Improvements to battery-powered RC aircraft over the past decade have brought many newcomers to the ranks of radio control flying, especially where the helicopter branch of the club is concerned. Technological advances in battery and rotor design make it possible to fly helicopters without the drawbacks which in past made many steer clear of them. Before electric models became widely available, it was necessary to spend $800-900 or more for a gas-powered heli. There was no such thing as Ready to Fly--copters came in kit form and took many hours and considerable skill to build. And they were fiendishly difficult to fly, requiring more time and effort to develop flying skills. The steep learning curve made costly crashes a given; maintenance was also expensive and time-consuming.
The advent of relatively inexpensive electric models have introduced so many newcomers to RC helicopters that they are now the fastest growing segment of RC aviation, rivaling or surpassing airplanes in popularity. Good quality electrics are available in the $100-$300 price range. More reliable than nitro helicopters, they are also easier to operate and pretty much maintenance-free. Non-polluting and less noisy than nitros, electrics can be flown in a wide variety of settings, including indoors.
If you are in the market for a first RC helicopter, Venom's Ozone is not only a good model for beginners but will still be enjoyable once you attain intermediate level skills. The Ozone's coaxial counter-rotating blades offer excellent stability, making it easy but also great fun to fly. Designed for durability, the Ozone comes Ready to Fly with 3-channel radio, LiPo battery pack and charger - all you need add is AA batteries. Great for indoor and outdoor flying (in calm conditions) and priced at well-under $100, Venom's Ozone is an electric RC helicopter with enough performance capability to keep you coming back for more.
Venom Ozone
RC Helicopters
Radio Controlled Toys
Kids Remote Control
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Choosing Your First RC Airplane
If you are brand new to radio control flying, and trying to decide on your first RC airplane, you may well be feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of models offered for sale, particularly if you have been looking online. I recommend that you take your time and do your homework before you make a purchase, as your choice of a first plane will strongly influence, if not absolutely determine, how satisfactory your initial RC experiences will be. Don’t rush to buy; make your decision from a solid information base. Learn basic RC terminology and research which type planes are appropriate for beginners, as opposed to those designed for intermediate or advanced flyers only. Making the right choice will ensure that learning to fly is both enjoyable and rewarding; but the wrong choice can lead to so much frustration and such unfortunate results that you may even decide to quit the hobby before you are even well-started. How does one know which models are suitable for first-timers, and how to narrow down those options to a manageable number? In other words, what kinds of RC airplanes are best for beginners?
Park Flyers
An electric park flyer is a good plane for first-timers to start out on. Unless you actually want to spend days or weeks putting the aircraft together, after having purchased essential components separately and later installed them, you will probably want a Ready to Fly (or RTF) model. These planes come complete with everything you need and can be ready to fly in very short order. If there is no flying field within convenient driving distance, and you lack access to a large, unobstructed piece of private property, park flyers can be safely flown at parks, sports fields, or even decent-sized backyards. Because of the materials from which they are constructed, park flyers are typically pretty durable—i.e., they tend to survive all but the most severe crashes with minimal or no damage—and unlike nitro/glow planes, require little or no additional equipment, upkeep or maintenance.
Smaller park flyers can be flown in smaller spaces; larger models require more room to operate. Wherever you fly, make sure there are no obstructions, people or property within or adjacent to the flight space. And if you want to fly in a municipal park, first make sure that RC aircraft are not prohibited. Another benefit to park flyers for beginners is that you don't have to spend much for one--good quality models can be had for well under $100. You should find several models to choose from at any decent hobby store, but for best selection and lowest prices, search online for “park flyers” or ‘beginner RC planes.” Have fun, stay safe and good flying!
RC Planes
Kids Remote Control
Radio Controlled Toys
Multiplex EasyStar RTF
Park Flyers
An electric park flyer is a good plane for first-timers to start out on. Unless you actually want to spend days or weeks putting the aircraft together, after having purchased essential components separately and later installed them, you will probably want a Ready to Fly (or RTF) model. These planes come complete with everything you need and can be ready to fly in very short order. If there is no flying field within convenient driving distance, and you lack access to a large, unobstructed piece of private property, park flyers can be safely flown at parks, sports fields, or even decent-sized backyards. Because of the materials from which they are constructed, park flyers are typically pretty durable—i.e., they tend to survive all but the most severe crashes with minimal or no damage—and unlike nitro/glow planes, require little or no additional equipment, upkeep or maintenance.
Smaller park flyers can be flown in smaller spaces; larger models require more room to operate. Wherever you fly, make sure there are no obstructions, people or property within or adjacent to the flight space. And if you want to fly in a municipal park, first make sure that RC aircraft are not prohibited. Another benefit to park flyers for beginners is that you don't have to spend much for one--good quality models can be had for well under $100. You should find several models to choose from at any decent hobby store, but for best selection and lowest prices, search online for “park flyers” or ‘beginner RC planes.” Have fun, stay safe and good flying!
RC Planes
Kids Remote Control
Radio Controlled Toys
Multiplex EasyStar RTF
Monday, October 11, 2010
Hobby Grade RC Helicopters for the Utmost in Realism
Hobby-grade model helicopters have long been considered the most difficult of all RC aircraft to master; if you have ever undertaken this task, you probably agree that is a reputation well-deserved. Their amazing flexibility allows them to can fly in any direction, right-side up or upside down, and react to input with remarkable swiftness. If you have seen an expert pilot put an RC copter through its paces, you know that these machines can do the seemingly impossible. However, that same versatility and flexibility is also what makes it such a complicated, hard to control aircraft. Unlike toy or electric coaxial RC copters, hobby-grade, single rotor collective pitch models are every bit as complex as real helicopters. The operator of a nitro, multi-channel CP helicopter must, like the pilot of a full-size copter, think and act in three dimensions at once, using his arms and legs constantly and in unison just to keep it in the air. Piloting a hobby-grade RC copter requires extensive training, advanced skills, and continuous focus and attention.
Someone once said "A helicopter is a collection of rotating parts going around and around and reciprocating parts going up and down -- all of them trying to become random in motion. Right now!" There is no such thing as an easy time learning to fly a CP helicopter, requiring as it does such intricate interactions between the three major controls -- rudder, collective and stick. These control operations are severely interactive; an action with one will require a responding action with a second control, which in turn requires another action and so on, with the pilot constantly juggling the three controls, hopefully in harmony. While the basics of toy models or micro coaxials can be picked learned in a few hours or less, the hobby-grade RC copter requires an altogether different and more advanced degree of control. And as they are just plain ornery by nature, they demand a substantial commitment of time and effort from budding pilots.
In the old days, most RC helicopters were powered by nitro or glow engines, which tended to be heavy, complex, and dangerous, not to mention very dirty and high-maintenance beasts. There were electric models but these were so large and heavy they posed transportation issues, and were also notoriously underpowered. Today's electric models are lighter and faster, more predictable, and safer to handle, making them very attractive to novice pilots. But the serious hobbyists still prefer the nitro models, inconveniences and all, because they look and sound and operate in such a realistic manner.
Only you can decide whether it is worth the investment of time and energy -- and expense - to be able to fly a hobby-grade RC copter. If you just want to fly as quickly as possible, with the least hassle, you may well be better off with a good quality electric. If on the other hand, you are looking for an experience that is as close as you can get to flying a real helicopter, then a single rotor, collective pitch RC copter is the only bird for you.
Align T-Rex Venom NightRanger and other great hobby-grade model RC Helicopters and RC Airplanes at RC Planes and Copters.com
Align T-Rex Venom NightRanger and other great hobby-grade model RC Helicopters and RC Airplanes at RC Planes and Copters.com
Monday, October 4, 2010
Radio Control Toys Make Great Gifts
Does someone have a birthday coming up, or maybe you are just looking to get an early start on your holiday shopping? Whenever gifts for the younger set are in order, radio control toys should be at or near the top of your list of gift-giving ideas.
Kids love them, and don’t even mind that they can be as educational as they are fun. But don’t get the idea that they are just for kids—adults love them too, both as an occasional leisure time activity and as a serious hobby. And while the lower-end RC Toys are very inexpensive, some under $30.00, you can spend much more on upper-end, top quality toys and hobby grade remote control models.
Radio controlled toys come in a variety of categories, from airplanes and helicopters to cars, trucks and boats. Many of the 1 or 2 channel RC toys are simple enough for young children to operate, while the multi-channel models, designed for older children and adults, are more difficult and can take some time to learn to control. Most radio controlled toys use rechargeable batteries as a power source and are quite, clean and safe to operate when handled with care.
Another RC model that has become very popular with children and adults alike is the remote controlled boat. The smaller, slower models are safe enough for children to operate on pools, ponds, creeks or small lakes. RC power boats are suitable for larger bodies of water and are better left to teenagers or adults. Some of these racing boats can reach speeds of more than thirty miles an hour or even faster when accessorized and souped-up. While most use their boats strictly for fun and relaxation, a growing number of enthusiasts enter into competitive events, traveling around the country to race against fellow boaters and perform amazing water stunts before appreciative audiences.
Silly Rabbit, Radio Controlled Toys Are for Everyone!
Radio Controlled toys can be fragile and often break easily. If your investment is only $20.00 or so, and you get a few hours of fun out it, that’s not such a big deal. If you want something that will last past a few outings, look for RC toys constructed of durable, crash resistant materials or models that will accept replacement parts. And remember, like Trix, radio controlled toys aren’t just for kids, so when you buy one for a youngster, be sure to order a second model just for you!
For many, radio controlled toys have become more than just a passive hobby; for many, operating RC cars, boats or helicopters has become a sport in its own right. Flying, driving or racing these toys is the next best thing to participating in the real sport. If you’re interested in finding out more about these captivating machines, the internet offers a wealth of information and you’ll also find very competitive prices from online retailers. Just Google radio controlled toys and get ready to enjoy some serious fun!
RC Cars Trucks and Buggys
RC Boats
RC Airplanes Jets and Blimps
Kids love them, and don’t even mind that they can be as educational as they are fun. But don’t get the idea that they are just for kids—adults love them too, both as an occasional leisure time activity and as a serious hobby. And while the lower-end RC Toys are very inexpensive, some under $30.00, you can spend much more on upper-end, top quality toys and hobby grade remote control models.
Radio controlled toys come in a variety of categories, from airplanes and helicopters to cars, trucks and boats. Many of the 1 or 2 channel RC toys are simple enough for young children to operate, while the multi-channel models, designed for older children and adults, are more difficult and can take some time to learn to control. Most radio controlled toys use rechargeable batteries as a power source and are quite, clean and safe to operate when handled with care.
RC Cars and Trucks
When you mention radio controlled toys most people think of RC airplanes or helicopters, models designed for flying via a remote control device (more properly called a transmitter). But there is much more to the world of radio controlled toys than RC aircraft. For instance, there are also RC Cars and monster trucks, hot rods and drag racers. Some models come with large multi-tread tires and can be used on different type surfaces--concrete, blacktop, grass or dirt. And nothing stays the appointed rounds of all-terrain RC Trucks; they can slog through gravel, mud, even snow and ice.
RC toys come with a hand-held transmitter and a receiver which is situated on the vehicle. The transmitter sends a signal via radio waves to the receiver; working together, they control the movement and usually the speed of the plane, car or boat. The more channels the transmitter has, the more movements or maneuvers the model can perform.
You can find almost any type of vehicle imaginable as a radio controlled toy. Airplanes and helicopters are fun because they can fly, but they are also harder to master than other RC craft. All but the simplest, most basic RC Airplane requires plenty of practice to become skilled at flying. Cars are less complex in design and easier to control, plus you don’t have to worry about them breaking when they fall out of the sky, as RC Planes sometimes do! Boats are relatively easy to operate and fun to race but not everyone has convenient access to a body of water.
RC Boats for All Ages
RC toys come with a hand-held transmitter and a receiver which is situated on the vehicle. The transmitter sends a signal via radio waves to the receiver; working together, they control the movement and usually the speed of the plane, car or boat. The more channels the transmitter has, the more movements or maneuvers the model can perform.
You can find almost any type of vehicle imaginable as a radio controlled toy. Airplanes and helicopters are fun because they can fly, but they are also harder to master than other RC craft. All but the simplest, most basic RC Airplane requires plenty of practice to become skilled at flying. Cars are less complex in design and easier to control, plus you don’t have to worry about them breaking when they fall out of the sky, as RC Planes sometimes do! Boats are relatively easy to operate and fun to race but not everyone has convenient access to a body of water.
RC Boats for All Ages
Another RC model that has become very popular with children and adults alike is the remote controlled boat. The smaller, slower models are safe enough for children to operate on pools, ponds, creeks or small lakes. RC power boats are suitable for larger bodies of water and are better left to teenagers or adults. Some of these racing boats can reach speeds of more than thirty miles an hour or even faster when accessorized and souped-up. While most use their boats strictly for fun and relaxation, a growing number of enthusiasts enter into competitive events, traveling around the country to race against fellow boaters and perform amazing water stunts before appreciative audiences.
Silly Rabbit, Radio Controlled Toys Are for Everyone!
Radio Controlled toys can be fragile and often break easily. If your investment is only $20.00 or so, and you get a few hours of fun out it, that’s not such a big deal. If you want something that will last past a few outings, look for RC toys constructed of durable, crash resistant materials or models that will accept replacement parts. And remember, like Trix, radio controlled toys aren’t just for kids, so when you buy one for a youngster, be sure to order a second model just for you!
For many, radio controlled toys have become more than just a passive hobby; for many, operating RC cars, boats or helicopters has become a sport in its own right. Flying, driving or racing these toys is the next best thing to participating in the real sport. If you’re interested in finding out more about these captivating machines, the internet offers a wealth of information and you’ll also find very competitive prices from online retailers. Just Google radio controlled toys and get ready to enjoy some serious fun!
RC Cars Trucks and Buggys
RC Boats
RC Airplanes Jets and Blimps
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Follow my Blog & Qualify for Extra Savings when you shop for Radio Control Airplanes & other items you need to Fly RC!
The cool dry weather we've had in our area is perfect for flying outdoors and we've made it to the park and flying field several times. Life is good. One of the local clubs is holding its Annual Fall Classic Fly-in this weekend.
To find Radio Control events in your area click on this link: Find Radio Control Events or use the AMA Event Search tool: AMA's Event Search Tool
Follow my blog & qualify for extra savings when you shop for radio control toys, hobby grade modes and supplies:
We have added several new products to the site and more are on the way. One is a great little RC Plane for Beginners: the Sky Eagle High Wing Cessna Park Flyer.
The Sky Eagle Park Flyer is an excellent beginner electric-powered RC plane from Nine Eagles. The fuselage is made from light but durable EPP foam and it has a patented propeller protective device that minimizes damage to the propeller and motor. The propeller falls off if you crash nose-first. The plane is well-designed for stable flight and it is wind resistant. The included transmitter is a 2.4GHz mode 1/mode 2 controller. Switching between the modes is simple and only takes minutes.
FEATURES:
* The patented propeller protective device can avoid damage to the propeller and plane upon impact.
* The total airplane body is made of durable anti-crash EPP foam.
* Stable flight, excellent controllability, strong wind resistant.
* A great choice for beginners flying a fixed wing aircraft.
* Park Flyer
TECHNICAL SPECS:
* Age: 14 to Adult
* Length: 396mm (approx 15.6 inches)
* Wingspan: 500mm (approx. 19.7 inches)
* Flying Weight: 65g (2.3 ounces)
* Height: 131mm (approx. 5.2 inches)
* Motor: N50 Motor
* Receiver: 3-channel 2.4GHz
* Battery: 7.4V 180mAH LiPo
* Motor run time: 8-10 minutes
Everything you need is included in the box. It's in stock and ready to ship. Add one to your fleet or purchase a super nice gift for that special someone. www.rcplanesandcopters.com
Have fun, stay safe & keep flying!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Does your Nosegear need an adjustment?
If your RC Plane is veering to one side or the other on take-off and landing, there's a good chance your nosegear needs adjusting. I just read a great tip on how to do that in the latest issue of Model Airplane News, contributed by R. J. Musel: "If you're tired of always bending your nose gear from that not-so-perfect landing, then here's a way to prevent it and even add a little shock absorption." He goes on to say that you'll need a bend at the fuselage where the nose gear wire enters into it, and the nose wheel should also be bent at the coil, to form a 45-degree angle down to the wheel and up to the bottom of the fuselage. For additional shock absorption, glue a piece of hardwood to the firewall, flush with the bottom of the fuselage and do the same thing for the main landing gear.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Upcoming Events featuring RC Flight
Did you know that you can use the AMA Event Search tool to find RC events and flying competitions all around the U.S.? You can search by date, state and see all categories or narrow down your search by types of aircraft by making a selection from the drop-down list under Category. AMA's Event Search Tool
To give customers another way to find Radio Control events, we added a data feed on our site. Check it out and bookmark the page: Find Radio Control Events
RC Copters
Radio Controlled Toys
Recent & Upcoming Events:
Fri.-Sun. 10/1 - 10/3/2010: Heli-Invasion, Robbie Campbell Memorial Airfield, 6836 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Thornburg, VA 22551, http://www.heli-invasion.com/
Fri-Sun. 9/24 - 9/26/2010: Warbirds over the Rockies, Drake Field, just north of Denver, hosted by the Love Air R/C Club of Loveland/Ft. Collins, http://www.warbirdsovertherockies.com/
Sat.-Sun. September 25th-26th: Texas Shoot-Out 3D Free Style/TAG Program/IMAC Event: over $20,000 worth of prizes to raffle and give away at the event. Over $12,000 in Main Raffle prizes available to anyone, you don't have to be present to win: http://www.rcuniverse.com/community/event.cfm?eventid=4993&nobrand=0
Friday, Sat. & Sun. 9/17/2010 - 9/19/2010: Fly for Tots Charity Fly-In, RDRC Field, Youngsville, NC: the 3-day event features jets, aerobatic planes, WWII fighters, live music and great food. Get more information at http://www.flyfortots.com
9/11/2010: On Saturday, September 11, you can see amazing giant-scale RC aircraft – some up to 15-feet long – modeled after all types of standard-size aircraft, including warbirds, aerobatic, jets, vintage, and sport aviation. The free event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh Wisconsin between the Main Gate and AeroShell Square on the EAA AirVenture grounds. Concessions will be available. Giant Scale Model Airplanes
8/19-8/25/2010: 2010 World Championships for Electric Model Aircraft: Thursday August 19th - Weds. August 25th at the Academy of Model Aeronautics, Muncie, IN, USA. F5B Motor Gliders and F5D Pylon Racers. World Championships for Electric Model Aircraft
Sept. 3 - 5 2010, Labor Day Weekend: Giant Scale Radio Controlled Model Aircraft Show on the runway behind the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB OH. Admission and parking are free.
EF-16 Fighter Jet EDF EP ESC
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)