When you get further in your radio controlled aeroplanes hobby, you’ll be looking for more advanced RC radio transmitter, so I’ll tell you why you should consider getting a better radio than you’d actually need right at the beginning. And we’ll go through the basics of RC radio controls and channels in the process.

For Radio Controlled Aeroplanes: Get a RC Radio Transmitter with At Least 4 Channels

The most basic radio control transmitters have 2-3 channels, rudder or aileron, throttle & steering or rudder & aileron in case of radio controlled aeroplanes. It takes 4 channels to gain complete acrobatic capability that will enable you to fly nearly every radio controlled plane.

Because of this, it might be worth it to by a bit more expensive and better radio with at least 4 channels, even for your first plane, because you can “re-use” the same radio for your next RC plane, heck, you can use the same radio for RC cars and boats as well, and possibly even radio controlled helicopters.

Like said, the 2-3 channel RC radio transmitter will do fine at the beginning, but you will probably have to buy a better one at some point, when you’ve built up your skill and want to move to the more advanced models and want to get full acrobatic control of your radio controlled plane.

Radio Control Channels for Radio Controlled Aeroplanes

With less than 4 channels, you can’t control everything. For a basic, beginner-friendly RC model planes this is not a problem, as many trainee planes don’t utilize more than 3 channels, using throttle, elevator and either rudder or aileron, depending on the plane. Leaving either rudder or aileron out, flying your radio controlled plane is, of course, simpler than with all 4.

Here’s what you get with different number of channels in your RC radio transmitter:

• 1 Control Channel
  • Rudder* (e.g. RC model plane flies with full throttle until out of fuel/power)
• 2 Control Channels
  • Throttle, steering (e.g. RC cars, RC boats). or Rudder & Elevator (e.g. Glider RC airplanes)
• 3 Channels
  • Rudder or aileron, elevator, throttle or rudder, aileron and elevator
• 4 Channels
  • Rudder, aileron, elevator, throttle.
• 5 Channels
  • Rudder, aileron, elevator, throttle, flaps or retracts.
• 6 Channels
  • Rudder, aileron, elevator, throttle, flaps or retracts.

When you have more than 6 control channels, you’ll have the option to add cool extra features like parachute drops, bombs, dive brakes or other operating parts to your model.

The most common number of control channels used on a RC model planes is 4. Cars and boats usually use 2-3 channels. As mentioned, the four-channel control gives you the total acrobatic flight capability and is able to fly most radio controlled aeroplanes – thus making getting a radio with minimum of 4 channels a great choice, even when starting out.

But there’s nothing wrong in getting a RC radio transmitter with 6 or more channels right from the start. Good RC radio transmitter will serve you for many years, so think of it as an investment. As the radio is at no risk of breaking because of crashing to ground, the chances of the radio getting broken are minimal, compared to the risk with the actual plane, which is likely to crash more than once during the early stages of your radio controlled aeroplanes hobby.

Note that if you’re looking for a 2.4 transmitter, make sure that the transmitter works with the receiver you got, or purchase a receiver to go with the new transmitter. For example, the Spektrum 2.4 transmitters have worked only with Spektrum and JR receivers, but not necessarily with any other, as the 2.4 seems to be brand-specific — but like said, take a look at the transmitter (and receiver) specs and you’ll see if they work together or not.

RC Radio Transmitter for Radio Controlled Aeroplanes

To summarize, if you’re new to radio controlled aeroplanes, that 2 channel radio for your RC glider plane or the 3 channel basic radio coming with your RTF RC plane will do just fine. But if you’re seriously thinking about going into radio controlled aeroplanes hobby, consider getting yourself a radio with at least 4 channels.

You know how it goes, when the RC bug bites, you’ll be looking for the high-quality gear. And a metallic, chrome-style RC radio transmitter feels so much better than the usual plastic models, adding sense of quality and luxury to the hobby you love.

The Spektrum RC transmitters are widely recommended by the experts, so you might start looking for a quality RC transmitter from those (JR transmitters being other quality option)…

Three Kinds of Power Sources for Radio Controlled Aeroplanes

There are three kinds of power sources for radio controlled aeroplanes. The three kinds of RC engines available are nitro, gas and electric RC planes.

Firstly, the nitro RC engines run on nitro methane mixture, which makes the radio controlled aeroplane using a nitro RC engine fly faster and usually for longer time too. However, nitro RC engines require more maintenance, can break up more easily and the fuel is more costly than the other two options.

Secondly, RC aeroplanes running on gas motors use a mix of gasoline and oil. Gas motored radio controlled aeroplanes are relatively reliable and moderately priced, though still considerably more expensive and higher maintenance than the electric RC planes.

Finally, the electric RC motors. Electric RC planes are the cheapest, yet most reliable RC motor type. Electric RC planes are easy to afford, easy to “fuel” (just charge the batteries) and electric RC motors don’t require the extensive maintenance that the two counterparts do. Thus, electric RC motor is the best, the safest and the smartest choice for a beginning radio controlled aeroplanes hobbyist.

Electric RC Plane, Great Value Radio Controlled Aeroplanes

Electric RC plane is the best bet for a beginner because of the simpler structure and more reliable usage. Electric RC plane is also slow enough for a beginner to learn how to fly radio controlled aeroplanes before moving on to the more advanced models.

When you’re starting out, you should look for an easy flying RC model plane, instead of super-sonic speed RC jet plane. Why? Because faster RC plane is not necessarily more fun, especially for a beginner, because controlling a fast RC plane is a bit trickier and it takes some experience to control them properly.

One of the benefits for choosing an electric RC plane is that there is plenty of ready-to-fly, RTF RC planes available with electric RC motor, which is not the case with nitro- and gas-powered radio controlled aeroplanes. Choosing a RTF RC airplane as a first radio controlled plane, a new RC aviator doesn’t have to learn the secrets of model building, balancing the plane and other, more technical tasks of radio controlled aeroplanes hobby.

Yes, electric RC planes are slower than than the gas- or nitro-powered RC model planes, but that doesn’t mean they’re slow, just that they are more suitable for beginners. Slower speed means more stability and more safety, which again, saves you money..

The Right Kind of Radio Controlled Aeroplanes for Beginners

One thing is still certain, as a beginner, you will crash your radio controlled plane at some point. This means that you should look for a durable model that can take the beating. And in the case of breaking, the spare parts should be reasonably priced and repairing should be simple. The electric RC motor itself doesn’t break easily, which is another benefit of going with electric RC plane..

To summarize, a beginner should look for an electric RC plane that is:

• ready-to-fly, RTF RC airplane
• easy to fly
• durable
• not too costly

This kind of setup enables a beginner to start training and learning to fly radio controlled aeroplanes right away, offering safer start-up, while keeping the costs at moderation. A beginning RC aircraft hobbyist most likely wants to concentrate on the fun and entertainment and learn how to fly RC aeroplanes – and RTF, electric RC plane enables just that..

Flying radio controlled aeroplanes, or RC airplanes as they are called in US-English, is a popular hobby that has been growing very popular worldwide. During the last couple of years, more efficient motors, lighter batteries and improved radio control systems have been designed and brought to the market, at the same time making the start of a new RC hobby less expensive than it was, say three years ago.

So today, you can start a new hobby with RC aircrafts with a fraction of the cost, get a lot more value for your money and get started a lot faster, as very good value ready-to-fly RC kits are available everywhere.

It’s truly a hobby that keeps on giving, as no flight is the same, the weather and the wind are always changing, different flying spots offer different challenge, etc. The initial steps might be rough, but this blog will help you get started and find the right plane, whether you are a seasoned radio controlled aeroplanes hobbyist or a new enthusiast, ready to get started with new, and fun hobby.

When starting out, it’s good to find a local RC hobby club or spend some time in related forums, like RCGroups.com. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you’re new. You might also consider setting yourself up with a RC simulator, which will help you get used to the controls and aerodynamics before flying a plane for real. Ask from the local RC club if they have a simulator there, buy one from the local shop, or order one online.

There are free RC simulators (software, like flying simulator games, but more real, and specifically simulating RC aircrafts) out there, but to get the most out the experience, you need to plug in real RC controller or similar. If you have a gaming pad for your computer, it’ll close, but if you go and get a good RC transmitter, you might be able to use that with the simulator = perfect, as you’ll get used to your own controlled, but don’t risk flying your brand new RC plane to the ground.

But without further ado, whether you’re into non-RC model aircrafts, RC helicopters, or RC planes, welcome to the blog – yes, don’t let the planes fool you in the blog name, they are all great, as long as they fly or look like one :) And in case you love them wheels too, the RC forums covers those too.