RC Model Planes: History

To Air is Human

The year was 1903. The place, Kitty Hawk, a beach off the coast of North Carolina. Orville and Wilbur Wright had just succeeded in getting the first airplane off the ground. Sure their "flight" only lasted a few seconds, but it was a giant leap for mankind, who had never before left terra firma in anything other than a blimp or hot air balloon.

A couple of decades later, the first model planes emerged. Basic in their design, they were built from spruce, pine, basswood, balsa, fragile glue, and a tissue paper like substance called silk span. Most modellers used tacks to keep the wood in place, which made the crafts quite heavy.

To RC is Divine

Many of the early pioneers of RC model planes were involved in amateur radio. Two of these trailblazers were Ross Hull and Clinton DeSoto. The pair would eventually go on to fly several RC gliders in the first public demonstration of controlled flights.

But it is Walter and Bill Good, who are credited with building the first RC model plane in 1937 for the Nationals RC event in Detroit. The twins christened their firstborn the "Guff". The Guff had an 8-foot wingspan and weighed 8.5 pounds. Its radio had only two frequencies, one for the rudder and the other for the elevator control. The Guff's servos were mounted directly on the tail surfaces and an outlet and long extension cord powered the transmitter. It is now on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

The Plane Facts: