Taking Your First Flight with an RC Plane
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Children want to replicate as much of their parent’s life’s as possible and letting them play with RC toys is the closest they can get when it comes to operating vehicles. Who doesn’t want to be able to drive the car his dad drives or maybe even the plane? RC toys offer more than just that, they help promote an active lifestyle and they also help boost intellectual abilities. Your child won’t just play, they’ll also learn more about the history of a plane while improving on family bonds. Everyone can have fun flying a plane, even when it’s a remote-controlled replica of a real-life one.
Playing with RC toys will improve your kid’s hand-eye coordination which is vital for both their cognitive and physical abilities. Through play, you will also help teach your children responsibility. While this won’t show instant results, in the years to come they will surely develop a sense for it. RC planes may not be as simple to play with as wooden toys but they are a lot more fun once your kid gets the nack for them.
How to Fly a 4 Channel RC Plane
Pre-Flight Checks
The majority of model RC planes today rely on 4 channel remotes as they are the easiest to understand. But before you try and fly an RC airplane, you need to first perform pre-flight checks – just like a pilot does. It is essential for plane RC operated to check whether its wing and tail are fastened and if the prop is secured in place. Ensure that control surfaces are moving freely and that all servo horns and linkages are secure alongside motor operation. Lastly, do a range check.
Wind
Determining the speed of the wind can seem something that only an expert knows how to do, but in fact, it’s not that hard. Just tie a ribbon to the antenna on the remote and as long as it is at around 20° you can start flying, otherwise avoid flying at all.
Take-Off
Taking off with a plane RC operated is done by placing it on a smooth surface with no obstacles nearby. The plane needs to face the wind, with you standing right behind the plane. Then, push the motor stick smoothly to full power so that the plane accelerates along the ground. Right after you’ve done that, apply a small amount of elevation and the plane will start to take off from the ground.
You may need to use the rudder to keep the plane going in a straight line when taking off. If the wind is not as strong, then you probably won’t need to use the rudder. In case your RC airplane has no undercarriage or if it has small wheels, and you only have a wide grassy field to work with, then you will need to hand launch it. This is done by holding the plane at head height pointing it to the wind. With the motor to full power, launch the plane firmly in the air. Make sure it is level as it leaves your hand.
Flying Procedure
Once airborne, do not fly with the throttle up to 100%, as this will drain the battery and you won’t have enough power to land. The throttle should be kept at max only while taking off and you should reduce it to 50% when the plane reaches 60 meters in the air.
Be Careful
When controlling your plane in the air, make sure to be gentle and avoid making sudden turns. This can seem like it’s more fun but it can lead to mistakes that can easily crash and damage the plane. This will take some time getting used to, but once mastered, smooth flying is more interesting than rough flying.
Level
Wherever you’re flying, make sure that the aircraft is always level. This will prevent it from being as affected by the wind and suddenly turning to the right or left. With your plane parallel to the ground, you won’t have to worry about any of that. This will also give you the longest flying time.
Landing
When you notice the batter getting drained you’ll want to land the plane. This may seem like it’s harder to master than taking off, and it certainly is. There is no exact step-by-step guide on this, as all you need to do is slowly reduce the throttle until your plane lands smoothly on the ground. Make sure to find a good spot beforehand.
Practice
What’s important when learning anything new is to practice every day. No matter if it’s just landing, taking off or controlling your RC plane in the air. At first, things may seem impossible, but as time passes you will get better at both controlling the plane and figuring out its range. It’s best that you start flying your plane in circular patterns. This way you will get the longest flying time and get used to making turns, which will improve your ability to control it.
