Unlock Your Inner Passion with a Remote Control Airplane

Posted on 5 June 2024

A remote control airplane allows you the thrill of flying without leaving the ground! You can go from trainer pilot to aerobatic Snowbird or Top Gun Maverick in a few, safe, but thrilling weeks! RC airplanes let you test your limits and discover new heights in the glorious sky above you!

Great Reasons to Become an RC Pilot

Flying remote control airplanes is exciting to do and watch, and it’s an activity that people of all ages and skill levels can share or do on their own. Also, since there are so many types and levels of planes, you can always continue to grow, gain confidence, and advance at your own pace. Finally, RC flying allows you to play with the sky and air.

How to Choose Your RC Plane

Choose your RC airplane according to your experience level and plans, i.e. simple pleasure, speed, aerobatics etc. The other consideration is the number of functions (called channels) on your controller. The more channels there are, the more you will be able to do with your remote control plane.

The most satisfying and enjoyable RC flying experiences, even for beginning flyers, require at least three of the following functions:

throttle: to control the engine, propeller speed, and air speed.

elevator: to control the tailplane, or pitch of the airplane, to move up and down

ailerons: to control the wings’ angle, and roll side to side.

rudder: to move horizontally (yaw) left and right

Flaps and retracts are extra controls found on more complex RC airplane controls. Mixed channels that combine two surfaces into one channel can also be found, but this is for another blog. For the present, let’s look at the basic types of remote control airplanes.

Types of RC Airplanes

Trainer RC Airplanes

If you are a beginning RC pilot, you will want to start with a sturdy trainer airplane that will allow you to master the basics of remote control flying and survive a few crashes. Trainers are slower flying and simple enough for a new flyer to operate. Some even have autopilot with geo-fencing, and auto landing to make learning even easier.

Sport RC Airplanes

For this most popular category, Intermediate and recreational flyers will enjoy a sport plane that combines agility, stability and a certain amount of realism. These RC airplanes are designed for aerobatic manoeuvres and offer more possibilities than trainers while still remaining easy to fly for a more advanced pilot.

RC Gliders & Sailplanes

Gliders and Sailplanes are fun for RC pilots of all levels, including beginners because they provide a good introduction to working the remote control while also allowing you to soar and even perform some aerobatics. The E-flite UMX Conscendo is a favourite plane in this category.

Aerobatic RC Airplanes

Once you become a more advanced pilot and are familiar with the intricacies of controlling an RC airplane you might feel the desire to polish your skills even more. Aerobatic airplanes, also known as pattern or 3D airplanes, allow you to perform amazing stunts and aerial manoeuvres.

Warbird or Scale RC Airplanes

Another exciting RC flying activity is recreating legendary air battles with warbird RC planes. They are scale representations of historical military planes from various countries. The top warbird RC airplanes have precise proportions and extremely detailed decoration and armament attachments. Scale RC Airplanes don’t have to necessarily be warbirds either. The key to scale airplanes is both their attention to detail, as well as realistic flight characteristics.

Find Your Best RC Airplane in Calgary

You can find all these types of RC airplanes in hobby shops like PM Hobbycraft; we are the Canada’s largest hobby and craft superstore, for a choice of over 100 remote control airplane kits and ready-to-fly RC airplanes. We also carry hundreds of RC plane parts and accessories and thousands of other remote control products, including cars and trucks, boats, tanks, drones, and helicopters. Ready to fly in Calgary’s sky? Visit us today.