Electric RC trainer airplanes ('trainers')

When learning to fly radio control, it's very important that the airplane is both forgiving and stable in the air. Electric rc trainer airplanes are exactly that and while a model Stealth Bomber may look like fun, its first flight will probably end in disaster and you'll be put off rc flying forever.

Electric rc trainers can be purchased in kit form or RTF/ARF (as well as PNP and BNF of course), an RTF model being the better choice if you have no desire to build a model airplane and you just want to get flying in the least amount of time.

The primary differences between the variations are:

Kit: the plane needs building from plans, you'll need to purchase some extras and have a fair knowledge of model building techniques.
ARF: the plane will be about 90% finished but will need some final assembly work, notably motor and radio gear installation.
RTF: the plane is pre-finished, motor and rc gear fully installed. You might just need to buy batteries for the transmitter.
PNP/BNF: the plane is as an RTF but the PNP has no Tx, Rx or motor battery pack included, whereas a BNF has a 2.4GHz receiver installed and is only lacking the transmitter.

So you can see that RTF electric rc trainer airplanes are the best choice if you just want to get flying with the least amount of fuss and in the shortest possible time, or you don't already have a transmitter.

The electric rc trainers shown on this page are mostly RTF and all have the same basic characteristics, simply because they have been designed with the novice pilot in mind; they are of a high wing design with plenty of dihedral which add up to lots of stability in the air (you can read why high wing airplanes make the best trainers in more detail further down this page).

The trainers shown are currently popular ones, and not shown in any particular order.

The Super Cub LP follows on from the hugely successful Super Cub from HobbyZone; the Super Cub LP is a li-po powered version. Another major difference is that the LP can be equipped with floats, making it a perfect rc float plane trainer... Read more.
The E-Flite Apprentice is an excellent quality RTF electric trainer, bringing this kind of rc airplane into the next era. Powerful 15 size outrunner brushless motor, Li-Po battery pack and 2.4GHz Spektrum DSM rc system make the Apprentice one of the best electric trainers around... Read more.
The Hobbico NexStar Select EP follows on from the hugely successful NexStar Select 46 gas trainer. Consequently, it represents a typical gas trainer in terms of size and design, and makes an ideal subject for anyone wanting to get serious about flying larger rc airplanes, without the hassle of an IC motor... Read more.
Based on Hanger 9's very successful Alpha Trainer, this electric version Alpha 450 is a great 4 channel trainer that, like the NexStar EP above, is very similar to a nitro powered trainer in terms of size and shape.... Read more.
The HobbyZone Firebird Freedom isn't really your conventional trainer shaped airplane but it is a good model to get started with and get the feel of rc flying. This one has Anti-Crash Technology and options that allow for some fun flying sessions, such as aerial combat and bomb-dropping... Read more.

What to look for in an electric RC trainer

One of the principle characteristics of a trainer is the high position of the wing relative to the fuselage. RC trainer airplanes have a high wing for one simple reason - stability.

In a high wing plane the weight of the fuselage below the wing will always act to stabilize the model in flight - after a turn, for example, it will naturally want to level itself because it is 'bottom heavy'. Airplanes of this design are therefore perfect for the novice radio control pilot.

Low wing designs are of course the opposite; the airplane is 'top heavy' because the fuselage is above the wing and so the plane will not want to right itself naturally. For this reason, planes of a low wing design aren't as stable as high wing planes, although low wing trainers are of course available. Low wing rc planes tend to be either scale or sport ones.

Between the two there are the mid wing designs, where the wing is located approximately halfway between top and bottom of the fuselage. These model airplanes give a good balance of stability and maneuverability, and are perfectly suited to smooth aerobatic performance because of the generally symmetric design.

Other factors to consider...

Wing shape

When choosing between model rc airplanes, wing shape (airfoil) is another factor to consider. This airfoil shape is the shape seen when looking at the wing 'end-on'. There are basically 3 types - flat bottomed, semi-symmetrical and symmetrical.
An airplane with a flat wing section will have the most lift at the slowest airspeed - obviously good for the beginner.
A symmetrical airfoil provides equal amounts of lift regardless of whether the plane is right-side up or upside down - perfect for aerobatics.
An airplane with a semi-symmetrical airfoil holds advantages of both flat and symmetrical, so is ideal for the 'sport' flyer. Rarely will a trainer be of a symmetrical airfoil; the most common will be flat bottomed.
The 3 airfoil shapes are (very approximately) illustrated below:

Dihedral

Dihedral is the upward 'V' angle of the wings from the fuselage, looking at the wings from the front. Greater dihedral increases the airplane's stability, as it will naturally want to center itself to its lowest point.
Model airplanes that are designed for aerobatics will have very little or no dihedral, so maneuvers can be executed without the tendency for the model to keep righting itself.
Ones that are designed to be trainers will always have noticeable dihedral.

Landing gear (undercarriage) layout

While some models have no landing gear, there are two choices otherwise; tricycle or taildragger.
Airplanes with a tricycle landing gear ('trike') have two main wheels beneath the wing and a nose wheel, which may be linked to the rudder to give accurate steering control on the ground. The plane is held level and is easier to steer, making it better suited to beginners.
A taildragger has the same two main wheels but instead of a nose wheel, has a much smaller wheel located beneath the fin. Taildraggers can be harder to steer on the ground, but the lack of nose wheel means slightly less weight and drag in the air.
Of course, the type of landing gear will be determined by your choice of plane - for example, a Cub will always be a taildragger, whereas most non-scale trainers will be trikes.