Oct 28, 2008

RC Electric Planes

The Latest RC Electric Planes Information
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RC electric planes

are silent and clean which not only make them a joy to fly but they tend to find greater acceptance from neighbours. And with recent advances in electronics and battery technology, there is now a huge selection of designs to choose from. Merchants like HobbyTron carry enough different electric RC planes to suit anyone's needs.
If you've never flown RC before, and you want to start with an electric plane rather than a pure glider, I recommend RC electric planes gliders for several reasons.

They're simple to build and simple to operate because most use only two controls...rudder and elevator.

They fly naturally and easily because of their large wingspan with plenty of dihedral (the upward angle of the wings from the fuselage).

They cost much less!
When reviewing RC electric planes, you'll have the choice of high wing design and low wing design. In a high wing design, the weight of the electric RC airplane model is suspended below the wing. When the model tilts, it's weight tries to return it to a level position. As a result, high-wing models tend to be more stable, easier to fly and natural choices for trainers.

Gliders are an example of high-wing design electric radio control airplanes. A low-wing model is just the opposite. With its weight above the wing, it tends to be less stable. Many scale RC electric planes are modelled after WWII fighters and they're an excellent choice for advanced fliers who want to perform rolls, loops and other aerobatic maneuvers.

So if you're just starting out, stay away from those sleek, fast, scale jobs ! They look nice and fly hard, and those are the last things you want in your first RC electric planes. Stick to the trainers - they might not look as glamourous, but they will make you a much better pilot. On top of that, trainers usually cost less to buy and to replace in the event of a crash.

On the other hand, if you're a seasoned pilot, then you'll feel like a kid in a candy shop as you browse through the wide array of electric rc airplane models in the online stores!
Kits vs. Prebuilts

Until recently, most RC electric planes came in kits consisting of a box full of parts, a set of plans, an instruction manual and some hardware. These kits remain very popular with modelers who enjoy the challenge of putting them together as much as actually flying them.

Depending on the kit, however, assembly can take weeks or even months to complete, and also requires many specialized tools. Hobbyists are now turning to "prebuilt" RC electric planes models as another way to enjoy R/C flight for several reasons including a shortage of leisure time.

ARF: "Almost Ready-to-Fly" - most can be completed and flight-ready with as little as 16-20 hours of assembly. Major structures such as the wing halves, fuselage, and tail fins all come entirely built and covered.

RTF: "Ready-to-Fly" - these are the ticket if you want a model that's ready to fly in as little as 20 minutes after you open the box. You'll still have to complete a few final assembly steps, but far less than even ARFs require.
This craze of RC electric planes started with the Mabuchi 380 motor just a few years ago. Today, electric power has developed to a stage where the power output of motors like Hacker Brushless, can rival and exceed glow engines. And as battery technology improves, so does the endurance of these electric rc planes.

For instance, with the latest Li-Ion (Lithium-Ion) batteries, some RC electric planes models have over 30 minutes of full power aerobatics on one charge...Wow!
Learning to Fly

The single most important aspect of learning to fly electric rc planes is getting an instructor. R/C pilots are friendly, and most will gladly teach you for free. An instructor does not have to be certified to any particular standard but must be a competent experienced RC pilot who is capable of giving instructions on an electric radio control airplane...with patience.
Many people think that flying RC models is easy enough that it can be learned without an instructor and many have succeeded but at great expense. With an instructor, you'll learn to fly rc electric planes faster and with more confidence than if you start out solo.

To find an instructor, check with hobbyist friends, hobby shops and check the phone book for flying clubs.

If you live in the United States, the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) in Muncie, Indiana can be very helpful too. Visit their website at Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and ask for the locations of clubs near you.

For those readers in Canada, goto the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada (MAAC) for information.
I hope this information proved helpful in your research and decision making. A lot of the fun in any hobby like, RC electric planes, is looking at what's available and then anticipating the arrival of your product.

I'm confident that the carefully chosen merchants that I link to will provide you with outstanding customer service and pricing...enjoy!

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