remote control

This Vertical Take-Off Quadcopter is Like Your Own Mini Harrier Jet

This Vertical Take-Off Quadcopter is Like Your Own Mini Harrier Jet

By Jeremy S Cook

Jeremy S Cook

Jeremy is an engineer with 10 years experience at his full-time profession, and has a BSME from Clemson University. Outside of work he’s an avid maker and experimenter, building anything that comes into his mind!

View more articles by Jeremy S Cook
13

Quadcopters are great at hovering, but don’t have long range. Fixed-wing aircraft can travel long distances quickly, but don’t like to stay in one place above the ground. Krossblade’s SkyProwler solves both of those problems. The hybrid aircraft is a remote controlled quadcopter with wings, or a plane with six rotors, capable of vertical takeoff […]

Continue Reading
Cow-Sized Plywood Spider Walker Shrieks Like Swarming Demon Horde

Cow-Sized Plywood Spider Walker Shrieks Like Swarming Demon Horde

By Sean Michael Ragan

Sean Michael Ragan

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

View more articles by Sean Michael Ragan

CNC cut gear driven walker mechanism based on Klann linkage.

Continue Reading
Homebuilt RC Hovercraft

Homebuilt RC Hovercraft

By Brian Benchoff

Brian Benchoff

View more articles by Brian Benchoff

With parts that could have been used to build a remote control jet, ScratchBuiltAircraft on Instructables managed to make something even cooler: a remote-controlled hovercraft.

The body of the hovercraft is made of foam board, while the plastic ‘skirt’ around the bottom is just a simple heavy-duty garbage bag. Where the build gets really interesting is in the electronics. The thrust for the hovercraft is provided by an electric ducted fan powered by a LiPo battery. This fan also pushes air into the skirt of the hovercraft thanks to a duct located directly behind the fan.

Continue Reading
Maker Hangar Episode 4: Li-Po Batteries

Maker Hangar Episode 4: Li-Po Batteries

By Goli Mohammadi

Goli Mohammadi

I'm a word nerd who loves to geek out on how emerging technology affects the lexicon. I was an editor on the first 40 volumes of MAKE, and I love shining light on the incredible makers in our community. In particular, covering art is my passion — after all, art is the first thing most of us ever made. When not fawning over perfect word choices, I can be found on the nearest mountain, looking for untouched powder fields and ideal alpine lakes.

Contact me at snowgoli@gmail.com or via @snowgoli.

View more articles by Goli Mohammadi

In Episode 4 of the Maker Hangar series, Lucas Weakley teaches us about lithium polymer, or li-po, batteries, used in R/C aircraft. Lucas covers the numbers and letters that classify these batteries, how to determine where to place the battery for balancing the plane, charging the batteries, and safety concerns.

Continue Reading
Maker Hanger Episode 3: Electric Speed Controllers

Maker Hanger Episode 3: Electric Speed Controllers

By Stett Holbrook

Stett Holbrook

Stett Holbrook is editor of the Bohemian, an alternative weekly in Santa Rosa, California. He is a former senior editor at Maker Media.

He is also the co-creator of Food Forward, a documentary TV series for PBS about the innovators and pioneers changing our food system.

View more articles by Stett Holbrook
4

Maker Hangar is a 15-part video series by Lucas Weakley. In Episode 3 of the Maker Hangar series, Lucas Weakley breaks down the important role electric speed controllers (ESC) play in RC planes. These components convert DC power into AC power and regulate power to the motor. But it’s important to pair the appropriate ESC to the […]

Continue Reading