Big Jim's
Radio Controlled Aircraft Page
A great pastime for anyone with eyes and thumbs
is building and flying radio controlled model aircraft. I fly
airplanes,
gliders, and
helicopters.
I belong to a club called Grand Valley Radio
Control and we have one of the premier glider groups in the Midwest.
If you would like to know more about this unique way to spend time and money
then read on. I've included some
links to
other model aviation sites as well as information on the aircraft
that I own and fly. There's photos and even a section with some
answers to
questions that I made up myself.
Airplanes
Radio controlled (R/C) airplanes come in many different shapes
and sizes. The smallest are powered by 2 stroke, glow fuel powered engines
with displacements down to .010 cubic inches. They may weigh less than a pound
and have wingspans barely over 12 inches. On the other end of the spectrum
are 4 stroke, glow and gasoline powered monsters with wingspans that can
be over 12 feet and may weigh 50 lbs or more. There are even model
jets with real turbine engines in them. The cost of these models (with engine
and radio) can range anywhere from just under $100 to several thousand. Materials
to construct model aircraft may also vary widely. Some are built with
woods such as balsa and spruce and others with fiberglass, carbon fiber,
and other hi-tech materials.
A typical beginners model is built with wood and
covered
with a plastic film. The wingspan is 50 to 60 inches and a .40 to .45
cubic inch glow engine is used for motivation. The model will probably weigh
between 4 and 6 lbs. A four channel radio is used
for guidance. Each
"channel" controls a function and they are throttle, ailerons, rudder, and
elevator. Beginner models usually have very stable flying characteristics
and should be capable of slow flight to make those first landings easy. A
beginners model will normally be able to do mild aerobatics such as loops
and rolls also.
Once the beginner has learned to fly they will probably
want to graduate to either more nimble or scale like aircraft. Some models
are designed to be aerobatic, others for speed, and yet others to replicate
full scale aircraft.
One of the most frequently asked questions by visitors
to the flying field is "how far away can it go?" The answer to that question
is usually "as far away as I can safely see it". Model airplane radio systems
are capable of controlling an airplane over 2000 feet away in most cases.
Another question is usually "how long can it stay up?". A typical
sized fuel tank will hold enough for a 15 to 20 minute flight. Finally, everybody
wants to know how fast they go. A slow model may only go 30 to 40 mph
but some of the jets and racers can go over 200 mph.
If all of this sounds interesting to you then you're going to need more
information on how to get started in model airplanes!
Gliders or Sailplanes
Sailplanes are another popular part of R/C aircraft involvement.
They are engineless airplanes that rely on rising air currents to keep
them aloft. Compared to airplanes they are usually much lighter for the same
wing area and are very streamlined to reduce drag. A typical sailplane
will have a larger wingspan than a typical airplane, with 60 inches being
considered small. Wingspans of over 100 inches are considered normal
with even larger examples being quite common. Sailplanes are constructed
with much the same materials as airplanes with wood being more common with
beginner's models and fiberglass and other composites used on higher performance
aircraft.
A typical beginner's glider will have a 2 meter wingspan and weigh between
2 and 3 pounds. All that is needed for control is a 2 channel
radio for rudder and elevator. Most beginner models
will fly very slowly
and are best suited for non-windy conditions. They do however respond very
well to "lift" or rising air and can stay aloft for very long periods of
time making them very enjoyable to fly.
More advanced gliders will usually have more fuctions than rudder and
elevator, with ailerons, flaps, and spoilers being the most common additions.
They will be capable of very fast speeds when necessary, which is useful
for getting out of poor areas of lift in a hurry. With higher speeds comes the
ability to fly in very windy conditions without any trouble. A good sailplane
is also capable of many aerobatic manuevers and should not be thought of
as something for "inexperienced" or "beginner" pilots.
There are basically two types of "soaring", thermal and slope. In
thermal soaring the sailplane depends on rising currents of warm air called
thermals to stay aloft. The challenge to the pilot is to find these
invisible air currents while staying out of areas of "sink". When in
a thermal the pilot will circle the glider until a satisfactory altitude
is reached or until they unwittingly exit the thermal and then have to look
for another one. It is not at all uncommon to keep a glider up for
over an hour at a time, riding several different thermals in the process.
Of course some days you can't find lift to save your life! Slope soaring
involves flying the glider over a slope or cliff which has wind blowing into
it, such as on a lakeshore. When the wind hits the slope it is deflected
upward providing a source of lift for the sailplane. This is nice for the
pilot as he or she doesn't have to wonder where the lift is. As long
as the wind is blowing
you can stay up all day. Pilots many times have very fast and aerobatic gliders
. Racing and combat are common activities on the slopes.
You may be wondering how people get their gliders up in the air if there
is no engine on them. For slope flyers you just toss the thing off
the cliff and away you go. For thermal flyers it requires a winch or
"high-start". A winch usually consists of an electric motor with a
spool of string (very strong string!) on it. The string or line is
run along the ground to the opposite end of the field and through a pulley
or "turn-around" and then back to the motor again. The pilot, standing
at the motor end of this arrangement, connects the glider to the line with
a small "tow hook" mounted to the bottom of the glider. The motor is
then started via a foot controlled on/off switch and that quickly winds up
the line, pulling the glider through the air in the process. The glider
will climb very steeply as it heads towards the turn-around. When it
is obvious that the line will not let the glider get any higher the pilot
will point the nose first slightly down and then back up again which allows
the line to slip off of the tow hook. The glider is now free to look
for lift. Winch launches can get the glider several hundred feet into
the air. A high-start consists of a length of string up to several
hundred feet which is then attached to a length of surgical tubing which
is staked into the ground at the other end. The pilot attaches the glider
to the string with the tow hook and then walks away from the stake which
stretches the rubber tubing. When the glider is released it surges forward
and climbs as on the winch and can also reach several hundred feet of altitude
depending on the length of the tubing and string.
If all of this sounds interesting to you then you're going to need more
information on how to get started in model gliders!
Helicopters
R/C helicopters have only been around for a couple of decades
but are an extremely popular part of the model aircraft hobby. Like airplanes,
they come in many different shapes and sizes. The smallest on the market
is powered by a .049 cubic inch displacement glow fuel engine but the most
popular sizes are the .30 and .60 sized choppers. The average model
helicopter costs more than a typical model airplane with an inexpensive heli,
engine, and radio combo costing upwards of $600. Helicopters are usually
made of plastic, metal, or composite materials and are more or less "assembled"
as opposed to a model airplane in which there is much cutting, shaping, sanding,
and gluing. A helicopter kit can be assembled in just a few days where
as many model airplane kits may take months to build.
A typical first helicopter model will have a .30 to .60 cubic inch
displacement engine and be guided with a 5 channel
radio. The channels
are throttle, left/right cyclic, fore/aft cyclic, main rotor pitch, and tail
rotor pitch. Most model helicopter pilots use a gyro on the tail rotor pitch
channel to help control the left/right motion (yaw) of the tail. A
gyro senses any movement of the tail and inputs a correction to that channel
to dampen the motion. Without a gyro the tail of the helicopter can move
very suddenly and rapidly and is quite a challenge to control. The
gyro not only makes it easier to fly but more enjoyable as well. Unlike
airplanes, a beginner's helicopter can also be used as an advanced helicopter.
Changing how sensitive the controls are is all that is needed to turn a tame
and stable trainer into a very capable aerobatic machine.
Some helicopters have a no-frills look with a simple plastic canopy to
cover the "mechanics" of the aircraft. Other models are completely
scale with fancy fiberglass fueselages duplicating all the visual features
of the real thing. A pilot can have either just by changing the canopy or
fuselage and still keep the same basic airframe or mechanics.
Model helicopters, just like airplanes, can be flown as far away as the
pilot can safely see them. They are capable of much more than full sized
helicopters with loops, rolls, inverted flight, and so forth all within the
range of the most common models on the market. It does however take
a bit more skill to fly a model heli than it does an airplane. When
hovering a helicopter you must not only worry about roll and pitch (as with
an airplane) but also the left to right motion (yawing) of the tail. With
a model airplane you never have to worry about the tail suddenly going out
in front of the airplane. With helicopters it can happen which means
you have to think about 3 directions at once instead of 2.
If all of this sounds interesting to you then you're going to need more
information on how to get started in model
helicopters!
Links to other
sites
Airplanes
Giant Scale Air Racing Headquarters
- Information on Reno-Style pylon racing.
International Miniature Aerobatic Club
- IMAC promotes Aerobatic Competition with Scale Model Aircraft.
Helicopters
Heli Buf's World
- A great place for Helicopter enthusiasts.
The LMH-100 Home Page
- Lots of information on this .049 powered Helicopter.
RC Helicopter Net Resources
- Helicopter Page with Tips and Tricks.
Soaring
League of Silent Flight (LSF)
- For Radio Control Soaring enthusiasts seeking to improve their flying skills.
R/C Glider Page
- Soaring page with lots of great pictures of many different types of gliders.
Manufacturers and Distributors
Ace R/C
- Manufacturer of Airplanes, Radios, and Accessories.
Balsa USA
- Supplier of balsa and other modeling woods. Radio Control Airplanes too.
Great Planes
- Radio Control Airplanes, Gliders, and Accessories.
Hitec/RCD
- Manufacturer of Radios and Accessories.
Horizon
- Distributors for JR, Saito, Webra, and more.
Kyosho
- Radio Control Cars, Boats, Trucks and Helicopters.
Lanier R/C
- Makers of almost ready to fly Airplanes and kits.
MECOA
- Model Engine Company Of America - Lots of Engines.
MRC/Altech/Hirobo
- Airplanes, Cars, Helicopters, etc.
Norvel
- Manufacturer of small model airplane engines.
OS Engines
- Manufacturer of some of the best Glo-Engines you can buy.
Super Tigre
- Italian Manufacturer of some other great Glo-Engines.
Top Flite
- Photos of all their Warbirds plus other Airplanes.
Retailers
Hobby Lobby
- On-line R/C catalog. Airplanes, gliders, heli's, and boats.
Hobby Shack
- On-line supermaket of hobby goods.
Northeast Sailplane Products
- One stop shopping for the R/C Soaring enthusiast.
Sheldon Hobbies
- A mail order house with a great selection of R/C products.
Tower Hobbies
- A good start to finding the right model for you is to check out their on-line catalog.
Other
Academy of Model Aeronautics
- The AMA is the official national body for model aviation in the USA.
The R/C Web Directory
- Links to TONS of R/C Airplane, Car, and Boat sites.
Reciprocated Links
B & H R.C. Hobbies
- Manufacturer of Aerobatic Sport Aircraft Kits.
Cascade Model Helicopter Club
- The web-site of a Washington State R/C Heli Club.
CBA Models
- Manufacturer of large scale WWII and Aerobatic Aircraft Kits.
Club Net Kids
- A collection of sites just for kids.
Scottish Aeromodellers Association
- The name pretty much says it.
The Flying Cardinals of Northern Kentucky, Inc.
- Web-Site of a Northern Kentucky R/C Club.
T.O.R.C.H.S.
- The Orlando Radio Control Helicopter Society.
WindWard R/C
- Manufacturer of Laser Cut Profile Fun-Fly Kits.
This page has been up since February 1, 1996.
There used to be a hit counter here but the service I used stopped working.
The counter was over 300,000 hits when it stopped working sometime in the late 1990s.
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e-mail me with any questions or comments.