I.R.C.S. FAQ

I'm interested in R/C Aircraft. Where should I begin?
      Come on out to our flying field in Enfield to see what it is all about. Here are the directions to our field. You are also invited to come out to our monthly meeting, usually held the first Wednesday of each month at the Ithaca Flying Club.. Click here for more info about meetings.

OK, I want to buy a plane and radio system. What should I get, and where do I get it?
Your best source of information is from IRCS members, and your local hobby shop. Unfortunately, there are no R/C hobby shops in Ithaca. The closest one is GJ's in Vestal. There are also many companies through which you can mail order or order on the internet.

Here are the most basic pieces of information for the beginner:

Planes:

A beginner should start with a high-wing "trainer" aircraft. These aircraft are inherently stable in the air, and are relatively easy to fly. There are many good trainers available these days. These range from ARF (almost ready to fly) aircraft, which only require final assembly and radio installation (5-20 hours) to complete kits requiring a considerable amount of construction work (>50 hours). These days, most of the ARF planes are remarkably well made, and should be very seriously considered as a first plane. The great advantage of ARFs is that you can be in the air relatively quickly, and you won't be so "attached" to the model that you are afraid to fly it. It is important to realize that very few new flyers, even with expert assistance, master the art of flying without getting at least a few dents and scrapes on their plane. Most new modellers will start with a high wing aircraft having a wingspan of 50-70", powered by a two cycle engine having a displacement of around 0.40 cubic inches. Such planes are convenient to carry even in fairly small cars, yet are large enough to easily see on a cloudy day.

Radios:

For a trainer, you will want 4 channels. Each channel controls a specific function. For a trainer, these functions are:

1. Engine Throttle
2. Elevator
3. Ailerons
4. Rudder/Nosegear


Probably 80% of the planes that you will see at the field, including those flown by experienced pilots, are 4-channel models. However, you will occasionally see planes with additional control functions. Possible additional functions (each requiring one channel) are:

5. Retractable Landing Gear
6. Flaps
7. Fuel mixture
8. Lights
9. Smoke system
10. Payload release


Probably >95% of the planes that you will see will have no more than 6 channels. So although you certainly want at least 4 channels, it is unlikely that you will need more than 6, at least in the first few years. In choosing a radio, you should ask an IRCS member about which frequencies (assigned a number between 10 and 60) are least frequently used at our field. Since only one person can fly on a given frequency at a particular time, it is advantageous to choose an "uncommon" frequency. Also note that several frequencies (presently 47 and 48) are unusable in Ithaca due to interference problems and under no circumstances should be chosen. Here is additional information about frequency use at the IRCS field.

Computer radios are not certainly not required. However, these radios are typically only slightly more expensive than non-computer versions, and do provide very useful additional features such as channel mixing, which is useful for models with v-tails or "flying wings" which are now becoming very popular. Additional features such as servo throw adjustment, dual and exponential rate, as well as servo offset functions can be useful.

At the present time, the most popular brands are Futaba, Airtronics, and JR. During the training process, you will definitely want to use the "trainer cord" or "buddy box" feature. This allows your instructor to have primary control over the plane using the primary transmitter. By pressing a button on the primary transmitter, control may be transferred to a secondary transmitter operated by the student via a cable. If the student gets into trouble, the instructor simply releases the button to instantly regain control of the plane. This makes the training process MUCH easier on both student and pilot, as well as on the plane!

Check in advance to ensure that the radio to be purchased has this feature. The IRCS owns trainer cords and extra transmitters manufactured by Futaba and Airtronics, so it is not necessary for you to actually buy the cord.

Engines:

Choose an engine within the recommended range for your plane. As a general rule, it is probably best to choose an engine in the upper range of what is specified. You can always throttle down, but an underpowered plane should be avoided. Again, a .40 or .46 cubic inch displacement engine is most popular, and will be useful for many future aircraft. Two cycle (two stroke), rather than four cycle, is generally recommended because they are simpler and therefore less expensive. Most modellers will agree that O.S. engines are among the best in terms of ease of use and reliability, but many other manufacturers make very good engines as well.

Setting Up A Plane and the First Flights:

Rule number one is that you should NOT try to fly your plane on your own! Probably less than 10% of such attempts are successful. With a few exceptions, R/C aircraft should only be flown at dedicated fields. Many people find that the RC flight simulators running on personal computers, provide good background to flying. However, this is by no means necessary.

You should bring your plane out to the IRCS field (preferably on beginners night, Thursday) to have it checked out by an experienced modeller. If everything is found to be set up correctly, the first test flights may be made by an experienced flyer. Several IRCS members regularly help out newcomers as a service to the community and are willing to teach you how to fly. Although the most difficult part is landing, most people are able to solo after a fairly short training period.