Raise Your Hand If You Ever Wanted To Fly An RC Plane

The radio control hobby is growing in popularity. Flying rc planes and rc helis has become a very popular pastime in recent years, and increasingly more hobbyists 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.

Many rc planes and rc helicopters can now be bought as RTF models, which stands for Ready To Fly.

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!

Electric motors or gas motors are what 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 planes 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 planes are far more popular for people entering the hobby, simply because they are simple to operate, quiet and non-polluting.

The very popular "Park Flyer" style electric motor rc planes are bringing thousands of new rc pilots into the activity for these reasons. Also, they are cheap to buy; a simple 1 or 2 channel RTF model is priced at under $100!

They are known as "Park Flyers" because they are quiet and small, and they can be flown in any appropriate sized 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 best 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 underneath.

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 airplanes 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, locate and join your local model flying club. It is the best thing that you can do as a first step toward your new pastime.

Electric rc helis 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 beginner. That was unheard of just a few years ago!

Even if you've never held a rc helicopter before, you can very quickly be mastering the controls of an electric model rc heli without too much trouble.

There are easily 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 really 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 planes, make sure you check out Michael Murray's blog articles and planes. Michael loves questions, so ask away!