RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES

Which airplane should I get?

There's a lot you need to know before you decide which airplane to buy. We'll try to keep the info brief, but we'd like to avoid having you make the first beginner's mistake, which is, spending a lot of money just to find out that you can't use what you bought. So let's start by teaching you a little bit about model airplanes.

A lot of people confuse the terms "Model Airplane" and "Real Airplane". A model airplane IS a real airplane; it's just smaller than (what we refer to as) a "Full-Scale" airplane. They fly by all of the same principles and, in most cases, by the same sets of controls.

Speaking of which, let's take a look at those controls. In a car, you have a steering wheel for turning right and left, but a car is a 2-dimentional vehicle. It goes forward and back, right and left, all in the same plane - a flat surface. The road they are driving on dictates any up and down movement.

In an airplane, you still have right and left, but you also have up and down and, (This is the one a lot of people forget about) rolling left and right.

We have set up a little demonstration to show you the 3 axes of flight and how they are controlled. Click on the image below.

Now that you understand the complexity involved, you should be able to see how easily a crash can occur. All you need is to get disoriented for a few seconds and you plane can be reduced to a pile of splinters before you can react. This is why you need to start out with a plane that is slow and stable - a Basic Trainer, or an Intermediate Trainer.

There was a time not long ago when a Basic Trainer was all we would have recommended for a beginner, but nowadays, so many people have acquired a lot of the hand/eye coordination through video games, that in many cases a beginner can start out with a more advanced airplane - Providing that he use a Buddy Box with a certified instructor! Getting some "stick time" on a Simulator can also increase your skills, but it's no substitute for a good instructor.

Your next consideration when deciding which plane to get is: Kit, ARF or RTF?

	Kit: A kit is a box of die-cut parts, sticks, balsa sheets and hardware that you cut, glue together, sand smooth and cover with the help of a set of plans and an instruction book. Building is one of those things that some people love and others hate. We both enjoy building - it's a way of enjoying the hobby when the weather is bad. Most people in cold climates build in the winter and fly in the summer.
	ARF: In the last few years, ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) airplanes have come to dominate the hobby. ARFs come out of the box 90% assembled and already covered. All that is needed is some final assembly of the major parts and hardware and the installation of your radio and engine.
	RTF: The RTF (Ready To Fly) planes take ARFs a step further to include most of the hardware installation, and have the radio and engine pre-installed. There is usually still some final assembly required, but very little if any.

So as you can see, they each have their pros and cons, but then some of these differences can go either way. In other words, one man's "Pro" can be another man's "Con". For example, with a Kit, you need to purchase a tank separately, but then, you have the option of buying a tank of better quality that that which usually accompanies an ARF, The same goes for wheels. Also, the fact that a Kit takes a long time to build is a blessing to many of us because we enjoy building.

The way we look at it this: Flying is a sport, and building is a hobby. Kits are great for those of us who enjoy spending hours in the basement gluing and sanding. But many people do not have the time, patience or desire to build, so for them an ARF would be a better choice.

One more thing you need to consider before making your choice is:

Trike, or Tail Dragger?

If you're not familiar with the terms, a "Trike" is an airplane with a tricycle landing gear, where there are two main wheels and a nose wheel. A "Tail Dragger" has two main wheels and a tail wheel.

We suggest starting out with a trike configuration, but there are several excellent airplanes that use a tail wheel, and in some cases you have a choice of building the plane either way. But trikes are all alike, where some tail draggers can be a lot more difficult that others (And all of them are more difficult that a trike). For an easy explanation of why, see the picture below. Which cart would YOU rather be rolling down a hill on?

When you apply power for take off, you usually need to apply some right rudder (Which also controls ground steering) to overcome the torque of the engine.

With a nose gear, as you add power, the plane exerts more pressure on the nose wheel thereby giving it a good grip on the ground. So the steering is controlled by solid, wheel-to-ground contact. Turn the wheel, and the plane turns with it.

But with a tail wheel, it's a whole new enchilada! As you add power, you need to hold full UP elevator to keep the plane from nosing over. As speed increases, you need to relax the elevator input or the plane will lift off before it has sufficient airspeed (Which can lead to several heart-pounding scenarios that all end with picking balsa splinters out of the dirt). Also, once the tail wheel leaves the ground, you no longer have positive, wheel-to-ground steering, so aside from having to keep the tail at the correct up-and-down attitude, you also need to steer it right and left. It's a very tricky balancing act that is known as "Flying the tail".

Now granted, some day you may very well want to graduate to a tail dragger, mainly because so many really cool planes ARE tail draggers (Piper Cubs, Mustangs, Corsairs, etc.) But there's no need to complicate matters right now. We're not telling you to avoid tail draggers, we just want you to know the facts to help you make the right decision for what suit your needs best.

Finally, you are ready to make your choice!

Here is a list of excellent first-time planes that we have compiled. They are arranged in two categories, Basic and Intermediate.

Basic Trainers:

	The Sig LT40 is one of the most popular trainers around, and for good reason. It's easy to build either in Kit or ARF version and it is an outstanding flier. It is probably one of the best Basic Trainers available. Will fly well with a 40 - 46 engine. Available as:Kit ($99) or ARF ($132)
	The Goldberg Eagle is another outstanding trainer. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the open-frame cockpit as it makes for a weak spot right below the wing. It's plenty strong enough for whatever type of flying you can put it through, but if you have an accident, it's the first area that will break. On the other hand, the see-through windows give it an edge in good looks. Available as:Kit ($69.99) or ARF ($109.99)
	The Midwest Aero-Star is an excellent flier and builds well. Many beginners swear by their Aero-Stars. Available as:Kit ($139.99)
	If you prefer a larger plane, the 60-size Goldberg Protege' is one of the best. It's so smooth and stable it almost flies itself. Available as:ARF ($164.99)
	The Hangar-9 Alpha is a great basic trainer that is gentle and maneuverable. It is also available as an RTF package with an Evolution engine and JR Radio. Another excellet flier from H-9! Available as:ARF ($129.99) or RTF ($289.99) Also available in 60-size ARF ($159.99) or RTF ($389.99)
	A great all-in-one package is the Hobbico Avistar. It comes complete with engine and radio and will get you from box to air in very little time. My only reservation is that the engine doesn't have a lot of power, so when you outgrow this trainer, you'll be looking to get a more powerful engine for your next plane. Available as:RTF ($279.99)

Intermediate Trainers:

	The Goldberg Falcon 56 MKII is a classic! The design has been around since the 60's and with good reason. The kit has since been updated to incorporate some of the newer building techniques, so it has kept up with the times and is still an outstanding flier. Available as:Kit ($74.99) or ARF ($99.99)
	The Goldberg Tiger II is Mike's personal favorite. Its thick, fully symmetrical wing and long tail moment make for an extremely stable airplane that goes where you point it. Available as:Kit ($49.99) or ARF ($159.99) Also available in 60-size Kit ($109.99) or ARF ($199.99)
	The Great Planes Easy Sport is a great shoulder-wing model that builds and flies extremely well. Great Planes is an excellent company whose kits are well-designed and there manuals are excellent. Available as:Kit ($84.99) or ARF ($119.99)
	The Great Planes Rapture is one of the best choices for the kit builder. It's rock-solid and flies like it's on rails. The only downside to this plane is that it can only be built as a taildragger (No nose wheel option) and tailwheel airplanes can be more difficult to take off with. Also it is only available as a Kit (So far). Available as:Kit ($79.99)
	The Sig 4-Star 40 is another all-time favorite. Easy to build or assemble and an excellent flier. Our only reservation with the 4-star is that it can only be built as a taildragger (No nose wheel option) and tailwheel airplanes can be more difficult to take off with. Available as:Kit ($79.99) or ARF ($159.99) Also available in 60-size Kit ($99.99) or ARF ($214.99)
	The Hangar-9 Pulse XT is a relative newcomer to the scene, but has been getting rave reviews from everyone that has flown one. Again, it's a taildragger only, and only comes as an ARF. Available as:ARF ($164.99)
	The Hangar-9 Arrow is a great shoulder-wing design that sports a semi-symmetrical airfoil to combine stability with maneuverability. Another excellet flier from H-9! Available as:ARF ($129.99) or RTF ($159.99)
	The Hangar-9 Mustang PTS is another excellent choice and a great bargan. It is not as stable as most trainers, and it may take you a little more "Buddy Box" time than some other intermediate planes, but it looks great, and it features clear plastic wing extensions which act as "Training wheels" while you're learning. Once you have master it, you can remove the training wheels and have a more advanced airplane without having to purchase one. Available as:ARF ($119.99) or RTF ($399.99)

There you have it. This is not a complete list, there are many other excellent airplanes out there. This is just a list of planes that we have personal experience with which we can highly recommend.

And as always, if you have any questions that we have not answered here, please stop by the RCUniverse Beginner's forum and we (RC Ken and MinnFlyer) will be happy to help.

Now, let's move on to the next section: Engines

Home   Airplanes   Engines   Radios   Simulators   Videos   Links   About Us

Copyright GettingAirborne.com; 2008 All rights reserved. The materials contained within this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of GettingAirborne.com, Inc. The information contained herein is believed to be accurate and timely, but no warranty as such is expressed or implied.