FAQ
There has never been a better time to start flying rc airplanes. Quality and performance has continued to improve while costs continue to go down.
Our planes are durable and nearly indestructible making them great for rc airplane trainers or combat planes.
The biggest costs are your transmitter and receiver. The costs do add up but you can start off small. Here is an estimate of parts and pricing to get started as well as some suggestions for things to look for.
Transmitter $100 to $200
I'm a big advocate of buying used especially if your just getting started. Your transmitter is one of the biggest expenses but by buying used you can find a great radio for a good discount.
Search online classified ads such as a local news or www.rcgroups.com
I have purchased at least 4 or 5 transmitters on line and have been happy with the great community and good deals on rcgroups.
You'll want a computer radio with multiple model memory so you can use the same transmitter without changing a bunch of swithces and triming everytime you switch planes. You'll also want one on the 2.4 ghz range they auto select the channel and have less gliching then the older 72 mhz radios.
The Spektrum dx6i is a good buy. Or you can find an older JR or Futaba radio that accepts modules so you can swap in a 2.4ghz module such as Assan.
The nice thing about an Assan module is recievers are reliable and relatively cheep. Around $20 dollars for a 4 or 6 channel feather weight receiver.
You don't want to skimp on the transmitter. If its a nice one you can always resale it if you decide the hobby is not for you or you want to upgrade.
Receivers $20 to $60 each
Your receivers need to be compatible with your transmitter. If you purchase a dx6i transmiter you will need spektrum recievers. If you purchase the Assan module for a module compatible transmitter you will need Assan recievers. If you have an older 72mhz transmitter depending on the brand they have positive or negative shift and you'll need to get a matching crystal if your on 72mhz. If your starting out save yourself the hastle and go to 2.4gz you'll avoid the hastle of calling out a channel and having to get matching crystals for your recievers. I started with 72 mhz, moved to Spektrum when it first came out with the dx6 then moved to the Assan system. I prefer the Assan system the most for reliability and low cost.
Batteries $12 to $40 each
Thanks to china there is a wide variety of affordable batteries. I'm rough on my batteries and often smash them in crashes so I dont want to spend a lot on the name brand stuff. A good parkflyer lithium polymer (lipo) battery can be as cheap as $12 for a 3 cell 2200mAh 20c battery. When I first started flying with Lipo bateries all those numbers were confusing. A single cell lipo charged is about 4 volts. A 2 cell pack will be listed as a 7.4 volt battery. A 3 cell pack will be listed as an 11.1 volt battery.
The packs are made up of cells placed in series or paralel. Sometimes you will see a description of the number of cells and how they are wired. For example 2s1p means a single pack made of 2 cells in series. Another common pack is 3s1p which is 3 cells in a single pack.
The c ratings that are listed have to do with the capacity of the battery. If you have a 1000mAh battery and it has a 10c discharge rating this means it can be discarched at 10 times its capacity or 10amps. If the battery was rated at a 20c discharge rating it can be discharged and 20 times its capacity. If the batteries capacity were 1000mAh and the constant discharge rating were 20c then it could disharge at 20 times its capacity or 20 amps. Your choice of motor will determine the size of battery, how many cells are needed and how many amps its going to draw.
Most people flying park flyers and epp wings will have several 3 cell batteries. For a 36 inch wing you will want at least a 20c rating and a 1200mAh capacity. For a 48 inch epp wing you will want a little bigger battery like a 3 cell 2200mAh battery and a 20c rating. I have found the Zippy and Rhino brand to work well for me.
Damaged or improperly charged lipos cause fires. Be carefull with lipos, they may be cheap but the damage they can cause can be very expensive if handled improperly.
Charger $20~$40
Look for a balance charger that will charge more then one lipo at a time. Or if you don't have a balance charger make sure you purchase a separate balancer. Each cell in a lipo battery might discharge at slightly different rates.
Without a balancer one cell might be overcharged since the charger would only see the total voltage and could result in damage or fire. Also charge outside or in a cinder block or non flammable container.
Servos $4 to $25 each
For a combat wing you will need at least 2 and if your flying combat you will also want metal gear servos. The hitec hs-82mg's are durable and can take the punishment in combat they are around $22 dollars each. Another option that our club has found works well for combat is to use kimbro servo savers with these servos.
For parkflyers you can go with the cheap hxt 9 gram servos. They work great but the gears strip easy if your flying combat.
Plane
Your plane is going to crash especially if your new or flying combat get a durable plane made of epp that can take the crash and bounce back. When I first started I tried learning with a slow stick. I didnt have the cg right and crashed at take off. Parts broke and I was unable to try again as I had to make a trip for repair parts before I could try it again.
I finally got an epp wing and crashed not long after take off but found I could pick it back up and toss it again for another try. RC flying takes lots of practice. Get a durable EPP RC plane that will withstand your crashes.
Other Tools ???
Watt Meter or Volt Meter
There are numerous tools and gadgets that will help improve your flying or extend the life of your electronics. One that I wish I had purchased sooner that helped me see why I was ruining my batteries or why things weren't working so well is a watt meter. You can buy a cheep volt meter or a watt meter made specifically for electric rc airplanes.
The watt meter or volt meter will tell you things like how many amps your motor and prop are pulling as well as how many volts are left in your battery. These are important things to know as you don't want to over discharge and ruin your battery you also don't want to draw more amps then your battery is rated for.
Prop balancer
I've been annoyed lately trying to take some aerial video my prop is slightly out of balance and causes lots of vibration in the video. A prop balancer will help me make minor adjustments to the prop and give me nice smooth flight. Its not a must have but for certain things it really comes in handy.
Airbrush
I purchased a cheep $15 dollar air brush from harbor freight that makes finishing my planes fun and they look great. You will need an air compressor as well but if you already have an air compressor an air brush is a no brainer. Before covering your planes with laminate take some masking tape and create a pattern on your plane. Spray on a few colors, pull off the masking tape and your ready for the laminate.
There's so much to learn, where do I start?
One of the great things about rc airplanes is its a social hobby. There are many people willing and happy to give you advice and help you get started. Find someone with some experience and they will help you choose the right equipment and help you learn to fly.
When I first started I tried going it alone. It was frustrating and expensive. I purchased parts and planes that just didn't work well together. Thanks to a local club I got some pointers and assistance and was soon confident and flying on my own.
