When you are first starting out with the whole RC Aircraft thing, it is important that you remember that you are a beginner. That being said there are a few things that you need to keep in mind when you are both purchasing and using any sort of RC plane. So what exactly are those considerations? Let’s look at a few of them.
- Image via Wikipedia
First off you’re probably going to want to make sure that you purchase an RC RTF plane, which stands for Radio Controlled Ready to Fly. These are very much in contrast to an RC ARF plane which stands for Almost Ready to Fly. The ARF planes need to be assembled and painted, and most of the time you will be responsible for both installing as well as choosing the type of motor that you want. Electric or gas, that choice is completely up to you. It is recommended that all beginners go with an electric motor because they are much easier to control than a gas powered one.
On that note, you must always make sure that you choose a plane that is easy to fly. Yes, when you go to the store there are going to be all kinds of RC RTF planes there and you need to choose the one that is easiest to fly rather than one that looks good. One that looks good will more than likely be very complex, and therefore will be hard to get the hang of. Such RC RTF planes are reserved for experts, and as you become more adept at flying your RC RTF plane you will be able to move into that type of aircraft.
So why exactly is it a bad idea to start out complicated? Some people will no doubt say: “Well I’ll just figure it out”. That may be true, and you may just figure it out, but there is a high probability that you’ll end up crashing your RC RTF and you need to be able to repair it. Common sense tells us that the more complicated an RC plane is, the more expensive it’s going to be to repair it. This in mind, make sure that you choose a plane that is going to be easy and inexpensive to repair.
When you decide to go out and give your RC RTF a try, then you should take it to a public park. You’re going to want to make sure that there is no one else flying there, or at least not in the immediate area because the frequencies could begin to conflict and cause some serious issues. One common issue would be the plane flying off into the distance never to be seen again, and if you find that this happens then you are going to have to pay for the damages, especially if it happens to the other modeler.
You also need to make sure that you follow all local regulations. This means making sure that you are allowed to fly your RC RTF in a given area. Not everyone enjoys the lovely sound of an RC RTF, so make sure that you won’t get in trouble for taking flight in any certain area.
Those are a few tips for beginners in the RC arena. There are of course other things that you will need to do, and you will discover them as you go along. So go ahead and give RC planes a try, there’s no doubt that you’ll have fun!
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