[thanatz]

A “model plane” is a scale replica of a full-size aircraft. If you build a remote-controlled aircraft to a purpose instead of to an appearance, you might as well call it a “drone”, and drones have been known to do a fair amount of damage. Looks to me more like the muzzies are tying to copy the rather successful assassination campaign we’re pursuing against them, but using commercially-available equipment if they can’t get the “good stuff.”

[Smokin' Joe]

A drone isn't a 'model plane', but a purpose built unmanned aircraft or one which has been converted to be remotely guided for a specific purpose. Not many model planes will be of designs which will make effective Kamikazes/guided missiles. A Hellfire missile (drone launched or not) is designed to be effective as a destructive device, and is likely to be far more effective than a model plane packed with C-4 against virtually any target, but especially against one which isn't a 'soft' target.

While scale model planes vary in size, keep in mind that the buildings in question are of very substantial construction, and the payloads involved would be unlikely to breach walls or significantly damage structural elements beyond a very limited area, if at all, partly because of design constraints imposed by the delivery system--it has to look credibly like an historical or current aircraft enough to pass muster, carry a payload, and still be airworthy.

I think the FBI learned their lesson after the WTC bombing of '93, and they don't actually set anyone up with the materials and know-how who might actually have a chance to succeed, unlike teaching jihaditypes to mix ANFO (unless, of course--and this is shaky--they actually want the incident to occur for some reason or another).

The jihadis have become far more competent at explosives design, as evidenced by their IEDs, but this guy reeks of wannabe. Someone tied in with a network would likely have more sophisticated supply and information contacts, without looking for help or accepting it from people outside that network. If the FBI have been stringing him along, then he is a ‘reserve bust’, one who can be taken down at leisure and played for news value (distractive, or to push for funding/public relations), unless he is actually making significant progress on his own and is becoming a real threat.

The effect of the model plane against the buildings in question would be about the same as the guy who was banging away at the White House with an SKS at 300+ meters--‘full of sound and fury, but signifying nothing’. Great for propaganda purposes, but little else. Someone might even be injured or even killed, but that would be more a function of being in exactly the wrong place at the wrong time, rather the capability of the weapon involved.

Against an automobile or a crowd, the results might be very different, but those are not structural targets.