| Your indoor remote control needs occupy a large area | | | | for positioning one on each end of the base layer. |
| don't they? Even that 1:52 scale RC mini-buggy needs | | | | Separate these layers from the base with columns tall |
| road space to operate on. Your available floor space | | | | enough to clear your first layer buildings. Get creative |
| places limits on the variety of activities the creative | | | | here and design your second layer with openings that |
| side of your mind can invent, and on the different | | | | provide visibility to the middle areas of the base layer. |
| operating scenarios for your model's functional | | | | Continue designing layers to grow your city upward as |
| capabilities. | | | | far as you want, but for this project make sure you |
| One way of increasing your radio control fun inside is | | | | design the total height of your completed city for no |
| building a city for your toys. | | | | more than two feet. (I'll explain why in a moment.) |
| Start with a 4 X 8 sheet of plywood, and design a | | | | Now that your blueprint is done build your project. |
| metropolitan layout. Draw out a blueprint on paper of | | | | Balsa wood is ideal for your structures because of its |
| your vision of the city when finished. | | | | light weight (good stiff cardboard works too). Find |
| As you create your design visualize the buildings you'll | | | | most of your materials easily at hobby shops, such as |
| populate your city with. (Scale your buildings to the size | | | | the balsa wood, grass for your lawns and parks, and |
| vehicles you'll operate in the city. Consider how real | | | | asphalt for your road surfaces. |
| buildings in your town soar above your personal car or | | | | Your new radio control playground is ready for use, |
| truck, and make sure the measurements for your | | | | and you'll spend hours driving around the streets as |
| structures mimic those ratios.) | | | | you enjoy your hobby. |
| Don't forget to vary the style of your buildings. | | | | Problem is you're still using a big piece of your floor |
| In any given city you'll find office buildings, motels, | | | | space, and you can't use that 4 X 8 foot area where |
| parking garages, apartment complexes, shopping malls, | | | | your city sits for any other purpose. Remember I said |
| restaurants, coffee shops, bars, sports stadiums, | | | | this project won't take up any of your living space |
| hospitals, houses, and many other kinds of structures | | | | when your RCs aren't operating? |
| for different purposes, and sizes. | | | | Free that used area up by suspending your city from |
| Design your city so it looks real. | | | | the ceiling. Make sure you hang it with cables placed |
| After you draw your buildings into position on your | | | | strategically so they support the weight of your city |
| blueprint think about other features you find in a normal | | | | without allowing it to sag, and attach it to a pulley for |
| city. | | | | easy lowering and lifting. |
| Draw in your parks, strip malls, car washes, parking | | | | If you raise the city to the ceiling, and you built it to only |
| lots, ball fields, zoos, and any other items you wish to | | | | two feet as I recommended, you'll normally have |
| include. | | | | 6-foot of open space underneath. If you suspend it |
| How about some helicopter pads, and an airport? | | | | over a bed or other furniture-occupied spot your city |
| You'll need roads running to every destination (wide | | | | can grow upward beyond that two-foot suggestion if |
| enough to accommodate two lane traffic for the size | | | | you desire. |
| of your chosen RCs (maybe even a few | | | | This project gives you the opportunity to enjoy your |
| roundabouts), driveways into houses and parking | | | | RC hobby indoors any time you want, with the |
| areas, and pullout spaces for delivery, loading, and | | | | potential of hundreds of operating scenarios limited only |
| unloading passengers. | | | | by your imagination, while still freeing up your living area |
| Once you have a layout designed on the initial sheet of | | | | when you're not RCing. |
| plywood decide if you want to build city layers in an | | | | Whenever the mood for remote control fun strikes, |
| upward direction. If so add those layers to your | | | | just lower your city, and enjoy operating those models |
| blueprint. | | | | as long as you want. |
| For instance: Design two layouts that measure 3 X 3 | | | | |