The Birth Of R/C

Thomas B

Member
We actually owe the birth of the radio control hobby to Mr. Tesla, who demonstrated a radio controlled model boat in New York City in 1898.

The Good brothers are certainly the fathers of powered RC aircraft.

A very obscure rc glider project in South Africa was evidently the first radio controlled aircraft, created around 1918-1922, if I remember correctly. One of the RC model magazines had an article complete with pictures about this glider project. I have never been able to locate this article again, or find any other info.
 
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Piotrsko

Master member
Hmmm marconi style reciever and transmitter.......spark gap......wonder how many channels and range. Wouldn't ever be a frequency congestion problem, though.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Hmmm marconi style reciever and transmitter.......spark gap......wonder how many channels and range. Wouldn't ever be a frequency congestion problem, though.

Was actually a single channel that operated a solenoid to ratchet a rubber band powered mechanism for the rudder control to bounce between left center and right fixed angles.
 

Matthewdupreez

Legendary member
We actually owe the birth of the radio control hobby to Mr. Tesla, who demonstrated a radio controlled model boat in New York City in 1898.

The Good brothers are certainly the fathers of powered RC aircraft.

A very obscure rc glider project in South Africa was evidently the first radio controlled aircraft, created around 1918-1922, if I remember correctly. One of the RC model magazines had an article complete with pictures about this glider project. I have never been able to locate this article again, or find any other info.
oooh... i must find that, as a south african, that is very much of interest to me