RC airplane for an 8 year old
Discussion
It’s my lads 8th birthday in a couple of weeks and we’re drawing complete blanks on presents! He’s (well, we’ve!) just got Flight Simulator on the Xbox and he bloody loves it so we’re thinking about an RC plane that he can take out when we go on longer walks with the dog (forest or big fields only!).
Any recommendations for the £50-£100 mark? Don’t want to go mental, but I’ll also be quietly hoping to have a go myself, so something 1/2 decent!
Any recommendations for the £50-£100 mark? Don’t want to go mental, but I’ll also be quietly hoping to have a go myself, so something 1/2 decent!
The law changed recently, so just flying it anywhere isn't as straightforward as it once was.
The BMFA (British Model Flying Association) has some good info on what it all means to hobbyists.
https://rcc.bmfa.uk/article-16
About the cheapest 'trainer' plane will be £60+, and will be a basic kit consisting of polystyrene fuselage and wings, metal/plastic supports/wheels and small electric engine (and transmitter, charger of course). These are quite light so good for relatively calm conditions only.
They rise rapidly from this - even for 'trainers' - but there are some which require building...which may be of more interest as you see how everything goes together.
https://www.elitemodelsonline.co.uk/Aircraft/Begin...
The BMFA (British Model Flying Association) has some good info on what it all means to hobbyists.
https://rcc.bmfa.uk/article-16
About the cheapest 'trainer' plane will be £60+, and will be a basic kit consisting of polystyrene fuselage and wings, metal/plastic supports/wheels and small electric engine (and transmitter, charger of course). These are quite light so good for relatively calm conditions only.
They rise rapidly from this - even for 'trainers' - but there are some which require building...which may be of more interest as you see how everything goes together.
https://www.elitemodelsonline.co.uk/Aircraft/Begin...
Edited by mmm-five on Monday 2nd August 09:40
Consider a ready to fly helicopter.
I currently have a fixed pitch v911 which was about £50 and is small enouh to fly the living room!
https://youtu.be/c_iZH3bm9-8
It's incredibly stable and easy to fly. Don't confuse these with the twin rotor toys. They are proper RC helicopters with gyroscopic inputs.
20 years ago this sort of tech would have been big, very expensive, and time consuming to set up, and you would still crash a lot.
I currently have a fixed pitch v911 which was about £50 and is small enouh to fly the living room!
https://youtu.be/c_iZH3bm9-8
It's incredibly stable and easy to fly. Don't confuse these with the twin rotor toys. They are proper RC helicopters with gyroscopic inputs.
20 years ago this sort of tech would have been big, very expensive, and time consuming to set up, and you would still crash a lot.
Hadn’t really considered that it could be an issue legally, will have to have a bigger think about that!
Helicopter is a good shout actually. He had a tiny one - maybe 4 inches - a tear or two ago and loved it but it was indoor only and a b
h to fly because it was so unstable, maybe next step up for that instead. Cheers 
Helicopter is a good shout actually. He had a tiny one - maybe 4 inches - a tear or two ago and loved it but it was indoor only and a b
h to fly because it was so unstable, maybe next step up for that instead. Cheers Jonboy_t said:
Hadn’t really considered that it could be an issue legally, will have to have a bigger think about that!
Helicopter is a good shout actually. He had a tiny one - maybe 4 inches - a tear or two ago and loved it but it was indoor only and a bh to fly because it was so unstable, maybe next step up for that instead. Cheers
The 911 is incredibly stable. You can pretty much put it into a hover then let go of the controls. Its like flying a drone.Helicopter is a good shout actually. He had a tiny one - maybe 4 inches - a tear or two ago and loved it but it was indoor only and a b
h to fly because it was so unstable, maybe next step up for that instead. Cheers If it's for mainly outside use then maybe go even bigger. That said I had a bigger one and they are much easier to break or do some damage.
A decent hobby shop will have a range of ready to fly helicopters.
YouTube is great for getting an idea how easy each one is to fly.
Edited by 98elise on Monday 2nd August 16:40
If the flying weight is below 250 grammes, then you don't need CAA involvement, although you still need to make sure you are not in controlled airspace e.g. near an airport, and don't fly close to third parties or structures.
For something with everything included, the A800 motorglider is a good bet. It comes with everything you need (transmitter, flight battery, charger) and has a built in gyro stability system which gets it back to straight and level if you let go of everything. You will pretty soon want to get a spare flight battery, so you can fly whilst the other is recharging:
A800 Electric Glider
You likelihood of success will be enhanced if you only fly it in near flat calm conditions in the biggest possible open space you can find.
Specifications:
Material: EPO Foam
Wingspan: 780mm
Fuselage Length: 530mm
Flying Weight: 110g
Flying Time: About 20 Minutes
Charging Time: 30-40 Minutes
Frequency: 2.4Ghz
Control Distance: 200 Meters
Motor: Brushed N60
Battery: 7.4V 300mAh 25c (included)
Features:
Two flight modes, with or without 6 axis gyro autopilot.
Flight mode can be changed mid flight using button on transmitter.
Full 4Ch control.
Everything included.
Folding propeller for better gliding with less drag.
2.4Ghz radio equipment to avoid any interference.
Required To Use: 4 x AA Batteries For The Transmitter
The UK price of the A800 seems to have gone up quite a bit recently. Since they are made in China, if you can wait a few weeks until the Evergreen Ever Given, the ship that was stuck in the Suez canal, has had a chance to unload at Felixstowe, you may find there are a lot more available and prices will drop.
For something with everything included, the A800 motorglider is a good bet. It comes with everything you need (transmitter, flight battery, charger) and has a built in gyro stability system which gets it back to straight and level if you let go of everything. You will pretty soon want to get a spare flight battery, so you can fly whilst the other is recharging:
A800 Electric Glider
You likelihood of success will be enhanced if you only fly it in near flat calm conditions in the biggest possible open space you can find.
Specifications:
Material: EPO Foam
Wingspan: 780mm
Fuselage Length: 530mm
Flying Weight: 110g
Flying Time: About 20 Minutes
Charging Time: 30-40 Minutes
Frequency: 2.4Ghz
Control Distance: 200 Meters
Motor: Brushed N60
Battery: 7.4V 300mAh 25c (included)
Features:
Two flight modes, with or without 6 axis gyro autopilot.
Flight mode can be changed mid flight using button on transmitter.
Full 4Ch control.
Everything included.
Folding propeller for better gliding with less drag.
2.4Ghz radio equipment to avoid any interference.
Required To Use: 4 x AA Batteries For The Transmitter
Edited by GliderRider on Monday 2nd August 14:30
The UK price of the A800 seems to have gone up quite a bit recently. Since they are made in China, if you can wait a few weeks until the Evergreen Ever Given, the ship that was stuck in the Suez canal, has had a chance to unload at Felixstowe, you may find there are a lot more available and prices will drop.
Edited by GliderRider on Monday 2nd August 14:36
I got my first ever RC plane a couple of months ago - ended up getting a Sonik P51 Mustang (https://wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/326104/).
It's brilliant. 3 modes - beginner has gyro fully on so it keeps you out of trouble & auto levels the plane; intermediate allows steeper angles of banking & climbing whilst still keeping it level when you let go of the sticks; expert switches the gyro off so you're completely alone!
I find it plenty of fun on intermediate.
They also do a Cub, F4U Corsair, and T-28 Trojan.
Get a couple of spare batteries with it any you're away!
It's brilliant. 3 modes - beginner has gyro fully on so it keeps you out of trouble & auto levels the plane; intermediate allows steeper angles of banking & climbing whilst still keeping it level when you let go of the sticks; expert switches the gyro off so you're completely alone!
I find it plenty of fun on intermediate.
They also do a Cub, F4U Corsair, and T-28 Trojan.
Get a couple of spare batteries with it any you're away!
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