Tim McKay | The Golden Age of RC Flight is Now! @TimMcKay56 | Uploaded 1 year ago | Updated 1 hour ago
The Golden Age of RC Flight is Now!
1. Price: Back in the day one needed a significant amount of money to enjoy flying a radio controlled airplane. A Kraft Signature Series RC set listed for around $400 in 1975. Corrected for inflation this same radio today would cost around $2,800.
2. 2.4 GHz Radios: Until the advent of 2.4 GHz technology in 2005 by Spektrum, all RC transmitters operated on a single frequency within the 72 MHz spectrum. Modelers had to be extremely careful to not fly (i.e. turn on your transmitter) when anyone else was up on the same frequency, otherwise the aircraft’s receiver would be jammed resulting in a crash.
3. Programmable Transmitters: Early RC transmitters were simply electronic devices. There was no software at all in the unit, nor any sort of display screen. The technology just did not exist for this. For example, servos could not be easily be reversed and you had to carefully plan how to install your servos for correct control surface throw direction.
4. CA Glue: Prior to the introduction of cyanoacrylate (CA) glue modelers had to use “regular” glue, such as Elmers, that needed to dry overnight to have a proper bond. Balsa parts were carefully pinned into place, glue applied then you waited, and waited for the glue to dry.
5. The Internet: The internet (to include email and discussion groups) did not really exist for consumers until 1995 or so. YouTube was launched on Feb 14, 2005. Back in those days the only way to get information on building, buying and flying RC models was through magazines or local flyers.
6. Quality ARFs: Almost ready to fly RC aircraft have existed since the late 1970s but the quality was poor, they used gas engines and did not fly all that well. The vast majority of modelers built their own aircraft.
7. Lipo Batteries and Brushless Motors: It is incredible, looking back, how quickly and completely electric powered flight has taken over the hobby. Electric flight was a niche in the late 1970s with brushed motors and nicad batteries. With their heavy weight and low power a successful flight with these early systems was one that simply did not crash. With the introduction of lipo batteries and brushless motors there is almost no limit on the performance of RC planes equipped with this hardware. Electric power is to the point that at most RC fields when someone starts up a gas engine pilots cease what they are doing to observe and hear a bit of history.
8. Micro Indoor Models: One constant in the computer industry is that the hardware gets smaller, lighter and cheaper. An outgrowth of this area are practical micro RC models for indoor flight. These well performing and affordable aircraft come ready to fly right out of the box and offer superb flight performance. Micro models flown indoors offer an excellent way to enjoy the hobby when one is located in cold and windy sections of the country where outdoor flight is neither fun nor practical.
9. Smart Phones: Smart phones did not exist until Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone on Jan 9, 2007. Mobile phones were in use at that time but they were small “flip” phones that did not have internet access. The iPhone changed all that. Modelers could now get information on RC aircraft, place orders, view videos as well as take videos and still pictures with a built in camera. Think about it: YouTube as we know it today would not exist without the global imagery input from smart phones.
10. Amazon: Amazon was founded on July 5, 1994 by Jeff Bezos. Amazon has revolutionized the consumer shopping experience (Amazon started as just a bookstore, by the way).
11. Computers and CAD: Computers and Computer Aided Design (CAD) have transformed the RC airplane hobby. CAD can quickly produce an accurate plan set. Aircraft manufacturers use these CAD files with laser cutters or foam moldings to create kits and completed ARFs with minimal time and cost.
12. RC Flight Simulators: Just as advanced flight simulators have transformed commercial aircraft training, so have personal computers allowed hobbyists to train via a simulator how to fly various RC aircraft and practice flight maneuvers.
Chapters
00:00 - Intro
03:04 - Money
04:10 - 2.4 GHz radios
05:37 - Programmable transmitters
06:41 - CA glue
07:25 - The internet
09:02 - Quality ARFs
09:54 - Lipo batteries and brushless motors
11:00 - Micro models
12:00 - Smart phones
12:50 - Amazon
13:45 - Computers and CAD
14:39 - RC flight simulators
The Golden Age of RC Flight is Now!
1. Price: Back in the day one needed a significant amount of money to enjoy flying a radio controlled airplane. A Kraft Signature Series RC set listed for around $400 in 1975. Corrected for inflation this same radio today would cost around $2,800.
2. 2.4 GHz Radios: Until the advent of 2.4 GHz technology in 2005 by Spektrum, all RC transmitters operated on a single frequency within the 72 MHz spectrum. Modelers had to be extremely careful to not fly (i.e. turn on your transmitter) when anyone else was up on the same frequency, otherwise the aircraft’s receiver would be jammed resulting in a crash.
3. Programmable Transmitters: Early RC transmitters were simply electronic devices. There was no software at all in the unit, nor any sort of display screen. The technology just did not exist for this. For example, servos could not be easily be reversed and you had to carefully plan how to install your servos for correct control surface throw direction.
4. CA Glue: Prior to the introduction of cyanoacrylate (CA) glue modelers had to use “regular” glue, such as Elmers, that needed to dry overnight to have a proper bond. Balsa parts were carefully pinned into place, glue applied then you waited, and waited for the glue to dry.
5. The Internet: The internet (to include email and discussion groups) did not really exist for consumers until 1995 or so. YouTube was launched on Feb 14, 2005. Back in those days the only way to get information on building, buying and flying RC models was through magazines or local flyers.
6. Quality ARFs: Almost ready to fly RC aircraft have existed since the late 1970s but the quality was poor, they used gas engines and did not fly all that well. The vast majority of modelers built their own aircraft.
7. Lipo Batteries and Brushless Motors: It is incredible, looking back, how quickly and completely electric powered flight has taken over the hobby. Electric flight was a niche in the late 1970s with brushed motors and nicad batteries. With their heavy weight and low power a successful flight with these early systems was one that simply did not crash. With the introduction of lipo batteries and brushless motors there is almost no limit on the performance of RC planes equipped with this hardware. Electric power is to the point that at most RC fields when someone starts up a gas engine pilots cease what they are doing to observe and hear a bit of history.
8. Micro Indoor Models: One constant in the computer industry is that the hardware gets smaller, lighter and cheaper. An outgrowth of this area are practical micro RC models for indoor flight. These well performing and affordable aircraft come ready to fly right out of the box and offer superb flight performance. Micro models flown indoors offer an excellent way to enjoy the hobby when one is located in cold and windy sections of the country where outdoor flight is neither fun nor practical.
9. Smart Phones: Smart phones did not exist until Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone on Jan 9, 2007. Mobile phones were in use at that time but they were small “flip” phones that did not have internet access. The iPhone changed all that. Modelers could now get information on RC aircraft, place orders, view videos as well as take videos and still pictures with a built in camera. Think about it: YouTube as we know it today would not exist without the global imagery input from smart phones.
10. Amazon: Amazon was founded on July 5, 1994 by Jeff Bezos. Amazon has revolutionized the consumer shopping experience (Amazon started as just a bookstore, by the way).
11. Computers and CAD: Computers and Computer Aided Design (CAD) have transformed the RC airplane hobby. CAD can quickly produce an accurate plan set. Aircraft manufacturers use these CAD files with laser cutters or foam moldings to create kits and completed ARFs with minimal time and cost.
12. RC Flight Simulators: Just as advanced flight simulators have transformed commercial aircraft training, so have personal computers allowed hobbyists to train via a simulator how to fly various RC aircraft and practice flight maneuvers.
Chapters
00:00 - Intro
03:04 - Money
04:10 - 2.4 GHz radios
05:37 - Programmable transmitters
06:41 - CA glue
07:25 - The internet
09:02 - Quality ARFs
09:54 - Lipo batteries and brushless motors
11:00 - Micro models
12:00 - Smart phones
12:50 - Amazon
13:45 - Computers and CAD
14:39 - RC flight simulators
