Author Topic: Who flew the first teatherd powered aeroplane . (Read 1912 times)

Air Ministry . · « **on:** August 13, 2007, 07:22:50 PM »

and when.?

Tom Perry · « **Reply #1 on:** August 13, 2007, 07:51:18 PM »

Oba St Clair flew one in 1937

See his biography here:

http://www.modelaircraft.org/museum/bio/StClair.pdf

Paul Smith · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2007, 10:00:26 PM »

Great article. Interesting that the first three pioneers of Control Line got started by sueing each other in Federal District Court, and two out of the three became heros of CL.

Note: the pictures in the article - a few more ideas for "new" OTS designs. Maybe ATS (Ancient).

Trostle · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2007, 10:20:34 PM »

In his book "Pioneers of Control Line Flying", Charles Mackey starts the first chapter asking "Who was First" and gives a bit of philosophy about if it mattered or not. He also outlined that some, including the British did "round the pole flying" in the winter months with rubber powered models. The second chapter was about Oba St Clair with the statement that "the first model airplane to fly on lines with elevator, throttle rudder and aileron controls on July 4, 1937. It was flown from the center of the circle in moder control line fashion by Oba St Clair."

Mackey's book is available from PAMPA Products as well as the AMA.

Keith

Air Ministry . · « **Reply #4 on:** August 20, 2007, 02:17:50 AM »

We ' ll drop a hint . _ It had an External Combustion Engine !

Matt.

Marvin Denny · « **Reply #5 on:** August 20, 2007, 11:51:10 AM »

Teathered does not necessarily mean "U" Control--- right"

Perhaps "G" line and one of the Stanzels. 1935??

Bigiron

Air Ministry . · « **Reply #6 on:** August 25, 2007, 04:24:44 PM »

Was actually way before our time , as it had a STEAM ENGINE ( external COMBUSTION )

Have to look up the chaps name . Apparently he was going to build a big one for his butler to fly,
But the chap 'took his leave ' rather smartly on hearing this ! 1800 and something .

John Miller · « **Reply #7 on:** September 05, 2007, 03:08:03 PM »

Strictly from memory, so it may be flawed, but there was an early heavier than air design that was tethered and flew, briefly, above a circular track. This occured in the late 1800's. It very well may have been in Merry Olde, but the memory seems hazy on that point. I seem to recall that the butler was slated to ride this machine, and did indeed take a hike.

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #8 on:** October 18, 2007, 01:56:07 PM »

And here I thought it was me with my tethered plane off the Wheaties box during world war two.

joe renfro · « **Reply #9 on:** December 08, 2007, 01:01:57 AM »

Hi Marvin..you mentioned the Stanzels...funny..I spoke to Ted Stanzel today..something took me to their
web site..They are closing the doors after all this time...they are still in Schulenberg,Texas...I think they have some bulk balsa for sale fairly cheap if you want a lot of it...He was looking for a place for it to go...Victor Stanzel was his uncle...

Bram Anker · « **Reply #10 on:** July 07, 2010, 07:05:39 AM »

Look up 'Victor Tatin' in google.
French, 1870's.

Rgds, Bram Anker

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #11 on:** July 07, 2010, 10:02:18 AM »

Some of these were tethered: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_flight.

But I don't know which ones. Early experimenters generally fell into three camps: small models that actually flew; large unsuccessful models that either didn't get off the ground, didn't fly far, or killed their hapless pilots; and gliders (some of which killed their pilots, like Lillenthal). I know that some of the powered ones (full size or model) were either tethered to a pole or attached to a carriage riding on a rail.

It would be fascinating if someone could dig up a comprehensive history of tethered flight up to the 1940's or so. Even what Oba St. Clair was doing was considerably different from modern control line -- his thrust was "four channel" control; Walker may have patented St. Clair's work inappropriately, but Walker also had a stroke of genius in simplifying it all down to pitch control only.

Brett Buck · « **Reply #12 on:** July 07, 2010, 11:03:21 AM »

Quote from: Tom Perry on August 13, 2007, 07:51:18 PM

Oba St Clair flew one in 1937

See his biography here:

http://www.modelaircraft.org/museum/bio/StClair.pdf

Just "tethered" was A LONG time before that. I doubt we know for sure, but it was almost certainly in the mid 1800's. You can pretty quickly get it back to the 1880s but the more you dig the earlier it is.

Brett

Chris Edinger · « **Reply #13 on:** March 14, 2011, 10:17:25 PM »

well guys.. just tried that link for ... the umpteenth...LOL>. time.. and AMA site says it is a bad link... sorrry.. I would like to read it

Keith Renecle · « **Reply #14 on:** March 17, 2011, 09:42:25 AM »

As Bram Anker mentioned, Victor Tatin did this in the 1870's. At the 2008 world champs in Landres, France, there was a special plaque dedicated to Victor. Here are a couple of pics.

Keith R

Dean Pappas · « **Reply #15 on:** April 01, 2011, 10:15:03 AM »

Quote from: John Miller on September 05, 2007, 03:08:03 PM

Strictly from memory, so it may be flawed, but there was an early heavier than air design that was tethered and flew, briefly, above a circular track. This occured in the late 1800's. It very well may have been in Merry Olde, but the memory seems hazy on that point. I seem to recall that the butler was slated to ride this machine, and did indeed take a hike.

That sounds like Sir George Cayley.

Dean P.

Howard Rush · « **Reply #16 on:** April 01, 2011, 07:19:16 PM »

Horatio Phillips flew a steam-powered monster on a 100-foot tether in 1893. He also made a wind tunnel, but didn't learn much from it, because of flaws in the way he did the testing. He did figure out that cambered airfoils were better than flat plates.

Larry Renger · « **Reply #17 on:** April 05, 2011, 12:09:03 PM »

Well there was the biblical David with his "rock on a string". Does that qualify?

Dave Adamisin · « **Reply #18 on:** April 05, 2011, 12:53:54 PM »

Pic of Victor's actual plane from Wiki. Counter rotators WOW.

Jim Pollock · « **Reply #19 on:** April 10, 2011, 07:21:34 AM »

My Jan 1971 Model Airplane News say it was 1877 in France!

Jim Pollock

Author Topic: Who flew the first teatherd powered aeroplane . (Read 1912 times)

Dave Adamisin