Model flying - an overview
The hobby of model flying has been growing since the early part of the 20th century, and it's important to note that flying model aircraft aren't by any means restricted to radio control.
It is, however, fair to say that rc aircraft do make up the largest sector of the model flying hobby and this has been reinforced since the late 1990s, with the rapid advance in electronic technology. This ongoing global electronic revolution has changed the face of radio control flying, making it more affordable and available to the masses than ever before.
But before reliable radio control appeared in the hobby world, modelers were enjoying flying a wide variety of free flight and control line model airplanes.
The 1930s saw a pre-war surge in such airplanes as model diesel engines were developed. Then post-war times saw an even bigger interest in model flying, with so many minds having been enthused by the arial activities of the war period.
But electronic components were big and bulky during that time, and it wasn't until the mid 1950s that homemade single channel radio control systems were being built by enthusiastic and knowledgeable modelers and electronic experts to put into their large-scale free flight model airplanes.
This paved the way for commercial rc systems to slowly develop, and these started to become available during the 1960s. Radio control has grown in popularity ever since.
Free flight and control line model flying
These are two terms that refer to non-rc model flying. These two often overlooked sectors of the hobby are still popular today, but maybe not quite as much as radio control.
A free flight model airplane is one that is flown under its own power but has no means of directional control from the ground. In short, the engine is started and the airplane is launched, and left to fly on its own.
Above, launching a free flight model. Image © www.freeflight.org
The plane will have been trimmed in advance, perhaps with a small trim tab on the trailing edge of the rudder, or the rudder itself may be set. This trim will determine the flight pattern of the model, wide circles following a steep climb-out being the common option.
Free flight models can be rubber powered, electric powered or gas powered. Rubber and electric models can be flown indoors if they are small enough, in fact indoor free flight meetings are a very common thing.
Where fuel is concerned in gas powered models, the tank is filled with a very small amount so as to limit the plane's flight time - unless a free flight endurance record is underway! Of course, in this day and age, there are electronic cut-off gadgets available that are time-sensitive. These are programmed to shut down the engine after a set amount of time, leaving the airplane to glide safely back to land.
There are no hard rules for free flight times, but the longer the flight, the more chance there is of the airplane going astray if it hasn't been properly trimmed, or if wind conditions aloft aren't as expected!
As satisfying as flying a radio control model is, watching a free flight model airplane make its own way around the sky is equally as fulfilling, maybe more so in many ways.
Control line model flying is still a popular sector of the hobby and is an important mark in the history of model flying.
Developed in the late 1930s, it was the first method of controlling a model airplane and as model diesel engines became more available and more powerful during this decade, so control line flying became more popular.
A control line airplane has 2 long control wires connecting the elevator to a handle, not unlike a kite handle, that is held by the pilot. The pilot stands in one spot and flies the plane around himself, rotating all the time with the plane.
By moving the handle forward or back, the wires pull or push on the elevator giving altitude control to the plane. By doing this, the pilot can perform a variety of maneuvers all within an imaginary hemisphere, the size of which is determined by the length of the control wires.
There is no need for directional control of course, as the airplane is forced to fly the circle around the pilot.
Above, a control line airplane in action (look for the 2 control wires). Image from Webshots.
Control line airplanes don't need to be big (although they can be) but they can be very fast. Speed records, races and combat games are just a few of the arial activities that control line pilots can enjoy.
Control line flying is sometimes, unfortunately, compared to hurling a brick on a string around your head, by those not in the know! Nothing could be further from the truth - because of the speed of the planes and the proximity to the ground, it takes skill and concentration to fly a control line airplane well.
A factor of control line flying that mustn't be ignored is dizziness! Standing in one spot and spinning round repeatedly makes a person dizzy, yet this is exactly what control line pilots face. But with practice, the dizziness can be suppressed and won't be a dangerous problem!
Both free flight and control line airplanes will always be loved by many, and they will always make up a big sector of the model flying hobby. Radio control will always be the most popular though, and this is undisputed.
Whether you choose to get into radio control, free flight or control line, model flying is an excellent and exhilarating hobby. It'll get you outdoors and mixing with plenty of like-minded folk. But beware... it's very addictive!
Related pages & resources
Why fly rc airplanes? - thoughts on getting in to rc flying.
RC model flying - for more info on radio control flying.
National Free Flight Society (US) - for more info on free flight.
Control line tutorials - for more info on control line flying.
