When and what was the first controline aircraft?

[Andrew Tinsley]

  I have just been speaking to an old gentleman here in the UK. He wanted to know when was the first control line aircraft and what was it called? His father apparently built an early tethered plane here in the UK before WW2.
  I have a vague recollection that the very first control line aircraft was flown in the USA in the late 1920's early 1930's. I don't know if it was simply a tethered free flight type, or if it had elevator control via some form of two line bellcrank. Is there a plan of this "first" lurking anywhere? The old fellow seems to have the skills of split bamboo and tissue, he was saying he would like to build a replica! Can anyone help?

Regards,

Andrew.

[Andrew Borgogna]

Mid 1950's Jimmy Walker Firebaby.  Never did get it to fly a complete lap.  It had a OK Cub .049 and it was the number one road block to getting it to fly.
Andy

[Tim Wescott]

You could always do a web search: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_line

The first documented controlled flight using wires was by Oba St. Clair; since St. Clair was based in Eugene, Oregon (100 miles from Portland) and he flew demonstration flights in or close to Gresham, Oregon (right next door to Portland) there's reason to believe that Jim Walker heard about or saw his flights long before 'inventing' U-control.

Quite a few of the early aviation experimenters flew tethered models, but didn't try to control them.

[FLOYD CARTER]

Oba St Clair was a member of our Eugene Prop Spinners.  <Many olde timers in our club remember him, and have many stories of Oba, his models, and his flights.  He is generally regarded as flying the first control-line model plane (which still exists at his daughter's home).

That was, of course, before my time.  I joined the Prop Spinners in 2002, when I moved to Eugene, Oregon

Floyd  In Eugene Oregon

Oregon State Motto:  "Don't believe the Bible:  WE invented rain."

[Mark Scarborough]

Yep, Oba St Clair
As for plans, I know of a set drawn up for that original plane, Pat Johnston, and another person, maybe John Miller? worked on them with Oba's daughter up until last year when they were completed I beleive.
As I recall it was a high wing cabin type airframe?

[jim ivey]

Does anyone remeberwhat year Vic Stanzel built and flew the super "V" shark? vic was the inventor of the monoline system. I had a superV shark kit given to me.I think it was from the late 30s or early 40s it had no bellcrank. The leadouts went through 2 tubes about an inch and a half long anchored inside the fuse. that  were  bent with large radi directly toward the elevator. dont know if it worked I never built it. I think i gave it to someone maybe D.K. or Hi. And worse yet it was a 60 size engine suggested as power.  super cyc or OK ignition. I had a "tarpon and an AJ Fireball as well (mid 40s) never built either one of those. I did however build the bill warner "strato-cat" had an OnR bluehead 29 on it.  I lrarned how to do inside loops with it. It finally got killed trying to do outside loops.It had many more than 9 lives. It was a hollow log fuse that was held togeather with nrubber bands. Top flew off one day and it still flew ok so it never had a top after that. No paint no clear just bare balsa. I t got more n more fuel soaked. I think I cried when the "Cat" died for good It had almost as much testors fast dry as wood. it must've been fixed 20 or more times. As you can y=tell I learned to fly by myself me in the center the old man outside yellin at me. But we got er done! He was so proud when I won in that first contest I  think it was 3rd

[Rudy Taube]

Hi Andrew,

Here is a link to the founder of CL. He holds the patent for inventing CL. There is a lot of info. here. His company mfg. 230 MILLION ARF planes, many of them CL models.

       http://www.americanjuniorclassics.com/

It is no surprise that the trophy named after him is an honor to win.

[Tim Wescott]

Here is a link to the founder of CL. He holds the patent for inventing CL. There is a lot of info. here. His company mfg. 230 MILLION ARF planes, many of them CL models.

Held.  Here's a link to a story about the trial where his patent was overturned: http://obastclair.com/biography/trial.html.

[Douglas Ames]

Here's a link to a story about the trial where his patent was overturned: http://obastclair.com/biography/trial.html.

And rightfully so!
After the dust settled I think the Judge had it right. A classic case of someone seizing upon "Un-patented opportunities".
I'm guessing Oba St. Clair didn't realize the future of Control line after the war.
Why hasn't Oba's family donated "Miss Shirley" to the AMA museum? THE first C/L model?!

[Tim Wescott]

Why hasn't Oba's family donated "Miss Shirley" to the AMA museum? THE first C/L model?!

"Hi, I'm the museum director from the AMA -- you know, the people who give out a perpetual trophy in the name of the guy who patented your father's ideas without his permission.  We'd like to take your chief memento of him and put it in a museum 2000 miles away from your home."

Were I Oba's kid, I'd hang onto the thing, and donate it in my will.

[PJ Rowland]

Im pretty sure this was the first Control line model circa 1903.
You can even see the model box in the front foreground

- Flying at a nice 6 foot I might add.

[john e. holliday]

Another backwards CL'r.  Yes Jim Waler is the father of control line as we know it.  If I remember rightm  Oba had a different method.  I seen the actual model some one had that had a dowel rod with a pully wheel the lines wrapped around.  A lever off the dowel rod to move the elevator up and down.  If you look at the early model plans, they dod not show a bellcrank system for control.  How much would Jim have gotten for royalties on the patent?  Also look as how much he did for modeling and our great country.