October 1955: Radio-controlled tractor gets to work in Surrey

Fordson tractors underwent a series of modifications during their 47 years in production, but it was a non-production version that lured one of our predecessors to a field in Surrey in October 1955.

Ford Motor Company had invited The Engineer to observe an unmanned, radio-controlled Fordson Major diesel tractor, a technology demonstrator that had been built for use in field trials. What piqued the interest of our predecessor was the potential application of radio-controlled vehicles “in the transport of fissionable material at nuclear power plants”.

Furthermore, Ford was demonstrating a vehicle modification that our reporter thought could be “a pointer to the future of mechanised farming”.

According to the report, radio control was enabled by a transmitter working at 27-12Mc (megacycles) and providing six separate – but not simultaneous – channels, by means of audio-frequency modulation of the carrier, the receiver having tuned reed output relays for the reception of individual signals. These then operated secondary relays to provide excitation from the 12V tractor battery for the solenoids connected to the tractor controls.