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How to Set an RC Aircraft's ESC

In the hobby of flying model airplanes, at one end of the spectrum are the scratch builders who start with a set of blueprints and a week or two later they have a hand-built plane ready for liftoff. At the other end of the spectrum are hobbyists who just want to fly. Whatever your level, the final step before flying is the installation and testing of your electronics, such as servos, radio receiver and batteries. For electric models, a key piece of equipment is the electronic speed controller (ESC), which allows the user to control the model's throttle.

Things You'll Need

Servos
Electric motor
Electronic speed controller
Remote control radio transmitter
Remote control radio receiver
Battery pack

Instructions

Getting Ready
- 1
  Clear a workspace. Set your model in the middle of the space and lay out all of your electronics.
- 2
  Install servos, electric motor and radio receiver. Connect the servos to the receiver.
- 3
  Connect the ESC to the motor using the three black wires. Plug the ESC into the radio receiver. Install the battery pack but do not connect it to the ESC.
Setting the Throttle
- 4
  Turn on the radio transmitter and move the throttle all the way up to the "Full on" position.
- 5
  Connect the ESC to the battery using the black and red wires. Wait until you hear a sound from the ESC. Depending on the model of ESC you purchased the sound could be one or two beeps, or a musical tone. This tells you that the full throttle setting has been registered.
- 6
  Push the transmitter throttle stick to all the way down to the "Full off" position. Wait until you hear a sound from the ESC. Again, depending on the model of ESC the sound could be one or two beeps, or a musical tone. This tells you that the minimum throttle setting has been registered.
- 7
  Wait a few seconds until you hear another set of beeps or tones. The ESC is set. Turn off the transmitter and unplug the battery in the airplane.
- 8
  Prepare your model for testing. Turn on the radio transmitter and power up the aircraft. Move the throttle lever up and down. The motor should respond to the throttle control.

Aviation