There are floaty foamies in the gymnasium, Roscoe!

March 25, 2013 8:21 PM

Radio controlled electric flying has been around for a while now, but a relatively new type of indoor pattern flying is becoming popular. Using very light electric airplanes called "foamies", F3P can be both mesmerizing and artistically beautiful simultaneously.
posted by pjern (7 comments total)

That is some incredible weight/power ratios going on right there.
posted by rmd1023 at 8:35 PM on March 25, 2013

That's the first thing I thought too, rmd1023. The pilot is getting very close to the ability to position the plane anywhere in a 50cm radius, in any orientation, almost instantly. That's totally nuts.

I flew RC helicopters for a little while a few years back, and it's interesting how much lithium-polymer battery cells, brushless DC motors, and lightweight solid-state power electronics have changed RC flying. This kind of indoor flying would never be possible with a nitro plane.
posted by aaronbeekay at 10:50 PM on March 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'm so glad this isn't about that annoying Newgrounds goth squirrel.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 11:03 PM on March 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

Good stuff - thanks. Couldn't actually watch the first video for long - far too many cuts and the slow pans irritated me. Second one was good though.
posted by YAMWAK at 1:21 AM on March 26, 2013

Routines with multiple planes at once would be interesting...
posted by huron at 1:51 AM on March 26, 2013

I bet that video would make a figure skater cry: the plane can go up-up-up, and it never has to come back down until the routine is done.

My dad built gas engine planes with four-foot wingspans as a boy. I am going to show this video to him and see what he thinks. :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 6:16 AM on March 26, 2013

The outdoor version is more intense. Made possible with a gyroscope in the tail, and other stuff making RC plane developments worth watching.
posted by stbalbach at 6:23 PM on March 27, 2013