Types of RC Airplanes

Of the many types of RC airplanes available, find out what interests you the most. There are those that you can fly inside your house, and some are darn near as big as your house!

There are cheap RC airplanes as well as very expensive ones. Some are designed for beginners while others require years of experience to fly.

Some can be flown in your backyard while others require very large open spaces. No matter how much experience you have or what type of airplane you desire, I guarantee there is an airplane out there with your name on it!

Park Flyers

Park flyers are small electric powered airplanes that can be flown just about everywhere. Many come ready to fly right out of the box. Others require some assembly. These types of RC airplanes are a great for learning how to fly!

They are cheaper and more durable than balsa type airplanes. I personally learned to fly with a park flyer. I went through several sets of wings in the process. If you choose to learn with a park flyer make sure there are spare parts available, because you will need them.

Park flyers aren't just for beginners, there's a wide selection of park flyers including ultra fast flying wings!

The beauty of park flyers is that they can be flown safely just about anywhere. This is really convenient if you don't live near a flying field. They require much less equipment and accessories than other types of RC airplanes.

Click here for more examples of park flyers

Trainer Airplanes

These types of RC airplanes are specifically designed for beginners. Trainers are generally larger airplanes usually constructed from balsa wood.

Trainers can be powered with either an electric motor or nitro-powered engine.

Hanger 9's Alpha

Trainers are definitely not toys and can be very dangerous if not respected. It's absolutely crucial that you have assistance from an experienced pilot when learning to fly with a trainer. Trainers come as Kits, RTF, and ARF forms.

Sport Airplanes

After you have mastered your trainer it is time to move on to a more challenging airplane. There are a wide variety of sport aerobatic airplanes to choose from.

Most sport type planes are low wing airplanes that are capable of all kinds of aerobatic maneuvers.

Some sport planes are very stable, only a small step up from a trainer while others are very unstable and capable of some killer aerobatics.

Most sport planes can be flow with either a glow engine or an electric motor. With today's technology it's really a personal preference.

Micro RC Airplanes

Micro RC airplanes are small enough to be flown in small gymnasiums or warehouses. It's a blast to fly these little guys indoors, especially if your buddies are flying at the same time!

When flying indoors you can fly year around regardless of what the weather is like outside! It goes without saying that these types of RC airplanes are always powered by electric motors.

These types of RC airplanes require specially designed tiny servos, receivers, and batteries. These incredibly small parts really drove up the cost of these airplanes when they first became available. Prices have since come down considerably.

Scale RC Airplanes

These types of RC airplanes are replicas of full scale airplanes. Some folks put forth an enormous amount of time and effort in replicating every tiny detail of a the full-scale counterpart.

As a matter of fact, from a distance it's nearly impossible to tell some of these planes are even models.

And some scale planes are nearly as large as full scale planes!

Great Planes "Christen Eagle II"

Well, maybe that's a stretch, but Giant Scale RC airplanes can be ridiculously huge and awesome to watch!

Jet RC Airplanes

If you want an airplane that is unbelievably awesome then you want to get a jet! These types of RC airplanes fly extremely fast and require a tremendous amount of skill and experience.

If you're goal is to fly jets the best approach is to start with an electric powered ducted fan jet and work your way up to fastes and more powerful jets. A jet of any type will spell disaster for a new pilot, so make sure you know how to fly RC before moving on to jets.

The picture to the right is of a genuine turbine powered RC jet! These turbine engines alone can costs thousands of dollars, not counting the cost of the airplane and electronics.

But wow, these are truly are a site to see! They look and sound just like a full scale jets. They even use jet fuel!