Picking the Right RC Airplane for Beginners

When people think of getting started into hobby of RC airplanes the first thing on their minds is getting that WWII fighter plane that they have always admired and from a RC trainer stand point of view, this could only mean disaster when starting out.

You see all the same principals apply for RC hobby planes as they do for the real planes. A WWII fighter plane was designed for high speed combat fighting and aerobatics and not designed to be a trainer for learning how to fly. A trainer plane, whether RC or full scale will have a high mounted wing for stability and fly slow as to let the pilot get used to the controls. When purchasing a trainer for the hobby of RC you want to look for a plane with a high mounted wing and a generous amount of “dihedral”. Dihedral is when the wing tips are higher than the center of the wing, this will add greater stability in flight, it sort of acts like a pendulum.

You have to understand that the hobby of flying RC is somewhat different that learning to fly full size planes. A full size plane you get to feel what the plane is doing by sitting in the plane, when learning RC it is all about eye to hand coordination’s because you are standing on the ground watching the plane fly. Also, when the model is flying away from you left is left and right is right on the sticks, but when the model is coming at you the controls are reversed and left is right and right is left on the sticks. Watch video here.

RC electrics have been a big boom in the hobby the last ten years and offer a big bang for the buck in both trainers and high performance ducted fan models. The electric models will offer the beginner in the hobby a chance to get their feet wet without spending a lot of money on club dues and AMA insurance because they are so small and light weight that you can fly them out of your back yard and not damage anything.

However the biggest drawback is that they have to be flown on a very calm day or inside. If you are ready to go the next step up in the hobby, than I suggest you purchase a good size gas (nitro) trainer and join a club. This will require you to purchase an AMA membership (Academy of Model Aeronautics), it is necessary to join the club. You won`t be sorry you did though, because the camaraderie and new pilot instruction that you will receive from being in a club is well worth the money.

Another great invention in this hobby is the RC simulator. The simulator is suggested as being the best way to learn RC planes and helicopters without spending a lot of money on crashed models and being totally discouraged about a great hobby before you even get started.

Look over our site for much more advice and recommendations for entering the world of Remote Control.

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