Fly'n with the Circus. RDRC's traveling Circus

[nexuscrash]

Mc Lean's Ole Time Cafe


418 West Gannon Avenue
Zebulon, NC 27597-2508
(919) 269-0125

	Quote: Originally Posted by Larry Lewis
	McCleans is off Hwy 97 right there in Zebulon. If you were headed toward East RC from 64, you turn right at the light where they just built the new CVS drug store. In fact,m there are two drug stores at that light. Follow that down a few blocks, and McCleans is located behind the Advance Uto. Dave Hockaday could give better directions thoughj. Maybe an address also. I say we meet around 6:30 or 7:00. We can take the back roads to the field from Z Town.

[Tweek]

	Quote: Originally Posted by David Hayes
	That's the field off Blue Ridge, by the Armory.

David, in some of the pics you can see what looks like a paved runway. Was that behind the Armory, or somewhere else?

[Tweek]

...reason I ask about the runway, look at this newspaper clipping about RDRC from March 1973. It mentions what I think was the Armory location, but again there is what looks like a paved runway. There is a larger, more easily read version of it here: http://www.scootworks.com/rdrc/history/0373nando.jpg

[David Hayes]

That is the field " across the ditch" from the Armory in most, if not all, of those photos. You can see the roof of the Armory off the end of the taxiway in the 11th picture, with the flying wing taxing out. Access was a winding dirt path off the end of the paved road between the driver's license and NCDOT buildings on Blue Ridge Rd, across from the Polk Youth Center campus. I learned to fly at that field in 1972-73 and we flew there until about '76-77 when we moved to the field "off (old) Buffalo road" until the HT powerlines were constucted sometime after 1978 and by that time I had moved away. I don't remember the "original" field that they say was on the site where the Armory was built. I had visited at this field a year or so before I started flying. Sorry I don't remember the exact dates either but....

[wayne parrish]

In that picture of Robert ,is that his legs or is he riding a "chicken" ?

[toprudder]

Here are satellite images of the RDRC field locations.

The first two were at the Armory. As I understand it, the Armory was built on top of the first runway. A new runway was built across the ditch. This first image is the location as best as I can figure out. I've been to the second runway, about 20 years ago, and it was all grown up with weeds then. I have no idea about the dates the two runways were in service. I think you can see the ruway location near the center of the picture. Someone correct me if I am wrong.


The next runway is off of Watkins Road (Old Buffaloe Road??) northeast of Knightdale and is the present site of Prop Nuts. You can see the power lines coming into the lower right side of the picture. I do remember visiting this field the first time around '79. Not sure when the power lines went in, maybe mid 80s. The runway is toward the lower left of the picture.


The present location is Bethlehem Church Road.

[David Hayes]

I think you got it all figured out correctly.
Also FYI. The shed, that was removed from the current field a couple of years ago, was built for the "Armory field" in the mid 70's for use as a concession stand during the yearly fall pattern/scale meets and traveled with the club throughout the years.

[Larry Lewis]

Dang! If we had know that, we could have saved a piece of it ! Kinda like the bricks at Indy1
So I guess this answers one of our questions about early RDRC. It DID have a paved runway.
Geez David,, I didnt realize you were so old! LOL
Between you, Clyde, and Marshall, we should be able to get a great club history article put together.

[David Hayes]

I didnt realize you were so old! LOL

Whoa, me neither!
Marshal, Billy (U-Haul) Edwards, Ken Boone and Ronnie Weaver where some of my first instructors. We had some major lack of range problems with my first radio, a World Engines "Blue Max" semi-kit, until Marshal and Clyde traced the problem to an incorrect resistor in the transmitter output circut installed at the factory. Some of the other RDRCers I can remember from that time period are, Doug Holland, Dave (JC Pennys) Pemberton, Pete Thompson, Mac and Johnnie Clark, Marvin and Mark McCoy and Dr. (DDS) Taylor with his yellow twin boom pusher. How many of them are still around?

[ifly3d]

so what time are we meeting saturday ?

[toprudder]

	Quote: Originally Posted by David Hayes
	I didnt realize you were so old! LOL Whoa, me neither! Marshal, Billy (U-Haul) Edwards, Ken Boone and Ronnie Weaver where some of my first instructors. We had some major lack of range problems with my first radio, a World Engines "Blue Max" semi-kit, until Marshal and Clyde traced the problem to an incorrect resistor in the transmitter output circut installed at the factory. Some of the other RDRCers I can remember from that time period are, Doug Holland, Dave (JC Pennys) Pemberton, Pete Thompson, Mac and Johnnie Clark, Marvin and Mark McCoy and Dr. (DDS) Taylor with his yellow twin boom pusher. How many of them are still around?

I remember the Blue Max kit. In fact, the first transmitter I ever held was a Blue Max. A member of the Wilson club let me fly his Falcon 56, with a Merco .35 engine I believe. That is what got me hooked.

Ken Boone and Doug Holland are still around. I know Dave Pemberton passed away a few years ago. I know a Johnny Clark that was big into pattern back in the 80s and 90s, is that the same person?

Wow, all of this has gotten me interested in the history of RDRC, not just from the club aspect from the aspect that these were the early pioneers of RC in this area of the country! RDRC predates my modeling career by more than 10 years.

[Geckoman]

	Quote: Originally Posted by toprudder
	I remember the Blue Max kit. In fact, the first transmitter I ever held was a Blue Max. A member of the Wilson club let me fly his Falcon 56, with a Merco .35 engine I believe. That is what got me hooked. Ken Boone and Doug Holland are still around. I know Dave Pemberton passed away a few years ago. I know a Johnny Clark that was big into pattern back in the 80s and 90s, is that the same person? Wow, all of this has gotten me interested in the history of RDRC, not just from the club aspect from the aspect that these were the early pioneers of RC in this area of the country! RDRC predates my modeling career by more than 10 years.

Yup..it would be really cool to pull together a short history of RC flight in NC...there have to be a lot of memories out there if we can track them down at flyin's etc and capture them....

if anyone has photo's or anecdotes about any RC stuff here in NC to pass on let us know...Dave Hockaday and I are trying to get some stuff togather to put up a short history of the RDRC, we can easily add other clubs or people in if there is any interest in doing so and if people have picutres etc of it!

Dave L

[Larry Lewis]

	Quote: Originally Posted by David Hayes
	I didnt realize you were so old! LOL Whoa, me neither! Marshal, Billy (U-Haul) Edwards, Ken Boone and Ronnie Weaver where some of my first instructors. We had some major lack of range problems with my first radio, a World Engines "Blue Max" semi-kit, until Marshal and Clyde traced the problem to an incorrect resistor in the transmitter output circut installed at the factory. Some of the other RDRCers I can remember from that time period are, Doug Holland, Dave (JC Pennys) Pemberton, Pete Thompson, Mac and Johnnie Clark, Marvin and Mark McCoy and Dr. (DDS) Taylor with his yellow twin boom pusher. How many of them are still around?

Funny you should mention Ken Boone. He's the one that introduced me to RC. He was one of my middle school teachers in the early 70s. In fact, I was on the "Coat Hanger Plane" build team!!!! That was quite a sight to see when it flew. It would twist and bend all through the flight. Crazy thing had floral design fabric on the tail feathers! LOL When Ken would wad it up on a landing, you just pulled and straightened the coat hangers out and take off again! lol I remember him trying to chase birds around with it when he flew it behind East Millbrook Junior High school. Ken held a model airplane class after school once a week, and had several students attend. We mostly built HLGs, but he would include us on some of his bigger projects from time to time. He was a big promoter to the hobby. I had the chance to thank him a couple of years ago for introducing me to the greatest hobby ever,,,,,,, Something I always felt I should do. This hobby has aded more joy to my life than I deserve.
I'll NEVER forget watching him try to hover that heli of his. I think it was a DuBro. Wound up putting it into a service pole right in front of the school one afternoon.. GI Joe suffered massive head injuries that day!!!LOLOLOL
Jonnie Clark returned to RC a couple of years ago, but hasnt been out to the field in a year or so now. Would be nice to see him out again.

Dang,, youre REALLY old!!!!!

[Geckoman]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Larry Lewis
	I had the chance to thank him a couple of years ago for introducing me to the greatest hobby ever Dang,, youre REALLY old!!!!!

just got me a vapor this morning on the way to work...most fun I have had at work since flying the T28 in the car park over the winter I LOVE this thing and the hobby!!!

has anyone seen the smaller version of the T28 that is out now>????I m ight get me one of them as well now I have this dingdangle DSM2 tx....

[David Hayes]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Larry Lewis
	Funny you should mention Ken Boone. He's the one that introduced me to RC. He was one of my middle school teachers in the early 70s. In fact, I was on the "Coat Hanger Plane" build team!!!! That was quite a sight to see when it flew. It would twist and bend all through the flight. Crazy thing had floral design fabric on the tail feathers! LOL When Ken would wad it up on a landing, you just pulled and straightened the coat hangers out and take off again! lol ......Jonnie Clark returned to RC a couple of years ago, but hasnt been out to the field in a year or so now. Would be nice to see him out again. Dang,, youre REALLY old!!!!!

I remember the the "Coat Hanger" well, I helped straighten it out a few times myself. I think he had a .61 on it with about an 8ft wingspan, hugh at the time!

BTW - I'm only a couple years older (9-25-59, Sanderson HS class of '78) than you! I just started playing a little earlier. LOL