Indoor flying
The massive influx of small electric rc airplanes and helicopters in recent years has given rise to indoor flying meets being held more often and in a wider variety of venues than ever before.
My personal love of flying model planes involved many indoor flying meets when I was younger, but never radio control at that time. In fact, indoor rc airplanes just weren't around and the models were mainly rubber or CO2 powered free flight ones.
But these days, electric RTF rc airplanes such as the ParkZone Vapor and Ember have changed the face of indoor flying, planes like these are perfect for flying around the limited airspace of school halls, gymnasiums, aircraft hangers and other similar spaces where regular indoor flying meets are held.
Above, the ParkZone Vapor is a perfect indoor rc airplane
Even more recently, a range of so-named Ultra Micro planes have appeared from rc giants Horizon Hobby, notably the Sukhoi Su-26m, P-51, J-3 Cub and the 4-Site 3D biplane, all pictured below respectively. An impressive little fleet indeed!
Above, these little 'Ultra Micro' planes take indoor flying to a new level!
Of course, rc airplanes like these haven't completely taken over the gymnasium. Indoor flying meets will always include the smaller free flight planes; indeed, many indoor enthusiasts shun the new breed of micro radio control aircraft and I know of more than one monthly meet that won't let an rc airplane or helicopter through the door!
RC helicopter indoor flying
Of course, flying model aircraft indoors isn't restricted to airplanes. Electric RC helicopters have also become smaller and more 'flyer-friendly' in recent years, and the choice of helicopters available now is quite staggering.
Coaxial rc helicopters in particular have introduced many many people to the joys of rc flying indoors - not only in the typical venues, but at home as well!
Helicopters like the E-flite Blade CX3, shown below, make excellent indoor rc aircraft; their stability makes learning to fly one very easy indeed, in fact almost anyone can have a successful first flight out the box with a good quality coaxial rc helicopter like this.
Micro-size coaxial rc helicopters like the Blade mCX and mCX S300 make indoor flying around the home a very realistic option, while micro single rotor rc helicopters such as the Blade mSR and Walkera 4#3B are perfectly suited to those same indoor flying venues that the planes shown further up the page are.
Above, 4 different micro helis, all perfect indoor flying helicopters
Whatever your taste, indoor flying is there to be tried! Nowadays, the array of rc aircraft capable of being flown indoors is vast and ever-growing. Whether you're into airplanes, helicopters or blimps, there's a model out there to suit your needs.
And if you like the sound of a free flight rubber or CO2 powered plane, then why not try that too! Balsa kits for such airplanes are very cheap, although you'll need a certain level of model building experience - they're most certainly not RTF!
Above, Jersey Coast Sport Fliers demonstrate some indoor flying
Related pages
Micro rc airplanes - more examples of planes suited to indoor action.
Micro rc helicopters - more info about palm-sized rc helicopters.
Coaxial rc helicopters - the most stable rc helicopters around.
RC blimps - another type of rc aircraft good for indoors.
E-flite 4-Site - 4 channel micro 3D flyer.
ParkZone Sukhoi SU-26m - fully aerobatic 4 channel mini rc plane.
ParkZone Ultra Micro P-51 - fully proportional 4 channel micro warbird.
ParkZone Ultra Micro J-3 Cub - 3 channel micro scale trainer.
