I'd like to revive an old hobby of mine so any info on this is much appreciated.

I am not really taken with the new-fangled 'plug-and-play' Styrofoam type aircraft, I always enjoyed spending time actually building the planes and all the gluing and and drilling and balancing and covering with tissue paper etc that was involved. I am not really into R/C models although I might go that direction if the hobby takes off (no pun intended).

Alternatively is balsa wood available in Phuket? I will download or order plans for a plane if I know that I can get the materials locally.

TIA for any suggestions.

There is a place in Phuket town.. Search back in this forum for the address.. They have balsas and model parts, coverings (film types instead of tissue these days) selection of glues etc..

That said I have found that apart from the tax hassle its still cheaper to buy from US or global type mail order sites and much much greater selection.. Especially as model flying is very rapidly evolving with brushless motors and lipo batts etc.. So Phuket is a bit behind the times.. Some much better shops in BKK that can post and a RC flyer magazine published in Thai language (with all the shop adverts in) also available there.

I am all in favor of the plug and play foam and electrics (electric much easier and cheaper than glo these days) but then I like flying and it sounds like you like building (how about you build em I crash em ).. I want to get going with the helis..

There is a Model Car shop top of the escalator on the Big C level straight in front as you get off maybe they have something..

Great fun with the model planes though..

That shop tends to more the toy end of the market tho..

i always fancied one off the sopwith camel replica's but was too lazy too build it so bought the "plug and ply" ones instead that lloked crap but were ready to fly in a few hours

i always fancied one off the sopwith camel replica's but was too lazy too build it so bought the "plug and ply" ones instead that lloked crap but were ready to fly in a few hours

Meh, you haven't lived until you've watched a fragile craft, that took dozens of painstaking hours to construct and test, fly straight into a tree at 30 mph on it's maiden flight!

And thanks LivinLOS, I'll try searching again.

Have a look around as there was a model aeroplane club around here several years ago i remember an article in the phuket gazette saying where the flew their planes. There are also a couple of proper model shops around in phuket town which may be of assistance, one used to be on phunphin rd and also have seen one on yaowarat rd at some stage think i saw one on bangkok rd as well, happy hunting

On infrequent Saturdays, this RC club fly their planes on land behind Promphan supermarket on Chao Fah Rd West.

i always fancied one off the sopwith camel replica's but was too lazy too build it so bought the "plug and ply" ones instead that lloked crap but were ready to fly in a few hours

Meh, you haven't lived until you've watched a fragile craft, that took dozens of painstaking hours to construct and test, fly straight into a tree at 30 mph on it's maiden flight!

And thanks LivinLOS, I'll try searching again.

i did build a fixed pitch helicopter that when learning to fly i managed to "hover" straioght into a power pylon, it ended up in smaller bits than when it was unassembled

good excuse to buy the varible pitch one though

Special Report - remote control or R.C. aircraft in Phuket

To see or download mini-video, go to http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=213994

Special Report 1 for Andaman News TV11 (VHF dial) + Radio Thailand FM90.5 Phuket City, both broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, 8.30am & maybe later on Phuket Cable TV Channel 1, Friday 1 June 2007 & www.Thaisnews.com {Our news text and mini-videos can be freely copied, but give credit to Andaman News TV11 Phuket or contact [email protected]}

These helicopters and planes are flying around Phuket so low and fast, they look so realistic, but in fact they are just remote control or R.C. aircraft, some would say ‘toys for boys’, well they are mainly men now! They are all members and friends of the Phuket RC Association, who meet almost every afternoon around 4-6pm if the weather is good, and the wind not too strong, on the vacant land between Chao Fa West Road and the new by pass to Prince of Songkhla University, west of Phuket City. It used to be an old tin mine area but natural jungle and lakes beside rolling hills now provide a nice setting for these wanna-be pilots, some of whom also fly paramotors nearby as well.. Suwit Krit-kam-chai is one of them, escaping from his day job running a hotel in Patong. He describes one of his helicopters: He told us there are about 30 regular members but anyone, including foreigners, can come watch or perhaps play, though try to bring your own aircraft if you can afford them. Most of them cost about 40,000 – 80,000 baht. They don’t want them to blow up in smoke, but it looks like it. It apparently helps to track the wind and check the engine oil mixture is right. They don’t race them nor try to hit each other with their aircraft, but seem to like to show off their skills, even going upside down or vertically, but they do need to concentrate on controls to avoid any accidents..... It cost him about 3,000 baht to replace that broken blade wing.

It pays to also check you have the right controller, as Suwit mixed up his with another member’s that looked the same. It must be difficult as this member has about 30 different planes & helicopters to control & choose from! Apparently he rents houses out, so he must have some well paying tenants! His polystyrene plane may look cheap but its’ lightness enables it to fly faster & further on less fuel – maybe Boeing or Airbus should look into that. As his friend Nipat Yan-pai-san says, it certainly looks like the real thing when it takes off: He also helps another friend try to get his old plane up with a little man on board: Despite the noisy revs, it doesn’t look like this one is leaving Phuket’s other airport soon. Anyway the wind is picking up and light is fading, so its time to rush home even at 50 kilometres an hour. The Boeing Airbus look-a-like finally lands after teasing the onlookers and whetting the appetite of more 'boys for toys'.

Special Report - remote control or R.C. aircraft in Phuket

To see or download mini-video, go to http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=213994

Special Report 1 for Andaman News TV11 (VHF dial) + Radio Thailand FM90.5 Phuket City, both broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, 8.30am & maybe later on Phuket Cable TV Channel 1, Friday 1 June 2007 & www.Thaisnews.com {Our news text and mini-videos can be freely copied, but give credit to Andaman News TV11 Phuket or contact [email protected]}

These helicopters and planes are flying around Phuket so low and fast, they look so realistic, but in fact they are just remote control or R.C. aircraft, some would say ‘toys for boys’, well they are mainly men now! They are all members and friends of the Phuket RC Association, who meet almost every afternoon around 4-6pm if the weather is good, and the wind not too strong, on the vacant land between Chao Fa West Road and the new by pass to Prince of Songkhla University, west of Phuket City. It used to be an old tin mine area but natural jungle and lakes beside rolling hills now provide a nice setting for these wanna-be pilots, some of whom also fly paramotors nearby as well.. Suwit Krit-kam-chai is one of them, escaping from his day job running a hotel in Patong. He describes one of his helicopters: He told us there are about 30 regular members but anyone, including foreigners, can come watch or perhaps play, though try to bring your own aircraft if you can afford them. Most of them cost about 40,000 – 80,000 baht. They don’t want them to blow up in smoke, but it looks like it. It apparently helps to track the wind and check the engine oil mixture is right. They don’t race them nor try to hit each other with their aircraft, but seem to like to show off their skills, even going upside down or vertically, but they do need to concentrate on controls to avoid any accidents..... It cost him about 3,000 baht to replace that broken blade wing.

It pays to also check you have the right controller, as Suwit mixed up his with another member’s that looked the same. It must be difficult as this member has about 30 different planes & helicopters to control & choose from! Apparently he rents houses out, so he must have some well paying tenants! His polystyrene plane may look cheap but its’ lightness enables it to fly faster & further on less fuel – maybe Boeing or Airbus should look into that. As his friend Nipat Yan-pai-san says, it certainly looks like the real thing when it takes off: He also helps another friend try to get his old plane up with a little man on board: Despite the noisy revs, it doesn’t look like this one is leaving Phuket’s other airport soon. Anyway the wind is picking up and light is fading, so its time to rush home even at 50 kilometres an hour. The Boeing Airbus look-a-like finally lands after teasing the onlookers and whetting the appetite of more 'boys for toys'.

Is there a contact at this group I could reach ??

Or a google KMZ or better route description ??

RC Association site is about 500 metres west/behind Promphan Supermarket on Chao Fa West Road, or 500 metres east of new Bypass road.

For more info contact [email protected]

or phone Suwit 081 5351455

Is there a contact at this group I could reach ??

Or a google KMZ or better route description ??

Thank you.. Will look for the promphan supermarket..

Is this the area where there are the concrete elephants ?? Seen paramotor pilots there..

Yes near there, if you are coming from the south, after the elephants and next curves, turn left/west just before Home & House shop & Promphan supermarket, onto dirt bumpy track, but you may need 4 wheel drive if it's rained recently! Go about 500 metres then you can see RC site with covered shade on right/north side.