You may not need a pilot’s licence to take the controls of a remote control toy plane, but that doesn’t mean that keeping it in the air is easy. And to ensure that this iPhone-controlled RC SmartPlane spends more time flying than careening towards the ground, it features special software that automatically (and secretly) makes adjustments and corrections on your behalf.
Powered by a rechargeable battery weighing in at just a single gram, TobyRich’s SmartPlane will cruise at full throttle for about five minutes on a single 15-minute charge. But if you take inspiration from birds and opt for a leisurely flight with plenty of non-powered gliding, you should be able to keep the plane aloft for as long as half an hour.
Controlling the plane from your iPhone is as easy as tilting your device from left to right. The SmartPlane’s fully proportional rudder will match your phone’s subtle movements. And throttle is handled by a centred on-screen control that’s easily accessible via your thumb. At almost $US94 it’s definitely on the expensive side of RC toy planes these days, but for amateur pilots who think they’d be easily discouraged by non-stop crashes, this could be the best aircraft to hone your skills with. [SmartPlane via Gizmag]