Luckily the world of rc plane hobby-that is, remote control plane hobbying-gives us a whole world of selection. It’s no wonder that the hobby has grown since the 1930s and 1940s without ever waning. Nope, today the once mild collectors have grown from groups and clubs to competitions and tournaments. The reason is simple: Unlike any other hobby out there, you get all kinds of choices-from blimps to war planes, racers and aerobatic planes, the list goes on and on. Here we’ll give you plenty of information on types but also provide you with some basic aircraft styles.
As was the case just a few years ago, model planes came as kits-a package of parts, scraps, bits and pieces-with instructions. If you’ve got more time on your hands, then this type of plane is ideal for model and RC plane hobbyists. Today, however, pre-built models make great trainer planes because they are easy to assemble, do not take nearly as much time, and can take you to the ultimate goal of RCing-Flying!
The gasoline engine, on the other hand, can use a two-stroke engine and crankshaft for more power. You can mount either a bushing engine or a ball-bearing engine. The ball-bearing engine not only gives you a little more power, but it also extends the life of the engine. If, God forbid, you should crash your RC plane, this engine could be salvaged and mounted into another plane body. Though this engine costs about two to three times as much as the bushing equipped style, you’ll save money in the long run if you’d like to keep a good engine for a long time.
Look into purchasing a flight simulator CD for your computer. These can give you an idea of what it is like-and how much talent it actually takes-to fly an RC plane. A plethora of books and videos on the subject of RC plane hobby exist in nearly every bookstore. Moreover, get on the net and explore websites and video (no lack on YouTube) for RC plane flying and how-to videos.
If engines have got your utterly perplexed, then you can do without them. Yes, you can choose to fly your RC plane without the engine at all. These types of planes are called gliders or sailplanes. Though some come with some method of propulsion to get them airborne, most are flown using the natural lifts and thermals of nature, quite similar to a bird maintaining flight without flapping its wings. The plane, however, cannot maintain flight forever and generally neither fly as high nor as long as combustion engines.
If the idea of flying a RC plane as a hobby has got you burning, there is one more engine that literally burns a hole in your pocket. If you’ve got the money to spare, you can invest in a jet-propelled engine. The engines alone for these can cost thousands of dollars while the plane itself can range from $3000 to over $5000 dollars.
These model planes are often reinforced carbon or fiberglass that provide lightweight with rigidity. Using micro turbines that use thrust and fans to lift up into the air, these RC planes actually use jet fuel to fly. These RC planes are flown by experts who earn a license and fly their RC planes at an AMA (Aeronautical Modelers Association) regulated site. Once you’ve mastered the art of flying two- and four-stroke engines, you can later move on to some serious high-flying machines such as these.
Once you figure out what kind of flying you’ll be doing, you can then decide on what type of plane to buy. With a variety of wing placements, too, you can go fast, do tricks and glide seemingly forever on one tank of gas. Understanding and deciding these basics will get you started without over-spending on equipment you won’t use later.
