Manta

About

The Manta is a small electric delta-wing or flying-wing sport flyer with the kind of distinctive triangular planform that has been a staple of the foam sport-flying category for two decades. The name evokes the ray-fish silhouette — a wide, flat triangular shape with a small central pod for the radio gear and motor — and the layout has its own logic: minimal drag, no separate horizontal tail, simplified construction, and the kind of fast, slippery flight character that suits a small high-power brushless installation.

Like every well-loved delta-wing foamy, the Manta earns its place in the hobby by being three things at once: small enough to fly almost anywhere, fast enough to be exciting on the controls after a pilot graduates beyond a basic trainer, and durable enough to survive the inevitable hard landings that fast small foamies are prone to. Elevon control surfaces (combined elevators and ailerons) on the trailing edge provide all pitch and roll authority, with a small vertical fin on the centerline for yaw stability.

The bigger picture is the flying-wing sport foamy category itself. Delta-wing and pure flying-wing foam designs — whether commercial offerings from major brands or any of dozens of similar layouts from competing manufacturers — have become a distinctive niche in modern RC flying, often used as fast sport flyers, slope-soaring gliders (in unpowered form), or as the platform for first-person-view flying with onboard cameras.

In the simulator

A fast, sharp-handling delta-wing sport flyer. The Manta in our sim has the kind of quick response and slippery low-drag profile that suits delta-wing aerodynamics — narrow turn radius, quick roll authority, and approach speeds that demand respect. Use it for sport-jet-style flying without the cost or commitment of a real EDF model. Pairs well with airport-class and open grass-strip landscapes. A natural sibling of the Force One delta in CV Planes Pack 3.