Inspired by Peter Sripol on« Flite Test » who in 2016 cannibazed a small E Flite/Parkzone sender....https://www.flitetest.com/articles/d...et-transmitter .. I decided to made my own vintage compact sender....

See my article on this website...


http://jivaro-models.org/spectrocomp...rocompact.html...Continue Reading

Made from plain 3 mm depron. Original Design is from AJ Woods.
It attracts crowd at each meeting....
Flight characteristics are superb !

Indoor SR 71 toon RC plane (0 min 54 sec)

WS: 37 cm
Length: 32 cm
Wing Area: 6.3 dm²
Weight with equipment and batt: 41 grs (36 grs before paint and decals)
7 mm motors
1S 200mah lipo

I visited this museum in Angers (France) and discovered a nice RC section......Continue Reading

I built last year a Short Skyvan from depron.
I started from a 10 years old plan... 2008 ... made by Mark Denné. Wingspan of this plan was 360 mm and intended to be steered by Silverlit electronics, for those remembering Silverlit...

I enlarged this plan from 360mm ws to 469 mm and modded the structure.

Short Skyvan Micro RC plane (0 min 32 sec)

Sliced depron, some hard wood ...

No servos and I begun with differential steering thanks to a Blade MCPX wel abused board. Result was disapointing. I swapped recently the electronics for a Deltang Rx 31D http://www.micronradiocontrol.co.uk/...tml#dt_rx31d_f nothing to compare as results : saved 3 grs, and differential steering is so precise that friends when it flies don't realise there are no servos.
This board has very precise ESC... and powerfull as they are 2A rated !

Next step is to add navigation lights...

Wing span 469 mm
Wing Area 2.58 dm²
Weight with a one cell 200 mah lipo and the Deltang Rx31D : 31.5 grs. Will go to 32 grs I guess with nav lights as I plan to replace heavy wing struts...Continue Reading

This plane again is a hit. Here is my 120 % shrimp from Thomas' plan.

I found some 8 mm depron 2 years ago...

I had some electronics sleeping in a wreck: Turnigy D2822/14 - 1450 kv, 25 A Esc, 4 pces 9 grs servo's, 3S 1000 milis.

Some calculations.. and I decided for a 120 % version.
Wingspan: 80 cm
Finished at 440 grs rtf with battery.

The pod is not difficult to install on the wing: thanks to the template as drawn on the plan and I reinforced this templates by side plates.
I attached the pod with tape before placing the BBQ wood sticks. Because of the more powerfull motor, I placed 2 in parallel at each point. Gluing with PU glue and some water. It's the strongest gluing you can find with depron.


Flying is a blast: low speed, "high" speed, acro, water gliding....

2017 07 17 Shrimp (0 min 55 sec)

2017 07 31 Cap Frehel (0 min 58 sec)

I discovered 20 years ago in a french RC mag the Pibros, a fantastic creation due to Marcel Guwang.
I built one but living in a flat region, elecrified thanks to a speed 400, 7cells Sanyo 500 AR etc... My first ever electric plane. Until then, I only build and fly electric planes.

Some month ago, I discovered a video of a German Modeller who builds and fly a lightened version.
Crazy Horst...

Pibros (8 min 15 sec)

I built one in order to fly it along the seasides during my hollydays... and learn this way of flying.
It's a new experience, flying , trying to gain potential energy, spending it until it's time to regain potential energy! and again, and again....

2017 04 St Lunaire Pibr Horst (0 min 26 sec)

...Continue Reading

From the early begining of this adventure, I built and transformed 2 Jupiter Ducks from Thomas Buchwald plans.
Both fly superbly with 2S 460 Nanothech lipos.

Here my first one still in perfect conditon after 50 flights. Pontoons are the enlarged ones - not to compare with the first ones.
Sharpies decoration and some acrylic paint.

198 grs rtf with leds and battery.

Quadcopter motor, Emax MT 2204-2300 kv. 25 grs with backplate and propnut.
2S 460 mah lipo Nanotech
14A esc I had

I tested:
- 6-4.5 bull nose quadcopter prop: 196 gr trust but 10.18 A, a lot for such a small batt

- 5-3 Gemfan : 116 grs trust and 4.00 A ...seemed good but was too week in flight !

- 7-3.5 orange GWS cut down to 6 inches diameter: 179 grs trust and 5.74 A Approved !


Video's below are with the first too small pontoons ... With the new ones, it's the best hydroplane I 've ever had

2017 02 05 Jupiter Duck swimming (1 min 23 sec)

2017 03 11 Jupiter Duck new pontoons (1 min 32 sec)

...Continue Reading

SAM association made a gathering in our club...
http://www.sam-belgium.net/chapter20...ex.php?lang=fr
Our club is in Belgium somewhere "in the middle of our small" country

Some pictures of balsa, tissue covering etc. A lot of them were "new builds electric powered". A pleasure for the eyes and the ears, for those remembering the noise of a Cox Tee Dee or an Enya 0.9 without exhaust... I used to fly mainly with cox 30 yers ago.... I know what I mean....

Show was superb: congrats guys ! ...Continue Reading

At least my Otto found an enemy: Eddy in the Belgian sky
We had great fun this morning with my friend Christian!

Thank you Jean - Yves for the nice in flight pictures!

Plans from Thomas found here https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2376322

Test fly today for Otto: funtastic.... The wind was not a problem !

Wing span: 60 cm both wings
Wing area: 24 dm²
Weight: 350 grs rtf
Wing loading: 14 grs/dm²
Turnigy D2822/14 1450 kv (48 grs with backplate and propmount)
8/4,3 prop for quadcopters (stronger than GWS)
3 s 800 lipo
20 A esc
17 A at full throttle = around 180 W but nearly never used
6 grs servos

2015 04 12 Otto (1 min 7 sec)

From this thread by Thomas....

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2376322

All made from 6 mm depron, palet straps and some 0.8 mm...Continue Reading

From this thread, thank you epilot! https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2248025

20150321 01 (0 min 32 sec)

20150321 02 (0 min 48 sec)

...Continue Reading

Flite Test presents a very nice small plane: FT Mini Speedster. Available as a kit or as a plan. The kit seems me extroardinary and very inventive.
I used the free download plan in order to build mine lighter mainly from 3mm depron and cardboard.
http://www.stonekap.net/ftplans/FT-M...ILED-PLANS.pdf

This small RET plane is currently one of my favourites. I am sure the original kit is stronger than my version but I am always searching for very light planes even if weaker.
http://flitetest.com/articles/ft-mini-speedster-build
I fly this plane indoor: a real pleasure. She is very neutral and distinctive from other RET planes I tested. Speed range is wide and she remains very precise from low to high speed.
Design is brilliant and other pilots found this plane very nice.

Wing span: 52 cm
Length: 45 cm
Wing area: 7.5 dm²
Weight: 98 grs with a 2 s 300 mah batt
Wing loading: 13 grs/dm²
18 - 11 2000 KV HK 10 gr outrunner
6 A oem RC esc

Being completely noob on this subject, I elected to start by buying a ready to use full set, avoiding searches and tweaks.

It's a blast: you unbox with care as f.e. camera micro antenna is fragile, you put the glasses on, connect the camera with a micro battery and it works!
Beware: According to the manual, always install antenna's before powering on or you could fry some electronics.


Installing them on my trusty Magnum Reloaded indoor plane took some minutes. My installation permits to adjust position and orientation on the fuse by just moving the 4 pins.

First Indoor flights and first FPV experience:
- I tried first a full battery taxying... It's safe and a good way to observe the "room"
- First fly: I was standing and after 2 minutes was as drunk!
- Second flight: I sat on a bank and it was a lot better
- Camera drains a lot of current and I made last flights with a Walkera 260 mah battery and an adaptative harness because camera stops in a second when battery is low.. Not fun at all.
- Googles strap is made to hold the battery but it's not strngh enough: I added a velcro around and it solved the problem
- I reduced the travels on all commands in order to soften the reactions of the plane and it was very funny!...Continue Reading

I built this plane according to a plan found here...
Andy Whitehead's design
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...6#post29544018

Bigmig indoor depron Profile jet (1 min 5 sec)

- Wing span: 58 cm
- Mean chord: 16.4 cm
- Wing area: 9.5 dm²
- 102 grs with batt
- 10.7 grs/dm² wing loading
- 4 x 4.4 grs servo's
- 3 grs reveiver
- 6 a esc
- Turnigy 2 s 300 mah batt,
- Turnigy 1230, 12mm diameter Inrunner 4500 KV & GWS 3x2 prop


First flights with a 3 x 3 GWS: nice to watch, "realistic" but missed some power, needed to be piloted as an edf outdoor: keep speed,
Motor was very warm!
After discussion on RC Groups forums, I got advice to test on the bench with a 3 x 2 and low timing ESC: result is a 88 grs trust & 3.7A consumption!
Second flight session was a blast: nothing to compare! Power, nice to watch, not necessary to use 100% power and as a result a more pleasant sound as full power indoor "screams".

It's one of the most famous antique planes meeting in Europe I attended the 7th June, 50 km south of Paris.
Around 150 antic planes displayed and flying... I share with you just some pictures to motivate you to attend such an event!
Hearing in true life the sound of the 2480 hp of a Sea Fury, seing 2 Junkers 52 flying side by side, a B 25 taking off in front of you or a Rafale making an inverted low pass at 800 km/h is not to compare with watching the same on Youtube...

http://www.ajbs.fr/meeting-2014/...Continue Reading

I bought this EPP kit from Staufenbiel in Germany. 40€.
http://www.modellhobby.de/MINIPROP-S...rodNr=232F7160
The kit contains EPP pieces and some hardware.
You need to buy motor, esc, servo's, receiver and battery.
This is my first vector jet.
Pieces are well cut and fits nicely.
Building as usual from EPP and inserted carbon strips and rods glued with Cyano.
I used big square hardwood blocs as templates and weight to ensure flatness and squareness.

Motor: Turnigy D2822/14 Brushless Outrunner 1450kv ,48 grs with backplate and propmount
Esc: 25A turnigy
Servo's:HXT 900 9 grs servos
Battery: 3s 800 mah
12 A full throttle => 144 w
Ready to fly: 379 grs all inclusive.
Balance: 47 cm back from the nose tip
Ailerons and elevator throws : 20° up and down.

Seems me possible to save 5 grs on receiver, 10 grs on esc and wiring.. not more.
6 grs servo's seems me too weak (gears mainly)
I maidened with a 8 x 4.3 but current prop is a 7 x 4.
Consumption on the 8 x 4.3 was too high at 17 A. The 7 x 4 drops consumption at 12 A thus perfect for this motor and reduces torque effects.

First flight revealed impossible to turn to the right! I adjusted side trust to the right and inserted a small 6 grs weight in the right wing tip!
My mistake was a motor mount slightly glued with a left side trust, maybe one degree but in addition with the torque was a big hint!
Flies now great, I did already 10 packs with great pleasure! I even manage cobra's !
It's already...Continue Reading

Hydravion Magnum on floats (1 min 8 sec)

Magnum reloaded on floats.
280 grs ready to take off with 24 grs HK outrunner, 2 s 450 mah, 8x 4.3 GWS prop, 2 pces HXT 6 grs servos. Floats consume a lot of power in flight because of their weight and drag while taxying thus flight time is limited but a real pleasure as I can nearly stop the plane in the air...
I am unable to count the pleasure I got from Martin Muller design planes. My first one was a "Magnum Double" with a brushed motor some 10 years ago.... Fuse was an insulation pipe tube.

I build according to a plan this version some 3 or 4 years ago. Plan from all4's found here on Rcgroups. I test flew it in a bare minimalist version. From transformations to improvements, the current one (always the first and alone one I build transformed and painted) is a well maneered plane, predictable, reactive, very sane... One of my prefered indoor plane.
Turnigy 1818 outruner, 3.7 grs servo's, 6 A esc, 3 grs indoor receiver, 2S 300 mah bat. Ready to fly weight is 88 grs. Lighthess of my indoor planes is an obsession I am proud as it's one of the success keys.