This R/C Plane Built from a Weed Whacker Actually Flies

Airplanes Fun & Games Technology

Theron is an educator, business owner, writer, and consultant working within Springfield, MO and the Ozarks community. He enjoys making and building with his 11 year old son and likes to read and write about science, technology, education, sci fi, martial arts, and philosophy.

View more articles by Theron Sturgess

April 30th, 2015 4

In the dark of night, one of the builders at UsaRCJets took the engine from a dead weed eater, parts from an old R/C banana boat plane, a 1′×2′ board and cobbled them together into this monstrous wacky hack. With no plans and only some beers to guide him, Billy D set to work making a 1′×2′ board fly. Over the course of three nights and about five hours of construction time, the creation came alive.

He drilled holes in the 1′×2′, and the vertical and horizontal stabilizers to make it lighter, and used a big wing and a 31cc Ryobi weed whacker gas engine. The engine is similar to the 1.20 to 1.60 glow plug engines commonly used in R/C aircrafts. It’s been powerful enough to haul this weed whacker on a stick into the sky for over eight crazy flights. Looks like Billy D will do anything to get out of a little yard work and spend more time making things, and we’re glad he did.

To watch his creation get off the ground, check out this video!

4 thoughts on “This R/C Plane Built from a Weed Whacker Actually Flies”

Charles Haase says:

April 30th, 2015 at 1:00 pm

1″ x 2″. 1′ x 2′ would have been too heavy for that motor ;)

Tien Gow says:

May 1st, 2015 at 12:37 pm

Thanks for that. On the first read, I thought the one-foot by two-foot board was used as the wing, so none of the article made sense. Make has some great content, but they desperately need a copy editor. Even an author who takes the time to read what he writes would help.