It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a flying puppet!

December 11, 2007 5:19 AM

Carl Rankin builds awesome RC planes out of straws, plastic wrap, tape, and foam take-out boxes. (via)
posted by MrMoonPie (12 comments total)

I read about this guy in Make too. I visited the site and watched the videos, but I still don't know how to make my own. Maybe that's not the point....? Or maybe that's supposed to be obvious...?
posted by DU at 5:29 AM on December 11, 2007

You could buy his book, I suppose.
posted by MrMoonPie at 5:32 AM on December 11, 2007

Those are incredible. The idea of doing R/C is a little daunting to me because, while I enjoy building models like that and the materials are relatively cheap, the electronics are just too expensive to invest in without the firm knowledge that they'll be used for a long time.
posted by backseatpilot at 6:01 AM on December 11, 2007

I don't know if this is what he uses¹, but a Bare Bones Arduino (microcontroller) is only like $15.

1And even if he doesn't, I don't see why you couldn't.
posted by DU at 6:07 AM on December 11, 2007

I am so going to build myself one of these. Awesome.
posted by localroger at 6:23 AM on December 11, 2007

The motors nowadays are so powerful that aircraft don't need airfoils for lift anymore; they just need control surfaces to steer and keep that propeller pulling upwards.

Anything can fly, if it's light enough. Anything.
posted by LordSludge at 6:39 AM on December 11, 2007

Yeah, the power to weight ratio of the RC-sized aircraft really allows for some cool stuff. Looks like he really needs a calm day, though.
posted by exogenous at 7:16 AM on December 11, 2007

My cousin is big into R/C stuff. We were roommates when Charley hit Florida and it destroyed half the apartment we were sharing. We had to move most of the electronics and such out so there wasn't much to do while we worked on repairing the damage. We did have a box of glue, tools, motors, micro servos and a radio. And loads of foam takeout containers. So we spent most evenings building impossible looking aircraft and seeing if they'd fly.

One memorable one had a forward swept wing, canards up front and thrust vectoring for an elevator. It didnt last long. Another fun one was a little hovercraft using pieces of sandwich baggies and some tape as a skirt. We did make a couple of successful "3-D" flyers, but those are pretty easy (and fly only because of the absurd power to weight ratios).

Li-Po cells are becoming common and pack a lot of juice in a tiny package. Microservos weigh so little you can build some impossibly tiny stuff (the hovercraft was about 6 inches front to back).

And my cousin is now flying helicopters for the Army. I have to wonder if his R/C heli will survive in Afghanistan =D
posted by kableh at 7:51 AM on December 11, 2007

You gotta watch out for those flying lawnmowers, LordSludge.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:52 AM on December 11, 2007

People who enjoy this may also enjoy SPAD (Simple Plastic Airplane Design) : Spad to the Bone.
posted by spock at 10:34 AM on December 11, 2007

See also: Pizza Box Flyers (1, 2, 3).
posted by spock at 10:38 AM on December 11, 2007

Phfft. Big deal. I could do that too if I was a mechanical engineering and aeronautical genius.
posted by Smedleyman at 11:37 AM on December 11, 2007