The Pro's and Cons of the RC Plane Delta Wing
Pros
Simplicity- Most versions this plane are a pancake body with winglets. For the most part the plane is two-dimensional, length and width. You don't have to worry about knocking off the rear tail, it doesn't have one. There is no rudder, nor elevators. Just two ailerons. Set your speed and you can fly it with one hand. The glider version of this plane only needs a two channel radio.
Durability- Because it is, for the most part a one piece plane it's unbelievably durable. It's a good plane for beginners because there aren't a lot of moving parts. By design it can handle crashes well. There are combat versions of this plane designed to do air battles by crashing into each other at high rates of speed. The real winning factor for beginners is the prop in the back of the plane not enduring damage when it crashes.
Easily modifiable - You can throw extra support by way of carbon fiber rods in the leading edge, you can grossly overpower the plane with motors too large for it and still get it to fly with the proper C.G. balance. I've even seen one mod where someone put plywood at the bottom of a delta wing to give it even more support.
Cheap- With versions you can make yourself for around $2 using foam found at Dollar Tree this plane design tends to top the list of affordable planes that are easy to aquire. If your dreams for designing your own foam plane quickly outpace the designs you find online you can design your own Delta Wing online for free.
Easy to fly- Working independently the ailerons turn the plane left or right, working together the plane goes up or down. Thus the right stick (mode 2) more or less fully controls the flight of the plane and the left stick (mode 2) controls the throttle. This is about as straightforward as it gets.
Cons-
Harder to see- The plane when coming right at you is difficult to see at times, especially from a distance.
Limited glide characteristics- A two-meter foam wing glider like a Radian or Pheonix 2000 can enable very long flights with minimal battery usage. These things can float, and float and float for very long periods of time in the air. The delta wing design isn't as graceful in the air. Sure there are certain builds that glide better than others. A light weight and larger surface area can certainly improve it's gliding characteristics. But it's like comparing a sports car to a utility truck. Just because one model has a larger trunk doesn't mean it can haul drywall.
Smaller versions can be "squirrely." The fun of the plane is making it do barrel rolls and loops. The smaller wingspan version such as the 24" Turnigy Bonsai can be a bit more difficult to handle. Perhaps this is why experienced pilots love putting extremely fast motors on these planes and pushing them to 100 MPH. They are more challenging to fly at higher speeds. But, if you got a need for speed and a smaller budget this is the solution.
The Stealth Bomber
There are a number of Delta Wing planes that have and are being made in general aviation. When you think of the Stealth Bomber it's conjures up feelings of state of the art technology. Perhaps someone as a child was inspired by a comic book spaceship and turned it into reality? Actually, the idea is very, very old and has nothing to do with comic books.
The pusher prop delta wing planes actually exist. The Navy was experimenting with them back in the 1930s. Here's one that was recently shown in Chino.
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