Ready to Fly Park Flyers for Beginners

Getting Started

• There are a few things to keep in mind when starting out in the RC hobby. First is that the cool-looking planes, WWII war birds, are not beginner aircraft. Start with a trainer, preferably a high wing model with a light wing loading. Because all the weight of the plane is below the wing, the plane will always return to a level flying attitude if you take your fingers off the controls. The wing loading is a measurement of the weight of the plane in relationship to the wing area. A low wing loading plane will float and glide better then a plane with a high wing load.

Basic equipment

• Most park flyers require a four-channel radio system to control the throttle, ailerons, rudder and elevator. Some trainers do not use ailerons and only require three channels. A ready to fly park flyer will include the radio and generally it will be a four-channel system. The transmitters usually run on eight alkaline batteries and they will only last for six or seven flights. You may want to invest in rechargeable batteries. The battery that powers the motor and servos in the plane will probably be nickel metal hydride cells or LiPo cells; both are rechargeable, and the kit should include the charger. Read the manual carefully. Rechargeable batteries can catch on fire if misused.

What to do at the field

• If you have a friend that flies RC planes bring him along; he can help you with your first flights. If you are on your own, then follow these preflight steps: Install the onboard battery and balance the plane. The center of gravity should be shown in the plane's manual. This is a critical step. If the plane is not balanced properly it fill not fly well. Next, range check the radio by turning it and the plane on and moving the controls from about 100 feet away with the antenna down. Make sure the surfaces move in the expected direction; if not you need to make corrections before flying.

  Now that you are ready to fly, see which way the wind is blowing and point the plane into the wind. Advance the throttle to full and give the plane a firm toss. Allow the plane to pick up some airspeed before climbing. Allow the plane to climb to about 40 feet and throttle back a bit; see if the plane is pulling to one side or the other and add some trim to get it flying level. Do the same for the elevator. Now that the plane is trimmed it should be easier to fly. Many beginners will look to an experienced RC pilot to help with trimming the plane.

  Keep your first few flights short until you have a better feel for how long the battery will last. You don't want to land your plane without power the first few times you fly.

  To land the plane, fly into the wind and throttle down to about half throttle. The plane should slow down and start to loose altitude. Make any final adjustments and drop the throttle to about one-quarter. When the plane is just inches off the ground, kill the throttle. Your plane should glide in for a soft landing.