RC Airplane

RC Airplanes (also known as RC Aircrafts or RC planes) are small model radio-controlled airplanes that fly using electric motor, gas powered IC engines or small model jet engines. The RC Airplanes are flown remotely with the help of a transmitter with joysticks that can be used to fly the aircraft and perform different maneuvers. The transmitter comes also with a receiver which is installed inside the Model RC Airplanes which receives the commands send by the transmitter and controls servos. The servos are small motors which are mechanically linked to the control surfaces e.g., ailerons for roll control, elevator for pitch control and rudder for yaw control.

The servos moves the control rods (which are small rods that connect the servo to different flight control e.g. to elevator etc) which in turn moves the control surface be it elevator, flaps, aileron or rudder. An RC Airplane can be controlled in flight by using the transmitter from where you can control pitch, yaw and roll of your RC Airplane and you can also control the throttle settings. The receiver which accepts the transmitter signal and the servos attached to it are run on rechargeable batteries. Most popular rechargeable batteries for RC Airplanes use include Ni-Cad (Nickel Cadmium) and Li-Po (Lithium Polymer). Lithium Polymer lasts longer and more powerful than there Ni-Cad counterparts but a bit more expensive.

RC Airplanes Propulsion/ Powerplants

RC Airplanes fly using either electric motor as propulsion device or IC (internal combustion) gas powered engines or small model jet Engines.

RC Electric Motors

Electric motors are most used in many model RC Airplanes because of the ease in use. Electric Motors give the advantage of low-cost, easy to use. The throttle of electric motors is controlled using a speed controller which comes with the motor. The speed controller lead is connected to the receiver. The transmitter than can control the throttle of electric motor just as other controls.

RC Gas Engines

Sometimes, higher power is required or for better performance or bigger RC Airplanes gas powered engines are used as propulsion device. These are small internal combustion engines which can be either 2-stroke or 4-stroke with 4-stroke engines costing bit more than there 2 engine counterparts. Note, also that many companies have come up with more powerful electric motors for RC Airplanes which can easily match the performance of gas powered RC engines. Gas powered RC engines require a fuel source. The fuel is carried inside a fuel tank on board a gas powered RC Airplane. The fuel can be either methanol or other combinations. Only the fuel that is recommended by the manufacture of RC gas engines should be used otherwise a different formulation of fuel can affect the life and performance of your RC gas engine. The RC engine or electric motor is connected directly to the propeller. The propeller generates the forward thrust needed for flight.

RC Gas Turbines or Model Jet Engines

Now-a-days, small miniature gas-turbine engines are also being used on Model RC Airplanes. These miniature jet engines or gas-turbine engines work on Jet-A fuel and should be flown only by expert pilots. These jet engines are costly and complicated. These jet engine powered RC Airplanes fly really fast in excess of 200 mph. Many amateurs have also developed their own model gas turbine engines by modifying super-chargers etc.