Sites like let drone pilots share plans and aerial triumphs, giving more and more would-be builders access to information on hardware and software development for remote-controlled planes. Rather than just building remote-controlled aircraft, DIY Drones encourages its members to construct autonomous planes and functioning autopilots made from , GPS systems, and other sensors. DIY autopilots don't come cheap: They'll set you back around $200 just for a board plus sensors. However, you'll get the satisfaction of crafting your own autonomous aerial vehicle.

Using balsa wood and plastic, a group of Japanese aeromodelers have created several weighing in at about 10 grams (less than half an ounce). To save weight further, rather than servo motors are used to move the planes' control surfaces. Amazingly, these tiny planes are controllable!

At MIT, professor (and former Navy fighter pilot) and her students are developing an inexpensive quadrotor vehicle about the size of a bike wheel that costs roughly $300. While not totally autonomous yet, you can control this hovering aerial platform with an iPhone in a process similar to playing a video game.

While the Federal Aviation Administration has some restrictions on who can use drones in the US as (right now, only the government can fly drones, and even then, there are a few restrictions), you can fly remote-controlled planes below 400 feet and away from populated areas, airplanes, and airports. There is some hope that the FAA will and give remote control plane pilots more freedom in where their aircraft fly, but until then, drone builders aren't holding their breath and are flying their planes at low altitudes.

[Via and ]