Model Airplanes 1974

Model Airplanes 1974

[@jeffward9174]

I started flying models in 1971. First free flight. Then control line then single chanel . 52 years later im still flying models. Ive got 30 planes and about 70 engines. Some diesel some glo plug motors. Ive still got some of my original engines. Davis charlton. PAW. K&B. And Merco. Im 66 now and can't give it up. In that time I've been married twice and raised a family.

[@lesterhall5145]

Those were the days. The Sound of a glow engine peaked out and the smell of Castor oil fuel and the first flight of a Balsa plane build from a Kit and the pride of seeing it fly.

[@Fminus104]

Radio was too expensive for me back then. Started with control line and a cox babe bee. Survived all crashes. Still have it, - still a runner. Such great little engines.

[@larrykrise3609]

i started flying rc in 1975 the good ole days.thank you

[@hankramos8663]

1974 is when I started flying RC at age 14! After a year or so on control line at Whittier narrows flying facility in Southern California, I asked my dad if I could have an RC plane and being that he worked at Maxwell Models hobby distributors in Los Angeles back then he was only able to get me one because of his employee's discount price of 30% off retail (my folks were usually broke back then) my father was not close to us, his 4 children, so I felt fortunate to have a special connection and relationship with my dad and I have this wonderful hobby to thank!

[@TheX-3d]

I flew big R/C helicopters there in the mid '80s. Lived right by Penn Park in Whittier.

[@davechartier6898]

Only good memories of my father, teaching me how to construct planes from plans (scratch). I grew up in Tustin mainly. Been to the narrows couple times.. mainly mile square park, and Costa Mesa near fairgrounds to fly gliders

[@theqslearningmethod]

The heyday of my aeromodelling. I was still at school but my designs were flying and I had progressed from free flight to control line and to radio controlled models with the help of my Dad. Slope soarers were soaring and my 72" Cessna 172 was flying and all was well. I had also jumped off a local hillside under a early Rogallo-wing hang glider - and survived making that my first solo flight. All that aeromodelling knowledge and knowhow put into practice! Now I am retired I simply can't believe it all happened 50 years ago ... !!! The memories still remain and will forever - with or without my rose-tinted spectacles.

[@robm.4512]

Ahhh, memories of building my first single channel pulse radio from a kit that took me a couple of years washing neighbours cars to afford, all the while lusting after a proportional rig that I only finally got after a 35 year sabbatical from the hobby. Foam is sooo much easier on the emotions when it all goes pear shaped. Digital radios with channels to spare, plus electric motors and decent batteries has thoroughly iced the cake, turning the hobby into the one I had in my dreams as a flying mad kid. Wouldn’t have missed those days for anything though. Building, flying, crashing and repairing taught me a huge amount about lightweight structures that I later carried into a career in building lightweight strong stuff for motorsport. Happy, happy days. Broke but definitely happy. Thanks for posting this. Cheers, R. 😎👍🍻

[@garychaney5484]

Back when they put pictures of pretty girls holding the model aircraft on the covers of the RC magazines! Aaaaaa the good old days

[@hobo1452]

The days of long antennas and frequency flags! I remember those well.

[@ernestbarcella175]

As a kid in Argentina by 74 a Radio Control was something of an unattainable magic ,, only to be seen in some movies and magazines ,, my learning curve with Cox 049 was abruptly interrupted in 68 by my father passing away ,,, wasn't until 80's that got my hands on a 4 ch Futaba ,, then came the K&B PCM's and OS, later the real Continentals and Lycomings .... it takes a whole life of commitment to acquire these knowledge ,,,, is not just another app you add to your phone ,, Thank you for the posting !!

[@hellomcfly2438]

Yup in 74' my dad gave me a Kraft 5ch. Radio ,k&b .61 ,and a das ugly stick flew that plane allot back then @ Whittier narrows Park great memories Shure can't wait to see my Dad again in Heaven ! He also brought me to Jesus in 81' best thing that happened to me ever 🙏🛩️

[@OregonMotorcycle]

Was there an on road RC track there?

[@alan.schertz]

Super fun for this guy who was born in 61. I was curious about the original media, glad I made it to the end! Thanks for posting

[@dougclapp]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@montylc2001]

Born in 61 myself. Brought back memories for me as well.

[@xjet]

Brilliant... I'd forgotten just how narrow and blurry the world was back in 1974 😛 But seriously, I have built and flown several of the aircraft featured in this video. This brings a wave of nostalgia. And who'd have known back then that in a few short decades our hobby would become vilified and we'd all be effectively forced to wear ankle-bracelets on our models (RID) through no fault of our own?

[@davidhames319]

No electric foamies or ARFs back then. You had to build them from scratch or a kit, and in some cases solder up your on radio setup.

[@lynetteschroeter6843]

I didn't get into RC until the mid 80s. Then it was hand launch gliders to learn to fly on. I had plenty of re kitted models. What fun it was!

[@larryblanks6765]

Brings back memories.

[@oldhick9047]

Really cool, I worked part time in a hobby shop while in high school in 1974. I was doing RC boats at the time but got to know airplanes as well. I race slot cars now, I guess part of me will always be 16.

[@Toscanto]

A l"epoque les poste étaient en tout ou rien il fallait manœuvrer avec des impulsions et contrer l'ordre pour rétablir c'était vraiment du sport les pilotes avaient beaucoup de mérite Belle vidéo des grands et beaux souvenirs Merci

[@capnhardway]

A good piece of RC history!

[@dginia]

I am reminded of my motto: Hand launches are OK. they don’t call it “take-off gear.” I started control line in 1961, R/C in 1973 with a Falcon 56 and a McCoy .35. Lots of hand launches! Thanks for sharing.

[@norbertkofler9525]

Great video and so true...." it took us 16 years to fly these things😂!"...I started flying in 76 at age 14. And because it was so expensive at that time and with no parents support I was able to finance the radio, one friend the plane and the third one the engine...so because of the most expensive equipment it was my honor to make the first flight and....30 seconds later I stalled the plane at 80m or so and went streight into the ground totaling everything. Had to dig out the left overs, Broken engine, smashed servos broken receiver and except the tail fin only smashed pieces...it took us 14 month to have enough money buying equipment againand being able for the next trial...well that was perhaps 5 seconds but less damage...and the first successful flight with many, many crashes in between was 4 years later...and now, having safe, super safe and super, super safe you may let the plane fly and land while watching a formula one race at the same time...times have changes the question is only to what? Thanks again for the great video and memories. Regards from Austria

[@jdplus3]

Same story here. Still flying! 1977-

[@purebredamericanmutt]

The old Kraft four channel gold radio. My dad had one in his SIG trainer in 74 or 75. Times have changed and I run trucks and cars now. I run heavy equipment so it's not it's not smooth enough for landing but great for a Xmaxx.

[@paulhowlett2791]

Back in 1970.days model glider model dandy many hours of fun remember the day plane flew off lost only to be found by local farmer returned to home thank god memories great days thanks to father

[@jcb6713]

this brings back some memories ! very familiar 🤣...tnx for sharing

[@wingman2646]

Exactly how I remember it. Thanks for posting.

[@sailr]

It's crazy how far we have come since then. The reliability of our radios, he advent of electric and small gas engines, AND, not least, the DEEP DIVE INTO OUR POCKETS for planes!

[@jameslester3861]

We started in 77 with a Bauer Hardwoody 3 channel, Fox.25 and a 6 ch. Kraft system from Tower Hobbies. My Dad built a Sig Colt, then a Sweet Stik which was heavily damaged on maiden flight due to receiver batt failure. I still have all the planes, haven’t flown since 2012 and trying to get back into it. I enjoy building them and prefer kitted or scratch to RTF.

[@KevinPatz-pn2gs]

Born in 71 but had a control line Stuka hanging from the ceiling a mustang and got another for 12 birthday. Never knew how to start them, just flicking the prop and whiffing the engine aroma. In my 20s bought a cheap control line helicopter from Kaybee toys and it barely made it in the air before it was swept into a bag in pieces. Flew another cox in my 30s one complete circle before engine conked out and now I got me another Testors ready for take off at 52! Can't wait!

[@eaglekeeper7737]

Looks like they were having a great time 👍

[@dougclapp]

Yes, thanks

[@braised44]

Saw my first RC plane in1970 on a parade field at Ft. Eustis VA. Pilot lost control and it flew over the horizon.

[@warrenfromga9945]

This brings back memories. Spend months building to crash after a few seconds of trying to fly. Not fun. I got back into the hobby in 2015 after I retired, with digital, computer transmitters and ARF kits. So much easier and actually doable. I'm enjoying it a lot now. :)

[@charlescarter6146]

You got that right . Majority of kits purchased either never got finished or crashed soon after finishing. Was a true dedication to the hobby back then. No bind and flys.

[@alanneill5700]

Great stuff a lot more simpler then

[@jimcourtney4306]

reminds me of the days I started learning how to fly I got a video of the maiden when I started to fly and after that it was every chance I could get out and have fun

[@gwheyduke]

That ACE Pacer flew great on a Cox Tee Dee .051 and two channels, aileron and elevator. The foam wings were a little weak and would often break in mid-flight. The Falcon 56 was a good flyer too. Adding a muffler robbed quite a bit of power, changed optimum the needle setting and added nose weight, sometime throwing the Center of gravity too far forward. So- it looks like he had problem getting airborne with up elevator.

[@abrampl]

Damn! I was born in 1978 ...

[@OregonMotorcycle]

Rumors say this video has better resolution than their servos.

[@helithunder56]

Now this is a fun video to watch…those were the days

[@ghoward6797]

This brings back memories, and to think how far the technology has progressed over the years. Lol I don't know if I can still fly with out safe select on half the time

[@rustandoil]

Born in '61 and involved in the R/C hobby and industry all my life 😉

[@smacfe4076]

R/C had come quite a bit further than this by 1974. In 1971, Jim Martin was doing serrated knife edge passes 10 feet off the ground from horizon to horizon. Digital radios like Kraft and Pro-Line were almost bulletproof and even a kid like me could put on quite a display with a Kaos.

[@dougtaylor8735]

Lots of fun. Built (and crashed) lots of Ugly Sticks. Carried an 8 mm movie camera up one time for some in flight video. Go pros are a lot handier. Also rigged up a bomb drop mechanism for water balloons. Lots of memories with good friends. Thanks for the look back.

[@charlescarter6146]

Love the tx antennas, long as fishing poles.

[@DoctoreE644]

Did my first C/L flight in 1960 or '61. Lots of crashes and lots and lots of fun actually flying! Never got into R/C; flat out couldn't afford it, etc., on military pay and a very small flight deck, (a 327' weather ship in the North Atlantic). 😂

[@tennriverluver3534]

I would have been 13 then and received my first plane. A Cox control line P-51 that I promptly destroyed on it's first flight lmao. RC was way to complicated back then. I didn't start fixed wing until 5 years ago and now have a lifetimes worth of planes to make up for all that lost fun!🤣

[@dougclapp]

I promptly destoyed 9 airplanes before I could get one to stay in the air. In retrospect, great fun!

[@mfkhometheater7742]

Brings back memories, that's about the time I was just getting started in RC. Thanks for posting this!

[@txkflier]

My R/C flying was kind of like that prior to 1970. By 1974, I could fly anything..

[@dougclapp]

Fabulous KZbin site you have. No nasty gasoline or prop cuts. We had RF transmitters. Equivilent to Bluetooth today. At your speed we would be out of range in seconds !

[@tenlittleindians]

​@@dougclapp Not quite. We had 27Mhz and 72 Mhz back then from what I remember and they had far more range than Bluetooth. You ordered your radio with a specific frequency within one of those two bands. Those yellow Kraft radios were popular here in Eastern Iowa on the 27mhz band but my grandfather ordered his Orbit radio on 72mhz because it was rather new in the 60's and he had less chance of being shot down by another guy's transmitter at that time. I still have my grandfather's receipts and that radio was over $500 Dollars back then! A second hand car cost less back then.

[@samuelcruz9258]

Empecé en el 87 y aún confío en el control fm .todavía tengo 2.

[@jdplus3]

You know, we only had the 4 servos that came with our Futaba. And a huge receiver wrapped in foam rubber. And no buddy box. And a lot of planes perished on the first flight. Or you were suddenly shot down by a stray 72 MHz signal.

[@gmm6885]

Always remember ...planes were designed to fly.......a landing is nothing more than a controlled crash!! Thanks for posting ....peace to all✌️

[@Jimmyzb36]

Thanks for the video! You were fortunate to have footage of your adventures in RC. I wish that I had some archive footage. Anyway,,, Thank you. BTW, First radio was a Heathkit 8 channel single stick which my Dad and I built. Jimmy KN4UXO

[@capnhardway]

Really cool, I was more unfortunately into model rockets then..

[@hondaxl250k0]

Nothing like bloody fingers covered in nitro and a screaming 049 on a Saturday morning.. my childhood.

[@I_am_archie]

Nice!

[@theqslearningmethod]

"It only took us 16 years to learn how to fly these things ..." Hahahahahahaha. Yes, indeed ... !!!

[@Johnellenberger1]

Really neat to see how it was done back then...I really liked the plane that looked like a Skywalker with Snoopy in it...

[@johnroberts3723]

I can still smell the fumes from the glow fuel on the wind.

[@2wings1bird46]

👍👏👏

[@scottdanner5967]

Yes yes, please do......!!

[@jamesweed8510]

Now on board gyros mini PC does all the work compensating while you steer

[@will3kgt]

I was born in '74.

[@tonywright8294]

I was born under a wandering star 😁

[@paulbizard3493]

Lots of 1/2A...

[@Toscanto]

Il.me semble qu'il y'a du digitale en fin de video ....!!

[@johnnichol9412]

Remember how all the magazine photos had a young girl in a bikini or mini dress posing with the model, I never did work out whether it made the them fly any better. The other is at 0:32 as so often happens, run like hell, then stop to throw the model.

[@ovalwingnut]

I wonder why they didn't opt for "gyros" for a little better control? Not to mention this would have been GR8T in HD ;O) Thank you!

[@ralphhowing3473]

That 8mm footage is hard on the o'l eyes.