The PANDAS 'Single-Channel & Retro R/C' Event 2024

With an uncertain weather forecast, numbers were slightly down on previous years but the weatherman got it wrong, we had a brilliant weekend with none of the threatened rain, some wind but quite flyable Saturday, then much calmer on the Sunday, the actual day of the S/C & Retro R/C event - and a great time was had by all :-)

[@MH-fb5kr]

BRAVO to all… a wonderful hobby!

[@adecarnally5501]

Excellent!

[@tonywright8294]

My favorite was the KK Snipe very nice 👍

[@WoBlink1961]

Glad you got some extra mileage out of the 'mid air' clip!!! I was only trying to get some close up video.......😂😂😂😂 By, that Snipe was a work of art though..............

[@EleanorPeterson]

You, sir, are a cad, sir! Let me buy you a drink...😁

[@EnglishTurbines]

Sure I spotted a KK Bandit.....😳😳😏😀🇬🇧

[@EleanorPeterson]

Oh, come on now, guys: you know that Li-Po electric flight doesn't count! 😁

[@rafaelsuarez7415]

Bravo !

[@skipstalforce]

So glad to see this, modern RC has become just boring. Was thinking about building a model with rubber escapement single channel just for fun.

[@PHILG2864]

Hi single-channel on the button is brilliant fun but we tend to avoid escapements for safety, all our S/C gear is on 2.4g or 35mhz, with none of the reliability problems that were typical back in the day. Come & join us! www.singlechannel.co.uk

[@jonathanturner7182]

Fabulous

[@yakacm]

What does the 1 channel do? I assume it's aileron or rudder, or can you do both from the 1 servo?

[@EleanorPeterson]

Just rudder. One servo. Lots of fun.🙂 Early transmitters weren't proportional (no stick, sticks or gimbals); you just had one button to press. One tap for left, two taps for right, big polythene bag to collect the bits afterwards...

[@peterworsley4699]

The Wright brothers successfully coupled their wing warping (aileron) to their rudder.

[@PHILG2864]

@@EleanorPeterson The physical design of British 'Elmic' compound escapements imposed 'one for right, two for left' and we try to maintain this as the convention, though some American escapements (Babcock etc) were reversed - but we never saw those over here in the UK. Since we now have the option of either, we try to get newcomers to stick with the convention 🙂 Compound operation permits much more than 'just rudder'. The Elmic Compact escapement introduced 'kick-up' elevator on three presses, and the Elmic Corporal was an escapement used for throttle control, operated by a very quick tap of the transmitter button. So a 'full-house' single-channel button-radio setup could have rudder, kick-up elevator and throttle - all of which are provided as options on our modern S/C button radios. An intermediate setup of just rudder and throttle is common, especially with electric flight. And the reliability of modern day S/C means that the polythene bag is very seldom necessary 🙂 Incidentally, there are many aileron-only single-channel designs for example the X-Kraft and Banker are two that spring to mind, there were quite a few. There were also CAR (coupled aileron & rudder) models too, but bear in mind that the very weak torque of a rubber-band escapement would struggle to move 3 surfaces. Of course back in the day many single-channel flyers used sequential escapements which simply gave alternate left & right, and you had to remember which way you turned last. Our modern S/C gear provides for sequential if that is a preference but most of us use compound 🙂 Cheers - Phil www.singlechannel.co.uk or www.mccrash-racing.co.uk/sc

[@bobi2582]

Where and when is this held? Been to Cocklebarrow and this looks similar.

[@PHILG2864]

Its an annual event held at Pontefract Park, details here: www.singlechannel.co.uk We do welcome 'conventional' vintage models with 'conventional' radios but the crux of the meeting is "Single Channel and Retro R/C" meaning retro radios from 1950-1980 ish, returned to service in modern guise, this year was not really typical due to the windy conditions but if you check previous years videos you'll see single-channel, reeds, pulse, and galloping-ghost. By single-channel we mean a button radio, one press for right, two for left, just like 1960s escapement control. This makes it a truly unique event even worldwide, there are no single-channel 'button radio' meetings anywhere other than ours at Ponty. A real time-warp. As I said, we welcome all retro flyers even if they use modern gear, but 'Retro R/C' is what makes our event unique 🙂 Do please check previous years videos, especially those with a good galloping-ghost turnout! - they're all on this channel back to 2013. Cheers - Phil_G

[@bobi2582]

Ok. Thanks for that. Sounds like fun. I haven't got anything old than 35mhz but do have some vintage RC models.