Electric RC airplanes

- quiet, clean and affordable flying

Without doubt electric rc airplanes have been responsible for a huge influx of newcomers to the radio control flying hobby in recent years, and it's easy to see why.

Ready To Fly ('RTF') electric planes such as the 3 channel HobbyZone Super Cub LP and the 4 channel E-flite Apprentice 15e, both shown below, have become very popular airplanes for beginners, either from scratch or as a natural progression up from simpler one or two channel rc planes.

HobbyZone and E-flite (along with ParkZone) are big names in electric flight these days, with HobbyZone being a favorite choice with complete beginners. The planes are excellent value and have brought countless people into the radio control flying hobby; the Super Cub is one of the most popular electric trainers to date.

HobbyZone Super Cub LP electric rc airplane

E-flite Apprentice 15e electric rc airplane

The Super Cub LP, above left, and the Apprentice 15e are
two very popular electric rc trainers

As previously mentioned HobbyZone planes are geared towards the complete novice and although simpler two channel planes are available in the range, you really need at least three channels (motor, rudder & elevator) to get a true taste of flying a radio control model airplane.
A four channel plane (motor, rudder, elevator & ailerons [more info]) like the Apprentice has a marginally steeper learning curve but the rewards are greater with smoother flying and more aerobatic capabilities for when you've mastered the basics!

You'll see that both of the electric rc airplanes shown above have similar design characteristics, and this is the fundamental 'trainer' type plane - but more on that further down the page.

Electric RC airplane progression

Some when back in the early 1990s I tried electric flight. My plane was so heavy and underpowered, despite using the recommended components, that it literally just never got off the ground!
Since then, electric radio control flight has come a long way indeed and while planes like the two shown above are now commonplace, electric rc airplanes are continually evolving to the point now that they can match a glow plug powered plane in terms of flight times and performance - an unthinkable idea just a few years ago.

Popular 4 channel RTF glow-powered trainers are now becoming available as electric versions, and two fine examples are the E-flite Alpha 450 and the HobbiCo NexStar Select EP, both shown below. The Alpha isn't available RTF, as its glow-powered cousin is, but can be purchased in ARF or PNP form.

Above, the Alpha 450 and the NexStar EP are both electric trainers but
with similar performance to their glow plug cousins

See the above electric rc airplanes and more, if you're browsing to buy.

The variety of electric powered rc airplanes available to us today is vast and growing all the time; it's very easy to become overwhelmed by the choices you have but selecting the correct plane to begin with is so important and will have a major impact on your initial enjoyment of and success in the hobby; on that note, my eBook The Beginner's Guide To Flying RC Airplanes will get you sorted and answer all the questions you have about getting started.

There's no doubt that as we progress through the technological revolution that has already changed the face of electric rc, electric planes just keep getting better and better. Powerful brushless inrunner and outrunner motors, Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs) and lithium polymer (Li-Po) flight battery packs are now commonplace, giving electric rc airplanes even better flight performance than ever before. On top of that, the latest 2.4GHz spread spectrum radio control technology is being offered with more and more RTF models, meaning interference-free flying and the peace of mind that that brings.
All this is fantastic news for the hobby and ensures a strong place for electric rc airplanes on the flying field now and in the future.

Points to remember when choosing electric RC planes

With so many electric rc airplanes available nowadays, choosing a suitable model does need some consideration. Fortunately, the process of selecting the right plane can be kept simple so long as you keep a few basic guidelines in mind. Many RTF electric rc airplanes are designed for the beginner, but here are a few of those thoughts that you should remember when choosing and buying:

Planes that are of a high wing design always make the best airplanes to learn on because of their stability in the air.
An RTF (Ready To Fly) airplane is far better if you have no modeling experience, it's the best way of getting airborne with the least amount of frustration.
Size matters! A plane with a wingspan of between 30 and 50 inches is the optimum size for learning. Much smaller and you'll have trouble seeing what it's doing, much bigger and it'll be too much of a handful.
Check out availability of spare parts before you buy - you will need them at some time or another.
Choose an airplane that is durable and easily repairable; for example, foam planes are tougher and easier to repair than balsa wood ones.
Electric rc airplanes with brushless motor and li-po battery pack will give you longer flight times and much more power than brushed motor planes.

Learning to fly an electric rc airplane is a fun and exhilarating experience, but you do need to simplify the game as much as possible in your early days. Keeping the above points in mind should help you do that, and once you've got a few hours flying under your hat and built up some confidence, then you can consider moving onto larger and faster planes.

Flying rc airplanes in general is a great (and addictive!) hobby, and making a sensible choice of plane when starting out will make a big difference to your enjoyment and success in the hobby!

See "The Beginner's Guide To Flying RC Airplanes" eBook for more info on flying electric planes.

The electric rc planes on this page can all be seen in more detail here.

Beginner's Guide To Flying RC Airplanes - new eBook by Pete.