RC Airplane Types - Trainers, Sport RC Planes, 3D Acrobat RC Airplanes, Jets & More

RC airplanes come in a few distinct categories. Each category generally emphasizes certain features or abilities while sacrificing others. Some of the fun in the RC airplane hobby comes from trying these types and discovering which is for you. Finally, tons of fun is the reward for figuring out which type you prefer and focusing on it.

The first type, because it is commonly a first rc airplane, is the trainer. The trainer is identified by the wing mounted high on the fuselage and quite a bit of dihedral – the angle between the two wing halves. It is designed to be stable, easy to fly, and simple to build. Examples of trainer r c planes are the Vortex, the Vortex Extreme, and the Multiplex Easy Star.

Often a pilot’s second rc airplane, the sport type, drops the wing to the middle or bottom of the fuselage and emphasizes performance. The airfoil thins out, the wing shrinks, and the fuselage is thinner, all in the name of increased performance and speed. These designs allow for aerobatic maneuvers, including inverted flight, knife edge flight, and snap rolls. An example of an rc airplane that crosses the gap between a trainer and a sport type is the Multiplex MiniMag.

Expanding the possibilities in aerobatic maneuvers are 3D acrobats. These r c planes are designed to fly at slower speeds, and to have incredible control surface authority. Often the control surfaces are as big as the flight surfaces! They are also built extremely light and given the strongest motors for mind-boggling performance, unrivaled in the full-scale world. An example of a 3D acrobatic rc airplane is the SX3 (Southern Cross 3).

Focused on speed and sometimes scale-appearance, jets are a thrilling rc airplane type. They are often powered by ducted-fans, or even miniature kerosene turbines. An example of a basic electric ducted fan jet is the Interactive Toy Concepts F-16 Falcon.

Vastly departed from the previously mentioned airplane types are the two final ones on our list, gliders and ornithopters. Gliders have long, thin wings and anorexic fuselages. They aim to stay in the air without power for as long as possible. Ornithopters generate their flying power by literally flapping their wings, like birds.

They’re all fun, but which one is for you?

To get more information see our next article, Fundamentals of the Sport / Hobby.

Go to Part 2 of 4 in this Series: Introduction to RC Airplanes »

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