Home >> Toys >> Toy Vehicles

How to Fly a RC Model Airplane

RC model airplanes use the same sorts of controls as real planes. On an RC plane, the rudder controls the yaw, turning the plane back and forth. The elevators control the pitch, angling the nose up and down to help the plane climb or descend. The ailerons make the airplane roll left or right, helping it turn. Although learning to fly can be a challenge, it will be a lot easier if you have the right sort of plane. An RC trainer is designed to fly slowly and be stable and forgiving, allowing a beginner to takeoff and land safely even if he makes a few mistakes.

Things You'll Need

RC plane
Controller

Instructions

Takeoff and Flying
- 1
  Place your plane on the ground facing directly into the wind on a flat, level surface such as concrete or short grass.
- 2
  Gradually increase the power from a stop to full throttle. The plane will start to increase in speed.
- 3
  Watch the plane as it cruises along the runway. Most RC planes will take off when they get enough speed. If your plane is not taking off, give it a slight bit of up elevator to get it off the ground. Do not increase the elevator sharply, as this will cause it to stall and crash.
- 4
  When the plane gets off the ground, angle the elevators slightly up if you haven't already. Keep climbing until you reach about 100 feet. This is a safe level to fly an RC plane at, since it is high enough to allow you to correct mistakes without crashing but low enough so that you can still see the plane.
- 5
  Decrease the throttle to between half and three-quarter power once you have climbed to a safe distance. Turn the airplane so it flies back toward you by turning the rudders and ailerons either left or right and pushing the elevator up slightly. Don't angle the plane to fly directly overhead, as this can be disorienting. Instead, turn it so that it flies by about 50 feet to the side of you.
- 6
  Level the plane out as it heads back toward you. If it appears to be descending, give it slightly more elevator. If it is climbing, decrease the elevators a bit.
- 7
  Turn in the opposite direction as in Step 5 so the airplane is flying away again. Level out and keep flying.
- 8
  Practice turning left and right and climbing and descending by moving the elevator for several minutes. Only use gradual maneuvers so that you can get used to the plane without accidentally crashing.
Landing
- 9
  Decrease your altitude until the plane is about 30 feet up by decreasing the throttle slightly and releasing the elevator to neutral.
- 10
  Turn your plane so that it passes in front of you going downwind. It should be about 170 feet in front of you when it passes.
- 11
  Turn the airplane again so that it turns back into the wind, while reducing the motor power to make the plane descend gradually. This will set up your landing.
- 12
  Keep the plane going in a straight line by turning the rudder left or right to correct any turning. Keep the elevators neutral. Slow the motor so the plane descends at a moderate pace.
- 13
  Once the airplane gets within about 5 feet from the ground, turn off the motor and apply a little bit of up elevator. This maneuver, called flaring, will slow the airplane as it lands.

Toy Vehicles