wonwinglo
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 6,754
- Points
- 113
- First Name
- Barry
With the second world war came many restrictions for the aeromodeller,especially in the UK where it was prohibited to fly power models either by free flight or early radio control,model engines got fitted into alloy bodied early racing cars tethered so the car ran around at great speed ! Quietly working away in America was a chap called Jim Walker who was developing a system to fly model aircraft by 'U-Control' this entailed a model connected by lines to a bellcrank within its fuselage which cntrolled the up and down pitching movement of the model,this in turn was connected to a control handle which gave the flyer a real one-to-one connection with the model in flight,yes Control line flying as we call it here was born.
Kit manufacturers throughout the land were producing kits to fulfill the need,every park or small open space in the country saw control line flying at weekends,the new model flying cult hit Britain albeit the world in a big way,this at last was a way to fly a model in a confined space.
Like all good things there were problems,it seems the continual concentration of noise in areas near housing estates etc would mean that complaints were forthcoming,most parks eventually banned control line flying even those that had circles made up from tarmac,modellers moved out to disused airfields to practise.
Jim Walkers dream became a reality as the U-Control system swept the States,every U.S.A.F base had a club where members of the forces relaxed and gyrated at weekends with a variety of models including such beauties as B-29 Bombers with throttle control lumbering into the air.
So Jim Walkers name became connected with one of the most revolutionery systems of flying models in recent years,but there was something else before this that started the craze,you ill have to wait for the story behind that one !
Kit manufacturers throughout the land were producing kits to fulfill the need,every park or small open space in the country saw control line flying at weekends,the new model flying cult hit Britain albeit the world in a big way,this at last was a way to fly a model in a confined space.
Like all good things there were problems,it seems the continual concentration of noise in areas near housing estates etc would mean that complaints were forthcoming,most parks eventually banned control line flying even those that had circles made up from tarmac,modellers moved out to disused airfields to practise.
Jim Walkers dream became a reality as the U-Control system swept the States,every U.S.A.F base had a club where members of the forces relaxed and gyrated at weekends with a variety of models including such beauties as B-29 Bombers with throttle control lumbering into the air.
So Jim Walkers name became connected with one of the most revolutionery systems of flying models in recent years,but there was something else before this that started the craze,you ill have to wait for the story behind that one !