subject: How To Fly RC Planes - What Beginner Need To Know [print this page] How To Fly RC Planes - What Beginner Need To Know
I believe most beginners have this experience. They fly their rc plane for the first time and crash it in three seconds after take off and then they might think this plane cannot be flown that they have been cheated by the seller.
Flying rc plane needs continual concentration. Unlike rc helicopter or rc car for example, you can stop or hover and think what would be your next move. In airplane remote control, when you stop or fly too slow, the airplane will fall down. It must keep moving to fly. Beginners usually have lack of reaction that they are too late to make move in controlling the plane that end up in crashing. Well, I don't say that once you are expert you will never crash your rc plane, however beginner will crash more or tend to crash more than expert.
As we all know hobby in rc plane is not cheap (an airplane remote control by electric can cost hundred of dollars), I believe beginners need to pay attention to some aspect when entering this new hobby.
There are some core aspects that beginner should look at when entering rc plane hobby. They are:
* Choosing First RC Plane
For your first r/c plane you want something that is stable and easy to control. This is very essential, and many beginners are too tempted to buy an r/c plane that looks nice or can fly fast, without giving much view to how easy the thing is to control!
The best rc plane that suits beginner is a high wing plane. It means that the wing sits on top of the fuselage that gives lots of stability in the air, which is exactly what you need when learning to fly rc plane.
The other thing you need to look for is dihedral main wing. This is the upward 'V' angle of the wings when viewed from the front. The more dihedral the wings have, the more stable the airplane is going to be (up to a point).
* Understanding How An Airplane Can Fly
This will contain science. But let's not make it too geeky thing and I'll try to make it simple. All you need to know is that an airplane needs minimum speed so it can stay flying or float in air. As airplane is moving forward and because the main wing is designed so that the airflow above the main wing is faster than below the main wing, then as a result the pressure at the bottom of the main wing is higher than above the main wing. Therefore the plane will be lifted up and fly.
This would be the very basic knowledge on how an airplane can fly. That is why it is important to keep your rc plane at above minimum speed to keep it flying.
* Flying Orientation
When your rc plane is flying away from you, you will find it easy to control. But when it comes toward you, this is when the confusion comes especially to beginner and the very common cause of crashes. This happens because you are not sitting inside the cockpit where you are always moving in the same direction as the airplane.
One good practise to overcome flying orientation problem is to always imagine yourself in the cockpit of your rc plane and moving in the direction of your rc plane. The way to do this is for example when your rc plane is coming towards you, turn your body slightly away from the plane and look back at it over your shoulder and point the radio antenna in the direction of your rc plane is moving. By doing this your radio control is actually facing the same direction as your rc plane as if you are in the cockpit.
* Plan Your Flying Pattern
Many beginners do not have plan on their flying pattern. They don't know where to land, they don't know where to fly. They are just too happy to fly it. Many of them end up crashing tree or other object that they did not realize that it is there.
So before flying, check your surround, plan the flying pattern, where to land. Most importantly if you fly your rc plane in public park, beware of people in the park.
Those are most vital aspect that beginners need to pay attention. Once they understand each of them, they can do more such as aerobatic flying.
