Taken outside the official hotel at the First F3A World Championships in 1960.  Dübendorf near Zurich, Switzerland.

What a line up!  Legendary pilots from the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Add one or two more names and I believe we have the pioneers of the world of radio control flying.

Please let me know the names of others who should be included in the list. ( Phil Kraft, USA?.  M Kato, Japan?  Geoff Franklin, UK?  ........................


Left to right:

Stewart Uwins, life long friend of Chris Olsen. He started a company called Southern Radio Control selling radio systems under the brand name "Skyleader".

Bob Dunham. One of the American team. Went on to design and sell the famous "Orbit" RC systems.

Harold De Bolt. One of the American team. Designed his own aerobatic aircraft.

Chris Olsen. One of the British team. A true pioneer having originally built his own RC equipment and designer of the famous "Uproar".

George Honnest Redlich. Wrote the first published book on Radio Control in 1950. Designed the radio systems for "ED" (Electronic Developments) who manufactured their own range of model engines. Went on to manufacture his own systems "REP" (Radio & Electronic Products). Chris used his ten-channel systems at first and later the Skyleader systems.

Jim Crawley, a friend of Frank Van Den Burgh.

Dr. Walter Good. One of the American team. Famous for the "Rudder Bug", one of the first aeroplanes designed for single channel RC.

Ed Kazmirski. One of the American team. Designed the "Orion", first really successful kitted low wing aerobatic aeroplane, (and later the Taurus).

Elaine and Frank Van Den Burgh. British team members. Frank was one of the most consistent UK pilots at this time. After placing 3rd at the 1959 British Nationals at RAF Scampton, with his yellow ‘Sky Duster’ and with other more significant successes behind him, Frank went on to produce the more functional looking ‘Sky Dancer’ with simple clean lines, tricycle u/c, an un-silenced Merco 49 and his reliable ‘Orbit 10 superhet’ radio. Frank flew Sky Dancer to 1st place at each subsequent year’s British Nationals up to 1964 and took 4th place at the 1962 World Champs at RAF Kenley.  The Vertigo was one of his best known models.  

 

Below: Believed to be taken at the 1960 R-C1 (F3A) World Championships

Stewart Uwins checks the controls on his Frog Jackdaw with

George Honnest - Redlich (Center) and Ed Johnson, UK Team Manager.

 

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