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Amateur UAV pioneer Maynard Hill passes away

Posted by Chris Anderson on June 9, 2011 at 5:25pm

3689411831?profile=originalGary Mortimer passes on sad news:

The Washington Post reports the death of Maynard Hill an inspiration to so many in the sUAS world. Our condolences to his family

Maynard Hill, a designer of model airplanes who secured a spot in aviation history in 2003 when one of his creations flew 1,882 miles across the Atlantic Ocean on less than a gallon of fuel, died June 7 of prostate cancer at his home in Silver Spring. He was 85.

A balsa-and-glue virtuoso, Mr. Hill was a legend in the model-aircraft world even before his first-of-its-kind transatlantic feat. Beginning in the 1960s, he set a total of 25 world records for speed, duration and altitude, flying his radio-controlled aircraft as high as 26,990 feet, as long as 38 hours and as fast as 151 miles per hour.

Read the full article here

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Comments

  • IKE June 11, 2011 at 8:36am
    My condolences to his family and friends, his achievements were and are unbelievable. He leaves a great legacy.
  • Benjamin Trapnell June 11, 2011 at 8:33am
    In many ways, the UAS community in general owes a great deal to this giant, and many others who pushed the boundaries of radio-controlled aeromodeling.  I remember some of Maynard's experiments with electrostatic stabilization systems and his numerous altitude records set at a time when the rudimentary nature of proportional R/C promised a much greater capability of scientist and hobbyists alike.  Comparing it to westward expansion and Manifest destiny,  it was a wonderful era for our hobby.  The road we find ourselves traveling today reeks of an onerous regulatory environment frosted by the excrement of a risk-averse society that is blind to the nature of, and very need for, discovery. Abraham Lincoln wrote, " If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide." Though his words were directed at those who would risk the destruction of the Union, I can't help but feel they are indicative of such times as these.  In a way, it is good that a true pioneer such as Maynard did not live to see the potential destruction of a part of his life he loved so much.  To his family and friends, I offer my heartfelt condolences.
  • T3
    Krzysztof Bosak June 10, 2011 at 4:39pm
    That was a real pioneer flight across the Atlantic. RIP.
  • Admin
    Morli June 10, 2011 at 10:06am

    I don't know about what his wife meant but his one little plane did go faaaaar away .. 

    I was spell bound with his TAM feat too and to this day I could not understand how did a gallon of fuel = Atlantic crossing by a model plane !!!  How did he control it ? Was it a free flight?  was there some sort of autopilot? I need to reread all the details some time soon. But I am sure model world will miss him very much. I do.

  • T3
    William Premerlani June 10, 2011 at 6:35am

    Maynard is often in my thoughts. He inspired me.

     

    Maynard had a great sense of humor. He was fond of quoting what his wife said during their trip up to Nova Scotia for his launch of TAMs across the Atlantic. She said, "It seems like a far way to go to just throw six little airplanes into the ocean."

     

  • Ritchie June 10, 2011 at 3:38am

    I read about his record and kept reading for about 2 hours with all of his little bits of extra information. Such knowledge, such enthusiasm, such a shame.

    Hope we can push the boundaries like he did.

  • Duane Brocious June 9, 2011 at 7:59pm

    Let us continue carrying on in his spirit. What better way to remember him.

  • bGatti June 9, 2011 at 7:16pm
    Hear Hear, on the passing of a pioneer.

    unprecedented achievements, and while legally blind no less.

    http://www.progressiveengineer.com/profiles/maynardHill.htm

    http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/1973-maynard-hill-invents-the
  • Peter Meister June 9, 2011 at 5:48pm
    I had the sincere pleasure to not only learn from Maynard as one of my early RC instructors back in the late 70s and early 80s but to help on TAM and also sponsor the Record Attempt. Maynard spent his life in aviation and many of the innovation we all see in our field as well the drone field and aviation field in general as because of his many many decades of work and passion. He will be missed by all he touched! God Speed Maynard, God Speed my friend! DCRC club I am sure has Maynard in their thoughts!!!
  • Duane Brocious June 9, 2011 at 5:35pm
    TAM (the trans-Atlantic aircraft) is in the AMA museum in Muncie. Quite a contradiction since the AMA now bans similar aircraft and flights.
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