| There is no more exciting experience than having a | | | | wood kits and they may require some additional |
| bunch of parts built together into a flying remote | | | | work on your side before you can assemble the |
| control airplane - especially if you do it all yourself. Of | | | | plane. |
| course building an RC model is more involved than | | | | The tools required |
| building most of the other types of model airplanes - | | | | Some easy laser-cut plastic kits do not require any |
| probably only the scale models can beat them. | | | | tools except a turnscrew and some glue. You may |
| Most hobbyists don't really build remote control | | | | need quite small and precious turnscrew however, |
| airplanes from scratch. It's too hard because of the | | | | especially for the electronics and the engine. |
| electronics needed. Of course if you are a radio | | | | If you work with machine-cut or die-cut wooden |
| enthusiast or an engineer you may have the chance | | | | parts you will need sandpaper to fine the corpse, |
| to create the remote control system yourself, but | | | | wings and other parts. |
| most people won't do it. | | | | The glue is often included in the kits but if it is not or |
| That's why there are kits. In fact before | | | | if you have to buy additional, pick appropriate glue |
| almost-ready-to-fly and ready-to-fly model airplanes | | | | for your materials. The carpenter's yellow glue is best |
| appeared, all the RC models were sold only like that - | | | | for wood, while silicone or canopy glue are better for |
| in kit form. | | | | plastic and fibreglass kits. |
| Types of Kits | | | | At the end you will want to paint your remote |
| All kits are similar - they contain parts which you | | | | control airplane. The plastic kits often come already |
| should build together. What is different is the material | | | | painted, but that's never the case with wood. Before |
| of the parts. One of the best choices is wood - | | | | painting you may want to apply a technique called |
| usually balsa which is light and strong. | | | | dry-brushing. It creates a realistically looking model |
| Nowadays materials like plastic, fibreglass and foam | | | | airplanes. Sometimes dry brushing and painting are the |
| are getting more popular. I have yet to see a kit | | | | most important things to do if you want your |
| with metal parts, but some very light metal could be | | | | airplane to look good. |
| a good option. | | | | Of course the most important characteristic of the |
| When choosing a kit, check out how it is cut. The | | | | remote controlled airplanes is that they can fly and |
| laser-cut kits are easy to assemble and the models | | | | that you can control their flight. So when finishing |
| created from them are precious. Other types of kits | | | | your kit you must be careful not to disturb some of |
| are machine cut and die cut. Such are usually the | | | | the fine details of the electronics or the engine. |