50 Years of RC Electric Flight

As is so often the case with new developments, the exact date when remote-controlled electric flight began cannot be pinpointed. The development and testing of electric model aircraft by Fred Militky can be traced back to the 1950s. In any case, it is almost a bit arrogant to focus solely on remote-controlled electric flight when writing history. After all, free flight—as is generally true of model aviation—was the foundation of RC electric flight. For example, the *Stuttgarter Zeitung* reported on August 14, 1959, “First Electric Flights with a Micromotor.” After a long search, this MICRO T03 motor helped Militky achieve success. I possess a large portion of the correspondence between Militky and Dr. Fritz Faulhaber of Feinmechanische Werkstätten in Schönaich, Württemberg. Back to RC electric flight: Fred Militky achieved this—also with the MICRO T03—on October 4, 1963. The major public—

Fred Militky achieved a breakthrough that garnered international attention in 1971 in Doylestown, USA, at the RC Aerobatics World Championships with his “Silencer,” piloted by Wolfgang Schwarze. Shortly thereafter, in 1972–73, the first kits from Multiplex and Graupner hit the market. The golden age of electric propulsion had begun. That is why, in my view, the year 1971

, in my view, marks the beginning of a new era for model aviation, even though its full significance was far from recognized at the time. In 2021, this first public RC electric flight will celebrate its 50th anniversary. We want to give this long and extremely successful history the recognition it deserves here at the MFS—right up to the present day. ■

*Emil Giezendanner*