The Rise and Fall of K&B Engines: How America Lost the RC Industry

In 1944, two machinists in a Los Angeles garage built an American manufacturing empire. John Brodbeck and Lud Kading didn’t rely on marketing; they relied on precision engineering born from wartime contracts. For decades, K&B Engines set the high-performance standard for RC planes, boats, and slot cars across America. This history documentary explores the complete corporate rise and fall of K&B Engines. We examine their technical breakthroughs, from the screw-machined Infant Torpedo to the iconic .45 RC and the Schnuerle-ported Series 72. But what happens when hands-on American craftsmanship meets the economics of decline? Discover how a 30% price gap from imported competitors (like O.S. and Super Tigre), strict 1978 EPA regulations on hobby fuels, and the quiet rise of electric motors brought this iconic brand to its knees. Video Chapters: 00:00 The Forgotten Standard of American RC 00:51 A Los Angeles Garage in 1944: Brodbeck & Kading 04:25 The Infant Torpedo & The Screw Machine Era 08:09 Engineering the Iconic .45 RC Engine (1959) 14:11 The Series 72: Schnuerle Porting & Rear Rotary Innovation 17:01 CNC Machining & Expanding the K&B Catalog 20:00 The Ritual of the Hobby Shop Bench 24:34 The Economics of Decline: Japanese & Italian Imports 25:34 The 1978 EPA Clean Air Act & Hobby Fuel Regulations 26:23 The Rise of Electric Motors & The End of an Era 28:55 What We Lose When We Stop Making Things by Hand #industrialhistory #americanmanufacturing #historydocumentary #KBEngines