These games are great for a single pilot looking to hone their skills.
“Bowling Cans”
Objective: The goal of RC Can-Am is for a single pilot to guide an RC airplane that is dragging a single soda can on a string. The pilot must fly the plane over a formation of ten “pin” cans and have the trailing can knock over as many of them as possible, like a flying bowling ball.
Required Equipment
- RC Airplane: A stable, high-wing trainer is recommended for its predictable flight characteristics and slower speed. A foam plane is ideal as it’s more forgiving in the event of a crash.
- “Bowling Ball” Can: One empty, unmodified aluminum soda can with a small hole punched in the top tab to attach the string.
- “Pin” Cans: Ten empty aluminum cans. These will be the targets.
- String/Cord: A lightweight but durable string, such as braided fishing line or thin paracord, approximately 2-3 feet long.
- Clear Runway/Field: A large, flat, open area like a grass field or paved runway.
- Metal Washers: to weight can so it deflects less when hitting pins
Game Setup
- Prepare the “Bowling Ball”: Attach one end of the string to the empty soda can through the tab hole. Securely tie the other end to the fuselage of the RC airplane, ensuring it’s in a location that won’t interfere with the propeller, such as under the tail section or on the rear landing gear. The string should be long enough for the can to swing freely but not so long that it’s unmanageable.
- Set the “Pins”: Arrange the ten empty target cans on the ground in a standard bowling pin triangle formation. Leave enough space between the cans (about 12 inches) so that a single hit can potentially knock over multiple cans. Place the formation a reasonable distance from the start/takeoff point, perhaps 50-100 feet away, to give the pilot ample time to set up their approach.
Gameplay and Rules
- Takeoff: The pilot takes off from a designated point and must gain enough altitude to make a controlled approach. The plane must remain in the air for the duration of the turn.
- The Approach: The pilot maneuvers the plane to line up with the can pins. The goal is to fly directly over the formation, allowing the trailing “bowling ball” can to swing and make contact with the pin cans on the ground.
- The “Throw”: A “throw” is defined as a single pass over the pin formation. After the pass, the pilot must turn the plane and prepare for a second pass, or land to end their turn.
- Scoring: One point is awarded for each can that is knocked over. A can is considered “knocked over” if it is no longer standing upright. A single can can be hit multiple times during the game, but it only counts as one point per can.
- Penalties and Fouls:
- Plane Contact: If any part of the RC airplane itself (not the trailing can) touches or knocks over a pin can, the turn ends, and no points are awarded for that pass.
- Crashing: If the plane crashes at any point during the turn, the game ends, and the score is tallied from the last successful pass.
- Can Detachment: If the trailing “bowling ball” can detaches from the string at any time, the turn is immediately over.
Game Variations and Challenges
- Two-Pass Throw: The first throw starts from an engine off position on the opposite end of the runway. After the first pass they climb and return in a landing configuration and overfly the can pins a second time.
- Timed Runs: Challenge players to knock over all ten cans in the shortest amount of time possible.
- Single-Pass Strike: See who can get the most cans knocked over in a single pass. A perfect score of ten cans in one pass is a “Strike.”
- Obstacle Course: Add small obstacles to the field that the pilot must navigate around before they can make their pass at the pins.
- Windy Conditions: For a real challenge, play on a day with a light breeze. The pilot will need to constantly adjust their course to keep the plane and the trailing can on target.
Spot Landing:
- Objective: Land your plane as close as possible to a designated spot.
- How to Play: Mark a spot on the runway or grass with a cone, flag, or painted circle. Take off, perform a full circuit, and then attempt to land with your plane’s main landing gear touching down on or in the designated area. For added challenge, measure the distance from the target to where your plane first touched down. The person with the closest landing wins.
- Skills: Landing accuracy, throttle control, glide slope management.
Limbo:
- Objective: Fly under a horizontal bar or line without touching it.
- How to Play: Set up two poles and string a line between them at a challenging height. The line can be a string, a lightweight streamer, or even a pool noodle. Fly under the line. If you succeed, lower the line for the next attempt.
- Skills: Precise altitude control, orientation, and confidence at low altitudes.
Target Bombing:
- Objective: Drop a small object onto a target from the air.
- May need a servo to release a hook.
- How to Play: Set up a target on the ground (e.g., a bucket, a large circle). Use a small, harmless object like a lightweight foam ball, a streamer, or a small bag of flour (check local regulations and environmental impact). Fly over the target and release the object. The closer the object lands to the center of the target, the more points you get.
- Skills: Timing, depth perception, and controlled flight paths.
Figure-Eight Challenge:
- Objective: Fly a continuous figure-eight pattern around two poles.
- How to Play: Place two poles a reasonable distance apart. Take off and fly a continuous figure-eight pattern around them. Count how many successful laps you can complete in a set amount of time, or simply fly until you make a mistake.
- Skills: Consistent turning, orientation, and smooth control inputs.
Timed Aerobatics:
- Objective: Perform as many specific aerobatic maneuvers as possible within a set time limit.
- How to Play: A judge or group of pilots sets a series of maneuvers (e.g., loops, rolls, hammerhead turns). The pilot has one minute to perform as many of these maneuvers as cleanly as possible. Points are awarded for each completed maneuver, with deductions for sloppy or incomplete moves.
- Skills: Advanced aerobatics, timing, and precision.
Touch-and-Go Challenge:
- Objective: Perform as many consecutive “touch-and-go” landings as possible without a full stop.
- How to Play: The pilot must fly a pattern and touch down on the runway, but instead of stopping, they must immediately apply throttle and take off again. The goal is to perform a continuous series of these without a full landing or a crash.
- Skills: Landing and takeoff accuracy, continuous control inputs, and situational awareness.
Lowest Fly-By:
- Objective: Fly your plane as low as possible over a designated line or area without crashing.
- How to Play: Mark a line with a ribbon or tape. Pilots take turns flying over the line, attempting to get their landing gear or fuselage as close to the ground as possible. This is a high-risk, high-reward game and should be played with caution, but it is a classic way to test a pilot’s low-altitude control.
- Skills: Extreme low-altitude control, smooth throttle and elevator inputs.
Taxi Mayhem:
- Objective: Cut a hanging lengths of toilet paper with your propeller, or snag them with your wings.
- How to Play: Suspend lengths of toilet paper to the ground from a string suspended between two sticks in a bucket filled with dirt. Planes taxi around collecting toilet paper snagged onto their airplanes. To make this less congested, use multiple sets of buckets and toilet paper separated by some distance. The pilots start from the ends of the runway and must avoid flying off the ground. When there is no toilet paper still hanging, or timed play runs out, or batteries run dry, scoring is based on the weight of the toilet paper collected by each aircraft. A kitchen scale weighs the toilet paper collected by each aircraft. Highest weight wins.
- Penalties: If an aircraft strikes another aircraft, the affending aircraft is penalized 5 grams of toilet paper.
- Skills: Precision taxiing, close-quarters maneuvering around other aircraft, and judging distance.
- Variation: If contestants have old aircraft with no other use, this can be more of a demolition derby. All spectators and pilots must wear safety glasses.
Glider Endurance:
- Objective: Stay in the air for the longest amount of time after your motor is turned off.
- How to Play: All pilots take off at the same time. At a pre-determined altitude, everyone must turn their motor off. The goal is to catch thermals and glide for the longest duration possible. The last plane to land wins.
- Skills: Gliding, soaring, and understanding atmospheric conditions. This game is especially good for gliders and planes with high aspect ratio wings.