISTOR, EQUIPMENT BECAME ADEQUATELY LIGHT AND THE COST WITHIN THE REACH OF A FAIR PROPORTION OF AEROMODELLERS. RELIABILITY OF EQUIPMENT, IT'S PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY ARE HIGH, AND R C MODELS ARE NOW COMMON PLACE, AND ARE OPERATED TO PERFORM, IN MANY CASES, A GREATER RANGE OF MANOEUVRES THAN FULLSIZE AEROBATIC AIRCRAFT. CONTESTS CONSIST OF FLYING A DESIGNATED SERIES OF
MANOEUVRES. ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR EVENTS FOR RADIO CONTROLLED MODELS IS PYLON RACING, WHERE A NUMBER, USUALLY THREE MODELS, ARE FLOWN IN CONTEST ROUND A COURSE
OF PYLONS. THE MODELS REACH SPEEDS OF ABOUT 120 MPH .AND THE OBSERVERS AT THE PYLONS
WEAR CRASH-HELMETS.
RADIO-CONTROLLED GLIDERS HAVE GAINED MUCH POPULARITY, AND ARE FLOWN IN EXACTLY THE SAME MANNER AS THEIR FULL-SIZE VERSIONS BOTH IN THERMAL SOARING, SLOPE SOARING AND AEROBATIC- MANOEUVRES.
CONTROL LINE MODELS
THIS SECTION OF MODEL AVIATION STARTED JUST PRE-WAR WITH THE TETHERED, OR 'ROUND THE POLE' MODELS. WARTIME, WITH ITS RESTRICTION ON POWER-MODELS, THE BLACKOUT, SHORTAGE OF MATERIALS AND TIME, LED TO A SPATE OF RTP MODELS OF ENDURANCE, SCALE .AND SPEED TYPES. THEY WERE IDEAL IN PROVIDING AMUSEMENT DURING THE LONG DARK EVENINGS ENFORCED UPON US.
A LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT WAS THE OUTDOOR TETHERED POWER DRIVEN MODEL WHICH APPEARED POST WAR. THIS WAS DEVELOPED TO THE C L MODEL AS WE KNOW IT TODAY, WHERE THE ELEVATOR IS NORMALLY OPERATED BY TWO WIRES WHICH TETHER THE AIRCRAFT TO THE OPERATOR'S HANDLE. PLANE AEROBATICS MAY BE PERFORMED OVER THE HEMISPHERE IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT IS CONSTRAINED TO FLY. WHERE C L SPEED MODELS ARE USED IT HAS BECOME USUAL TO FLY THEM TETHERED BY A SINGLE WIRE, ELEVATOR MOVEMENT BEING IMPARTED BY TORSION APPLIED TO THE WIRE.
SCALE MODELS
AS IN ANY MODEL HOBBY, THERE ARE THOSE WHO ATTEMPT WORKING SCALE MODELS OF THE FULLSIZE ARTICLE. SCALE MODELS OF AEROPLANES HAVE BEEN BUILT SINCE THE WRIGHT BROTHERS FIRST FLEW .AND THIS FASCINATING BRANCH OF THE HOBBY IS VERY PREVALENT
TODAY.
-8-
