Amazing how one article in a magazine can spark so many
ideas. In the March 1997 issue of Model
Aviation Magazine was an article by Dave Robelen for a model known as the “Turbo
Sport”. What was so special about this
airplane was it was an inexpensive method to build a radio control airplane
that could be flown indoors in a gym. It
utilized an inexpensive radio control unit that was sold for use in a small
helium-filled blimp, we (my flying buddies) always called the radio Twin
Turbo.
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| Extended Wing Version of Floyd's Design |
After reading this article my friend Floyd decided to design
his own airplane that had similar specs to the Turbo Sport and friend Leon
built the Turbo Sport. After seeing
those planes fly, I used Floyd’s plans and added to the wingspan for lighter
wing loading. At this time we had to use small nicad batteries which were much
heavier than the current lithium battery technology.
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| Side View |
Controlling these planes was a little awkward also, there were
two sticks on the transmitter that controlled the speed of two motors that have
small propellers. To fly the plane
straight you pushed both sticks ahead an even amount, to turn you pulled back
on one stick and the plane turned towards the side with the lesser amount of
thrust. Not real precise but we thought
it was great we could finally fly a radio control plane indoors.
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| Easy to Fly Indoor RC with Conventional Control |
Floyd decided he would design a more conventional type of
indoor airplane with lightweight radio control equipment that controlled the
rudder, elevator, and motor speed. The
first flight of this plane looked promising but the motor burned up on the
first flight. Floyd found a better
electric motor for this plane, HY50B and that has worked perfectly. He would
later sell the plane to me and I would teach people to fly radio control
outdoors with it when it was really calm. It flew so slow and was so stable
that some people could solo on the first flight.
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| Converted to use Air Hog Aero Ace Equipment |
Another plane that Floyd designed for Twin Turbo radio to
fly outdoors he gave to me before he moved from Winona. I put the radio system
from an Air Hog Aero Ace plane and it flew wonderful even though it was much
bigger than the Air Hog plane.
Video of some out first indoor RC flying - no sound and quality poor but interesting:
Autobiography of DAVID B - Academy of Model Aeronautics
https://www.modelaircraft.org/files/RobelenDavidB.pdfBill Kuhl
http://www.ideas-inspire.com
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