Getting started in RC Airplanes
So maybe since you were a kid you always wanted to get started in the hobby of model airplane building and flying. And I mean the real one! The big wooden ones that you have to take out to a field and fly. And is the time that you have decided to really have a go at it. Maybe you are older now and you have the time and the financial resources to do it. But what do you do? How do you get started?
I recently went through this exact process. RC airplanes are something I wanted to try out since I was a kid and now I have done it. And I learned some things along the way that might be of help to you.
Maybe you have started looking into things. You are looking through the catalogs and checking out the websites and trying to figure out what your first plane will be. It's an exciting thing but it isn't where you should start! Well, all of that is a lot of fun but there is a lot to the whole hobby and you need to get some outside help with it all.
So, there are a couple of things you should do before you buy your first plane.
Step One:
Find a local RC airplane club and join! This is the most important thing to do, and do it first. You will get a lot of help and advice on how to get into the hobby. What planes to buy, where to get them. What controllers to get - and most importantly you will have somebody to help you fly! It is a guarantee that you can't just take a plane out to a field and fly it. You will crash it. What you need is for somebody to fly it for you and give you some control while you are learning. You can search by zipcode for a local club on the website of the Academy of Model aeronautics right here: Search for a local club
Step Two:
Join the AMA - This is the Academy of Model Aeronautics. You will have to pay a fee and you will get a membership card. But chances are very good that you will need this membership in order to fly your plane at your local club. You should talk to members at your local club for specifics. But typically a membership in the AMA is needed. Here is their website with membership application and more (By joining the AMA you also get a subscription to their magazine which is pretty cool). And they have different memberships including a 3 month trial.
Step Three:
Once you have started going to club meetings and out to the airfield you have gathered some great information. You have seen other people fly and are getting a sense of what you want to do. Great. It's time to start buying! And do this based on your comfort level, finances and what you want to achieve.
You might start out with a simple foam flyer. That's a great way to get out on the field and do a little worry free flying. Or you might get an inexpensive Ready to fly plane and get out on the field with it connected to a buddy box. A buddy box is a cable that connects your controller with another controller.
What the buddy box does is allow a more seasoned flyer to take the plane up, fly it and land it yet give you control at certain points so you can do a little flying. This buddy box system is what I have done. And my plane is in this picture here. It is a lot of fun.
More: There is also the consideration of how much building you want to do! And this is an important thing for me. I really enjoy this whole aspect of the hobby. I like building and working on planes! But this does change your schedule. If you are going to build your whole plane from scratch it is going to take quite a while and you will not be flying it any time soon! Just something to think about!
Table of Contents for this section
BACK TO THE RC Airplane Home Page
- Beginners Guide to RC Airplanes
- Beginners Guide to Gas Powered Airplanes
- How an engine is installed in a plane
- Testing and calibrating a gas powered plane
- The Megatech Night Flyer
- All the parts of an RC Airplane explained
- Basics of how an RC Airplane works (Roll Pitch and Yaw explained)
- A look at the hand held controller /transmitter
- Video Tutorials
- Links/Resources
- About RC plane engines
- About Flight Simulators
- Tips for building RC Airplanes
- RC Airplane terms, words and defintions
- How to get started in the Hobby of RC airplanes
- RC Timeline of Radio control
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- Hangar9 Stuff on Amazon.com
- Xenon Project
- RC Airplane Kits - you build it
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