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Gas RC trainers -
some popular examples

RC trainer airplanes are designed to make learning to fly as easy as possible and all trainers have the same basic features, the most noticeable ones being the high wing with noticeable dihedral, which is the term that refers to the upward 'V' angle of the wings as viewed from the front of the plane.
(You can read about these and other trainer features in more detail further down page).

Gas rc trainer airplanes are generally designed to run on a '40' or '46' size glow plug engine and are typically 3 or 4 channel.
The common channels shared by a 3 or 4 channel model are throttle, elevator and rudder. The optional 4th channel are the ailerons which offer more precise directional control of the model and allow much smoother aerobatics, for when you've mastered the basics.

Adding the 4th channel does mean having to learn more co-ordination but this isn't as bad as it sounds and you'll be surprised how quickly you get used to it!

Shown below are just a few popular gas rc trainer airplanes.
Apart from the Piper Cub, which is an unassembled kit, the others are either RTF (Ready To Fly) or ARF (Almost Ready To Fly).
An ARF model usually requires a few hours for final assembly and you having to buy and install the engine and radio gear yourself, whereas an RTF model comes complete with radio gear and engine fully installed and the model completely finished.

A fully RTF kit can be ready for flight within minutes of opening the box, but you should take a good amount of time to familiarize yourself with the model first - always read the manual well, and preferably more than once, before you attempt to do anything, this is very important!

An RTF rc airplane is the best choice for getting into the air if you have little or no model building experience, or you just want to get flying in the quickest possible time and with the least amount of fuss.



Hobbico NexStar

The NexStar from Hobbico is packed with unique features to help you get flying as quickly, easily and safely as possible. Fully RTF and a great introduction to gas airplanes. Read more...



 

Hanger 9 gas Piper J3 Cub


A Piper Cub like this one makes an excellent scale trainer, and is a popular subject. Modeled from a real-life trainer, the Cub is very stable and forgiving in the air. Read more...



 

Hanger 9 Aplha Trainer

The Alpha Trainer from Hanger 9 is another popular choice, with flyer-friendly features and Evolution Trainer Power System engine. Its 3-bladed propellor is a notable difference to the majority of trainers, and gives good beginner-level flight performances. Read more...



 

Apha Trainer

Same classic design as the 40 size Alpha Trainer above, but noticably larger. Designed for a '60' size engine, the Alpha Trainer 60 is easier to see at a distance, but will be more adversely affected by wind. But if you like the idea of flying larger scale planes, consider this one! Read more...



 


Why high-wing airplanes make the best trainers

Airplanes designed to be trainers 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 model 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 (aerofoil) is another factor to consider. This aerofoil 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 aerofoil 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 aerofoil holds advantages of both flat and symmetrical, so is ideal for the 'sport' flyer. Rarely will a trainer be of a symmetrical aerofoil; the most common will be flat bottomed.
The 3 aerofoil shapes are (very approximately) illustrated below:

Aerofoil sections of a wing


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.

Dihedral angle of a wing


Undercarriage layout
While some models will have no undercarriage, there are two choices otherwise; tricycle or taildragger.
Airplanes with a tricycle undercarriage ('trike') have two main wheels beneath the wing and a nosewheel, 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 nosewheel, has a much smaller wheel located beneath the fin. Taildraggers are generally harder to steer on the ground, but the lack of nosewheel means slightly less weight and drag in the air.

A tricycle and taildragger undercarriage

 

Related pages & resources

Electric trainer airplanes - some examples.

Gas vs electric rc flying - the fundamental points to consider.

Red Rocket Hobby Shop - great store packed with top quality gas trainers & advanced models, North American shipping only.