Control-line model airplane in flight

Image: Wikimedia Commons

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1950s · outdoor

Cox Control-Line Airplane

A real gas-engine airplane on control lines — you stood in the middle, spun until you were dizzy, and flew an actual screaming motor in circles.

Era
50s
Released
Unknown
Category
outdoor
Availability checked
7/17/2026

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Why people remember it

  • Flying a real gas-engine plane on lines, in circles around you, felt like piloting something dangerous and real.
  • The buzzing engine sound is unmistakable to anyone who grew up around one in a park or backyard.
  • It was a genuine hobby with a learning curve, not just a toy you played with once and put away.

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Questions people ask

How does a control-line plane fly in circles?
Two thin control lines run from a handle to the wing, letting the pilot steer the elevator while walking or standing in the center of the circle the plane flies.
Do these planes still run on gas engines?
Classic Cox planes used small glow-fuel engines; electric-powered control-line and RC planes are now more common, though gas models are still available for hobbyists.