Off Topic: "Old Days"

My first R/C Model was a Sterling "Minnie Mambo" controlled (occasionally) by a Citizenship Escapement System, and ordered for me by my Uncle Wayne from the Stanton Hobby Store for princely sum of $25 plus postage. The total package represented a LOT of mowed yards, returned bottle deposits, and laps around town selling GRIT newspapers. It was a ton of money to spend on a single "toy".

I didn't have a clue as to how an "escapement" worked, and was shocked to discover my new radio was powered (in part) by a rubber band! As the Minnie gradually went together in my corner of our room, I slowly figured out the nature of this electronic gadget that had put such a dent in my nickle & dime model airplane funds.

At first, I was happy just to get the tiny relay to "click" on command from the transmitter's spring-loaded push switch, and well remember the thrill of the first control cycle working the rudder of the nearly finished Minnie. Radio and remote control is not a big deal today, but in 1968, it was magic for a kid to push a button here, and have a device react over there!



Push the button and hold it...the rudder stopped on the right...release the button...and it cycled...hitting the left side for an instant and before it returned to neutral. Push the button quickly twice...stopping on the second push, and the rudder stopped on the left....release, and it returned to neutral...all physically moved by an unwinding rubber band! The sum of your control with escapement !

Pre-flight included: fueling, winding the escapement's rubber band, and turning on the radio and checking that it worked...neutral...clunk-clunk-clunk...neutral.

The Minnie's first flight was late in the evening, at a giant clover field next to my Uncle's house. I handed the transmitter to my Cousin Bobby so that I could concentrate on giving my plane a good hand-launch. With the Babe Bee running at full-tilt, I shoved the plane out across the clover, and watched as it started a graceful climb to the left. I was so amazed that it actually flew, I forgot all about the transmitter Bobby was babysitting, and just stood there for a moment, watching as the plane circled.

Suddenly realizing that I was supposed to be flying it, I grabbed the transmitter, waited for the Minnie to turn out from us, and punched in the command for right rudder. The plane broke into a right turn, and I nearly passed out ! I was an R.C. Pilot!

The first flight was perfect (others less so) as the Minnie used up it's fuel and glided back down. My final command leveled the wings before it slid into the clover. It was too dark to try another flight, but that was OK...I was a proud peacock to be returning home with my now veteran flying machine still in one piece!

This day is listed near top of my all-time favorite memories.