Indoor electric Control Line

[Mike Griffin]

As I age and my health deteriorates each day, I would really enjoy flying one of these.  I have some really nasty episodes of Vertigo which makes me violently ill and other back and knee problems.  I think something like this that would be slow and yet still stuntable would be a barrel of fun.  I wish someone would make a kit and a plug and play electric system where you could just glue the model together and install the electrical system and go fly.  I really think there would be a market of something like that here in the United States.  Most of these I read about are in foreign countries.  Does anyone know if something like that is currently available in our country?

Mike

[john e. holliday]

 Mike the old DOC has been asking about this since I seen the first video of an indoor control line flight.  I really thought RSM or Brodak would jump on this.

[Crist Rigotti]

Mike,
Whose airplane is that?
Thanks.

[Ken Culbertson]

Silly as it may sound, I think the biggest hurdle would be finding a flying site!  We used to fly indoor in our school gyms.  Didn't even need permission from anybody.  The guards just let us in and one elementary school actually gave us a key.  Today you would have climb a never-ending ladder of "No's" to get the one "Yes".  I agree that these little gems look like a whole lot of fun.  Some of the videos are astounding as to what they can do.  Full patterns with maneuvers that actually look rule book.

Were I to win the lottery I would donate an indoor CL arena in Muncie that would accommodate 70' lines complete with a wind generator and a fake sun at 45 degrees down wind just to make it more like your average contest.  But it would need to be a big jackpot cause my wife will get half of the half left after Uncle Sam gets his/hers/it's.

Ken

[Dennis Leonhardi]

Not gonna do the stunt pattern, but the old Cox Bearcat with its (by now primitive) EP system was kinda fun.  It had an advantage with a speed control - touch and go's were easy, and if dizziness was a problem, you could just let it sit for a bit.

With all the advances in EP, coming up with something like what you picture, Mike, shouldn't be difficult.  For reasons mentioned, I'd suggest a speed control.

Dennis

[Paul Wescott]

I wish someone would make a kit and a plug and play electric system where you could just glue the model together and install the electrical system and go fly.  I really think there would be a market of something like that here in the United States.  Most of these I read about are in foreign countries.  Does anyone know if something like that is currently available in our country?

Mike

Mike - Plug & Play “control line” probably not but there are a few RC kits out there where the only thing missing is the bellcrank.  Ok maybe a couple of other minor parts like leadouts, leadout guides, pushrod, tip weight, you get the picture.

Check this gymnasium video out:



Available Airframe kit plus variations of power packages plus almost everything else you need.
[ NOTE - Don’t order the optional receiver unless you’re also going to fly it in RC mode! ]

https://twistedhobbys.com/th-33-epp-clik-21-super-lite-green/

This is not the only option - There are lots of variations on this theme - I just happen to like their video.

Paul W.

[Dennis Nunes]

Check out these videos of some superb RC indoor flying that I posted about a year ago. Amazing...

https://stunthanger.com/smf/open-forum/not-control-line-but-pretty-cool/msg610170/#msg610170

Dennis

[Mike Griffin]

Mike,
Whose airplane is that?
Thanks.

Crist,  a few years ago, I started a facebook group entitled "Control Line Flying" which I eventually turned over to some other folks to administer because of lack of time on my part to do it.  This picture and post appeared on that page and I did not get the person's name that owned the plane.  I will go back into the page when I get time and get back to you on it.  I just cannot remember off the top of my head who or where it was.  I really wish someone would make a ARF or RTF available similar to this. 

Mike

[Mike Griffin]

Crist,

Here is the link from the facebook.  It is not in this country but not sure where.  Maybe Argentina? I hope the link works.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/906304736107218/user/100064528097038

Mike

[dave siegler]

Our club just did an indoor flying demo at EAA museum.  We use an RC car transmitter

pretty easy to set up.  they fly slowly and the throttle lets you do some cool stuff. 

[NED-088]

Ask Igor, he'll fill you in on the details:

[Mike Griffin]

Ask Igor, he'll fill you in on the details:

That just looks like so much fun.  This is what I was talking about.

Mike

[Dan McEntee]

That just looks like so much fun.  This is what I was talking about.

Mike

   I am gonna play devil's advocate here and ask the question, are you sure you would like it, and really think it's fun? This appears to me to be nothing like what you are used to and have experienced for years. Almost no line pull, so you don't feel anything. All line tension (what little there is, ) comes from offsets and it looks to get a bit loose at 45 degrees and over head, and is flying a exaggerated nose out yaw. Speaking just for myself, there is nothing about this that I find attractive enough to make me want to invest in it. It involves nothing of what I fly C'L models for, and that is working with engines, the pull on the lines giving me feedback on how the model is flying, and no sound or smell. If I want to fly indoor, it's rubber power models and gliders  for me, and maybe some micro R/C But that is just me. Full speed ahead to anyone else interested, but like I said at the beginning, do you think you would really like this , since it doesn't provide the same kick that a traditional C/L stunt model does, even an electric model??  This is along the lines ( no pun intended!!) of why some guys have no interest in flying smaller models.
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

[John Carrodus]

I bought a smaller foamy electric CL from Aliexpress for my 6 year old grandson to fly. It needed a bit of messing with to get the bellcrank working properly and the wire control lines sorted. We've had a ball both outside when still and in the local hall when the crappy weather comes. Total cost to get it to our door here in NZ about $45. Smashed and easily repaired many times. Worth every cent. However, now knowing where it comes from, I will not be a return customer.

[Mike Griffin]

   I am gonna play devil's advocate here and ask the question, are you sure you would like it, and really think it's fun? This appears to me to be nothing like what you are used to and have experienced for years. Almost no line pull, so you don't feel anything. All line tension (what little there is, ) comes from offsets and it looks to get a bit loose at 45 degrees and over head, and is flying a exaggerated nose out yaw. Speaking just for myself, there is nothing about this that I find attractive enough to make me want to invest in it. It involves nothing of what I fly C'L models for, and that is working with engines, the pull on the lines giving me feedback on how the model is flying, and no sound or smell. If I want to fly indoor, it's rubber power models and gliders  for me, and maybe some micro R/C But that is just me. Full speed ahead to anyone else interested, but like I said at the beginning, do you think you would really like this , since it doesn't provide the same kick that a traditional C/L stunt model does, even an electric model??  This is along the lines ( no pun intended!!) of why some guys have no interest in flying smaller models.
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

Hi Dan,

The short answer to your question is  YES...I like flying anything, even a dime store kite.  Igor seems to enjoy it.

Mike

[CircuitFlyer]

I enjoyed building and flying my own version of Igors Indoor Gee Bee. 

Will this type of indoor model help improve you skills if you can already fly a reasonable pattern with a traditional C/L stunt model?  Heck no.  But, if you are just learning the pattern it can help a lot more than a computer simulator ever could.  It's just a different kind of aeromodeling that serves a different purpose for different folks.

Over the past few years the biggest challenge was getting your hands on some Depron.  The North American market for that material all but disappeared.  Thankfully it looks like a few suppliers have been able to import some for our us. These guys
 https://www.buzzardmodels.com/depronfoamsheets  look like they can supply a lot of what you might need to build your own.

[Norm Faith Jr.]

Ask Igor, he'll fill you in on the details:

That was some outstanding flying. Impressive! I did notice that most of the people passing through "could have cared less" not even remotely knowing the skill that was put into that flight.
Norm

[Steve Helmick]

The Mayo 2023 issue of Model Aviation had a profile foam board plan for a REAL Gee Bee (i.e., Granville Brothers) by Larry Kruse. Sadly, it is for R/C. But it was before the article on "Basic Aerial Mapping" (i.e., DRONES). I thought the AMA might have learned to avoid involvement with DRONES as much as possible, but apparently not.  Steve

[Dan McEntee]

The Mayo 2023 issue of Model Aviation had a profile foam board plan for a REAL Gee Bee (i.e., Granville Brothers) by Larry Kruse. Sadly, it is for R/C. But it was before the article on "Basic Aerial Mapping" (i.e., DRONES). I thought the AMA might have learned to avoid involvement with DRONES as much as possible, but apparently not.  Steve

  Which issue of Model Aviation? I'm assuming you mean May but we are only in March right now, and just barely!!

    Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee