Metrological Drone (circa 1960)

[sailnut]

The attached image was scanned from the December 1960 issue of the American Aircraft modeler. What I posted is Photoshop processed and is the best I can do.

The model is a McGovern Super Privateer as kitted by Berkley. The airplane was powered by a Fox 59. The RC equipment consisted of a single channel 27mz three tube (miniature hearing aid type) designed by Richard Jamison of St. Louis. Rudder and motor control were accomplished by multiple transmitter button pushes (like the Bonner cascaded escapements.)

The model was covered with silk and finished in clear and blue Aerogloss.

The model carried simple electronic (tube based) equipment designed to transmit air temperature while flying at at a constant atmospheric pressure.

The instrumentation consisted of aneroid (mechanical) air pressure sensing components scrounged from a Radiosonde transmitter. This was connected to crude 3 position electric motor servo driving an exhaust restrictor. The back pressure of which throttled the engine thereby providing altitude control. At the time of construction a tried and true technology. I did not use elevator control because I was concerned with excessive vertical oscillation. Please remember that at this time the only available proportional surface defllection technology was the "galloping ghost" type or a derivative. I calculated the model would deviate about 25 feet above and belowthe desired pressure gradiant.

Another Parks student designed an audio oscillator modulated by a thermister for temperature data acquisition. This unit transmitted on the 6 meter amateur band and was remarkably sensitive

The entire project was financed by the school and total cost was around $150.

At the time of completion this was almost certainly the largest model airplane in the St. Louis area. This project attracted so much interest (word of mouth) amoung aeronautical engineering (McDonald Aircraft) and regional modeling intrests that I had to place it on public display in the schools cafeteria and gym for three days.

Although the plane was only flown once it was evident from ground tests that the concept was workable. The reason for only one flight is that I graduated from Parks in April of 1970 and the weather up to that time only allowed the one test flight which for trim purposes only.

I understand the model and equipment remained on display at the Parks Cahokia campus for several years.

The picture was taken outside the Parks Air College hanger in February 0f 1970. I am on the right. The guy in the raincoat is Dr. Clifford J, Morino chairman of the Parks Metrology Department who went on to become a prominent scientist in the Weather Bureau’s tornado program.

This project was the subject of my graduation dissertation. I still have a copy of it in my library I can provide further details to anyone intrested.

[BMatthews]

McGovern made some of the lankiest and pretty flying boats around that time.

And thanks for a great story. Your team really went out of their way to work out a highly detailed setup. Especially for that time frame.

[sailnut]

For a Berkely kit the Privateer was remarkably well done. Pretty good wood and die cutting and little structural changes from the magazine plans..

I built the whole airframe with Ambroid, single edge razor blades, Zona saw and sandpaper.

The wing center section and fuselage bottom were reinforced with resin saturated fiberglass.

The floats and most of the front half of the fuselage were planked and a real tedious undertaking that was.

The model came out beautifuly. In fact I was more then a little reluctant to fly it. The sole flight at 3/4 throttle demonstrated excellent fore and aft trim but a strong tendency to turn left. Not good in a rudder only model. These being the days before transmitter trim levers the turn situation caused me to land at the earliest moment. The model ground looped but there was no damage. This landing demenstrated the effectiness of the landing gear installation (removable) which had been a great concern.

[Tom Harper]

Sailnut,

Thanks for the story.

$150 in 1960 was about 35 tanks of gas for my '53 Chevy. A goodly amount of money at the time!

Tom

[sailnut]

<$150 in 1960 was about 35 tanks of gas for my '53 Chevy. A goodly amount of money at the time!>

I feel that my project was an typical example of what would be accomplished in the 50's by a good " garage" tinkerer,

Think of the multitude of disciplines I had to understand and execute with (hopefully) reasonable competence to accomplish such an endeavor? With the exception of the engine just about everything in my project was assembled from scratch or a basic kit. The reward... enormous personal satisfaction in validation of concept and material realization of same even if it was only relatively successful (as was the case here.)

Today one goes out and constructs their projects from "black boxes." Of course most of the time such an assemblage functions in a manner vastly superior to that of my primitive effort, But to me anyway the personal satisfaction/validation derived from an assemblage of boxes is of an entirely different quality .

I had the good fortune to attend Parks College in the late 50's. Parks was located outside of St. Louis. Even in the 50's St. Louis was still very much in the shadow of Lindberg's singular achievement. They have a museum containing the awards and gifts he received. Surely his was the definitive triumph of the individual over the committee/team approach . I feel that the technological complication which forced the passage of sole individual expression has not always been for the best.

Parks College a Jesuit school, made much of individuality and and with that validation of self via self expression. I think that most us who were educated there absorbed this doctrine were rewarded by it in their personal and professional careers .