Comments on: It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a flying puppet!

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

MrMoonPie — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 05:19:08 -0800

Carl Rankin builds awesome RC planes out of straws, plastic wrap, tape, and foam take-out boxes. (via)

By: DU

DU — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 05:29:06 -0800

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...?

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 05:32:11 -0800

You could buy his book, I suppose.

By: backseatpilot

backseatpilot — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 06:01:22 -0800

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.

By: DU

DU — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 06:07:50 -0800

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.

By: localroger

localroger — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 06:23:17 -0800

I am so going to build myself one of these. Awesome.

By: LordSludge

LordSludge — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 06:39:43 -0800

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.

By: exogenous

exogenous — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:16:08 -0800

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.

By: kableh

kableh — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:51:37 -0800

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

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:52:44 -0800

You gotta watch out for those flying lawnmowers, LordSludge.

By: spock

spock — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:34:12 -0800

People who enjoy this may also enjoy SPAD (Simple Plastic Airplane Design) : Spad to the Bone.

By: spock

spock — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:38:57 -0800

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:37:29 -0800

Phfft. Big deal. I could do that too if I was a mechanical engineering and aeronautical genius.