RC Airplane Balancing - How to properly balance your R/C model airplane

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RC airplane balancing is tricky, because you are already to go, you have your airplane all put together and you know a great place to fly it. But there is something that you forgot to do, as do most RC pilots.

There is always a pre flight checklist that you should go through before take-off, which can be seen in my learn to fly section, but there is something very important that is not on their, because it is simply not just a step you should do but a necessity. It is called balancing your airplane and will determine the success of all your flights.

A properly balanced RC airplane needs to have its center of gravity in the right location. The R/C airplane that you have should say in the instruction booklet where its unique balance point is.

If not, then for a straight winged plane the balance point should fall between 1/4 and 1/3 of the chord back from the leading edge and with a sweptback wing, the balance point should be farther it the rear. If you are at all unsure, then just be sure to check the instructions or look online for the answer.

If you want to check the balance point yourself, then you should put together the plane first, with every part included and fully fueled if a nitro airplane. Then to check the model's balance point, support the wing with your fingertips near the fuselages sides, and start testing the planes balance.

If it is off balance at first, you should move the receiver and battery until it balances level or nose down just slightly. Remember, RC airplane balancing is a very important step since a plane with too much weight in the back, or front, will not fly properly.