Indoor planes. Thoughts?

[Winglet]

I was in exactly your situation last year. Tried a few different things. Ultimately The ticket turned out to be the Inductrix Switchair for me. Actually, I think nearly all of us ended up with one last year? It is typical to see 4 in the air at one time. As you know the name of the game is slow. Well.... being able to stop is even better! Our gym is large and when it gets up on the wing it can really haul but you can put the brakes on in an instant. Really fun! Flight time is 4 minutes. Get the light kit. It just plugs in and is really brite. We had our first indoor event this evening. I got about 12 flights. It requires a Spektrum Radio, so you are all set.

 

[speedbirdted]

Okay that thing is actually pretty cool. Might have to snag one of those... but there are a lot of planes I'd like to snag at the moment. Deciding is hard!

I'm really leaning towards unearthing some old rubber F/F plans and revitalizing them with micro electronics, since I've already got some lying around anyway. Has anyone done this? Would both satisfy my itch to build something from balsa (one I can't scratch too hard at the moment because, well, buying extremely large quantities of balsa, while fun, is quite expensive) and the requirement for an indoor plane. Anyone have any experience with the Vintage Model Co? Had a quick look at their site and the kits they offer seem to be designed well enough.

 

[Hondo76251]

I like the tinkering about as much as the flying TBH which seems to be good in this hobby... 😅

I've been watching the vintage model videos recently as well. I was considering one myself but if keeping cost/per tinker as low as possible there is a world of micro things you can do with foam board. I've got a few designs I've ironed out that are about a quarter sheet of foam, spare tiny whoop parts, and a few strips of packing tape. Much more durable (and repairable) than balsa.

Here's a video of one of my early attempts:

 

[Hondo76251]

P.S.
For anything micro this little banggood receiver with built in esc has worked great for me on quite a few builds.
https://m.banggood.com/2_4G-4CH-Mic...51.html?akmClientCountry=America&rmmds=search

And if you want stabilization (which can really help on the smaller twitchy models) ive had great luck with the Spektrum AR6335 micro receiver.

 

[Bricks]

Can`t go wrong with the Cub S especially for $40.

 

[slowjo]

A build is not entirely off the table.


Nah, not really like that. More just something to fly around and have fun with. Was considering a Champ and might just go with that if no one (including myself) finds something better to buy, but something with ailerons would be nice.

the Champ s+ has ailerons and is fun in tight spots and outside with little wind, jo

 

[speedbirdted]

the Champ s+ has ailerons and is fun in tight spots and outside with little wind, jo

And it's also discontinued...

Can`t go wrong with the Cub S especially for $40.

I think that's what I'm gonna end up doing since it's cheap and ticks all the requirements for me.

P.S.
For anything micro this little banggood receiver with built in esc has worked great for me on quite a few builds.
https://m.banggood.com/2_4G-4CH-Mic...51.html?akmClientCountry=America&rmmds=search

And if you want stabilization (which can really help on the smaller twitchy models) ive had great luck with the Spektrum AR6335 micro receiver.

I've always used Redcon recievers for micro builds mainly because they're stupid cheap, my personal favorite being the cm410x which costs a third as much as the Spektrum, and works just as well if not better cause of the dual antennas. Plus 6 channels for a micro indoor build is really not needed as weight is going to be kept to a minimum and so the 4 channels that most planes have is all you will be using, sometimes just 3. Never used the unit you linked though, but I like it because it has an integrated ESC. Though I'm pretty sure looking at Banggood's mobile website on a PC gave me cancer...

I've also thought about this too which is like what you posted just with integrated linear servos too which can further reduce weight. It doesn't exactly say how many channels it is but I'm gonna guess it's four because there are two extra JST ports on the side and one is marked "bind" which is nice because that means it'd support aileron servos.

 

[Hondo76251]

I haven't tried that one but I do have a spektrum like that I piked up in a discount bin for 15 bucks. It even has as3x.

That's what's in this one:

I've found the built in servos make some builds tricky. I think they'd be great on the balsa models.

I've also had good luck with lemon RX micros...

Here's a little fpv fun with that converted chuck glider:

 

[FoamyDM]

I like the tinkering about as much as the flying TBH which seems to be good in this hobby... 😅

I've been watching the vintage model videos recently as well. I was considering one myself but if keeping cost/per tinker as low as possible there is a world of micro things you can do with foam board. I've got a few designs I've ironed out that are about a quarter sheet of foam, spare tiny whoop parts, and a few strips of packing tape. Much more durable (and repairable) than balsa.

Here's a video of one of my early attempts:

I love it. Posterboard Vert and horiz. stabilizers, is that right?

 

[Hondo76251]

I love it. Posterboard Vert and horiz. stabilizers, is that right?

Yeah, with a few layers of packing tape they're pretty light and durable. (And worse that happens is you have to bend them straight in a bad crash

 

[FoamyDM]

Yeah, with a few layers of packing tape they're pretty light and durable. (And worse that happens is you have to bend them straight in a bad crash

or reinforce with a toothpick

 

[DAWNSIGHT4]

I would honestly go full swing into something crazy, like trying to make peter sripols paper airplane rc project work. That would be really cheap, and honestly really easy to fly for indoor events.

 

[Hondo76251]

I've built quite a few micros but none that would be really suitable indoors. I started out thinking that I could build something small as trainers for my kids but that hasn't really panned out. Seems that anything much under a 30" (76 cm if you're not into freedom units) gets to be more tricky to fly. Planes like the UMX Timber are great because of the stabilization but are not durable enough to be what I would consider a trainer. Same goes for the indoor stuff. I've got some basic designs that I know could be lightened up and made indoor friendly but, frankly, I never fly indoors so I focus on small but durable, install FPV, and go bash them through the trees behind my house! Lol

I do have a Vapor that I fly in my shop from time to time and i think I can get a plane about that size to FPV and then I'll get a video of doing a fixed wing indoor fpv course...

If you want to see how durable $2 worth of carbon fiber, $0.25 worth of foam, and a little packing tape is, check out the maiden/testing of that micro DH.88 I built...

 

[Hondo76251]

or reinforce with a toothpick

I ended up with a little 1 1/2" piece of carbon fiber on mine... 😉

 

[FoamyDM]

I've built quite a few micros but none that would be really suitable indoors. I started out thinking that I could build something small as trainers for my kids but that hasn't really panned out. Seems that anything much under a 30" (76 cm if you're not into freedom units) gets to be more tricky to fly. Planes like the UMX Timber are great because of the stabilization but are not durable enough to be what I would consider a trainer. Same goes for the indoor stuff. I've got some basic designs that I know could be lightened up and made indoor friendly but, frankly, I never fly indoors so I focus on small but durable, install FPV, and go bash them through the trees behind my house! Lol

I do have a Vapor that I fly in my shop from time to time and i think I can get a plane about that size to FPV and then I'll get a video of doing a fixed wing indoor fpv course...

If you want to see how durable $2 worth of carbon fiber, $0.25 worth of foam, and a little packing tape is, check out the maiden/testing of that micro DH.88 I built...

Great work on the vid. I always like to see other folks' journey.Partly to see if my 5:1 fail to success ratio is reasonable. I imagine your craft could be slower if it were lighter and or with bigger/chord-ier wings. Have you thought about using foam plates? I had a 20g section of DTFB, i took off one side - 13g then took off the other bringing it to 6-7g, but brittle. the foam plate version a bit lighter.

 

[Hondo76251]

...Partly to see if my 5:1 fail to success ratio is reasonable...

Depends on how you define success! Mostly I use the old jarhead approach, I'm just too dumb to give up! That or you can use a more modern battle tactic, redefine the parameters of your mission and declare victory...

I imagine your craft could be slower if it were lighter and or with bigger/chord-ier wings. Have you thought about using foam plates?

yeah, I think you're correct. My next version will definitely be lighter and hopefully better handling. I can live with the speed.

I will try some plates, never thought of that. I've got one last sheet of thin depron I've been hoarding for a special project too...

 

[FoamyDM]

Depends on how you define success! Mostly I use the old jarhead approach, I'm just too dumb to give up! That or you can use a more modern battle tactic, redefine the parameters of your mission and declare victory...



yeah, I think you're correct. My next version will definitely be lighter and hopefully better handling. I can live with the speed.

I will try some plates, never thought of that. I've got one last sheet of thin depron I've been hoarding for a special project too...

at $4 for a 150 pack of 10" rounds, there is no need for hoarding. I just wish you could find paper plate sheeting.