RC Airplane World flight school

- lesson #1; buying your RC airplane

As a newcomer to the hobby, choosing and buying your rc airplane correctly is going to have a big impact on your initial enjoyment of radio control flying. Why? Simply because if you choose and buy an airplane that's not suitable for a beginner, or is of a bad quality, you'll have a very bad time with it and I can promise you that it'll put you off rc flying for life! Don't let that happen!

What to look for in your RC airplane

For your first rc airplane, you need something that is stable and forgiving. This is so important, and many beginners are too tempted to buy an rc airplane that looks cool or can fly fast, without giving much thought to how easy the thing is to fly!

The perfect airplane to learn to fly on is a high wing trainer. By 'high wing' we mean that the wing sits on top of the fuselage, and this configuration means lots of stability in the air - exactly what you need when learning to fly radio control.

Above, HobbZone's Super Cub LP is the perfect trainer configuration

High wing airplanes are stable because the weight of the fuselage below the wing acts as a pendulum to stabilize the airplane. So, a high wing plane will always want to right itself naturally after a turn, and this action really helps you out.

The other thing you need to look for is noticeable dihedral. This is the upward 'V' angle of the wings, when viewed from the front. The more dihedral the wings have, the more stable the airplane is going to be. Again, this is because of the pendulum effect; the lower the center of gravity is in relation to the wing surfaces, the more stability there is.

Above, look for the obvious upward dihedral angle of the wings,
when viewed from the front

So, for your first rc airplane you should be looking for a high wing configuration with good dihedral.

How many channels?

This is an important question and, again, choosing badly could determine how much fun you have with your new rc airplane.

For the simpler 'Park Flyer' type electric rc airplanes (the ones we're focusing on in this flight school), 2 or 3 channels are most common. Single channel rc airplanes are available, but they are more toys than anything else. For a true taste of radio control flying, a minimum of two channels is what you need.

An average two channel plane will most likely have either motor and rudder control or elevator and rudder control.
A 3 channel plane will have control to motor, elevator and rudder although an optional 3 channel configuration is motor, elevator and ailerons. A rudder is more commonplace on beginner rc airplanes though - ailerons tend to be on faster planes capable of more aerobatics.

Of course, there's nothing stopping you diving right in with a 4 channel trainer such as the E-flite Apprentice, for example. They're more expensive and harder to master, but maybe you already know how serious you are about the hobby.

Above, the Firebird Commander 2 (left), Super Cub LP (middle) and E-flite Apprentice (right)
electric RTF rc airplanes - 2, 3 & 4 channels respectively and all meant for beginners

For the purpose of this flight school though, we'll stick with a 3 channel airplane with motor, elevator and rudder control.

Kit, ARF or RTF?

The 'completeness' of your first rc airplane is purely down to your own personal preference.

Buying your rc airplane - kit A kit involves building the plane from a box of pieces and a plan. Very satisfying, but you need a fair knowledge of model building skills to do it well and you'll need to buy the motor, ESC, battery pack and radio gear separately.

If you buy an ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) rc airplane, it will be about 90% finished. You just need to buy the motor, ESC, battery pack and radio gear separately and install it all yourself; again, some modeling knowledge is required but there won't be much building to worry about.

Buying your rc airplane - RTF Buying an RTF (Ready To Fly) plane is your best option if you just want to get flying! RTF rc airplanes come fully finished with radio gear installed and set up. There's nothing for you to do apart from attach the wing, charge the battery pack, install the transmitter batteries and fly.

Spare parts availability

It's a fact of the radio control flying hobby that crashing is all part of the action. When you're learning how to fly rc airplanes, the chances are that you will crash sooner or later - probably sooner.

Having an off-the-shelf supply of spare parts is very convenient, and when you're looking around at buying your first rc plane, do take the time to check whether spare parts are available. Certainly brands such as HobbyZone and ParkZone, for example, carry all the parts you could wish for.

If you buy an rc airplane that doesn't have a good back-up of parts behind it, you're in for some potentially dodgy repairs that could seriously impede the safety and performance of your plane, post-crash.

Where to buy your RC airplane

If you've got a local hobby store, the best thing you can do is pop along and have a chat. This website will give you all the info you need to understand what you should be buying, but talking face to face with an rc enthusiast is better. But beware! There are some unscrupulous shop owners out there who are interested in nothing more than getting hold of your hard-earned cash!
If you do buy from a shop, be happy that they're selling you something appropriate, and not just the most expensive model in their shop that you'll smash on its maiden flight, and so you'll be back to buy another...

Buying online is your other option, and that's perfectly acceptable. Stay close to the advice and info in this page and the website in general, and you won't go far wrong. But again, beware - we all know that the internet is a minefield. Stick to reputable stores such as, for example, Red Rocket Hobbies, eHobbies, Tower Hobbies, Hobby Lobby.
And of course there's good ol' eBay, but don't be tempted to buy something cheap and nasty from China or Hong Kong from a brand you've never heard of. If in doubt, do some research into the airplane you're thinking of buying - ask around, check forums, check out videos of it on YouTube - in short, just be aware of exactly what you're buying, and from who!

Next up: Lesson 2 - Get to know your rc airplane.