Mark Smith and the History of the “Windfree” Radio Controlled Sailplane

By Gary Fogel

With an interest in engineering and radio design, Mark Smith's father, Rod Smith, started radio control (R/C) sailplanes in the 1950’s at Palos Verdes, California. He constructed his own radio systems and flew them in a Frank Zaic Thermic 100 or similar converted tow line glider. Young Mark Smith usually accompanied his father on these excursions from their home at Westminster, CA. Mark started building hand launch gliders in the 6th or 7th grade. At the age of 16, he placed 3rd at an indoor hand launch glider contest at Alamitos.

Mark purchased a Kraft transmitter and receiver suitable for controlling model aircraft with his prize winnings. His first R/C sailplane was a German Graupner Foka that he flew along the cliffs at Newport Beach. He also became interested in powered model aircraft and flew two to three hours daily. Much to the displeasure of his neighbors, Mark proceeded to use the street they lived on as a runway for takeoffs and landings with his powered R/C aircraft. During this time, he trained many of the local boys to fly R/C aircraft.

The first R/C glider designed and built by Mark Smith was the “Windward." This aircraft was built with a constant chord one piece wing held on by rubber bands. The design stemmed from his early experience with free flight hand launch gliders. As members of the Harbor Slope Soaring Society (the first R/C soaring club chartered by the Academy of Model Aeronautics) and the Torrey Pines Gulls R/C Soaring Society, Mark and his father competed quite successfully with the “Windward” in many regional and national glider contests. Mark realized his potential in R/C soaring and set out to design a larger and more efficient soaring machine.

This second design, the “Windfree," was a significant improvement over the “Windward”. With a 100” wingspan, higher aspect ratio, and light wing loading, the sailplane thermalled easily in even light lift conditions. Many of the contests at that time were duration oriented and the “Windfree” was sure to fair well. With sponsorship from Orbit radio, Mark was able to use top-of-the-line radio equipment for his models.

At the 1970 SOAR NATS, Mark flew the “Windfree” although he entered it as the “Windward” in the contest. Since he was more well known for the “Windward” and had not yet thought of the name “Windfree”, the previous name stuck with him. This first prototype (seen here at the National Soaring Museum) was used by Mark to capture first place at the 1970 and 1971 SOAR NATS, a national competiton for R/C sailplanes. Similar versions of the “Windfree” with slight modifications were used by Mark and others over the years to win many R/C soaring trophies. In the early 1970s, the “Windfree” was the competition sailplane of choice among R/C pilots. With the advent of more sophisticated radio equipment, rudder and elevator models were soon outclassed by those using spoilers, flaps and other control surfaces. By the early 1980s, the “Windfree” was no longer successful in the contest circuit, but was used as an attractive trainer model.

Mark Smith used a strengthened “Windfree” to set a World Record for Closed Course by an R/C Glider Distance on the island of Oahu in a flight that took 13 hours, 11 minutes to complete.

In late 1972, Mark Smith designed and flew a series of foam R/C seagulls used in the motion picture “Johnathon Livingston Seagull." These aircraft were flight tested at Torrey Pines, CA and filming took place at Torrey Pines and Carmel, California as well as on Maui, Hawaii.

In 1975, Mark designed a trainer R/C glider called the “Wanderer." This aircraft was one of the first inexpensive kits that could be purchased by the novice R/C builder/pilot. Building time was approximately 2 weeks and entire cost of the glider without radio equipment was about $50. Between 1975 and 1997, over 160,000 kits of the “Wanderer” have been sold world-wide, making it clearly one of the most popular R/C glider kits ever marketed. During its most successful period in the late 1970s, the “Wanderer” sold over 1,000 kits every month.