RC Airplanes: Choosing, Building and Learning to Fly

How an RC plane flies

An RC plane flies exactly like a full-size one. The wing makes lift as air flows over it, the motor and propeller provide thrust, and moving surfaces on the wing and tail steer it. The radio controls those surfaces with small servos.

Simple trainers use only three channels (throttle, elevator, rudder) and turn with the rudder thanks to a wing angled upwards (dihedral). Four-channel planes add ailerons and fly more precisely. Our explainer on how an RC plane works goes into the aerodynamics, and the article on how flaps work explains when to use them.

Centre of gravity: the one number that matters

Every plane has a balance point, usually given as a distance behind the leading edge of the wing. A plane that is tail-heavy is twitchy and often impossible to recover once it stalls. Nose-heavy is safer, just less agile. Always balance a new or repaired plane before flying it, by moving the battery or adding weight to the nose.

Types of RC planes

• Trainers: high wing, stable, slow. Designed to fly themselves level when you let go of the sticks.
• Park flyers: small, light foam planes for sports fields and parks on calm days.
• Sport planes: low or mid wing, aerobatic, the next step after a trainer.
• 3D and aerobatic: huge control surfaces and a power-to-weight ratio above 1:1; they can hover on the propeller. Our guide to flying 3D explains the manoeuvres.
• Gliders and sailplanes: long wings, often with a small electric motor to climb; they stay up for long flights on rising air.
• Scale and warbirds: models of real aircraft, from Piper Cubs to WWII fighters and airliners. Beautiful, but usually less forgiving.
• Jets: EDF (electric ducted fan) or real turbine engines; fast, demanding, best after a few seasons of experience.
• FPV planes: carry a camera so you fly through goggles; you need a spotter and must know the local rules.

Choosing your first plane

A good first plane is slow, light, robust and easy to repair. Foam is ideal: EPO or EPP foam bends instead of breaking and can be glued back together in the field. Many modern trainers come with a stabiliser (gyro) system that levels the plane when you let go of the sticks and limits how far it can bank. It does not fly the plane for you, but it gives you time to think.

If you think you will stay in the hobby, a decent computer transmitter is the best long-term buy: it will serve every plane, heli and boat you add later. For concrete suggestions, see our lists of slow-flying RC planes and RC planes under 100 dollars.

Electric, nitro, gas and jets

Electric power covers almost every plane size today. A brushless outrunner motor, an ESC and a LiPo battery are clean, quiet and simple. Choose the motor by the plane’s weight and the propeller it can swing; our motor sizing guide works through the numbers, and the RC basics guide explains motors, ESCs and batteries in general.

Glow (nitro) engines are the traditional choice for sport and scale planes from about 1.2 to 2 metres span. They need fuel, a glow starter and some tuning, and they spray oily exhaust over the plane. Petrol engines power the large-scale models, from about 20 cc up to well over 100 cc. Turbines fly the large jets and are a serious investment with their own safety rules.

More on engines in our articles on model airplane engines and gas engines for RC planes.

Building: foam, balsa and 3D printing

Building your own plane is one of the most satisfying parts of the hobby, and it does not have to be hard.

• Foam board: the cheapest way in. Paper-faced foam board, hot glue and free plans give you a flying plane in an evening. Our article on foam board planes covers the method.
• Depron and EPP: lighter, tougher foams for indoor and park flyers and 3D profile planes.
• Balsa: the classic. Built-up wings with ribs and spars, covered with heat-shrink film. Light and strong, but slower to build and repair. Start with our balsa building guide and the article on covering materials.
• 3D printing: airframes printed in thin-walled lightweight PLA. Detailed and repeatable, but brittle in crashes. See making a 3D-printed RC plane.

Whatever material you use, check three things before the first flight: the centre of gravity, that every control surface moves the right way and has no slop, and that the wing is not warped. A twisted wing makes the plane roll by itself, and no amount of trim fixes it properly.

Learning to fly

1. Start on a simulator. A PC flight simulator with a USB transmitter lets you crash hundreds of times for free. Practise until take-off, a rectangular circuit and landing are routine.
2. Find an instructor. Most clubs offer buddy-box training: the instructor’s transmitter is linked to yours and can take over in an instant. It is the fastest way to learn.
3. Fly in calm air. Early morning and evening are usually calmest. Wind above about 15 km/h is too much for a light trainer.
4. Climb before you turn. Height is safety; it gives you time to correct mistakes. Keep the plane in front of you and avoid flying behind your own position.
5. Learn orientation. When the plane flies towards you, left and right are reversed on the sticks. That is the hardest part for most beginners, and the simulator is where to practise it.
6. Trim it. After the first take-off, trim the plane so it flies straight and level with the sticks centred. Our trimming guide shows how.

Wind is where most planes get damaged. Read flying an RC plane in wind before you go out on a breezy day, and keep the article on getting a plane out of a tree in mind.

Where you may fly and the rules

In many countries, RC planes count as unmanned aircraft under the same laws as drones. Depending on where you live and how much the plane weighs, you may need to register as an operator, pass a short online test, label the plane with your registration number and stay below a height limit. The rules change, so check your aviation authority before you fly: in the US the FAA, in the EU the national authority following EASA rules, and in the UK the CAA.

Club fields often have their own permissions and insurance through a national model aircraft association. Wherever you fly, keep away from airports, people and roads, keep the plane within sight, and never fly over crowds.

FAQ

All 124 articles in this guide

Every article below goes deeper into one question from this guide. Open a group to see its articles.

About the author: Kyle Hilson

About 20 years in RC. Mostly boats in the NAVIGA Mini Eco Expert class, with many self-made parts; also a King Motor Baja 5B, a home-built electric plane, home-built nitro planes he has flown, and an RC helicopter. More about SwellRC

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