INTERMODEL

What INTERMODEL does

Intermodel SAS is a French specialty retailer and e-commerce distributor of radio-controlled (RC) model aircraft and hobby equipment, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Petiville, Normandy, France. The company operates a hybrid retail model combining a single physical storefront (Z.A. Les Varouillères, 121 Rue des artisans, 76330 Petiville) with an e-commerce platform at intermodel.fr and a dedicated B2B sales division. Its catalog spans RC aircraft (aerobatic planes, warbirds, civil aircraft, jets, gliders, drones, indoor models), electronic components (motors, servos, batteries, chargers, ESCs, flight controllers), radio control systems, FPV equipment, construction materials, and spare parts, drawing from over 100 third-party manufacturers including RC Factory, Kavan, FrSky, Jeti, Hacker Motor, Gens Ace, Extreme Flight, Pilot-RC, and Skywing. Individual product prices range from approximately €0.30 (small connectors) to €3,459.90 (high-end jets like Pilot-RC's J10-B).

The business serves three identifiable customer segments: individual RC modeling hobbyists (the primary segment), competition pilots requiring high-performance aircraft, and B2B customers such as RC shops and flying clubs. Distribution channels include the e-commerce storefront with home delivery across France, the physical retail location (open Monday–Friday 9:30–18:00, Saturday 9:30–12:00) for in-store pickup and technical consultation, and on-site sales at RC modeling events and competitions such as the FXFC French Extreme Freestyle Cup and regional meetings. Marketing is conducted through the company website, a dedicated blog (blog.intermodel.fr), Facebook and Twitter profiles, Google Plus, email newsletters, and direct event participation. A loyalty points program ("points fidélités") and digital gift cards support repeat purchasing behavior.

The company operates with 27 employees, has no external funding or parent company, and is privately held (SAS structure). Geographic scope is concentrated in France with potential reach across Europe. Revenue figures, headcount trends, and financial performance are not publicly disclosed. The business is best characterized as a bootstrapped, niche hobbyist retailer leveraging multi-channel distribution and a broad multi-brand catalog to serve the French aeromodelism community.

Name

INTERMODEL

Legal name

Intermodel SAS

Website

https://intermodel.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Intermodel SAS is a French specialty retailer and e-commerce distributor of radio-controlled model aircraft, drones, and hobby equipment, serving individual hobbyists, competition pilots, and B2B customers across France via a hybrid physical-store and online catalog of 100+ brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RC Modeling Equipment Retail

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

RC Model Kits & Parts (Cars, Drones, Boats, Planes) (CRALAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Drones & UAV Retail (Consumer & Prosumer) (CRACAHAC)

Keywords

• RC model retail
• Aeromodelism equipment
• RC aircraft distributor
• Drone hobby supplies
• Radio control accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Petiville

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling RC aircraft (planes, gliders, drones), RC accessories, motors, batteries, radio control systems, servos, propellers, and construction materials. Products range from entry-level kits (€0.90) to high-end competition jets (€3,459.90).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Intermodel SAS is a French specialty retailer that sells radio-controlled model aircraft, gliders, drones, and the full ecosystem of RC hobby components (motors, servos, batteries, chargers, propellers, radio systems, FPV equipment, construction materials). Products from 100+ manufacturers are sold to individual hobbyists through a Petiville retail store and a France-wide e-commerce site, and to RC shops, clubs, and businesses through a dedicated wholesale division. Prices range from approximately €0.30 (small connectors) to €3,459.90 (high-end competition jets).

Product overview

Intermodel is a French e-commerce retailer specializing in radio-controlled (RC) model aircraft and hobby equipment. The company operates a multi-category product portfolio organized around RC model aircraft and drones, encompassing complete ARF/Kit aircraft, electronic components (motors, servos, batteries, chargers), radio control systems, propellers, FPV equipment, and construction materials. The core offering centers on RC model aircraft across categories (aerobatics/warbirds/civil/jets/gliders/drones) supplemented by specialized sub-brands (RC Factory for indoor EPP models) and third-party brand partnerships (Skywing, Extreme Flight, Pilot-RC, FrSky, Jeti, Hacker Motor, Gens Ace). The business model combines physical retail (store in Petiville, France) with e-commerce fulfillment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RC Model Aircraft (Avions RC) Radio-controlled model aircraft including kits for aerobatics (voltige), warbirds, civil aircraft, racers, beginner and transitional models, seaplanes, indoor models, flying wings, leisure models, and jets. Available as kit or ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) configurations, for individual hobbyists and competition pilots.
• Gliders (Planeurs) RC glider aircraft for slope flying and thermal soaring, available in various sizes and configurations.
• Drones & Multirotors Multirotor drone components and kits including flight controllers, ESCs, frames, propellers, and accessories for FPV and aerial applications.
• Engines and Motors (Moteurs) Electric, methanol, gasoline, and electric turbine engines for RC aircraft, including related parts and accessories for thermal/petrol and electric propulsion.
• Servos RC servos in standard, mini, micro, nano, and flat sizes for aircraft control surfaces, plus servo spare parts and accessories.
• Batteries, Chargers, and Power Accessories LiPo and Li-ion batteries in 1S through 8S configurations and related chargers, power supplies, testers, charge cables, buzzers, onboard indicators, and safety equipment.
• Propellers (Hélices) and Cones Propellers for methanol, electric, and gasoline motors, including indoor/parkflyer, folding, and multirotor variants, plus spinners/cones and propeller accessories.
• Radio Control Systems (Radios, Receivers, Modules, Telemetry) Complete radio control systems including transmitters, receivers, 2.4GHz/900MHz radio modules, telemetry sensors and probes, plus radio accessories and replacement parts for Taranis, Taranis-E, Horus, Taranis-Q X7/7S, and Tandem systems.
• FPV Equipment (Immersion FPV) First-person view equipment including cameras, transmitters/receivers, goggles and screens, antennas, OSD systems, FPV models, and FPV accessories.
• Construction Materials (Matériaux de construction) Building materials for RC model construction including adhesives, carbon fiber rods, piano wire, hardware, covering film, EPP foam, balsa and plywood wood, paints, magnets, and composite materials.
• Spare Parts and Accessories (Pièces Détachées & Accessoires) Replacement parts and accessories including canopies, hoods, landing gear, cockpits, nozzles, wing bags, wing keys, sun covers, and EPP models.
• Box & Dual Power Systems Redundant power systems and battery management for RC aircraft including PowerBox, JETI Central Box, FrSky dual-power systems, gyros, and flight stabilizers.
• Night Flying and Pyrotechnics (Vol de nuit et artifices) LED lighting systems and smoke generators for night flying operations of RC aircraft.
• Gift Cards (Cartes Cadeaux) Digital gift cards redeemable for products at the Intermodel store.
• RC Simulators (Simulateurs) RC flight simulators sold to hobbyists and pilots for training and practice.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Modellbau Lindinger: Austrian specialty retailer of RC model aircraft, drones, and accessories with a comparable multi-brand catalog, physical store, and e-commerce site. Highly comparable business model and product breadth to Intermodel in a neighboring market.
• Hyperflight: UK-based specialist retailer focused on RC gliders and electric soarers, with a curated catalog and strong community following. Comparable niche positioning within the broader RC market Intermodel serves.
• Flash RC: French RC and drone retailer operating primarily online with deep motors, ESCs, batteries, and FPV gear categories. Direct competitor to Intermodel in the French market, with overlapping supplier relationships and customer base.
• Motion RC: US online RC retailer specializing in warbirds, jets, and aerobatic aircraft with strong community and event presence. Closely comparable niche focus on high-end RC aircraft that mirrors Intermodel's Pilot-RC and Skywing offerings.
• Modelsport UK: UK RC retailer with broad aircraft, drone, and accessory categories plus a physical showroom. Closely mirrors Intermodel's combination of multi-brand catalog, brick-and-mortar, and online fulfillment.
• Miniplanes: France-based online RC hobby retailer offering kits, electronics, and accessories. Directly competes with Intermodel for French hobbyists across planes, gliders, and drones.

Broad incumbents

• Tower Hobbies: Established US RC hobby retailer with a broad catalog of aircraft, electronics, and accessories. Comparable catalog structure and customer demographic to Intermodel, though at much larger scale.
• Banggood: Global e-commerce marketplace carrying RC planes, drones, batteries, and FPV gear at competitive prices. Competes with Intermodel across multiple SKUs, particularly in commodity electronics.
• Horizon Hobby: Major US-based RC distributor and brand owner (Spektrum, E-flite) carrying aircraft, drones, and accessories. Operates at significantly larger scale but overlaps on multiple product categories Intermodel stocks.
• HobbyKing: Global online RC hobby superstore with its own private-label brands and massive catalog. Competes with Intermodel on price and selection across nearly every category they carry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/intermodel_rc
• Facebookfacebook.com/Intermodelfr-185202081534042
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/intermodel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about INTERMODEL