PC air duster motors power 21-inch DIY remote control plane at 130,000 RPM — $23 air duster power styrofoam A10 Warthog-style RC plane, hits the skies much faster than expected
A remote-control electronics and DIY hobbyist was surprised by a model airplane they created, powered by a pair of PC air duster engines. The A10 Warthog-like model with a 21-inch wingspan flew “much faster than I had anticipated,” commented RCMakerLab. The video they shared also shows how to build your own fast, agile RC plane powered by the ‘jets’ salvaged from PC air dusters like the 110,000 RPM brushless Wolfbox MF60, which is currently 36% off on Amazon and priced at $31.99.
RCMakerLab’s informative and entertaining video (above) was inspired by some earlier disassembly and tests using engines pulled from PC air dusters. Viewers asked the maker to go beyond pondering the thrust these mini jet engines could generate and actually put them to the test in an RC plane.
About eight minutes of this 10-minute video focus on building the twin-engine RC plane. I found it interesting to see it crafted with wings formed from a folded-over Styrofoam sheet and hot glue, and to see it all put together. The motorized wing flap control seemed ingenious. However, if you want to skip straight to the main attraction, fast-forward to about 8 mins for the installation of the two air blower motors. Then, at 9 min 20s, you can see the RC plane's rapid takeoff. I thought it sounded great; it looked very fast and extremely agile.
RC air duster jet specs:
- 54cm (~21-inch) wing span
- 42.5cm (~17-inch) length
- 368g (~0.8 pounds) flight weight
- Twin airduster motors
- 20A Brushless ESC
- 5g Micro Servos
- Flysky iA6 Radio Control
- FS2A Micro Receiver
- 1,300mAh battery
- Estimated flight time between 3 and 4 minutes
Rechargeable handheld air dusters reside in a PC DIY enthusiast sweet spot between canned air and workshop compressors. RCMakerLab’s materials list includes no-brand AliExpress 130,000 RPM blowers at $23 each. Here’s a very similar-performing model on Amazon that's even cheaper, if you prefer.
The video ends with a tease that this successful air duster engine-inspired escapade has inspired RCMakerLab to build a “much larger high-wing model.” The maker asks viewers to let him know “Should I go for it?” in the comments – so stay tuned.