Electric RC airplanes

- the easy way to get flying fast!

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, 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 is a big name in RTF electric airplanes designed for the beginner. The planes are excellent value and have brought countless people into the radio control flying hobby; the original Super Cub (below, right) is their biggest seller to date.

HobbyZone Super Cub LP electric rc airplane

The HobbyZone Super Cub LP, above left, is set to be as
popular as the original HobbyZone Super Cub, right

One feature of certain HobbyZone rc airplanes, including the Super Cub, is the Anti-Crash Technology™ (ACT); an electronic gadget mounted in the airplane reads the model's attitude relative to the horizon, and communicates with the receiver accordingly. If the airplane appears to be out of control, the ACT takes over and gets the plane out of trouble and back on course, returning it to straight and level flight.
The ACT can, of course, be switched off at any time for when your rc flying abilities improve, and you feel like trying some basic rc aerobatic maneuvers!

The HobbyZone Super Cub, and similar design electric rc airplanes, make perfect trainers because of their inherent stability in the air; the real-life Cub was of course the most popular trainer of its time, so what better rc trainer to learn on?!

See the complete range of HobbyZone electric rc airplanes.

Electric 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 Super Cub shown above are now commonplace, electric rc airplanes are continually evolving to the point now that they can match a nitro-powered plane in terms of flight times and performance - an unthinkable idea just a few years ago.

Popular 4 channel RTF nitro-based 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 nitro-powered cousin is, but can be purchased in ARF or PNP form.

Above, the and the are both electric trainers but perform as well as their nitro cousins

More examples of popular electric RC airplanes

The variety of electric powered planes available is vast and growing all the time. It's very easy to become overwhelmed by the choice (my eBook makes choosing easy!), but shown below are a few recommended examples of popular Ready To Fly electric rc airplanes...

The Firebird Freedom, from HobbyZone, is a very different style of airplane with a distinct pod-and-boom design. The Firebird range is a popular one with beginners to the hobby.	This J3 Cub is a very popular scale subject and it's gentle flying characteristics and stability make it perfect for beginners.
This attractive Super Decathlon makes a great 3 channel aerobatic trainer, its brushless motor and Li-Po power giving it excellent performance, yet the high wing design giving it the stability needed by beginner pilots.	This Ambassador, from Megatech, follows on from the successful Freedom Flyer but features a powerful outrunner brushless motor and Li-Po battery pack. A great 4 channel trainer and suitable as an all-round electric rc 'sport' flyer.
This E-flite Apprentice 15e took electric rc trainers into a new age, being the first such RTF trainer to be sold with 2.4GHz rc technology. A very popular choice with new rc pilots looking to get serious from day one.	This scale ME Bf109G is a low-wing faster electric airplane, modeled on the famous WWII German warbird. A great plane for when you've got a few hours under your belt, these ParkZone warbirds are excellent planes. This Messerschmitt isn't available as RTF though.

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

The 9 electric rc planes shown on this page are a good mix of examples to show together; the Super Cub, J3 Cub and Super Decathlon being good three channel trainers capable of some basic aerobatics, the Alpha 450, NexStar EP and Ambassador being great nitro-size four channel trainers, while the basic Firebird Freedom and the advanced ME Bf109G being at opposite ends of the scale in terms of complexity and flight performance.

Of course, the electric rc planes featured on this page are just several out of hundreds that are available these days, but are excellent examples of trusted Ready To Fly airplanes that are bringing more and more people into the radio control flying hobby.

And 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 tha ever before. The latest 2.4GHz spread spectrum radio control technology is also 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.