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Copyright 2009-2015 Michael Cottier
For thousands of years man has dreamed of flight. Nothing has
amazed people as much as flying machines have in the past
century and there is still more to come. What is even more
amazing though, is the progress in personal flight toys. You can
fly everything from a miniature helicopter, to a one 20th scale
Cessna, which you can build at home yourself.
The more amazing thing about today's RC airplanes is the fact
that anyone can fly them, and some airplanes are very easy to
fly. For example, I bought a $50 Hobby Zone airplane and the
controller had two controls, one that could steer the plane left
or right and then the second was throttle (speed) control. How
can you get any simpler then that!
As easy as it can be, it still can be difficult for beginners to
get started in this hobby. Since I now have the knowledge that
every beginner should know, since I was a beginner once, I
wanted to share it with other people so everyone can enjoy the
RC airplane hobby.
The first thing a beginner needs to know is their power sources.
RC airplanes can be powered either electrically or by an engine
that runs on fuel called nitro methane. This is very important
when deciding on purchasing your first radio controlled
airplane. You need some knowledge of both power sources, as they
both have their pros and con's. First I would like to state that
for all beginners' I recommend an electric RC airplane over a
gas RC airplane. Why? Because an electric airplane is cheaper,
like under $100 cheap, and much easier to operate. In fact, all
you have to do is plug in the battery and flick the ON switch.
They are also much quieter and produce no fumes in the air. Plus
not much maintenance is required besides keeping it in a cool,
dry place.
A gas powered RC airplane has its advantages to of course. If
you are a realist and what an authentic looking and sounding
remote control airplane, then an airplane with a gas engine is
what you want. An RC airplane with a gas engine is bigger and
bulkier then an electric R/C airplane, so it is more to scale
and realistic. It also sounds like a real airplane does, and is
kind of like a real little miniature airplane since the engine
requires fuel, tuning, and other adjustments. These types of
airplanes cost a little more and take longer to assemble. Plus,
they require much more maintenance and you have to continue to
spend more money since you need special fuel, oil and some other
small accessories.
Now that you pretty much know what type of airplane you want to
purchase, let me help you get it running and teach you some tips
and tricks that you will find handy out on the flying field.
If you have never flown a model airplane or a real airplane
before, then you might have some trouble taking off, flying and
landing. The first thing to remember is that you need a good
open field to fly at, unless of course you have a slow flyer or
park flyer, which can be flown in small areas like indoors or
parks. A good local flying field can be located online by
searching through a search engine, like Google, for a local
club. Flying fields always have a club, and they are usually
full of friendly people who are willing to help you learn.
Most of these clubs have flying instructors that will either
help you for free, or charge you a little money. Either way you
will have a guide that can teach you a lot. You also can be sure
that if something goes wrong with your airplane, people will be
there that have the knowledge to fix it.
Another way you can learn to fly is of course teaching yourself,
but that can be costly if you crash a lot. If you are going to
teach yourself, I suggest you start off with a cheap $50
electric RC airplane that has only left and right steering
control and throttle control. These types of airplanes can take
off from a flat surface or can be easily hand launched into the
air by applying full throttle.
After you get started, there will be no stopping you and the
rest will come naturally. There still is some other much needed
accessories that I suggest no beginner go with out. Like a good
RC airplane book, a field box, a car charger for an electric
plane, and extra batteries for your transmitter. With all these
tips in mind, start your flying experience right and keep the
wind at your back.
About the author:
Michael Cottier has been flying RC airplanes most of his life
and can help you get started in the hobby with his website, no
matter what age the pilot is. Just go to:
http://www.rc-model-airplanes.com/
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