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Radio Controlled Airplanes
Flying R/C Planes: The Good Old Days & Now
In it's early
days, radio-controlled flight, as a phenomenon, was a fairly simple thing to
study or talk about. It did not involve nearly as many people, in as many
different places, as it does now. There were not that many options to choose
from, although experimentation and invention has always been the central core of
rc flying.
This is not to
imply that "in the good ol' days" of rc flight, the activity itself was all that
simple.
 In those early
decades, tinkering with radio-controlled aircraft was anything but a simple
activity. Especially in the very beginning. Requiring many hours (as in weeks
or months) of preparation, design (and redesign), construction, trial and error,
many would-be pilots did very little actual flying. The planes usually had to
be built (often from one's own adaptations and designs) from the ground up.
Most of the parts had to also be fashioned on the fly at home, as they were not
available in hobby stores or mail-order houses. Every plane was truly unique.
Even many of the engines were unique, often built by the flyer himself or by
someone he knew. Props were crafted and refined by hand: shaped, tested,
adjusted, tested and modified again — until they either broke in a crash or did
their job.
In time, of
course, things changed, as they always do. More and more successful planes were
reproduced as plans, and then as kits. Common parts and building materials also
became available. Control linkage, engines, wheels, props, radios, all sorts of
necessary parts began to find their way into the marketplace, and their greater
availability helped to expand the rc market. As the exciting challenge of
building and flying a model airplane became easier, more people were drawn to
the hobby.
Today, the
entire experience of rc flight is very, very different.
Today
electric-powered planes, gas-powered planes, glow-powered planes, and countless
ready-built and ready-to-fly rc planes are available just about everywhere.
Department stores, huge discount stores, most toy stores, many electronic
stores, and even local supermarkets have joined hobby stores in carrying
radio-controlled aircraft.
This is not to
say or imply that the quality of r/c planes offered in most stores is where it
needs to be for serious r/c fun. The vast majority of rc products offered in
today's market leave a lot to be desired. But the products are out there.
Even a casual
glance at the world wide web shows that the same kind of "global" availability
exists here on the Internet. Type "rc plane" in a search box, and over 8
million sites show up on Google alone. Granted, not all the results shown are
merchant sites. But many are.
It might seem
like almost everyone is selling some kind of radio-controlled airplane or flying
machine. Again, the quality is lacking in many of these products. But anyone
can see that rc flying has definitely entered the mainstream of recreational
activity. More people are flying radio-controlled aircraft today that at any
other time in history. (Even the government is successfully and consistently
using more rc aircraft today than ever before.)
But in some ways
the serious hobby of radio-controlled flight may be faltering.
The majority of
rc flying enthusiasts of today are not builders, at least not by choice. (The
reconstruction of crashed aircraft is another matter.) Fewer and fewer know the
first thing about aerodynamics, about what makes a plane fly and what can be
done to improve its ability to fly. Not that the knowledge is hidden away
somewhere. The Internet makes such knowledge easier than ever to find. But
many simply buy a box off a shelf and head for the beach or park.
As already
mentioned, in the early days there tended to be more builders of
radio-controlled aircraft than successful flyers. Some builders simply had a
difficult time getting their planes in the air and keeping them there. In fact,
getting a plane to fly was often something of a group effort, as fellow rc
pilots would help new guys locate the problems. That fact has not changed so
much, among those who build their own planes. Then as now, people were willing
to help each other out, so that everyone could enjoy the thrill of successful rc
flight.
Most rc planes
today are sold as RTF (ready-to-fly) planes. Yet a good number are still sold
as ARF (almost-ready-to-fly) or ARC (almost-ready-to-cover) kits. And then
there are the more basic kits and, of course, plans. This is not to say that
many rc pilots are not building their own planes. Some are even designing their
own planes. But the ratio has greatly shifted, as to the rc flyers who never
build and the rc pilots who construct their own airplanes.
Perhaps the best
part of this story is that there are still excellent manufacturers and suppliers
making plans, kits, parts and accessories available to those who want to build
or modify their own plane. Lots of good products are still made in America, in
England, France, Japan, Australia, and other parts of the free world. China has
also become a serious supplier of model airplanes, parts, and accessories.
You can still
design and construct your own plane from scratch, or build from a tested and
proven plan, shape your own parts from balsa, ply, aluminum, or any of several
composite materials. You can build your own engine, if you choose to, carve
your own prop, and do just about everything yourself. The knowledge, tools, and
special equipment are all out there. Or you can buy a good kit, find a good
pre-built engine or electric motor, buy the perfect prop for your application,
and assemble your own plane that way.
In today's world
of rc flight, you can be just as involved in the design and construction of your
radio-controlled model plane as you want to be. You can save money or save time
— or maybe even save both. If all you want to do is fly, you can do that, too.
Although you will more than likely still need to do some reconstructive work,
from time to time. Crashes will happen. And you will always benefit from
learning as much as you can about what makes flying possible, and how you can
improve your techniques (and your plane) to increase flight time and reduce down
time.
And with all the
rc flight help and discussion groups available out there, all the "how-to" and
otherwise informative magazine articles, manufacturer's instruction and tip
sheets, and the relatively low cost of available and proven materials, you can
just about be assured of flying success, even if rc building and/or flying
doesn't come naturally to you.
For many r/c
flyers, these are the very best of the "good ol' days" that they'll be talking
about for generations to some.
Jim Sutton
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