Indoor's page

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Once upon a time...

In 1995 and early 1996, progress in electronics and component miniaturisation is such that it becomes possible to build R/C model planes with a size and a weight small enough to be able to fly indoor. Commercial components available in model shops such as 11 gram servos (HS60 for instance), the famous "Black motor" (Mabushi FK180 SH at 33 grams) used in small R/C model cars or the Jeti JESO5 (a 6 gram electronic speed controller), allow to build 250 to 300 grams planes able to fly in big gymnasiums (Refer to the Drosophile for instance). These planes are the ancestors of the current "park-fliers" which will spread out few years later when the "big manufacturers" finally understand that a new market is born...
At the same time, few pioneers, who will become famous eventually, present at the 1996 Sinsheim's exhibition (Germany), some even smaller planes which used specific home-made components (for instance, refer to the Blériot by Walter Scholl - 110 grams- or the "Mucke" by Rainer Mugrauer). These ones are the real ancestors of today's indoors.

A year after (1997), new 9 gram servos and Internet placing at everybody disposal the very specific components developed by the pioneers (Walter Scholl with his Wes-technik servos and the DC5-2.4 motor at 10 grams in Germany, Jean-Marie Piednoir with his JMP ESCs in France, Rick Ruijsink with the MicroMag actuators in Holland, etc...) allowed 100 to 200 gram indoor planes to soar. All types are represented: from simple "rod" to semi-scale planes, trainers to acrobatics, biplanes, triplanes and even seaplanes or helicopters. It should be noted here the original approach made by Gérard Jumelin in France with his "work of art "planes, original as much for the design as the decoration. With Indoor, aeronautical creativity has no limit ! (Note : Gerard also makes great outdoor planes - See this).

Of course, it will never end. Under pioneer stimulus, the story continues (The "big" manufacturers are still behind, a question of market size...). 1998, it is the "Miss Daisy" by Rick Ruijsink (30 grams); 1999, it is the starting point of a friendly competition between Rick and his "De Lite" at 14 grams and the "French Twisteuse Team" (Gérard Jumelin, Jean-Yves Martin et Jean-Marie Piednoir) with the "Magicien d'Oz" (28 grams), competition which will lead, one year later, to the presentation, at the Sinsheim's show, by the "French Twisteuse Team", of the "Moins que Rien", an indoor R/C plane at... 8 grams !

2002, we are at a new corner. Always under the stimulus of some pioneers, the race to lightness wakes up again. The coming out of new micro modules, such as the RFFS-100 of Dynamics Unlimited (less than 4 grams for the receiver, ESC, controllers and servos !) or the new narrow-band Rx-Combo from JMP (2003) and the new Lithium-Polymer (3.6 V - 135 mAh - 3 grams) batteries make available to almost everyone the creation of less than 30 gram (one ounce) planes.

Another way to look at things : When I started Indoors in 1996, I bought a 1/10th g scale and my first Indoor plane (The Drosophile) weighed 300 grams. Six years later (2002), I have just bought a 1/100th g scale and my last-born baby, the Huntington H-12, weighs less than 30 grams! Does that mean that in a 6 year time there will be plenty of 3 gram indoor R/C planes ? It's not impossible... Any doubt ? Remember that the "French Twisteuse team" (also known as the JMP-team) presented in 2000 the "Moins que rien" at 8.9 grams and three years later (in February 2003) a manufacturer (Didel) proposes a commercial kit for a less than 10 grammes plane !

This site is aimed at giving you more details on the different aspects of this new activity and, why not, at your doing the same.

The ancestors :

The Drosophile

The XXS "Hi-tech"

Some 100 to 200 gram Indoors:

Mousjum4.jpg

  • The flying fish...

indovola.jpg

Less than 50 grammes.

With the new components available in 2003 (Li-Poly cells, narrow band Combo-Rx, etc...) most of the planes presented above can now easily be made at less than 100 grammes. The real challenge now starts from 50 grammes down.

  • Variante 60 (33 gramme Horten Wing for indoor / outdoor - July 2003).

  • Variante 50 (27 gramme Horten Wing - Winner of the 2003 Inter-Ex Trophy).

The "records":

What follows is even more amazing ...

Now, it's your turn !

Build your own model.

You will say "OK, but which one" ? Well, why you do not take advantage of the fabulous collection of peanuts plans available on Internet or anywhere else and which are perfectly in line with the indoor philosophy.

In electric flight, we generally have a 50/50 sharing between the structure, the receiver and the servos on one hand and the motorisation, the ESC and the battery on the other hand. With micro-modules weighting 12 to 15 grams (Motor, propeller and battery included), we would arrive to a 25 to 30 grams ready to fly planes.
It is still a little bit heavy for normal peanuts (wingspan 33 cm) but totally acceptable for scale 1.4 "peanuts" (area wing is then doubled).

We will show you how to build such a model.

More details...

The model under construction .
 

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