One of the great things about almost all indoor models is the size factor - ie. you can fit loads into that dwindling space in the garage, or spare room. The disadvantage is that you can only fly them indoors or on very calm days outdoors, (do calm days ever happen).
The rising interest in this type of modelling has increased the variety and quantity available, and the number of events that you can either attend to watch or take part in.
A quick glance through the SAMs Models catalogue, the Flighthook catalogue, the Freeflight Supplies website , (to name but a few), will soon give you some idea of the vast range and variety of aeroplanes that are available to fly indoors.
The small size of indoor models makes them very quick and easy to construct - so read on and clear that building-board ready for action!
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An incredible model, or more realistically, an amazing flying kite. A carbon fibre frame covered with thin film, an excuse for a wheel, a loose floppy fin, and some small electronics. This adds up to a model with very high power to weight ratio (for electric models anyway), that is well within the budget of the average modeller.
Graham flying my IFO at Odiham just after I crashed it - the wheel is missing and the motor is only held on by two plastic straps, but still it flies |
It is very aerobatic, can be flown very slowly in a confined space, and is remarkably bounceable. The carbon frame is almost unbreakable, and the shrouding of the propeller is a masterstroke of design. The most likely damage is the wheel or its kevlar string bracing, or any of the kevlar strengthened joints. All are fixable for next to nothing or in a few minutes.
If you add nickel metal hydride batteries the flight times can extended well inexcess of ten minutes, even if your flying is energetic, but go for the sintered cells.
Its small size, and the quietness of the 280 Graupner electric motor means that I can fly in the field behind my house, in the still of the evenings, without the neighbours even noticing. Brilliant!
Almost no structure. Even the electrics are simple - they must be as this was my first electric model and I hardly know my postive from my negative |
Have a look at the designers web site: IFO Country, and then buy one at this site: Ansa Products.
OOPS! Its not just the walls that jump out at you - here's a Mini IFO that has flown into a length of string, that someone left hanging from one of the roof girders. The string has wrapped itself around the prop. Moments later it unwound itself.
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This little rubber-powered model is a gem, without doubt. Made in the Czech Republic, to a very high standard, from the lightest of balsa, it cost less than £15, and is ARTF. Only basic assembly is required.
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The main disadvantage of the true slow-fly indoor model, is the lightness of the balsa. It is very light, and therefore very weak, and breaks easily. If I pick up one of my R/C models and then handle the Bulldog I usually break something. You have to be in the right frame of mind.
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In a large hall it is very relaxing to fly. The large propeller seems to move in slow motion, and the flight times seem almost endless. Lovely.
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The Butterfly is a smaller version of the Bulldog. It is a very good model to start with because it is small enough to be easy to handle, ands yet returns excellent flight times. I built my first model from a bundle of balsa, but you can buy them ready to fly. Literally, out of the box, plug in the tail, attach the rubber motor and wind up. Great fun. The art is to wind up the motor enough times to circle up to the ceiling, but not touch it, but without breaking the motor.
The original Butterfly (bottom), pictured here alongside the Flying Kite (middle) and the ill-fated Ajax (top) |
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I bought this from SAMS, and then left it on the shelf for ages before building it in about five hours. It is most unusual and almost always attracts attention. It flies in a most delicate manner, rather like a large butterfly. The balsa is incredibly light and easily broken, so I have to treat this one even more carefully than any of the other indoor planes.
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The wing flap mechanism is really quite simple, I hope you can see how it works from the detail photos, but cannot see how bad my building is!.
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First attempts at flying the Flyer produced a limited flight envelope. It would flap around for a few seconds, but no matter how many turns I wound onto the motor it would not climb. So back to the drawings, and a small reduction in the length of the motor crank produced slightly better results, but still a bit feeble. Also, under max power it turns tightly to the right, but after about two circuits flies off in a straight line! So, there is still some work to be done to create an effective Flapping Flyer.
More info from Sams Models, or you could build from plans downloaded from the Ornithopter Society website.
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Not really an indoor model, but will fly inside with a bit of coaxing. Outdoors it is much better - lots of turns on the motor, a jolly good vertical throw, and up it goes it a huge loop, with a lovely roll off the top. Flight times are not exactly stunning, but in good conditions when there is a bit of lift about, it usually manages to make me walk a fair distance.
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Indoor flying is very easy to get into. Buy something ready made, go to a meeting, find out what there is to build and fly, then try whatever takes your fancy. These are some of the the planes at a recent meeting of the Aldershot Model Club. |