First Indoor Flyer
 

Hey,

I have a glow power trainer that I'm going to learn on this year, and I'm pretty exited. However, the indoor flying stuff looks very intriging to me. I saw some fly at a gym about a month ago. I have a great radio, the Hitec Optic 6, so I can use that, but I'm looking for some ideas for a indoor flying plane that would be good for a beginner.

Thanks,
Ben

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

Hard to beat a Slow Stick from GWS for a model that is fun indoors and and outdoors in light wind.

Do a search in here and in the parkflyers area and you will find lots of information on setups.

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

I also would like to get into this.

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

I am not sure if this is the size you are looking for but the Micro (sub ounce) stuff is pretty affordable now. and is for sure an Indoor flyer

I have been looking into the sub ounce stuff. Here are some sites I found. If you have your own TX the DWE stuff looks like it would rock. If you need everything the new Plantraco stuff looks amazing and can be flown in very small spaces. The BSD stuff I believe will be available with the Plantraco gear soon. So much to choose from my wife is going to kill me.



[link=http://www.slowfly.com/index.chtml]http://www.slowfly.com/index.chtml[/link]

[link=http://www.plantraco.com/hobbies/index.html]http://www.plantraco.com/hobbies/index.html[/link]

[link=http://www.bsdmicrorc.com/products.cfm?catID=10003]http://www.bsdmicrorc.com/products.cfm?catID=10003[/link]

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

Here is a picture of my DWE Flying Dutchman along with my other electric slow flyer. (SR Telemaster)

http://www.vinceherman.net/New/IMG_3446.JPG

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

A GWS slow stick isn't the best for small areas, you can only turn. Take the GWS pico stick, tiger moth and cub, which use the gws ips motor drive unit, you have something that flys slow, is manuverable, and can fly in a gym with ease. The foam fuselage versions of these planes are much better than the stick versions, gear is prtected inside and can't be knocked off or loose, no mounts to break, wings mount more secure and flex less with the rubber band wing mounts, and if you ever break the motor mount stick off, you just put in a new stick. The pico stick is pretty manuverable (can loop), the tiger moth is a slow stable flyer (good ol' bipe), and haven't seen the cub, but it should be a stable and smooth flier. Small 2 cell lipos work good with these planes as well. Replacement parts for these planes are cheap and easy to get, had to replace my tail because of several midairs...
Key point to keep an eye on for indoor planes is a low wing loading. A 4 oz wing loading is a good point to shoot for. Foam is more forgiving than a stick-built, so it's better for starting off with. At $40 a kit, you can swap your gear out to something better in the future.

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

You might want to get a foam airplane from hobby-lobby.com.

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

I recomend a SLO-V from park zone, very easy to fly and maintain. I experimented with replacing the stock batt with a 2 cell lipo and a bigger prop.:D

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

For indoor or livingroom flight you could try our RTF Butterfly.

It includes everything you need except 4 AA cells for the transmitter.

It even includes a flight simulator and cable to connect the included transmitter to your computer so you can learn to fly (or crash) on the R/C flight sim before damaging your real plane.

This is the world's lightest, smallest and slowest RTF R/C model airplane!

For indoor flight, our gear is very good.

http://plantraco.com/hobbies/index.html

20 meg video here:
http://www.plantraco.com/hobbies/butterflyvideo3.html

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this question, but I just bought a first indoor flyer. It is the Stevens Aero Liddlebug. I chose that model after checking out a lot of forums on the www. It's an really nice kit, with just a few parts that go together very nicely. The laser cutting was beautiful with only a couple of parts not cut all the way through the wood sheet. Parts fit together nicely for trial fit before hitting them with glue. I used thin zap, and I'm hearing I probably didn't pick the best choice. (I am a giant scale gas modeler, and getting used to these tiny assemblies is a huge change for me.) I liked the retro look to the plane. I bought the plane and figured I could get the other components after I complete the plane. After two short building sessions, I'm ready for the components!

My question relates to the radio and motor/battery combinations. Are there any websites that have big !QUOT!combo!QUOT! deals where you can buy an airborne package where all the components play nice with each other. I'm afraid that if I do a pick and choose deal, I'll buy a rx set up for servos, not actuators, or the power system won't be compatible with the motor. I see a lot of combo deals on the website for Balsa Products (www.balsapr.com) but a good number of the components I think would work, are out of stock. Is there a good place to find a lot of combo/package deals. I wrote back to Stevens Aero and asked them this question, but haven't heard back in a few days. I'm really anxious to get a complete system ordered. Based on what I'm looking at, it appears it might cost $200 or more without TX to get in the air. If I buy a Littlebug, could I get in the air cheaper with parkflyer gear? (The Liddlebug only cost $20 - the Diddlebug is only $24 - quite a difference from giant scale costs!)

Any suggestions anyone has would be appreciated!

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

Also try the Air Hogs "Aero Ace". 9" wingspan and flys great. I got one 3 days ago and LOVE IT!

1/2 hour charge time from the TX and 10-15 fly time! I learned how to fly on it in the past 3 days.

Tom

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

I cannot believe they want $239 for that indoor butterfly. What a rip! While it is very "neat", the parts are probably worth $30. UNBELIEVABLE. I would be very surprised if they've ever sold more than a dozen. WOW!

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

Carbon Fiber Propeller.

The world's lightest manufactured receiver.

The world's lightest manufactured actuator.

Included FMS flight sim capability

Full proportional, 900Mhz Transmitter

Lithium Polymer cell with Plantraco's patent pending Bahoma connector system.

3.6 gram all up weight.

Able to do figure 8's in a 12' X 16' livingroom.

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

I'm gonna second the GWS Pico Stick F, great for indoors, especially with a LIPO pack

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

Hi all,

I hope im not going to hog this thread, but im also looking for a piece of the indoor action.

I already have a bigass (47") taube rumpler, wich is SUPPOSED to be an indoor plane, but that ol' thing flies like the hindenburgh. Sluggish, incredibly sloooooow on the controls, and a wall gets near it perty darn quick.

So now im looking around for something a little smaller to start with, but also more snappy, or a little less groundspeed. Not some kind of shockflyer though, those look to squirly to me. :) Those ultra light ultracote things look perty awesome to watch them zoom by, but I think theire freakin expencive to build. Something like the IFO, well, just plain ugly is the issue with those things. :D Im willing to fork out for a couple light servos and a lipo pack or two, but not for expencive brushless though. Ive already got a CC pixie 20P and a quite lightweight reciever at hand.

Perhaps I could do something with the 3sq.ft of 1/4" thick fanfold ive got laying around? Something ail/ele or elevon would be fun I think, as it will probably give me plenty of snappy control. I dont know where I saw it, but I saw some picture with a perty awesome profile P-38 kind of twin motor thing in the background that might do the trick.

Who knows something fun for me to fly?

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

Hi All, I don't want to disregard all the advice that has been given out already, but i have recently started flying indoor myself and found that there is a lot to be said for the good ol' shock flyer, the yak is especially good.

OK it's not exactly small, but it is relatively cheap to buy and if you break it, you can cut a new one out of depron and built in a matter of hours for very little $.

Also it flies really well regardless of skill level. For example, if all you want to (or are able) to do is circuits, then it's a good stable machine for that, if on the other hand you're into full blown 3D flight, then it'll do almost everything in the book. I'm sure a lot of people will tell you there's a better tool out there for either job, but i find that it's a good all rounder and i'm having a ball with mine.

As for me, i'm somewhere in between, i've just started 3D flying and i'm finding the model an invaluable tool for learning, i fly a dave patrick edge and don't want to stuff that trying to torque roll it inches from the deck, but i don't mind risking the wee model (that's what it's for).

I fly mine in a gym hall that's around a basketball court size i think (there's a BBall court marked on the floor, but we're not big on that in UK so might be a different size) and it's more than enough space, it can get a bit cramped when 2 or 3 get in the air at a time but it's manageable.

Just my 2 cents worth, since nobody had mentioned this option yet.

Cheers,

Zen

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

Im tempted, ive seen these fly, perty nice. BUT... Theire so butt ugly. :) Im not so fond of planes that have guts sticking out all over the place.

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

Once you try it you won't look back, trust me they fly very well, as long as you have a decent space to fly 'em.

Mine has taken a good beating too, all you do is pick it up, dust it down, fill any broken bits with a glue of your choice (CA or epoxy) and chuck it in the air again.

They do break eventually, but i've been promising to build a new one for weeks now, and i just keep repairing the one i have.

And, as for the guts hanging out......you'd forget all about that when you've got a big grin on your face and you get "the bug".

Go on, you'll love it, and it will improve your flying skills a LOT.

Zen

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

Im starting to get bored with circuit flying my bigass U-haul, so its time for more action.

Theres yak plans all over the net, and ive got a spare sheet of 6mm and 3mm depron aswell as a CD-rom motor and a buncha 5gram servos, so I just might try it. :D If I dont like it, all I have to do is make someone happy with a 5 dollar chassis. ;)

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

You got it freakazoid, cheap and cheerful.

If ya want a "tried and tested design" :D for a really good flying yak, PM me and i'll make a plan and some build tips to get a really good flying model, i tried to design my own and it worked, but not as well as the model i'm flying right now.

I'm about to cut a new one out for myself anyway, so no probs if you want that done.

Cheers,

Zen.

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

Just shot you a PM. Lets hope this ll be my step into kickass indoor flying. :)

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

I'm suprised no one suggested the Diddle Bug or Lil'squirt from Stevens Aero. 2.75 to 3oz complete ready to fly. The Squirt flys slower, smoother than my GWS Lite Stick.

RE: First Indoor Flyer
 

Theire both pug ugly, but thats just my opinion. ;)