| The Realization of a Dream | | | | muffler. The landing gear was severely bent |
| | | | and the engine would have to be completely |
| Since I was probably old enough to hold a | | | | broken down, cleaned, and tested before there |
| transmitter in my tiny hands, I have been an | | | | would ever be another flight. I gathered all |
| avid fan of radio control hobbies. As a kid | | | | of my gear, picked up my plane, and left the |
| growing up, I mostly tinkered with R/C cars | | | | small field that was supposed to have been my |
| and trucks. But almost 20 years ago, as I was | | | | field of dreams. It was there that my |
| nearing the end of my teens, I got an itch to | | | | airplane was supposed to defy logic and |
| start flying. Actually, I wanted to buy an | | | | gravity. It was there that I was to take this |
| ultralight aircraft, but not having an extra | | | | composition of wood and glue and metal and |
| $10,000 put a hold on that idea. I would need | | | | master the elements as it soared through the |
| a substitute that was more economical for a | | | | late afternoon skies. It was here that my new |
| young man of my age. Not sure where this new | | | | plane would see its first and its last |
| venture would take me, I headed to my local | | | | flight. |
| hobby shop to buy my first R/C plane. | | | | |
| | | | Coming to Terms |
| Upon entering the hobby shop, I was | | | | |
| overwhelmed with choices. How many channels, | | | | Twenty years later I still have that little |
| what size engine, what type of radio, do I | | | | orange plane. I have since repaired the |
| get a kit or already assembled model? After | | | | damaged landing gear, but the plane has never |
| getting some advice from the salesman behind | | | | left the confines of my home. After all of |
| the counter, I settled on a 2-channel kit | | | | the hours I poured into creating that |
| trainer that ran on a Cox .049 glow fuel | | | | beautiful little aircraft, it was too |
| engine. | | | | horrifying to contemplate what I would do if |
| | | | something worse, a crash resulting in |
| When I got home, I immediately opened the kit | | | | complete destruction, ever occurred. So, I |
| as I was anxious to get started. Inside the | | | | protected my creation, keeping it from |
| box were dozens of pre-cut balsa and plywood | | | | possible harm. |
| sheets, wood blocks and the building plans. I | | | | |
| again found myself overwhelmed when I opened | | | | Twenty years later I now also own my own |
| the plans for the airplane, which looked a | | | | Internet hobby shop, RC Hobby Explosion. But |
| lot like an architect's blueprints. Ready for | | | | times and R/C hobbies have changed |
| the challenge, though, I set up my work | | | | dramatically. Now the beginner has options |
| table, got my hobby knives, glue, and | | | | that weren't available on my fateful day. |
| accessories and embarked on a project that | | | | Today, novice pilots don't have to spend 100 |
| would, unbeknownst to me, throw many curves | | | | or more hours building a trainer to learn to |
| before completion. | | | | fly. They don't have to worry about the |
| | | | know-how needed to operate fuel-based glow |
| For the next several weeks, I spent hours | | | | engines. We are in the age of electric R/C, |
| each day working to build my first aviation | | | | and there are literally hundreds of |
| masterpiece. Precision was everything - every | | | | ready-to-run electric R/C airplanes that can |
| piece had to be flawless and I trimmed and | | | | be purchased for less than a hundred bucks |
| sanded each to match the specifications | | | | and require little more than the charging of |
| perfectly. During this time, I was introduced | | | | a battery. Parts are easy to get and |
| to terms like roll, center of gravity, | | | | inexpensive for these planes, so a crash may |
| trailing edges and stiffners. I learned how | | | | hit your rainy day fund for a few bucks, but |
| to install radio systems, balance the plane, | | | | it won't put you in therapy. |
| and apply MonoKoteÂ(R) covering with a | | | | |
| sealing iron and heat gun. When that | | | | Don't misunderstand me, though: Kit planes |
| long-awaited day arrived and my bright orange | | | | and fuel-based engines still have their place |
| 2-channel aircraft was ready, I had logged a | | | | in the R/C world, but they are much better |
| total of almost 140 building hours. That | | | | suited for pilots who have earned their |
| plane had bonded with me and became a part of | | | | flying wings and can comfortably toss into |
| my soul. The engine and radio had been | | | | the wind a creation that has bonded in some |
| tested, so it was time for the final step - | | | | way with their sensitive psyches. That said, |
| my first test flight. | | | | with the advent of more powerful electric |
| | | | engines and high-quality lithium polymer |
| A 4-Second Definition of "Simple" | | | | batteries, even many of the pros are |
| | | | gravitating toward electric R/C. This |
| I carried my gearbox, fuel bottle and shiny | | | | newfound power has brought on a whole new |
| new airplane to a small open field just | | | | generation of larger-scale electric aircraft. |
| behind my neighborhood. My hands were | | | | As this technology develops, electric R/C |
| shaking. I was nervous partly because I was | | | | will continue to take a bigger share of the R |
| venturing into the unknown, but also because | | | | C market. Pilots like less mess and clutter, |
| I was about fulfill what had developed into a | | | | which translates into more time doing what |
| dream - a dream that had become a near | | | | they love most - flying. |
| obsession, occupying every moment of my spare | | | | |
| time. | | | | Fortunately for me, I never gave up my dream |
| | | | of flying. What started as a child is a part |
| I took a few minutes to re-test my radio and | | | | of me, and I now pass this love onto my kids |
| then I filled the fuel tank, hooked up the | | | | and my customers. And hardly a week goes by |
| battery to the glow plug, and started the | | | | that I don't have a fascinated customer ask |
| engine. After adjusting the reed valve and | | | | me for advice on what is a great first plane. |
| setting the speed, I picked up my plane, held | | | | Fortunately for them, I have much more |
| the transmitter in my left hand and gave the | | | | experience now and a multitude of options to |
| plane a toss into the wind. | | | | offer that the salesman I bought from twenty |
| | | | years ago didn't have. Hardly a week also |
| I have played the next 4 seconds over in my | | | | goes by that I don't have a customer buying |
| mind a thousand times or more. What I had | | | | parts tell me his emotional airplane crash |
| envisioned as the simple flying of an | | | | story. When I hear these stories, I am always |
| airplane quickly turned into a disaster. When | | | | taken back to my sad day in the small field |
| I tossed the plane into the wind, I pointed | | | | behind my house. But I am comforted, knowing |
| the nose too high. A small gust grabbed the | | | | that most of my customers aren't taking their |
| plane, taking the plane into a perfect loop. | | | | nose dives and poorly executed loops as |
| I have since learned that loops are fun, but | | | | seriously as I did mine. They know that |
| they are not to be executed when the plane is | | | | repairs are cheap and just a few shipping |
| at an altitude of less than 15 feet. I pulled | | | | days away. |
| back fully on the left stick, trying with my | | | | |
| limited expertise to pull the nose up as the | | | | Michael Roberts is the President and owner of |
| plane came out of the loop. But the ground | | | | RC Hobby Explosion, an online hobby |
| caught the landing gear hard, and the | | | | superstore and authorized dealer for Venom |
| incredible amount of momentum that was | | | | RC, Megatech, Nikko, and Erector. RC Hobby |
| generated in those brief seconds caused the | | | | Explosion carries nitro and electric remote |
| plane to flip end over end a couple of times | | | | control cars, airplanes, trucks, boats and |
| before coming to a complete stop. | | | | helicopters, and these products are supported |
| | | | by a giant parts department. RC Hobby |
| I rushed over to that shiny new part of my | | | | Explosion also provides a drop-ship/resale |
| soul, which now looked old, battered and | | | | program that benefits both Internet and brick |
| filthy. Dirt from the field filled the cowl | | | | and mortar hobby shops. |
| and had made its way into the engine's | | | | |