Assembling RC Planes and Then Flying Them

Flying and building remote control airplanes is one thing We have loved for most of my entire life. Like a good deal of folks my age, I had started out in the craft as the youngster flying control-line aircraft. My first airplane was a Cox PT-19 .049 flight trainer. It's heavy and didn't fly very well, but I loved it. After the Cox was destroyed past repair, my father took me into a actual hobby store where we selected my first package. My father must have been a model airplane fan from way back. In those days, people crafted all their models right from kits. Partially put together ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) models were not even readily available during those times. Consequently, from the starting point, I had sit and learn to build airplanes prior to when I managed to get a chance to fly them.
Ages later, I started flying radio control planes. I started using a 2 meter glider, then migrated on to powered flight. The earliest ARF form of plane I ordered was a Duraplane Aerobat 40. It was expected to be almost indestructible. I did eventually manage to wipe out it, nevertheless. It had been hefty and was required to be flown at a high rate of speed. What I came to understand in the beginning is that often these prefabricated ARF planes were convenient, however were a tad heavy and did not fly as well as my kit built airplanes.
The same holds true in the present day. One of the best flying aircraft is one that's built solid, light and true. The old saying is "build light-flies right" and "build straight-flies great". When you purchase an ARF or a RTF (Ready To Fly) R/C airplane today, you are most likely getting a product that was slapped together in some manufacturing unit in China as quickly as feasible, using the lowest priced elements and supplies to complete the job. Unquestionably, some ARFs are better than some others, but even the good ones really don't compare with the caliber of a products you will find inside a respectable RC kit.
The fact is that, the complete cost of a kit designed plane compared to a pre-built aircraft is approximately exactly the same. Since you may get a great .40 size RC trainer kit for around $75, perhaps it will cause you to think that it is cheaper than getting a similar type of ARF plane for somewhere in the market of $110. Just what you ought to contemplate is you could possibly still have to get a gas tank, wheels, wheel collars, fuel tubing, adhesives, covering material along with other goods that are not included in your RC kit. Most of the good RC kits will list necessary pieces to complete the task. This one thing is enough to steer some folks who are wanting to be in the air on to obtaining an AFR or RTF form of plane. Why might you need to pay for something that will take days or weeks to build if it costs the same as a pre-built aircraft?
A better solution for me is merely the pleasure from the building process. If you value playing or making use of your hands in making things, then you'll very likely love creating an aircraft from an RC kit. But for anyone who is uncertain to try to build anything at all after the catastrophe when using the particle board entertainment center your spouse dragged home from Wal-mart you can set up, give yourself a break. The plans that come in the good quality kits usually are full-size and also well crafted. Almost all folks are at the standard skill-level and often will do fine building from a kit. Should you fit into that category, you could always ask your kids (or grandkids) to assist.

Stunt Kite Flying Tips For Beginners

A stunt kite can reach speeds of 100 miles per hour and create hundreds of pounds of pull. Being at the helm of that speed and power can be heady and exciting. However, it can also be dangerous, especially in the hands of a novice. While anyone can learn to stunt fly, there are some basics beginners need to learn first.

Setting Up For Success

For the beginner looking to purchase his or her first sport flyer, the most important characteristic to look for is the length of the line. A longer line, preferably 75 to 120 feet long, gives the flyer more time to respond. As with all kites, shorter lines make for faster soaring, which increases the challenges for the person on the ground trying to control it.

For a beginner, it is also useful to have a helper for the first couple launches. The helper should hold the stunt kite while the flyer unrolls the line, keeping the tension in the lines. Then the helper should give the glider a gentle lift into the air. Don't get frustrated if it takes several tries for a successful launch. Launching and gaining control from lift-off are among the most difficult skills for a new stunt flyer to master.

Choosing The Best Site For Kites

Some of the best tips for selecting flying sites for kites are obvious but bear repeating. Never fly near power lines or in thunderstorms. Never fly near trees, houses or over roads or highways. And never fly over a person or animal.

Stunt flyers should have a pre-launch checklist they go through before every launch. It involves looking for hazards in the immediate area, such as those mentioned above. It also involves checking the site for other kites and making sure there is sufficient space to back up.

Stunt Kite Steering Tips

There is nothing complicated about steering a sport glider. Like all kites, it can go left, right or straight. To go left, pull the left line. To go right, pull the right line. Keep turning in just one direction and eventually you'll fly in a circle. Just gliding back and forth, left and right, in a large figure eight is good practice for a novice flyer. To slow down, move toward the glider. To go faster, pull the handles in. To land, let it go out to the left or right to slow down and eventually fall to the ground.

There's no need to raise one's arms or to jerk them when steering. Upraised arms do not affect height or control but will make the flyers' arms tired. Jerking will likely cause it to jump around mid-air and eventually crash. Pulling is another reflex that can lead a beginner astray. The more one pulls on the lines, the more tension is increased and therefore the more power and speed there will be.

It's common for flying lines to end up twisted. This usually occurs after gliding in a circle, whether on purpose or accidentally. It's possible to put a dozen such twists in the line before it affects control. To untwist the lines, simply fly the glider back in the opposite direction from the way it flew to get twisted.

Stunt flying is as simple as that. However, it does take practice to turn those lefts and rights into a more dynamic flying pattern complete with controlled diving and soaring. Practice these basics over and over again while observing safe flying, and soon you'll have an awe-inspiring stunt flying performance.

The Basics to Flying a Model Airplane

Model planes are full-flight capable, micro versions of real or fictional aircraft. They are often reduced-sized versions of traditional aircraft, made of lightweight materials such as fiberglass, balsa wood and polystyrene. Models rage from basic glider models, to accurate, and generally larger, scale models. Models capable of flight are powered by some kind of internal power-plant, used to drive the aircraft through the air similar to how an actual plane is powered. The most common propulsion systems are that of internally electronically powered models and those powered by a rubber band system.

Flying a model plane is not limited to flight enthusiasts, the process of building a model aircraft capable of flight is very rewarding and the actual flight itself is an extremely satisfying experience. While flying a model plane is a great deal of fun, it does require a degree of patience and seriousness. Electronically powered planes can be flown without experience, but much experience is required for the larger models.

A glider is generally the best way to begin your experience in flying a model plane. They are built solidly, inexpensive and easy to fly. However, if it powered flight you are after, then an electronic model is your best bet. Electronic flight is clean and also inexpensive as most electronic planes run off rechargeable batteries. There are however some issues with electronic fight that you would not find with a glider; you will need battery packs and often the duration of flight achievable from a single charge is not satisfying enough. For those serious about flying a model plane, you should look towards a powered model that uses fuel to propel the model through the air. The model does not need to be as light as an electronic model or glider and the fuel will let you fly for longer. You may however have to practice flight with a powered model in a field or somewhere away from populated areas if you want to legally practice flying a model plane of this nature.

Whatever you do, steer clear from fast scale flying models, while they fly fast and look impressive, these are the last qualities you want from a model plane if you are new to the recreation. The faster they fly, the less control you will have over them and the more expensive the guaranteed repairs will be. Remember to find an instructor or join a club, as often times reading the instruction manual may not suffice in terms of a lesion. Ask around, look for support and at least ask the guy at your local model flight shop for a recommendation of a first model. Flying a model plane is such a rewarding experience, especially if you plan on building your own, just ask around for the best deals and invest in a lesson or two to help you learn the basics.