In 1952, I decided to try radio control, however the only license free radio was the first Citizenship radio in the 435 MHZ band and far too expensive for a college student. I began working on a ham license, however before I finished, the FCC authorized the first citizens band for kits (27.255). When I saw the first ad for a Berkley Super Airtrol kit for $49.95 complete with transmitter, receiver, tubes, and crystal, I stopped working on the ham license and started saving my pennies (and they really were pennies in those days). In early 1953, I became the proud owner of a bag of resisters, condensers, wire, and vacuum tubes. I also bought a Berkley Bootstraps PAA load model and an OK Cub 14 engine. I never did get the receiver working well enough to trust in the Bootstraps before entering the Air Force later that year.
In 1956, I was stationed at Tyndall AFB, Florida and had the good fortune to have Jim Kirkland as the first sergeant of my squadron. Jim was flying the first really successful RC model I had ever seen so I retrieved the Bootstraps, recovered it with drag chute nylon, and built a Lorenz two tube receiver like the one Jim used. Jim then taught me how to fly RC. I still have the Bootstraps and the Lorenz receiver. I missed the reed era when I returned to college and dropped out of modeling for two years. In 1967, my finances had recovered enough to afford my first real multichannel radio. It only cost a month's take home pay and I didn't want to be shot down by a good buddy so I finished getting my ham license and bought a Microavionics radio on 53 mhz. Only 27 mhz CB channels were available back then. AMA getting the 72 mhz channels were what made modern RC practical. Incidentally 27 mhz frequencies are still legal and are much safer to use now that all the good buddies have abandoned 27 mhz for the new license free ham bands. Their relay stations have now made my old 53.4 frequency unusable on my local field. So much for progress. For you younger whipper-snappers, Jim Kirkland was one of the top RC flyers of the 1960's and won the Nats twice. Chuck Anderson RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off.
