My Homepage My
RC page
Your guide to Military aviation
Popular Science's 50 best Science and
Technology sites
Science And Technology
Links
Fun links
Travis Duncan's homepage
|
Information on RC flight
If
you are here then I guess you are interested in
the wonderful world of flying model aircraft.
(also know as aeromodeling.) Aeromodeling is a
wonderful way to learn a new hobby, do something
that you've always wanted to do, annoy your
neighbors, get out of the house on weekends, or
you might just want to spend some money. What
ever the reason, aeromodeling offers challenge
and excitement for people of all ages. Somepeople
get into the sport to fly, others to build
models, and others have no idea what they are
doing.
Just
as a full scale pilot does not learn to fly a
combat-ready jet fighter plane, (Unless he is
training for a Kamizaze mission.) neither should
the student R/C pilot attempt to learn basic
skills with a "hot" model that is far
beyond his/her capabilities. So forget about that
scale model F-15 with a real turbofan engine.that runs at 150 mph. A
primary trainer will be much easier to deal with
as you keep your trials and accomplishments (and
crashes) on an even level. A trainer should be in
the .20 to .40 engine range. This way, you will
probably be able to progress through many skill
levels of flight before you feel you might wish
to purchase a different size engine. (and empty
out your wallet further.)
One
more thing befoe we start. Don't fly by your
self. It is way to dangerous and you will not be
able to land it by your self (Trust me, I've
flown before.) Unless you want your $300 plane
will become a pile of toothpicks.
You
might be wondering how much this is going to
cost. This sport lies somewhere in the
intermediate cost range. However, this is one of
the most expensive hobbies for the first month.
In order to fly, you will need a few things.
An
airplane (duh!). I recommend you purchase a ARF
(a dumb dog.) Actually ARF's stand for Almost
Ready to Fly. ARF kits are designed for the
beginner. They are 99% complete and that means
you won't have to work on it for five weeks.
There are some good ARF's out there with the
radio and engine preinstalled. Two outstandeing
99.9% built ARF's are the Thunder Tiger - Tiger
Trainer 40 and the Hobbico Superstar 40 Select.
Both only require around an hour of assembly.
However, if you want to do it right, like I did
on thee Thunder Tiger, you will need about three
hours assembly time The Tiger Trainer is less
expensive than the Superstar Select, yet the
Superstar has better components. The reason for
the 40 is not becaue of size, (Both of them have
around a 60" wingspan.) But because the have
a .40 cubic inch engine.
One
thing that I want to share is that you will
crash, no matter what, you will crash. Crashing a
plane that you've worked on for an hour beats
crashing a plane that you've worked on for two
months. BEFORE YOU VENTURE
ANY FURTHER, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE
WITH THE THOUGHT OF CRASHING YOUR AIRPLANE.
You
will need a radio to fly the thing. The radio is
the vital link between your plane and you. It is
the lifeline, the "Big Brother", The
Bill Gates, the ...Well, you get the point. A
good quality radio system is a must if you plan
to enjoy the time and money you spend in the
sport. Your club or hobby shop will give you a
good idea of what to get. Buy a radio with at
leastof four channels (a channel is a function -
UP/DOWN being one function, LEFT/RIGHT being
another, and X+8=Y is another function (This joke
is only effective if you have passed
Algebra).etc.).
You
will need fuel. model fuel has castor oil in it,
so it is rather greasy. You need a pump to get
the fuel to your airplane. You can start out with
a hand pump, but I recommend a electric pump.
(After all, you never know when your sink will
overflow and you will need a small pump.)
Actually, electric pumps are alot easier than hand pumps
You
will need something to start the engine and
something to carry everything in. Talk to your
local hobby shop that carrys aeromodeling
accesories about those.
Join the AMA
(or A lot of Moron Alligators.) Actually it is
the Acadamy of Model Aeronautics. You get a
$1,000,000 insurance coverage, just in case you
crash into some old lady's garden, you won't have
to call a cheap lawyer to represent you in court.
You
will need somebody to teach you the ways of the
Jedi. Actually, you will need somebody to teach
you how to fly (same thing). This person is
called an instructor. It is strongly recommended
that the beginner get the help of a qualified R/C
instructor/pilot who will help him/her learn to
fly. You can feel sure there are almost no body
in this sport who are self-taught. (and if you
want to be able to tell if there is a person that
was self taught at your local flying field, there
will be about half a dozen planes or parts of
planes stuck in the ground and in structures
surrounding the field). A qualified instructor
can save you time, money and heartaches. In order
to find Yoda or an instructor, you need to find
where they are. More likely then not, you will
have a flying club in your city or town. If you
don't know where one is, go to a hobby shop where
they sell model aircraft and ask where one is. Go
to the flying field and talk to people, most
people will teach you for free. First check the
Daigaba system, then go to your local flying
field. Watch them fly a little bit, and make sure
that you are interested. Learn the details
involving the sport before you make the
investment. Because buying all of the above will
cost somewhere around $500 dollars. Then it will
be about $60 to $90 a year for fuel. (depending
on how much you fly). So go for it, learn
something, break something, and have fun while
you are doing it!
Good luck
pilot, and may the force be with you! :-)
|