I used to throw a DX6i in my suitcase with a sim cable, that way I have a choice of sim'ing or buying any old BNF while I'm on the road, then shipping it to meet me at home. It's one of the reasons I continue to buy Spektrum BNF--zero competition on the convenience factor. Unfortunately, the ultra-cheap switches used on Spektrum Tx's are no match for the airlines. Even well padded, I'd lose a switch a flight, sometimes two. The good news is that after the switches are all gone, you lose fewer. The bad news is that the bind switch is critical to the game plan, above. I used to keep a stash of Radio Shack toggle switches.
Enter Common Sense RC's nice and slim, aluminum transmitter case:
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| Notice all the switches are from Radio Shack, including a tactically differentiated black flap switch and a non-spring loaded bind/trainer switch |
It is not a whole lot bigger than the Tx itself, and it's easy to configure for a micro heli. I have managed to pack a Dx6i, an mSR and an mCPX in one case (the mCPX tail rotor overlaps the Dx6i power switch), still manage to fit a sim cord, and either a battery powered 1S charger or a Celectra plug-in 1S.
I wish there was as easy an airplane option, but my attempt to create a rubber-band-attached wing on a Champ, although simple and virtually indistinguishable from the original in the air, it was a little too big to easily case 'n carry.
As for the heli solution, it's great because you can fly in a small indoor space, not so great because there is no outdoor option. The mCPX can definitely be flown expertly outdoors, but for the other 99% it is more than a handful indoors, and pretty easy to bang up. That leaves benign helicoptering indoors, which isn't that much fun so this case strategy still leaves a lot to be desired. At a minimum, you've got a DSM2/X bind-able radio that arrives in good shape.
I'm still looking for the ultimate travel kit.