The radio control hobby is growing in popularity. Flying rc planes and rc helis has become very popular recently, and increasingly more fans are discovering the hobby all around the world.
“RC” stands for radio control, and refers to anything that is controlled by radio signals that are sent out from a transmitter to a receiver located inside the model.
Sometimes you’ll see rc referred to as “remote control” but this is technically incorrect. If you’re going to be in the hobby, you need to use the same terms as everyone else.
RTF, or Ready To Fly models are the most popular rc planes and rc helicopters purchased today
This means what it says; the model is assembled at the factory, the rc gear and motor have been installed and set up and there is nothing for you, the consumer, to do other than install the radio control gear batteries, do some very basic final assembly work, such as attaching the wing to the fuselage, and taking to the skies!
Either electric or gas motors power RTF planes and RTF helis.
Gas motors are often referred to as ‘nitro’ or ‘gas’ because the fuel that a glow plug motor runs on contains nitro methane. This is the same type of fuel that full sized dragsters use to reach very high speeds.
Nitro airplanes have more parts than electric airplanes do, simply because of the motor and the need for a fuel tank. Also, nitro planes are generally bigger and have a steeper learning curve. Beginners should start with RTF electric planes and work up as their skills increase.
Electric motor rc airplanes are far more common for people entering the hobby, primarily because they are clean, quiet and simple to operate.
The very popular “Park Flyer” style electric motorrc airplanes are bringing thousands of new rc pilots into the activity for these reasons. They are quite cheap to buy; a simple 1 or 2 channel RTF model can be bought for well under $100!
They are known as “Park Flyers” because they are quiet and small, and they can be flown in any good-size open area. Public parks, sports fields or empty parking lots can all be used as flying space, provided that flying rc airplanes there is allowed, which is a very important thing to know before you fly your model!
The preferred type of rc airplane to buy if you’re first starting out is a high wing trainer type. RC Airplanes with the wing on top of the fuselage are much more stable than RC Planes with the wing below.
One very important point to look for is the amount of “dihedral” the rc model has. Dihedral is the upward angle of the wings when looking at the model from the front. The more dihedral an rc airplane has, the more stable it will be in the air, and hence easier to fly.
The big difference between nitro and electric rc airplanes is where you can fly them. Electric rc planes can be flown in public places, but nitro planes can only be flown at a model flying club, or on private land with the owner’s permission. This is because they are bigger, noisier and faster than their electric cousins. These factors are what makes nitro rc planes harder to learn to fly, although more rewarding.
If you want to get into the sport of radio control flying, find your local model flying club and join. It is the best thing that you can do as a first step toward your new hobby.
Electric rc helicopters have really changed the hobby, because they have become so much cheaper to buy than they ever have been, and many are now designed for the complete beginner, which was unheard of just a few years ago!
Even if you’ve never operated a rc helicopter before, you can very quickly be mastering the controls of an electric model rc helicopter without too much trouble.
There are hundreds of models to choose from these days (rc planes and rc helis), but always be sure of what you’re buying first. Check out reviews if you can find some, and be certain that the model is suitable for a beginner.
The good thing is that with the models that are sold today, getting into the hobby of radio control flying has never been easier or cheaper!
Before you make a mistake and buy the wrong radio control airplanes, make sure you check out Michael Murray’s blog articles and airplanes. Michael loves questions, so ask away!
