Friday March 12 , 2010
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Electric RC Airplanes - The Beginner's Choice for Flight

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The power of RC electric flight is amazing, not to mention much easier to own and operate :) With glow engines there is the problem of maintaining them and making sure they are up to snuff.

Over my years as an RC pilot, I have found that beginners and advanced pilots both seem to like electric RC airplanes, so it is a great idea to buy one as your first airplane.

Simple electric RC airplanes are great because they are very easy to fly, and you really only have too master two controls. One control being the speed and the other being the direction you want to move in.

One of the best things about airplanes that are simple, is the fact that they can be ready to fly within 15 minutes of opening the box! Basically, it is a no hassle approach to flying RC airplanes, which is what most beginners like and need.

Electric RC trainer airplanes are also available for people who want to actually train with electric airplanes, because that is all they intend to fly.

View more Electric RC Airplanes

Important Electric RC Airplanes Reminders

There are many types of electric rc planes you can choose from. There is your regular electric rc airplane, then there are park flyers and slow flyers and some rc jets that are powered electrically. Park and Slow flyers are great for some fun flights in your back yard, or any local park. Electric r/c jets are very fast and fun to fly too. Follow those links to learn more about them.

Before a beginner decides to purchase an electric rc plane, you should keep these two things in mind:

1. Wings should be high up on fuselage

2. Should be an electric trainer that is RTF or ARF

Having the wing high up on the fuselage creates more stability, and RTF’s/ARF’s are easy to put together and start flying.

Below is a list of equipment that every beginner should have to make there electric rc plane work properly.

A RTF and ARF kit usually includes everything needed with your purchase. Just go through the list to make sure you have it all.

  • Airplane kit
  • Electric motor and speed controller (maybe propeller too)
  • Battery pack and appropriate charger
  • Radio transmitter (AA or AAA batteries) and receiver

Just a reminder, always look for "not included", and be sure to purchase what is not.

Why Choose Electric RC Planes?

There are many ups and downs to electric rc planes. Let's look at them now.

Electric RC Plane Pro's Electric RC Plane Con's
  • quite
  • cheaper
  • environmentally friendly
  • easy to fly
  • easy to fix and replace parts
  • slow (some exceptions)
  • short flight times
  • not realistic looking or sounding

Basically, if you are looking for just some quick little flights every once in awhile, then electric r/c airplanes are perfect for you. If you want to get into faster more advanced airplanes, then I suggest you check out gas and jet rc airplanes.

Electric Motors

Electric rc airplanes operate on a electric motor and it is powered by a battery pack. Electric motors are nothing fancy, and are cheaper then glow engines. So far my experience with electric motors has been great. I don’t think you will have any problems either, as long as you take care of your electric motor and try not to crash.

Technical Stuff - The transceivers are devices that have both a transmitter and a receiver which are combined and share common circuitry. You only need to build the interface circuitry to have a complete rf remote control system with the Ming transmitter & receiver modules. A relay is an electrical switch that opens and closes under the control of another electrical circuit.

Let's Start Flying!

Any beginner can fly electric RTF and ARF rc airplanes. If you want to learn to fly your plane, I suggest you buy a good rc airplane book and practice flying your electric airplane. Since there slower and cheaper then gas rc airplanes, it’s okay if you make some mistakes. If you still think you might need help flying your rc airplane, then visit my learn to fly page.

First, you need to focus on choosing the right airplane. Before you start spending money, ask yourself these questions:

  • How much do you want to spend?
  • How fast do you want your airplane to go?
  • How far do you want it to go?
  • Do you want a scale model (realistic model) or a non-scale model?

After you have answered those questions above, you can start looking for the right plane.

What else will you need?

I think every rc airplane pilot should have a field box. There great for fixing some problems you might have out in the flying field. If you want to have a longer flying time with electric planes, you might want to think about buying an extra battery.

For even longer flying times, you could buy a car charger for your rc airplane battery. This way one can charge why you use the other. Check out my parts and accessory pages to find these items.

Something every beginner should consider buying is a good book or subscribing to an rc airplane magazine. Below is my recommended book and magazine for electric rc planes.

model-airplane-secrets-small Model airplane secrets contains all the insider tips, techniques and secrets you need to know to go from beginning model airplane enthusiast to expert in no time! You will learn about the history of model airplanes, how to get started in the hobby, what accessories you need, how to avoid crashes, tips on all other aspects and much more.

model-airplane-news-magazine-amazon Model Airplane News Magazine- Model Airplane News Magazine is written for enthusiasts who truly enjoy the sport and hobby of making and flying model airplanes. Every month, readers will receive features on construction and design, how-to techniques, and comprehensive evaluations of new kits and models.

Comments  

 
#2 Michael Cottier 2009-10-01 03:38 Quoting Max Ibach:
I'm a retired F 4 Phantom pilot who would like to take up RC airplane flying. My last experience with model airplanes was U-control using a Torp 29 engine back in the fifties. I know nothing about building or flying RC aircraft. What books would you suggest I buy to get me started? Money is not an object because I retired from service at a high enough rank that money is not a problem. I would prefer paperback as opposed to e-books, if they are available. I want to use electric motor powered models as opposed to either jet or gas powered. Thanks

Hi Max. Sorry for the late reply, I never saw your comment until now. The book I had listed on this page called "Model Airplane Secrets" is really what I recommend to everyone, even though I know it doesn't look like it would be a good beginners guide. I have read it several times though, and I think it would work best for you, but you said you wanted a paperback book which that book is not.

So in your case I would recommend this book called "Basic of RC Airplanes". You can find it here http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/man/man2001.htm

Let me know if you have any more questions, and again sorry for the late reply.
Quote
 
 
#1 Max Ibach 2009-07-23 06:19 I'm a retired F 4 Phantom pilot who would like to take up RC airplane flying. My last experience with model airplanes was U-control using a Torp 29 engine back in the fifties. I know nothing about building or flying RC aircraft. What books would you suggest I buy to get me started? Money is not an object because I retired from service at a high enough rank that money is not a problem. I would prefer paperback as opposed to e-books, if they are available. I want to use electric motor powered models as opposed to either jet or gas powered. Thanks Quote
 

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