Hitec Celebrates 50 Years

Learn more about the past—and future—of the company

By Jay Smith [email protected] Photos provided by Hitec RCD and Model Aviation

As seen in the September 2023 issue of Model Aviation.

Hitec’s booth at Joe Nall Week this year evidenced the company’s celebration of its 50th anniversary. (L-R): Dan Poole, Ben Olvera, Mike Mayberry, Shawn Spiker, Brandon Chitty, and Rick Chitty.

The RDX2 1000 is the latest charger released by Hitec. The company has several chargers for sale to meet the needs of modelers. This particular charger has dual output ports that each offer 20 amps of power.

"Prioritizing the customer and end user hasn’t changed after 50 years. Our goal is to do right by the customer for service and support, bringing a good product to the market and standing behind that product. That is what has gotten us to 50 years and will carry us through for the next 50."

—Shawn Spiker

Depending on the length of time you have been in the hobby, the name Hitec likely has you thinking of servos; however, other products that have been released by the company might also come to mind, such as transmitters, receivers, and chargers.

Hitec was founded in 1973. It began as an exporter of LEDs, with a mission to bring the technology to a worldwide audience. The company’s website states, "Our founders quickly recognized the fast-growing pace of the radio control industry. We then set our sights on researching and developing radio and servo system technologies.

"For 50 years, our investment in both our products and customers has established Hitec as a world leader and innovator, trusted by industrial and hobby consumers alike. Our unwavering dedication to engineering the most reliable components available has generated a rock-solid reputation of which we are extremely proud."

This ultranano, slim wing D131MW servo was announced in February. It features a lowprofile, machined aluminum case, highefficiency coreless motor, and dual ball bearings. It provides 33 ounce/inch at 6 volts, 40 ounce/inch at 7.4 volts, and weighs 0.35 ounces.

Win a $50 Gift Certificate From Hitec

For an opportunity to win one of five $50 gift certificates to Hitec, submit your entry via email. Send your full name, postal address, and telephone number to Model Aviation Executive Editor Jay Smith at [email protected]. Please include "Hitec" in the subject line.

To enter via postal mail, send the preceding information to Model Aviation at AMA, Attn.: Jay Smith, 5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN. Entries will be accepted through September 30, 2023. The winners will be selected on or before October 6, 2023.

One entry per person is allowed. Those that are lost, late, misdirected, garbled, or incomplete for any reason will be ineligible. This contest is open to legal residents of the 50 states, District of Columbia, and U.S. military members with APO/FPO addresses. AMA employees are not eligible to win.

The winners will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries by an AMA employee or employees. The winner will be notified by telephone or email and their name and state of residence will be published in a future issue of Model Aviation and posted on the AMA website.

Hitec Begins Offering RC Products

In 1985, 12 years after the launch of the company, Hitec saw its entry into our hobby with affordable radios and servos. From its beginning in the RC community, customer service and support were the company’s ethos.

In 1990, Hitec Radio Control USA, Inc. was created to oversee sales and marketing for North America. In 1991, when allowable RC frequencies were a huge issue, Hitec introduced the first aftermarket receivers that were compliant with the AMA procedures, which was followed in 1993 with the Prism 7, an affordable computer radio. That year, Hitec also formed Hitec RCD and expanded its RC receiver product line.

In 1998, after seeing the need for reliable, smaller, and lighter servos, Hitec released the HS-50, believed to be the first mass-produced micro servo. It weighed a mere .21 ounces. The servo was the HS-50 Super Feather Servo, and it proved to be the perfect choice for indoor RC, Hand-Launch Gliders, and electric-powered park flyers that were gaining in popularity.

Unwilling to rest on its laurels, Hitec continues to be engaged in the hobby and heavily invests in research and development, bringing additional firsts to the market. In 2001, the company released the HS-5925MG and HS-5945MG, some of the first programmable digital servos. In 2004, titanium-gear servos were released.

In roughly 2002, I decided to become involved in the growing electric-powered park flyer side of the hobby and selected a Hitec Eclipse 7 radio. At the time, the Hitec Flash 5 was a popular radio, but I was sold on the Eclipse 7 for its greater number of channels, and the removable module on the back that allowed the user to dial in any FM channel.

Back then, only one person could fly on each channel at the same time. I used channel 16 as my primary channel but carried extra crystals to use with the receiver on two other channels. After switching the crystal, I could simply dial the module to my selected channel. This was extremely helpful when flying at busy flying fields or larger events because I no longer had to wait for a channel to be free.

Hitec saw the importance of telemetry data being provided by the radio and even created a Telemetry Voice Announcing System that could be used with all Hitec radios. In 2010, Hitec put all of its radio knowledge and experience into the flagship radio, the Aurora 9. The radio was well received and won awards, but Hitec ultimately decided to exit that side of the hobby because the company’s goal of bringing affordable radios to market became more difficult with rising manufacturing costs and the cost of components.

Multiplex

The Multiplex Modellsport company was founded in 1958 and manufactured and produced components for RC radios. In 1971, the company began releasing RC models, starting with the Alpha series of gliders.

As electric-powered models became more popular and the technology improved, Multiplex released many popular foam-composition models. The Multiplex Cargo is a favorite kit of mine—I bashed it into a B-17.

Hitec RCD acquired Multiplex in 2002. Suzanne Lepine, Hitec’s marketing manager, stated, "Our 2002 acquisition of the highly esteemed, German-based Multiplex Modellsport combined the strengths of two respected brands, facilitating extensive expansion of our product lines."

"We answer our phones, email, and respond to social media. You can talk to a real person, and this is our level of commitment because we believe in the products."

—Shawn Spiker

In 2010, Hitec released its flagship radio, the Aurora 9. Ultimately, Hitec made the decision to no longer produce transmitters and focus on continuing to expand its servo offerings.

Hitec acquired Multiplex in 2002. Many popular models have been released, including the FunCub XL. Multiplex aircraft can be purchased on the Hitec Weekender Warehouse website.

Many more popular models would be released, including the FunJet Ultra, Twin Star, Twin Jet, and Rockstar; however, the FunCub might arguably be the most loved Multiplex aircraft of them all. It was accessible to beginners and lots of fun for more experienced pilots. Its large tires and abundant flaps allowed it to be flown from many surfaces, and it behaved like a Short-Takeoff-and-Landing aircraft. Floats were also an option, allowing it to fly from nearly any location.

Hitec sells Multiplex aircraft, as well as its other products, on the Hitec Weekender Warehouse website. A link to the website is located in the "Sources" section.

The Next 50 Years

Currently, on the hobby side of the business, Hitec is focused on servos and chargers. Hitec manufactures more than a million servos each year. The servos that the company produces go through rigorous testing. These servos are not just used in our hobby but also for the company’s Commercial Solutions Division.

If components can’t be found that Hitec trusts enough to put its name behind, that meet a price point that brings value to the market, the company simply won’t release it rather than select lesser components.

Throughout my conversation with Suzanne and Shawn Spiker, the sales director, service and support was mentioned more than anything else. The longevity of the staff at Hitec is notable. Many employees, such as Suzanne, Shawn, Mike Mayberry, Tony Ohm, Don Johnson, and Kevin Taylor each more than a dozen years at the company.

During our conversation, Shawn shared with me a key to Hitec’s success: "Prioritizing the customer and end user hasn’t changed after 50 years. Our goal is to do right by the customer for service and support, bringing a good product to the market, and standing behind that product. That is what has gotten us to 50 years and will carry us through for the next 50."

"You are not just depending on the product. You are also depending on the people who are here for your support."

—Suzanne Lepine

Hitec attends many events with a combination of employees and sponsored pilots, all of whom have a passion for flight. (L-R): Jim Widner, Shawn Spiker, and Mike Mayberry.

As far as the company’s goals going forward, Shawn stated, "What we are really focused on is standing out in the market—maintaining and improving upon our interaction and support of the end user. We answer our phones, email, and respond to social media. You can talk to a real person, and this is our level of commitment because we believe in the products. Hitec is a quality product made from a company of real people, just like you, who care about their hobby."

In talking about Hitec’s level of service and support, Suzanne added, "You are not just depending on the product. You are also depending on the people who are here for your support."

The company’s website also touches on goals for the future. Throughout its first five decades, Hitec has manufactured award-winning servos and engineered technological advancements that have become milestones in the commercial, industrial, and hobby sectors.

The website states: "Looking forward to our next half century, Hitec RCD remains committed to producing the highest-quality, precision-control servo actuators, and radio control components with our state-of-the-art R&D, engineering, and manufacturing facilities.

"The entire Hitec family is dedicated to improving your quality of life through progressive technology. Join us as we celebrate our ongoing commitment to our global community, and continue our mission to provide trusted and innovative product lines."

The author had the opportunity to visit Hitec while in California during AMA Expo. After getting a tour, he headed to Torrey Pines for some Slope Soaring with Shawn Spiker.

Hitec, as a company, is highly focused on the service and support of its products—so much so that it has produced ads with the sole intent of highlighting the company’s commitment to its customers.

Happy Anniversary!

I have enjoyed flying with and getting to know the employees of Hitec throughout the years. Long before I worked in the industry, I always felt welcomed at events and trade shows that the company and its pilots attended. In my 15 years with AMA, Hitec has been very supportive of the organization and Model Aviation magazine. I can’t thank Hitec enough and wish the company a happy anniversary!

Hitec will continue to celebrate its anniversary throughout the year and hopes to visit with its customers at flying events and shows for the rest of 2023.