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