Beginner's Guide to the RC Flying Hobby

Learning to fly a radio controlled air plane is one of the most rewarding challenges and hobbies you can undertake. Flying a good performing airplane is a pleasure beyond description, it's a hobby you can enjoy for a lifetime, and it's not as difficult as you might think. This section will introduce you to the ins and outs of our hobby as well as the lingo of model rc airplanes. Flying RC airplanes affords you the chance of experiencing that thrill with your feet planted on the ground steadily.

Where to Start?

The best way of getting started in RC Planes is to visit a local library and bookstore or newstand, browse through the model airplane magazines that are published regularly. Find the one you like, subscribe it if it's necessary, usually those magazines give you a lot of updated information about what's happening in the RC world, and Model Airplane news is one of my favorites. The magazine is jammed packed with articles on best rc airplanes to start with, plus great tips and tricks to help you get started and work smarter.

The next step is to go to your local hobby shop customer service department, ask the educated people for help on selecting your first model that fit you. Find out the locations of local flying club in your area so that you will have a place to socialize with other modelers and to fly your rc plane.

Finally,you should join the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) in the USA.They provide lots of good info to assist you in getting started in rc planes.It will help ensure you get a great start in rc hobby by taking these steps.

It's necessary and you will be required to join the AMA prior to getting started in rc planes at most clubs, insurance coverage is also supplied along with your membership. AMA also publish a monthly magazine which named Model Aviation with lots of great useful info on rc contests and events throughout the US.

In the UK,the British Model Flying Association (BMFA) is the organization that handles this.The body is delegated by the Royal Aero Club to be responsible for all aspects of flying model airplanes in the United Kingdom.

Get Ready for Ground School

It is necessary to learn some of the basic parts of the airplane in order to be able to correctly and successfully fly a model RC plane.These terms are the same as full size airplanes. The Fuselage,the wings and the tail are the main sections of the airplane. And Fuselage Section is the main structure of the aircraft to everything else is attached.

The Wings provide most of the lift needed to fly the airplane. When the wings move through the air,the shape of the wing causes the air that flows over the top of the wing to move a lot more faster than the air flowing below it. As a result, less pressure is created on top of the wing and more pressure is created below the wing. A higher pressure underneath the wing pushes the wing upward creating lift.

Flight Control Surfaces

Models and real airplanes are both depend on control surfaces to maneuver and fly, the basics being the elevators, ailerons and rudder. Some of the more sophisticated ones might have spoilers and flaps and leading edge wing flaps.

Elevators---control nose up or down attitude(pitch axis) of the airplane. This is how it works in a nutshell.When the pilot pitches the nose up, the wing angle is changed as related to the airplanes forward movement.As the angle of the wing (known as angle of attack---AOA) is increased, more of the lower wing surface is revealed to the oncoming air and an increase in engine power will cause the airplane to climb. It will result in a stall situation by increasing AOA too much without a corresponding power increase.

Ailerons---Ailerons are located on the trailing edge of the wings near the wingtips. These surfaces will roll the model to the left or right. If the aileron stick is moved to the left, the model will roll to the left becauseless lift is produced on the left wing. This can be explained as follows. When a left roll input is introduced,the left aileron will move up into the airstream, and the right aileron will move down. So,the airflow rushing over the left wing no longer flows smoothly, creating less lift on that wing causing the model to roll to the left. It works the same way for the right wing.

Rudder---Rudder inputs will control nose right or left attitude of the model airplane. If left or right rudder inputs are introduced, the nose of the plane will move to the left or the right. Rudder inputs are used to counter the effect known as ad verse yaw when turning the model. This is the tendency of the right extended aileron to produce drag on a right turn causing the model to want to turn to the left.

Few more terms:

Aerodynamics---The four aerodynamic forces at play on a model are lift, gravity, thrust and drag.

Lift---The result of airflow over the curved upper and lower wing surfaces. It's the force that keeps the model plane in the air.

Thrust---Thrust pushes or pulls the model plane forward.

Drag---The opposite of thrust.Drag is created by the friction of model against air when it moves forward.

Here are the best models to get started with RC flying.