Random As Rhyme

These posts have kind of evolved from just things I always wanted, to things I always wanted and what I really got. However that’s a mouthful so I will still call them Things I always wanted just somethings I will also talk about things I really got as well. This is one of those times.

I have mentioned before that as a kid I loved remote control devices. Cars were my main vice but I also  always wanted a remote control plane. They were so alluring, being able to something from a kit that you could one day fly. and fly them.

I was really into the big ones like this one:

That thing looks pretty real and is big enough that you could probably send a small child, or maybe a cat up for its maiden voyage.

Living near a Hobby Store also meant that this want was pretty much unstoppable. I built a lot of model cars so I was in the shop quite a bit. I quickly realized that the planes were way our of my price range. 249.95 USD in today’s prices gets you an (electric) kit, but you still have to buy the radio, motor, charger, batteries, damn.

All I had at this point was an allowance no job no hope.

So I looked at the ghetto version, the control line plane. These were basically the first controlled model plane. Strings attached to a handle that adjust pulleys which effect the height and pitch of the plane as you walk in a circle. This video is a good example if you don’t really understand.

They were pretty cheap, I think my dad bought me one for $100 bucks or so all said and done. Rad. So I put this thing together and took it to my local soccer field (probably not allowed) and set off to learn to fly it.

This was actually the exact one I had:

I think their may have been instructions on how to learn but I either didn’t read them or they didn’t exist. Whatever how hard could it be right? Famous last words.

The day I decided to learn to fly it was particularly windy I remember, and I crashed the plane with the quickness.

Since the plane was held together with rubber bands, it exploded on impact. I fixed it fairly easily though, but I could never get the motor to run again. I tried for a year solid but no luck.

So I put it away and it was never really seen again.

Until a few years later when I did get the motor running I took the prop off attached a gear and tried to put it into a radio shack remote control car to make it gas powered.

It started up and the gear box exploded with similar quickness as when the plane hit the ground.

I then figured the whole shit was cursed and gave it to a friend who I believe made a fan boat out of it or something.

Even after all this I still want a remote control plane. However after writing this I am curious about whether I could fly a control line again.  If I do get a new one expect a blog about it.

Here is some poor schmuck doing something similar to what I did.

I feel your pain man.