[ARC5] Biggest Radio Controlled boat?

[w8au at sssnet.com]

> Radio Control nuts:
>
> While reading about battleships sunk in various ways, I learned that
> one was converted into a radio controlled target ship:
> at:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sunken_battleships
>
> "USS Iowa
> Converted to the first radio-controlled target ship, she was sunk by
> the USS Mississippi in 1923.

> I wonder what sort of radios they used and how the ship was controlled.

Undoubtedly spark-gap transmissions picked up by what looks like an IP-501
LF crystal receiver, with maybe a one tube audio amp internal.  Control
may have been by changing the tone of the spark by varying the speed
of the rotary gap on the other ship's transmitter.

Wonder if this was ever explained in one of the AWA newsletters?

Perry  w8au