Well after 33 years of flying r/c, what would have been science fiction only a few years ago just came true - I've been flying a plane in my living room (which is a very average size ... we don't live in a barn conversion or anything!).
Take off from the floor or sofa, cruise around, and land safely. It's a bit tight, but quite do-able when there's too much breeze to fly it on the drive or in the back garden.
This is a proper r/c plane with two servos operating rudder and elevator, electric motor, gearbox, undercarriage, and a duration of approx. 15 minutes. Operated from a normal r/c transmitter (the same one I use for my electric helicopter). The 'ready to fly' weight is 14.8 grams (a whisker over half an ounce), wingspan 14.75". The motor and r/c both run off a single 70 mAh Li-Po cell, which weighs about 2.5 grams and charges in 20 mins.
Bought 'off the shelf', just charge the battery and fly. £59 including battery and charger! Few pictures (not mine):
I've been flying indooor r/c with bigger electric models in sports halls etc. for some years now ... not long ago you'd have paid £50 for a single ultra-light servo. To get a whole ready to fly model for not much more is astonishing.
The plane flies beautifully - very responsive, and will slow to a crawl without stalling (nose high, lots of power). On full throttle it will climb almost vertically and accelerates rapidly straight & level, so 'power management' is critical in tight spaces. Lots of fun
Take off from the floor or sofa, cruise around, and land safely. It's a bit tight, but quite do-able when there's too much breeze to fly it on the drive or in the back garden.
This is a proper r/c plane with two servos operating rudder and elevator, electric motor, gearbox, undercarriage, and a duration of approx. 15 minutes. Operated from a normal r/c transmitter (the same one I use for my electric helicopter). The 'ready to fly' weight is 14.8 grams (a whisker over half an ounce), wingspan 14.75". The motor and r/c both run off a single 70 mAh Li-Po cell, which weighs about 2.5 grams and charges in 20 mins.
Bought 'off the shelf', just charge the battery and fly. £59 including battery and charger! Few pictures (not mine):
I've been flying indooor r/c with bigger electric models in sports halls etc. for some years now ... not long ago you'd have paid £50 for a single ultra-light servo. To get a whole ready to fly model for not much more is astonishing.
The plane flies beautifully - very responsive, and will slow to a crawl without stalling (nose high, lots of power). On full throttle it will climb almost vertically and accelerates rapidly straight & level, so 'power management' is critical in tight spaces. Lots of fun
