Flying radio-controlled model aircraft is a hobby enjoyed by thousands of people around the world.
There is great enjoyment watching model planes and helicopters flying against a blue sky background.
But what can RC pilots do in the fall and winter when the weather is too cold to enjoy the outdoors?
The answer comes in the form of some amazing modern technology which has created tiny, electric powered models capable of flying indoors. These jewel-like models, some with wingspans of under a foot, turn any gymnasium into a flying field, safe from the harsh elements of winter.
The State College Radio Control Club has scheduled 10 sessions of indoor flying in the gymnasium of the Christ Community Church on the Benner Pike near State College. The flying sessions run from November through March, and last two hours each.
One such flying session was held on Nov. 16. About a dozen club members showed up with a variety of aircraft, with wingspans ranging from about 30 inches for the largest, down to less than 12 inches for the smallest models. They are powered by motors about as big around as a pencil, propelled by tiny lithium-polymer batteries, which can yield flight times of ten minutes or more, and recharge from ground based chargers in minutes for another flight.
Several members flew tiny helicopters with rotor spans of under eight inches. The little choppers feature full 3-axis controls with built-in stabilizing gyros, all mounted on a circuit board not much larger than a postage stamp. Flying weights of the tiny craft are measured in ounces, and some even weigh less than one ounce.
Thanks to modern spread-spectrum radio technology, many aircraft can be flown at once. An occasional collision occurs, but the aircrafts’ slow flying speeds and feather-light weight makes them virtually immune to any serious damage.
The bottom line for club members at these sessions is having fun.
SCRC president Ron Lueth says, “We come out here just to have some fun flying our models.”
The State College Radio Control Club has about 40 members, and is open to anyone with an interest in radio controlled model aircraft. For more information on the club and its activities, call (814) 353-0346.
