Beginner: how to choose your first RC plane?

It's not always easy to choose the right model for your first flight...

This article is here to help you. And if you still have doubts, the team can also advise you by writing to [email protected] .

The different types of R/C aircraft

Before deciding on a model, let's take a moment to introduce you to the main families of R/C aircraft.

The different models: as you can see by browsing our site in the aircraft section, there are several disciplines and aircraft corresponding to these disciplines.

- Aerobatic aircraft:

They are of course intended for aerobatics. Their objective is to do the craziest figures in 3 dimensions - acrobatics (by the way the discipline is called aerobatics in English). They are generally small, light and agile. These planes require advanced piloting skills, so they are not suitable for a beginner.

- Jets:

These are aircraft equipped with one or more jet engines powered by kerosene. They are powerful, noisy and fast but rather heavy. Flying a jet requires a bit of experience so again, not recommended when you are a beginner.

- Warbirds:

Warbirds are RC planes, reproductions of real models used during the first 2 world wars. They are available in several sizes, and equipments. They are often equipped with retractable landing gear, which makes them fragile. That's why we don't really recommend them for beginners!

- Models :

RC models are reproductions of existing aircraft models. The attention to detail is often quite amazing (but this is also the case for other disciplines in model making). They are quite fragile, and therefore not the optimal type of aircraft to start RC aero.

- Indoor planes:

These models are designed to fly indoors in a closed space (which is very convenient when the weather does not allow to fly outside, especially in winter). These models are small, very light, and very fast. They are powered by an electric motor. They are quite cheap models, easy to repair in most cases (with only a tube of super glue!). Models for beginners exist which also allow to fly outside when there is no wind.

... but there are also seaplanes (which take off and land on the water), or tugs (which allow gliders or motorgliders to take off), etc... The gliders known to represent calm and performance also have their place in our hobby. They will be the subject of a later article!

- Beginner RC planes :

Here we go, now let's talk about RC planes to start RC aeromodeling. These planes are generally designed with their wing above the fuselage (high wings) for more stability in flight. They are fairly shock resistant to allow for mistakes and avoid breaking too much at first. They are healthy and easy to fly, ideal for learning.

Types of materials

There are several types of materials depending on the needs and the budget:

EPP/EPO/ELAPOR :

These materials are derived from foam. They are mainly used for entry-level machines because their lightness and solidity characteristics give them very good performance in Aero RC. They are also very appreciated for their ease of repair. They are ideal for beginners.

Wood:

Wood is used in most of the models, its characteristics are ideal for models. This material is also used for aerobatics aircraft, as wood is both light and robust in flight but it also has some shortcomings such as the life of the model which is less compared to a fiber model.

Composites :

Composites (carbon, fiberglass, kevlar, etc...) are mainly used for gliders and high-end models. Indeed, they bring lightness, robustness in flight, fineness of detail but often have expensive prices.

The FLASH RC selection for beginners

Find our complete range of RC beginner aircraft in our dedicated store section here. For more information you can contact us ([email protected]) or contact a model aircraft club near you(here is the list of clubs in France). In a model aircraft club you will always find someone to advise you. We also advise you to start and progress on a RC flight simulator, especially for the take-off and landing phases, in order to familiarize yourself with the piloting techniques. This will save you time and money!

Below we present you the most popular and famous models to start RC aeromodeling.

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E-Flite Apprentice STS BNF Basic with Safe : with the 'SAFE' technology, you will be able to catch some small piloting mistakes and this will allow you to learn more serenely without breaking your equipment.

To fly this plane, you need a Spektrum DSMX transmitter (DXE, DX6 and more, for example the DX6e V2), a 3S 3200mAh battery (to be found here using the filters) and its charger.

Here is also an alternative to start on the motorglider side: the beta 1400 from Pelikan. This model is inexpensive, already equipped, with a radio control. All you need is a battery and a battery charger to go flying!

We hope you enjoyed this beginners' aircraft review! Feel free to comment or share with your friends!