I never thought of using these for propeller motors. Good idea. Usually when I take the drives apart I keep the stepper that drives the head. But toss the motor that spins the CD ROM. Never thought they would be good for RC planes (or enough of them for a copter). The authors build seems a bit underpowered for the plane, but make for something a bit lighter….
http://www.instructables.com/id/RC-plane-build-with-CD-Rom-Motor-Brushless-motor-f/