Build Your Next RC Model from an Airplane Kit
RC airplane kits provide a wide variety of flying models
Flying radio controlled model airplanes is a great hobby. Although I have many hours flying full scale military and civilian aircraft, there is a special pleasure in building an RC airplane kit and then flying the finished model.
The Sig Demoiselle is a unique airplane kit
First RC model airplanes
Practical radio control model airplanes appeared in the 1960s, when radio control equipment first became available for the home hobbyist. Virtually every RC model airplane flown in those early days was either constructed from one of the numerous RC airplane kits or was built from a set of plans. There were essentially no ready or almost ready to fly RC aircraft in those days.
The MicroScout is a fast building foam kit
As a result of the fact RC modelers had to build their own aircraft from a kit, there were literally hundreds of kits available to build just about any type of aircraft imaginable. All of the top RC airplane kits were very complete, with all the wood, plans and hardware needed to complete the model. The general level of building skill among RC pilots was high. One could find some very challenging projects that produced striking sport and scale aircraft models.
The wide assortment, high quality and affordability of RC airplane kits allowed for a varied line up at a typical RC club airfield. You would of course see a number of trainers and sport aircraft. There were many kits available of unique and rarely seen scale aircraft that added to the wide range of aircraft types flying.
One downside from hobbyists having to build their own aircraft from a kit was the time involved getting an RC model ready for flight. Typically, winter was the building period due to inclement outdoor flying weather. Pilots created new airplane models for the upcoming flying season and repaired those still in your fleet.
Guillow's Piper Super Cub balsa model airplane kit
Due to the lack of a convenient source of completed models, as we have today with the numerous Ready to Fly aircraft available on-line and at your local hobby shop, if you had the misfortune to lose one of your RC models during the flying season it was a problem. There was just no convenient way to quickly obtain a ready built replacement aircraft during these early days of the RC hobby.
Guillow's kits have vacu formed plastic parts to complete the model
Until quite recently, one needed a complete radio system for each model airplane. The technology did not yet exist to bind one transmitter to several different models. As radio systems were fairly expensive until the late 1990s, this had the effect of limiting the number of aircraft one typically owned.
Finding model airplane kits
Due to the wide acceptance and availability of ready to fly RC aircraft today, it can sometimes be a challenge today to even locate an airplane kit. Quality RC model airplane kits can still be found. The major hobby mail order houses offer these kits, as well as more specialized companies that use the internet to reach a wider audience of select modelers. E-Bay is a very active source of RC kits, to include some of the older classic kits that are no longer in production.
Micro RC gear installed
One interesting development regarding kits and radio control model airplanes is the advent of affordable micro RC control hardware and electric motors. The existence of a radio control set that weighed less than an ounce would have been unthinkable as recently as 2008. Yet today, these systems are readily available. A perfect example exists in the E-Flite Ultra Micro 4-Site biplane.
The 4-Site’s power and RC control package are ideal to take an existing micro airplane kit or free flight model and create a well flying radio control update. Modelers have always wanted to take these smaller models and incorporate radio control gear. This was just not possible until technology allowed the RC equipment to truly become miniaturized. You can even design your own RC plane for this micro control equipment, as I did with the Finch and Robin.
Balsa frame for the Fokker Triplane
Convert older designs to RC
Older free flight kits and model airplane plans can be easily resurrected as attractive and agile flyers, guided by these capable and powerful control systems. The line of Guillow’s balsa and tissue model aircraft has been an especially popular conversion subject. Guillow models come with plastic cowls and canopies that lead to an eye-catching finished model. You just have to ensure you replace and adapt the existing balsa structure as needed. Sometimes the original Guillow kits used heavier and denser balsa than is required for efficient flight.
One has to ponder for a moment what the original designers of these models would think upon seeing their model aircraft updated with the latest radio control guidance packages. I am sure they would be pleased and happily surprised at this unexpected but welcome advance in the world of RC airplane kits and plans.