Waltron 4-5

[stuart mackay]

As collateral damage and a by product of the trawl for Phil's Staveley, I managed to acquire this Waltron set.

I know very little about Waltron, so this is a call to our resident Waltron Expert (Shaun) for some more info on what I have acquired.

It looks in too good a condition to convert, so will probably be conserved in it's original condition for posterity.

More pics, when it lands at the Skunk Works!

Waltron 4-5 set

[Shaun]

Walter and Ron; great blokes. Simple British sets but all the ones I've had have worked well. The propo 1+1 was a relatively inexpensive way to update your s/c model and was popular at our club and slope.
I have one of their prototype sets they were playing around with prior to producing the range. I've seen them in black vinyl cases as well. From memory they used SLM mouldings and would make you a bespoke set if you asked nicely and coppered up!

Do you know if it still works?

[Phil_G]

Ron Donohue (the Ron of Waltron) used to come to our slope aerobatics contests at Callow, his 1966 'Zephyr' design was the very first kipper we ever saw, kitted under his own Manchester shop's name of 'Enterprise Models', with close competition for top dog from the Cybernetics 'Zenith'. Between them they cleaned up at every slope-soaring comp until we all started to build kippers too - the Zephyr remaining a popular 'Reeds' choice for some years. The Cybernetics Zenith was massive for a season or two, famously promoted by Dave Hughes of RM, John Marden and Jim Bennet. The 'Walt' half of the Waltron brand of proportional radio equipment was Walter Wilkinson, who also ran Hillcott Electronics - a regular supplier of bits & bobs to electronics hobbyists like me - until it closed a few years back. Hillcott Electronics was literally a 'cottage industry' - Walter's cottage in Cheshire was called 'Hillcott'!
Waltron gear was quite popular amongst modellers in the North of England around the 1970s. Heres mine: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=762

[Mike_K]

Here you go Stuart, a few more Waltrons

Yours is definitely one of the later ones as the DIN socket for charging is on the front. I've also included the test review from RCM&E 1974.

Cheers Mike

[Shaun]

Oh yes, I forgot about the. Light grey vinyl. I have a 1+1 in that colour.

[stuart mackay]

The test report mentions A&M servo mechanics and sticks, are these SLM or Horizon under another name?

[RobertC]

Wow!
A £259 price tag from New on the box!!
They were expensive in their day .
More than a flight link ?

[stuart mackay]

Wow!
A £259 price tag from New on the box!!
They were expensive in their day .
More than a flight link ?

Yes Rob, I thought that too, probably the price in pesetas or lire!?!

[Shaun]

Radio was very expensive back then. You could buy a reliable car for the price of many 4 channel propo sets on offer.

[Mike_K]

Hi Rob

I think that price tag must have fallen off something else and accidentally got stuck on the Waltron as they were one of the more "budget sets" and cost £105.85 + £5.56 for the dual charger = £111.41 for the 4 channel set (February 1975 RCM&E). That compares with £198 for an OS Diamond, £177 for a Flight Link Sovereign 4, £154 for a Skyleader SLX 4, £143 for a Futaba M4, £142 for a Sprengbrook Sportsman 4, £136 for a Swan 73 4 Channel, £134 for a Skyleader Clubman 4, £130 for an RCS Digi 4, £126 for a MacGregor IV, £125 for a World Engines Blue Max, £112 for an OS Cougar, £108 for a Horizon HS4L, £105 for a Digi-Fleet Custom 4 and only £85 for a GEM 6 with 4 servo's, but most people have nick-named the GEM the "toilet seat", due to its looks and performance! The only things cheaper than the GEM 6 were kits from MIcron and Remcon.

What is interesting on the same page is an advert from Sheffield Hobbies Centre advertising their "own" brand set which was made for them by Waltron, but with Skyleader SCR1 servo's and mounting trays supplied, rather than the FB-3 servo's included with the Waltron (well with the set I've got anyway). But it cost more £129.60 complete, but I don't know if I'd have paid £18 more for the Skyleader servos?

Mike