What RC blimp should I buy?

November 28, 2006 9:51 PM

Can you recommend a good remote-controlled blimp?

Requirements include that it should be buoyed by some easily-obtainable gas (grocery store helium?), that it should not be rinky-dink in construction, and that it should be totally fun and awesome to play with in the park. I have appropriated $100 for this project and by God I am prepared to spend every penny.

posted by Hildago to sports, hobbies, & recreation (7 comments total)

and that it should be totally fun and awesome to play with in the park

Not a good idea. Blimps have extremely poor wind penetration. One gust, and your blimp will be far away with little hope of recovery.

Most R/C blimps are designed for indoor use only (typically tradeshows). If you google for "RC blimp" you will find several under $100. Even the $1k+ blimps are typically indoor-only.
posted by b1tr0t at 9:55 PM on November 28, 2006

Good to know about the wind. I do have access to large indoor areas that could be used for blimp activities, so that's not necessarily a deal breaker.

I did Google for blimps, but I don't know anything about what constitutes a good one (features? brands?), so I was thinking maybe somebody could narrow the field down for me with a personal recommendation.
posted by Hildago at 10:00 PM on November 28, 2006

Something to keep in mind: where has all the helium gone?
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:13 PM on November 28, 2006

If you want to spend $2, you can convert a mylar balloon into a "blimp" by attaching weights to one side and making it perfectly bouyant just to counter its own weight. Then you can toss it around like a frisbee that stops in mid-air and stays there. This is about as fun as remote-controlled blimps.
posted by aye at 10:24 PM on November 28, 2006

I had an indoor RC blimp that was plenty fun. My brother bought it for me for approximately 25 bucks. If you buy one, go ahead and buy your own tank of helium at a party supply store. These things need to be topped-off pretty frequently.
posted by shanevsevil at 2:02 AM on November 29, 2006

I've got one of these tucked away in the closet. Kinda too big to play with on a daily basis. Plantraco's microblimp looks like it might solve that problem. Maybe it solves the novelty worn away problem, too.
posted by notyou at 9:15 AM on November 29, 2006

Please note, RC Blimps are an EXCELLENT feline fright inducer.
posted by mwhybark at 11:19 PM on November 29, 2006