Sanwa Electronic

Sanwa Electronic Instrument Co., Ltd. (三和電子機器株式会社, Sanwa denshi kiki kabushiki kaisha), widely known as Sanwa, is a brand of wireless equipment best known for its high end radio-controlled transmitters for scale modelling use. The company have been a subsidiary of the SMC Group since 1965 and began to diversify into the manufacturing of radio-controlled transmitters in 1974 and remote control devices for home and industrial use since 1985.

Sanwa Electronic Instrument
Native name
三和電子機器株式会社
TypeKabushiki gaisha
Sanwa
FoundedAugust 1959 (1959-08)
HeadquartersHigashiōsaka,
Osaka Prefecture
,
Japan
Key people
Seiji Suzuki
Products
  • Radio-controlled transmitters
  • Remote control devices
Revenue60 million yen
Total assets3.1 billion yen (2013)
Number of employees
80
ParentSMC Group
SubsidiariesAirtronics
Websitewww.sanwa-denshi.co.jp
www.airtronics.net

In North America, Sanwa transmitters are marketed as Airtronics up until early 2016, which began as an independent company producing model airplanes.

History

Sanwa, originally as part of Sansei Electric Industry, specialized in the research and development of remote control devices in 1959. It merged with Sanwa Denki Manufacturing in 1965 and then became part of the SMC Group. In January 1974, Sanwa entered production and sales of transmitters for radio-controlled models and in December, became a member of the Japan Radio Control Model Industrial Association (JRM).[1]

In 1975, Sanwa became a division on its own, with an office in Tokyo. In August that year it launched its first radio-controlled transmitter, the Mini Propo, and in 1976, Sanwa became an independent company. Its M-sechs wheeled transmitter was the recipient of the Good Design Award in 1990.[1] In 1985, Sanwa diversified into the production of remote controls for domestic and industrial purposes.[2]

Due to its reputation in the radio-controlled modelling industry, its main competitor is Futaba.[3] KO Propo and Spektrum.


Airtronics
Airtronics logo (1970s-2016)

F. Lee Renaud began his hobby in model aviation in 1942 with a Joe Ott kit; he began to fly competitively in 1947.[4] While recovering from a heart attack in 1970, Renaud used his medical leave from his office-equipment company job to build radio-controlled airplanes.[3] He formed Airtronics in 1971 to build and sell model airplanes and radio remote-control devices. In his first year, he turned over $40,000.[3] Renaud earned a reputation with model aircraft such as the "Olympic", "Aquila", "Grand Esprit" and "Sagitta", amongst others. In 1980, he introduced the XL transmitter.[4] Renaud died in January 1983, and his wife Barbara took over the company.[3]

In 1982, realizing that his company wouldn't expand on its own without financial backing, Renaud took on a partnership with Sanwa, which bought an undisclosed large stake in the company while the family retained a controlling interest. Under the agreement, the Renauds built airplanes whilst Sanwa took charge of manufacturing radio-controlled transmitters for the Renauds to distribute. As a result, Airtronics increased its sales from less than $1 million in 1983 to $3 million in 1985, and to $8 million in 1989 with a staff of 18 employees.[3]

The company continued as a family business until 2007 when Global Hobby Distributors took over distributorship. Following business restructuring in Japan, the distributor announced that their partnership came to an end in 2016 and the brand will itself be discontinued although still continuing under a new distributor, Serpent America, as Sanwa.[5][6][7]

The library of Academy of Model Aeronautics's National Model Aviation Museum is named after Renaud.[4] Sanwa's Aquila 6 is named after his airplane.

Accolades

The Airtronics Caliber 3PS (known internationally as the Sanwa M-zechs) became the first of twelve consecutive Radio Control Car Action's Readers' Choice Award for Best Transmitter in 1996 by Airtronics; eight of those was achieved by its successor, the M8.[8]

IFMAR World Championship winners

Following is a list of users who won the IFMAR World Championships, a biennial world championship for radio-controlled cars, using Sanwa/Airtronics transmitters.

Year Class Name Model Report
1985 1/10 Off-Road Stock Jay Halsey Airtronics XL2P Report
1985 1/10 Off-Road Unlimited Gil Losi, Jr. Airtronics XL2P Report
1987 1/8 IC Track Pete Fusco Airtronics Report
1990 1/8 Off-Road Koji Sanada[9] Sanwa Machine-1 Report
1991 1/10 Off-Road 4WD Cliff Lett[10] Airtronics CS2P Report
1992 1/12 On-Road Tony Neisinger Airtronics Caliber 3P Report
1992 PRO 10 Joel Johnson[11] Airtronics CS2P Report
1992 1/8 Off-Road Kunihiro Toge[12] Sanwa M-zechs Report
1993 1/10 Off-Road 2WD Brian Kinwald[13] Airtronics CS2P Report
1995 1/10 Off-Road 2WD Matt Francis[14] Airtronics Caliber 3PS Report
1995 1/10 Off-Road 4WD Mark Pavidis[14] Airtronics CS2P
1996 PRO 10 Mike Swauger[15] Airtronics Caliber 3PS
1997 1/8 IC Track Lamberto Collari Sanwa
1997 1/10 Off-Road 2WD Brian Kinwald Airtronics Caliber 3PS Report
1999 1/10 Off-Road 4WD Jukka Steenari[16] Sanwa M8 Report
2000 1/10 IC 235mm Touring Car Michael Salven Report
2001 1/8 IC Track Kenji Osaka Sanwa M8
2002 1/10 Off-Road 2WD Matt Francis Airtronics M8 Report
2002 1/10 Off-Road 4WD Jukka Steenari Sanwa M8
2002 1/10 IC 235mm Touring Car Brian Berry[17] Airtronics M8 Report
2003 1/8 IC Track Lamberto Collari[18] Sanwa
2003 1/10 Off-Road 2WD Billy Easton Airtronics M8 Report
2004 1:10 ISTC Marc Rheinard[19] Sanwa M8 Report
2004 1/10 IC Touring Car Adrien Bertin[20]
2003 1/10 Off-Road 4WD Ryan Cavalieri Airtronics M11 Report
2005 1/10 Off-Road 4WD Ryan Cavalieri[21] Airtronics M11 Report
2005 1/8 IC Track Lamberto Collari Sanwa Super EXES
2006 1/10 IC Touring Car Keisuke Fukuda[22] Report
2007 1/5 Touring Car Martin Lissau Sanwa M11
2007 1/8 IC Track Lamberto Collari
2008 1/10 IC Touring Car Daniele Ielasi Report
2008 1:10 ISTC Marc Rheinard[23] Sanwa M11 Report
2009 1/8 IC Track Lamberto Collari[24] Sanwa EXZES Plus
2009 1/10 Off-Road 2WD Martin Achter Sanwa M11X Report
2009 1/10 Off-Road 4WD Martin Achter Sanwa M11X
2010 1/12 On-Road Naoto Matsukura[25] Sanwa M11X Report
2010 1:10 ISTC Marc Rheinard[26] Sanwa M11X Report
2011 1/8 IC Track Robert Pietsch[27] Sanwa EXZES-X
2011 1/10 Off-Road 2WD Ryan Cavalieri[28] Airtronics M11X Report
2011 1/10 Off-Road 4WD Ryan Cavalieri[28] Airtronics M11X
2012 1/12 On-Road Naoto Matsukura[29] Sanwa M12 Report
2012 1:10 ISTC Jilles Groskamp[30] Sanwa EXZES-X Report
2012 1/10 IC Touring Car Meen Vejrak[31] Sanwa M12 Report
2013 1/8 IC Track Tadahiko Sahashi[32] Sanwa M12
2014 1/8 Off-Road Ty Tessmann[12] Airtronics M12 Report
2014 1/12 On-Road Marc Rheinard[33] Sanwa M12 Report
2014 1:10 ISTC Naoto Matsukura[34] Sanwa M12 Report
2014 1/10 IC Touring Car Alexander Hagberg[35] Sanwa M12 Report
2015 1/10 Off-Road 2WD Spencer Rivkin[36] Airtronics M12S Report
2015 1/10 Off-Road 4WD Bruno Coelho[37] Sanwa M12S
2016 1/10 IC Touring Car Dominic Greiner[38] Sanwa M12
2016 1/12 On-Road Naoto Matsukura Sanwa M12S
2016 1:10 ISTC Ronald Völker[39] Sanwa M12S
2016 1/8 Off-Road David Ronnefalk[40] Sanwa M12S
2017 1/8 IC Track Dario Balestri Sanwa EXZES-ZZ
2017 1/10 Off-Road 2WD Ryan Maifield[41] Sanwa M12S Report
2017 1/10 Off-Road 4WD Ryan Maifield[41] Sanwa M12S
2017 1/5 Touring Car Santiago Meirinhos Sanwa M12
2018 1/12 On-Road Alexander Hagberg Sanwa M12S
2018 1:10 ISTC Bruno Coelho Sanwa M12S
2018 1/10 IC Touring Car Naoto Matsukura Sanwa M12S
2018 1/8 Off-Road Davide Ongaro[42] Sanwa EXZES-ZZ
2019 1/10 Off-Road 4WD Bruno Coelho Sanwa M17 Report
2019 1/8 IC Track Shoki Takahata[43] Sanwa M17
2020 1/12 On-Road Stock Andy Murray Sanwa EXZES-ZZ
2020 1/12 On-Road Marc Rheinard[44] Sanwa M12S Report
2020 1/8 IC GT Jörn Neumann Sanwa M17

References
  1. "SANWA". sanwa-denshi.co.jp. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  2. "SANWA". sanwa-denshi.co.jp.
  3. Le, Thuan (March 29, 1990). "Hobby-Kit Outfit Supplies Model of Homespun Profit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
  4. "The AMA History Project Presents: Biography of LEE RENAUD" (PDF). Academy of Model Aeronautics. April 2014.
  5. "BREAKING: Global Hobby Distributors' statement on Airtronics". LiveRC.com. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  6. "BREAKING: Airtronics to close its doors". LiveRC.com. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  7. "SANWA". sanwa-denshi.com. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  8. "Transmitter Tech". Radio Control Car Action. Air Age Media: 57. January 2016.
  9. Denis, Jean-Marc (April 1990). "Championnat du monde TT 1/8" (in French). Rétro Modélisme.
  10. Blandin, Christophe (November 1991). "Championnat du Monde TT 1/10" (in French). Rétro Modélisme.
  11. Ogle, Mike (January 1993). "Trinity/Novak IFMAR 1/10-scale On-Road Worlds". Radio Control Car Action. Air Age Media: 64.
  12. "Ifmar World Championship Offroad 2014". Sanwa.
  13. Blandin, Christophe (1993). "Championnat du Monde de TT 1/10 en Grande Bretagne: Hirosaka et Kinwald les Maitres" (PDF). Auto8 (in French): 94.
  14. Radio Control Car Action, December 1995
  15. Radio Control Car Action, December 1996
  16. "IFMAR Off-Road Worlds: Racing Action in Finland!" (PDF). Radio Control Car Action. Air Age Media: 59. November 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-05.
  17. https://archive.org/details/Radio_Control_Car_Action_Magazine_2003-03/page/n79/mode/2up
  18. https://www.efra.ws/2003-1-8th-track-wc-hamilton-usa/
  19. "Masami Hirosaka (1/12) et Marc Rheinard (Touring) CHAMPIONS DU MONDE 2004!" (in French). RC Infos.
  20. "CM 1/10 200mm - Victoire d'Adrien". Yome3000.com.
  21. Troyon, Lionel (August 2005). "Championnats du Monde 1/10 Off Road 2WD et 4WD Collegno (Italie)". RC Infos.
  22. "2006 IFMAR 200mm Worlds – Placings After Finals". Morac-Graz.at. September 17, 2006.
  23. "LRP Wins IFMAR World Championship!!". LRP. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  24. "Lamberto Collari Wins 1/8th Onroad WC with LRP!". LRP. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  25. "LRP successful at the IFMAR 1/12 WC!". LRP. 2010-07-02.
  26. "LRP SXX TC Spec Version2 and Sanwa M11X – the most used technology at the WC in Germany!". LRP. 2010-07-07. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  27. "Robert Pietsch takes the WC title with LRP and Sanwa!". LRP. 2011-06-08.
  28. "Double World Champions – Ryan Cavalieri and LRP unbeatable!". LRP. 2011-08-04. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  29. "IFMAR EP 1/12 World Championship 2012". Sanwa.
  30. "IFMAR 1/10 EP World Championship Result". Sanwa.
  31. "Chassis Focus – Meen Vejrak". Red RC. November 2012.
  32. "2013 IFMAR 1/8 RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP". Sanwa.
  33. "IFMAR 1/12th WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2014". Sanwa.
  34. "IFMAR ISTC 1/10 EP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2014". Sanwa.
  35. "IFMAR 1/10 IC Touring Car WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2014". Sanwa.
  36. "IFMAR EP OFFROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (2WD)". sanwa-denshi.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  37. "IFMAR EP OFFROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (4WD)". sanwa-denshi.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  38. "2016 200mm Worlds Winning Car". Red RC. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
  39. "WORLDS: Inside Ronald Volker's BD8 World's touring car". www.liverc.com. August 27, 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  40. "Under the Hood: David Ronnefalk".
  41. "SANWA". www.sanwa-denshi.com. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  42. "SANWA". www.sanwa-denshi.com. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
  43. "Chassis Focus – Shoki Takahata". Red RC Events. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  44. "Rheinard and Murray Bring Schumacher Double World Championship Titles". www.liverc.com. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
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