Getting Started with R/C Airplanes
Choosing Your First R/C Airplane
Many first-time
plane buyers try to start with an advanced plane. Let's face it, a Mustang
P-51D or an Ultimate biplane looks really cool, but your first plane should
be intended for a first-time pilot. One excellent trainer that Hobby People
offers is the Right Flyer 40T MkII. It is durable, light, easy to repair,
and flies slowly.
Stall Speed
Every plane has a
lower limit of speed where the wing simply stops flying. This is known as
the stall speed. Trainers have very slow stall speeds. The low stall speed
is due to the flat bottom airfoil shape. When a trainer does stall, it
recovers quickly and with little control input from the pilot.
Recover Altitude
Many mistakes a
beginner makes causes the plane to change altitude (height above ground)
before the plane can recover to level flight. A trainer takes very little
altitude to recover because they are stable and tend to right themselves.
This stability makes the trainer easier to fly and smoothes out mistakes.
Performance
Because trainers are
slower than other aircraft the student pilot has more time to think and
react. Trainers are also not very aerobatic; they simply will not do some of
the more complicated maneuvers. This keeps a student's mistakes from turning
into out-of-control disasters.
So, do yourself a
favor and postpone that Tequila Sunrise or P-47 Thunderbolt for your second
plane. You and your instructor will be glad you did. Recommendation: We
recommend the Global Right Flyer 40T MkII or the RCM 40.
Kits You Build &
Cover Yourself
When you purchase a
kit, you'll get a set of plans for the model, an instruction manual, and all
the wood and other materials to build the airframe. Many kit makers today
also include hardware package (hinges, pushrods, wheels, etc.). Glue, and
covering or paint is not included with the kit. Most beginner and sport
aircraft only need simple wood tools to build them because they use balsa
wood and plywood construction.
Estimated time to finish: 20 to 50 hours.
Almost-Ready-To-Cover Airplanes
Almost ready to
cover (ARC) kits have built airframes that are sanded and ready for final
assembly and covering. You can finish an ARC airplane with any type of
materials and colors you want, giving it your own style. Just like a kit
they will not come with glue or covering.
Estimated time to finish: 8 to 24 hours
Almost-Ready-To-Fly Airplanes
Almost ready to fly
(ARF) planes are the most complete form of kit available. The plane will be
built, covered, and will come with complete hardware and a detailed
instruction manual. Unlike ARFs of yesteryear, ARFs today are built from
balsa and plywood, molded plastic and fiberglass, some are even covered with
regular iron-on covering like Ultracote. ARF planes are absolutely the
quickest way to get into the air.
Estimated time to finish: 4-16 hours.
Trainer Airplanes
This style plane
usually has a high mounted wing with a flat bottom which provides more lift
and slower speeds. Most trainers have tricycle landing gear with a single
wheel in front which provides easy ground handling and more stable take-offs
and landings.
Sport Airplanes
Sport is a word
found all around the hobby. Usually, products categorized for "sport use"
are designed for intermediate pilots that have built a model before and have
some flying experience.
Sport planes usually
land slowly and will perform most aerobatic maneuvers. Many sport planes
have low mounted wings (wings are below the fuselage), and they have
semi-symmetrical airfoils (both top and bottom surfaces are curved, but the
bottom is less curved than the top).
Scale Airplanes
Scale planes are
designed to look like "The Real Thing". A "sport scale" plane will have some
slight modifications to the design to maintain its looks but make it easier
to fly and build. True scale planes are directed toward the most experienced
builder. Their goal is to make the most accurate scale replica of the
original full size plane. Usually, this requires hundreds of hours of
building time and master craftsman skills.
Aerobatic Airplanes
Many planes of this
type are modeled after full-size aircraft (like the Ultimate Biplane or
Extra 300). Most are mid-wing or low-wing, have fully symmetrical wings (the
airfoil looks the same top and bottom), and have really big rudders for
"point" maneuvers and knife edge flight. A special kind of aerobatic plane
is known as the "fun-fly". These planes have a short fuselage, thick, short
wings and large control surfaces. Fun fly planes are also very light. This
combination makes them very maneuverable, predictable-just a whole lot of
fun.
NEXT
- GROUND SUPPORT
| 
