Remote Control Airplanes - The Fun of Flying Them

Each one of us still has that part which enjoys being a kid once in a while. Men in general are still boys when it comes to their toys and gadgets. It becomes their passion to collect and sometimes to even spend a few minutes a day looking at or just holding their most prized possessions. Some are into basketball cards, others are fond of collecting action figures and there are some who spend most of their money in electronic toy gadgets such as remote control airplanes.

It is not surprising that many people nowadays have joined the craze of flying their own remote control airplanes just because it becomes a stress reliever after their hard day’s work not to mention bringing them back to the days when they were just simply boys having fun. You can’t simply miss out the fun of flying even if you are not within the aircraft.

This type of sports has come into existence simply because of the advancement in technology that provided a whole new level to games and sports equipments. Although there are many other gadgets today that can be controlled like cars and robots, these are not given much attention especially by adults because of the scope of maneuvering that is too limited and too basic too handle.

Remote Control Airplane Flying Thoughts For Beginners

Is your youngster all excited in anticipation of flying that first remote control airplane? Are you apprehensive at the thought of that disappointed look on his face after that plane crashes to the ground? Or are you committed to helping him become an experienced and skilled RC pilot?

Before you buy that aircraft take a look at the different model choices you have, and be sure that first purchase is designed for training, durability, and easy flying. You'll give a happier flying experience if the plane doesn't suffer too much damage in a crash, and the little one can put it back into the air in a short time.

Once you settle on the best model for those beginning flights you'll have a learning curve experience for successful flying operation. Here are a few considerations for preparing for, and focusing on, controlling your radio control in flight. You might find some of this knowledge handy in choosing the right model for you or your child also.

Before every flight, professional pilots go through a pre-flight checklist. I'm sure you understand that action is to make sure the plane is ready for flight, and prepare for the conditions they'll encounter on the scheduled flight plan.

Use the operator's manual for your chosen model to create your own checklist. Also, some manufacturers provide flight-training manuals for beginners. Check their website for a downloadable issue. Join a local radio control flight club, their members offer plentiful advise for enjoying the RC flying hobby.

Finding the Cheapest Remote Control Airplanes

RC airplane flying is an expensive hobby. But with the advent of new technologies, globalization and outsourcing of materials; model aircraft are now more affordable and can be enjoyed by anyone. Finding the cheapest remote control airplanes is easy with a click of a mouse. But are these types up to the standard of excellence that speaks of durability, stylish designs and maneuverability on aerobatic moves?

Before finding the cheapest remote control airplanes, let's consider several factors in radio controlled aircraft flying. Make sure that the model you choose can withstand wind breeze of up to 5mph. This is the limitation of model aircraft especially the low speed types. Low speed types such as Ember 2 and Slow - V are RTF or ready to fly models that are specially made for novices but are favorites of intermediate flyers because of their compact design and light weight feature. These are easily flown on contained or small spaces such as the living room and outdoors too, weather permitting. These are great for practicing speed upon take off or on air and landing. Maneuvering a transmitter can be difficult and finding your orientation on directions and feel for the controls will take time and patience. Look for a cheap but reliable model in terms of durability and easy repair and spare parts availability. You may find the most affordable kit but if it doesn't meet the expectations then it's not worth it. This may discourage you in pursuing the hobby further. Compare the prices and characteristics of these models first before deciding on the cheaper brand. Most brands' websites show their products specifications, comparing and getting the opinion of an expert flyer is a big plus in finding type of aircraft.

Remote Controlled Planes Flying - The Basics

The adrenaline rush that comes with every flight of remote controlled planes is definitely something enthusiasts look forward to every time a chance to do so comes their way. However, a lot of beginners tend to make the mistake of rushing out into the field with their newly-bought models and start conquering open space without any real deal knowledge about how RC planes are supposed to be flown. The results include a large amount of the one's investment on this hobby going to waste.

It is a must for first-timers in this hobby to take some time and learn about it before actually doing it. To start out with the most basic, one has to know the different parts of the plane, what each one can do and what their limitations are. The basic plane model comes with a number of parts that play a part in its flight. A plane's body is referred to as the fuselage, and it is where the engine, tail and wings of the plane are attached to. The wing is the plane's horizontal airfoil where the lift is. It is also where the flaps and ailerons are attached to. The ailerons are surfaces located on the outside of the wing.

Huge F4U Corsair RC Plane over the Swiss Alps

A cool clip with a really nice warbird.

How To Make Remote Control Model Planes Using Foam Boards

Making RC model airplanes using light-weight foam boards can be a rewarding hobby. The foam-centered boards can be easily cut into complex shapes that can then be glued into the desired model. Paper-faced foam core boards can be substituted for the uncoated Depron type of board. The paper coating can easily be stripped from the foam but it is often better to leave the coating as it makes a great surface to paint onto.

The steps to making a foam model plane are as follows.

Firstly, obtain a design from a reputable designer. You can find a number of different designs available on the Internet or design your own airplane on a sheet of paper so that you can later transfer the design to the flat foam sheets. It helps when starting out to use a design that has been made and tested by other modelers as they will have figured out the balance and the cutting steps.


Secondly, transfer the design to the foam board sheet that you want to cut. The most popular thickness of sheet is quarter inch or 6mm. If you have down-loaded the design you can easily scale the pattern by printing out the design on your computer's printer. If you need to print the design on one large sheet you can always use the services of a print shop or office stationery supplier who provides a copy service.

The printed design can be fixed in place temporarily using spray adhesive applied to the back of the plans or by taping the sections down in the waste areas.

The third step is to carefully cut out the pieces of foam board using a sharp scalpel, craft knife or specialist foam board cutting tool. Each of the tools has different advantages and disadvantages.

The snap-off craft knife has great strength and is good for straight cutting but due to its blade width is not suited to cutting smaller curved shapes.

The scalpel is ideal for cutting smaller pieces and curves but it often requires frequent blade changes to keep it cutting cleanly. It can also be quite tiring to use due to the design of the handle and the pressure required to keep the blade on the line you want to cut.

Specialist tools, like Foamwerks range of cutters, have several advantages that include ergonomic handles which make them comfortable to use, correct blade angles that give clean cuts and they have different blades available for cutting intricate curves. Foamwerks tools also have adjustable depth settings making them useful for scoring operations as well a full cutting. They can also be coupled with a rail that has a guide track for straight cutting.

Once you have cut out all your pieces you can assemble them into your model airplane.

Gluing the sections together in sequence is made easier by using a hot glue gun. The glue is easily applied and quick to set making the assembly process faster than if you use a wet or contact type adhesive.

You can use rubber bands and various tapes to hold the sections in place.

Ailerons and flaps can be jointed using different tapes. Duct tape is strong and flexible for these applications.

Many designs require the addition of a carbon rod or tube to add strength across the wings. These rods can be taped and glued into place.

Most designs have areas within the fuselage to facilitate the installation of the control unit, battery pack and motor. Access to these areas is usually through sections that have been scored and hinged allowing you to fold back the opening to insert the components.

You can get the components as separate items from a modeling supplier or a simple way to obtain all the required items is to buy a complete kit. Sometimes purchasing a complete kit for making an RC plastic model airplane can be more economical than buying components individually. When you get a pre-assembled kit you can see how some of the controls are connected and this can save you time when trying to figure out how to do it yourself. It is a simple process to gut the model plane kit and transfer the necessary pieces to your foam plane.

When you get more serious you can purchase a better controller with more options and you can get higher end motors and battery packs but when you are starting out the pre-assembled kits can help make things easier.

A good tip is to test fly your model plane before applying any decorations to it as often your early efforts can result is crashes and failures which can totally or partially destroy your model. Once you have the design working and flying successfully you can decorate the foam board plane with acrylic paint and decals to suit.

Foam board makes an excellent economical modeling material that you can easily shape into different models.

Flying Radio Controlled Airplanes Basics

Flying RC airplanes is exciting. Lots of people imagine flying RC planes but resist the urge as they feel that it is an expensive hobby. With leaps in RC model plane technology this is no longer the case as they are becoming much lighter faster and more agile and they have come down in costs quite a bit from their predecessors. If you talk with any enthusiast they will talk about the thrill of racing their plane at high speeds around a field on a summer day pulling off all kinds of stunts and tricks that they have practiced.

You will want to pick a plane that is at your skill level as the basic airplanes have controls that are very forgiving these days and will be able to correct themselves by levelling out if you release the controls or if the motor stalls this way you won't easily be able to wreck your aircraft before you get the hang of the controls. The more advanced planes don't have this auto correction feature but will allow for greater control over the airplanes direction in flight and allow for more stunt flying than a beginner plane but is harder to control. Make sure to master the basics before choosing a more advanced plane.


The planes that are produced these days come in two styles. One is RTF which means ready to Fly and BNF which means Bind to Fly. If you are purchasing a RTF plane then it means that it comes with everything you need to be able to fly the plane in one box including the hand remote control and even batteries. If you are purchasing a BNF plane then it means that you should already have the hand controller and all you need to do is sync the plane or bind the plane to your current controller and you will be ready to fly the BNF plane. If you are just starting out then look for a RTF (Ready to Fly) plane as this will give you all the equipment you will need to fly your plane in one box and when you are looking for more advanced planes you can look for BNF (Bind to Fly) planes and you can save yourself some money as you will already have the batteries and hand control unit already to go.

The other great thing about RC planes today is that you are able to fly them in relatively small areas such as your living room or backyard without having to worry about wrecking the plane or your indoor furniture as most RC planes are made out of light weight foam which means you won't have to worry wrecking your plane if you accidentally crash it into the ground.