Remote Control Airplane

Remote control airplane models are some of the most popular rc toys and have been for years. Man has always wanted wings and these rc toys give us each a way to take to the skies. There are gliders, trainers, warbirds, and jets made for pilots of almost any age. Most people start with ready-to-fly or almost-ready-to-fly models and later build from kits. Let's take a look at some of the fun remote control airplane designs you can find!

A remote control airplane that is called a trainer or park flyer is a three or four channel plane that is relatively stable and easy to fly. These are great for novice pilots. A three channel plane allows control of the throttle, rudder, and elevators. A four channel model adds ailerons to the mix. These planes can do some loops and rolls, but are not high-performance aerobatic models like warbirds. Some trainer craft, like the Multiplex EasyStar pictured at right, have the propeller located away from the nose. This out of the way location helps to avoid damage to the propeller and/or motor during crashes.

Other popular trainer models are high wing designs such as Piper Cub or Cessna models, smaller versions of planes that real human pilots train on. The Multiplex Minimag shown at right is another popular trainer in this class. The high wing design promotes stability, a very desirable feature in a trainer! These planes have the propeller at the nose, as you are no doubt used to seeing on full size propeller driven planes. No worries-spare propellers are available in case you have an aerial "incident". Many models also ship with a spare propeller.

Many of these planes can also be fitted with floats to make them worthy to fly on water. In some cases, including the Minimag, the seaplane conversion also requires a motor upgrade.

It seems like everyone who gets into rc flying wants to get a warbird as their next remote control airplane! They're fast and made for quick, aerobatic maneuvers. (This is, of course, why they are not recommended as a first plane for a novice pilot.) The P-51D Mustang and F4U Corsair are two of the most common designs. Models for these WWII planes are available from several different companies. Both are low wing planes optimized for aerobatics, as opposed to the high wings we saw earlier on the trainer aircraft that maximize stability. Some hobbyists prefer older warbird classics such as the Sopwith Camel pictured at right. Notice the detailing in the model, including the machine guns!

If you are in the Ohio area, the 15th annual D.O.G.S. Airshow in Dayton will be the place to be on Labor Day weekend 2010 if you want to see rc warbirds in action. This event, put on by the Dayton Ohio Giant Scalers, is the largest radio control spectator event in the country and features over 200 pilots. It is held at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Open flying hours are scheduled as well as the main airshow events and the Air Force Museum is open extra hours for all to see. Don't miss out!

Jets are a fast and exciting class of remote control airplane. Most rc jets are electric ducted fan, or EDF, models. Basically, air is sucked through the body of the plane through an impeller and this drives the planes. Not surprisingly, many products are based on the designs of military jets such as the F-16 and F-86. Certain models are sold ready-to-fly, but the jets are more commonly sold as ARF, or almost ready to fly, models or as kits requiring lots of assembly.  For an ARF model, you will need to add your own radio. For hobbyists who already have a plane or two, getting an ARF model can save money because they can probably use a radio they already own.  These planes are not recommended for rookie pilots.

You can see a model F-16 EDF jet from Kyosho do some fancy flying in the video below. Watch for the slow motion replays-you'll probably need them!

Most hobbyists are very happy with the electric powered remote control airplane models commonly sold in hobby shops, but some truly hard core hobbyists move up to gas turbine rc jets. These planes are quite powerful and most people won't ever see them except at an rc airshow. In fact, some of these gems can hit airspeeds of 200 mph or so! Gas turbine rc jets are expensive to run and must be handled by very experienced pilots for safety reasons.

Everyone who flies knows you occasionally have to fix things because sooner or later you'll have a crash. Most ready-to-fly remote control airplane toys are made from some type of foam. Commonly used materials are EPS, EPP, EPO, and-for Multiplex planes-Elapor. New pilots, or parents paying their bills, are sometimes concerned about the durability and suitability of foam. Foam is not only lightweight, but is comparatively easy to repair. Thus, it is ideal for planes-especially trainers for first time fliers.

The weight and durability of different foams against stresses, i.e., crash damages and dents, does vary. As with many things, you tend to get what you pay for. Before you fly a new plane for the first time, make sure you have the proper type of glue for repairing it. Different foam formulations require different types of glues for repairs! The manufacturers include instructions about this for all their products.

Elapor is a proprietary formulation used by Multiplex for their planes. This is not the cheapest foam so planes made from Elapor are more expensive than similar planes made from EPS or EPP. However, many hobbyists have come to adore the Elapor foam for its handling and repair properties and are willing to pay a slight premium to get it. The video below illustrates how to repair Elapor after a nasty crash. Even ugly dents can be repaired easily-see for yourself!

When considering costs, bear in mind that planes made from the higher grade foams in many cases also have better electronics and have spare parts such as extra wings available (not just propellers). This contributes to the increased cost of these products, but the value for the dollar can still be very good. Multiplex certainly makes some great rc planes; I've yet to hear from a dissatisfied owner of a Multiplex.