Vintage Radio Control Systems

A lot has changed in radio control since I purchased my first system sometime around 1974. It was a used, 3-channel OS Digital system. The servos jittered to beat all, and the range was lucky to go as far as 1,000 feet. It was sent back to the factory for re-tuning and check-up two or three times, and it came back the same every time. In that day, all the transmitters and receivers had metal cases -and it's a good thing because one time I sent the transmitter on the top of my friend's 1965 Mustang while loading the plan into the car, then forgot about it until I saw it hit the road while looking in the side mirror. It had a couple scratches, but worked as poorly as ever.

Come to think of it, the OS 3-channel was not the first radio system I owned, but it was the first I bought. The first set was actually a single-channel Citizen-Ship Model SPX job that a friend of mine gave to me because he bought it and discovered he had no interest in it. My original is long gone, but I did buy one on eBay a while back just as a reminder of the days of yore.

While looking back at some of the editions of American Aircraft Modeler from the time I first joined the Academy of Model Aviation (AMA), I ran across a lot of familiar old advertisements. As with almost all other things electronics, the quality has obviously gotten better while prices remain the same or drop. It's been a good ride for modelers. In trying to find some of the old ads online, I could not locate any, so what the heck - I scanned some of the pages and put them here. I think all of the companies are out of business now (except Futaba). A lot of these RC systems can still be bought on eBay.

OS Digital 6-Channel World Engines American Aircraft Modeler 1970	OS Digital 3-Channel World Engines American Aircraft Modeler 1970	OS Digital 2-Channel World Engines American Aircraft Modeler 1970	Micon American Aircraft Modeler 19
Heathkit 5-Channel American Aircraft Modeler 1968 See 1970 ad here		Heathkit 8-Channel American Aircraft Modeler 1975
Hallco Products Galloping Ghost System (see actuator detail) American Aircraft Modeler 1968		Royal 2-Channel American Aircraft Modeler 1968
Balsa Corporation of America 3-Channel American Aircraft Modeler 1968		Cirrus 3-, 4-, 6-Channel American Aircraft Modeler 1975
Ace RC Adams Baby Actuator American Aircraft Modeler 1968	Ace RC Sim-Plus Galloping Ghost  Transmitter Kit American Aircraft Modeler 1968	Min-X 2-Channel American Aircraft Modeler 1968	Cannon 2-Channel American Aircraft Modeler 1968
Futaba 5-Channel American Aircraft Modeler 1975		Ace RC Jansson Galloping Ghost American Aircraft Modeler 1968
Hobby Lobby 5-Channel American Aircraft Modeler 1975		MRC 2-, 3-, 5-Channel American Aircraft Modeler 1975
Hobby Shack 2-Channel American Aircraft Modeler 1972		EK Logictrol 4-Channel (single stick) American Aircraft Modeler 1972
Ace Single-Channel Pulse Commander & 1-, 2-Channel Galloping Ghost Click HERE for detailed photographs of the system and the entire Owner's Manual American Aircraft Modeler 1972
Hallco 3-Channel Galloping Ghost Actuator American Aircraft Modeler 1968