Everyone has always been happy about watching artificial machines fly through the sky. This gladness and enthusiasm gave many people the desire to own an aircraft or an airplane. While owning an actual plane may not be very practical for many people, owning a mini plane or a toy airplane is always the option. A miniature model of a real plane for hobbyists and enthusiasts. Among the most popular versions of these toys are radio-controlled airplanes or RC planes. RC planes are mini planes controlled by an operator using a radio transmitter. The transmitter is in charge of transmitting signals that connect with the receiver inside the mini-plane. The motion of the plane will depend on the movement of the joystick on the controller. The number of people playing with RC planes grew substantially in 2000 during the introduction of new technologies and materials. Since then, the development of planes of more models and styles of RC planes has increased, and among the latest models include the Nitro Radio Controlled Planes. So, what are Nitro Radio Controlled Planes, and what makes them different from ordinary RC planes?
Understanding Radio Controlled Planes
Before we know more about the Nitro RC plane, let us first try to understand the basics – starting with the ordinary Radio-Controlled Plane. Whether you’re an enthusiast or want to buy an RC plane, you’ll notice that there is simply a wide array of RC planes over the market. Knowing this, you’ll have a difficult time finding the right plan that suits your particular needs. You’ll also find out that asking the retailer directly about the best plan for your needs is not practical as they will only direct you to what they have in store and what they want to sell you – instead of what you want according to your needs. If you’re not too careful, you’ll get a faulty or low-quality RC plane.
An RC Plane, as defined earlier, is a small flying aircraft that operates by remote control. The remote control transmits the signal to the receiver that incorporates within the plane. The remote control comes with a joystick and all other control features that maneuver the aircraft’s movement.
The RC plane is powered either by fuel or electricity. Among the most popular fuel used for RC planes today is Nitro fuel (which we will discuss in a bit). However, the majority of RC plane models today use electricity because it is simply cleaner and lighter. Electric-powered RC planes have a more lightweight body and have a motor that runs quietly. Unfortunately, fuel-powered RC planes, particularly gas-powered RC planes, are more robust, heavy, and are louder. The good thing, however, is that it imitates the realistic sound of a real airplane. Another downside to fuel-powered planes is the consistent maintenance it requires – it’s as if you’re maintaining a real aircraft. While many people dread this thing about fuel-powered airplanes, real enthusiasts love it.
RC planes come in a wide variety of models and styles, even in different eras or ages. Hobbyists and enthusiasts take pleasure in creating and manufacturing rare and vintage models and integrating them with designs and details to make the model more realistic.
You can sell these miniature planes in the market as ready-to-fly, or you can use them as operated immediately right out of the box. However, depending on the model and the plane’s components, making the plane through a kit can be pretty challenging – especially if you’re not familiar with the actual plane parts, concepts, aerodynamics, and functions. If you’re looking to assemble it from a kit, it would be wise to ask for help from an experienced RC plane assembler or someone knowledgeable about RC planes or actual planes.
So, what is a Nitro Radio Controlled plane?
RC glow fuel or nitro fuel is a unique fuel used on planes and other engines, whether for cars, boats, or aircraft. It is composed of three ingredients consisting of methanol, Castor oil, and Nitromethane. The “Nitro” term got its name from the Nitromethane ingredient, which is the main ingredient that causes the reaction of the fuel.
An engine fueled by Nitro fuel makes use of a glow plug which ignites the nitro fuel along with the air mixture. As the engine starts, the glow plug will be heated using an electric current, and then a combination of heat and catalytic action will ignite the fuel to run the machine.
Flying nitro radio-controlled planes
First of all, if you’re looking to fly or play with a nitro radio-controlled plane, you’ll need an awful lot of budget. It is a costly hobby because it uses expensive parts, engines, maintenance, and upkeep, and it requires an open field where you can fly the plane. It is especially true if you are looking to assemble the aircraft on your own and make modifications to the plane. So, if you’re looking to create the plan on your own, here are a few things you need to consider.
First, you’ll need a plane model that you can copy or refer to for your assembly. You must buy it along with the parts as well as radio equipment for your plane. Furthermore, since you’ll be using nitro fuel, you’re going to need this type of fuel itself, along with batteries that you may use later on as you piece together your plane engine. As you assemble your plane, make sure to follow the guide or the manual. If you’re creating the plane for the first time, it would be best to ask the help of an experienced assembler or someone who has good knowledge about planes. By asking for help from someone knowledgeable, you can significantly lessen the amount of work and time for the assembly.
After you’ve finished the assembly of your nitro radio-controlled plane, the next thing to consider is the place where you want to fly your aircraft. In this regard, open space would be practical, with no obstructions or structures on which the plane may crash. Additionally, you don’t want to fly during a rainy day or foggy atmosphere – make sure it’s a clear sky for you to be able to view the plane as it passes. Also, avoid a windy day as the wind may cause turbulence to the aircraft and enable it to crash or even malfunction in midair.
Then on the day of flying your plane, you need to run a final check before starting the engine. An RC plane is costly, so you don’t want to forget to make the last check. Among the things you may want to check to include the landing gear, connections from the engine and fuel supply, batteries, motor, and other components.
How to choose the best Nitro Radio Controlled plane for your needs
Now that you know pretty much everything about Nitro Radio Controlled planes, how can you get your hands on the right one? Here are a few things to consider for getting a Nitro RC plane that is best suited for your needs.
Regardless if you’re an enthusiast, a beginner modeler, or someone experienced in RC planes, you should permanently not settle for the looks or the exterior whenever buying one. Furthermore, you should not rely on the retailer to talk you out of buying an RC plane for you – you should be the one who knows enough of what kind of RC you need. The first consideration you want to bear in mind when buying your ideal RC plane is the cost. Having a definite budget range will allow you to limit your number of choices in the market. There are simply a ton of RC planes available in the market, and it is hard to go through them one-by-one. However, if you have a budget set in mind, you’ll be able to narrow down your available choices. By placing your budget beforehand, you can also plan for any future alterations, modifications, as well as remodeling ventures for your plane. Whenever you buy an RC plane, there will be vast chances of upgrading them or remodeling them simply because you want your aircraft to look more relaxed and work better than others with the same model. So, make sure you have set a good range of budget for your Nitro RC plane. The more accessories, features, and functions you want out of your RC plane, the more you’ll have to spend on it.
Next is to go with RC planes that you can use on the go. It means you should be able to use the aircraft right from the purchase, and you don’t need to perform the assembly yourself. A good advantage of having the plane already assembled by the manufacturer or retailer is that it reduces the chances of the faulty group when doing the assembly yourself. Furthermore, no one is more capable of assembling the plane than the manufacturers themselves. The manufacturers and retailers have the necessary knowledge and the tools and equipment to piece together the plane and make it work right away. If you consider assembling the plane on your own and later on realize that you’ve forgotten to use one tiny screw – you’ll know that your aircraft could end up in a mess. Unless you’re an expert in assembling a plane, always consider RC planes that you can use immediately. Another great advantage of using RC planes on the go would be testing them out right away. If you’re buying from the shop, you can immediately test it outright from the shop – this would allow the retailer or vendor to see if their product works and has no problem. In case there is any problem, you can return it or have it replaced.
Expensive RC planes may not be the best option for a beginner or someone trying the hobby for the first time. Flying RC planes takes skills, knowledge about flying, and techniques that you can hone through experience and many times of flying in the open. If you’re planning to fly an RC plane for the first time, it would be best not to invest in expensive ones right away. As you learn to fly an RC plane for the first time, you’ll experience a few bumps on the take-off and landing, as well as a few crashes to master the art of flying the small machine. In addition, you’ll also have to experience how to maintain the RC plane – which is much more complicated than learning how to fly it. Should you fail to keep the plane, you may end up with costly repairs and even replacements. So, start with the elemental RC plane, which focuses only on the essential functions and controls. Choose an RC plane that is easy to fly as well as easy to maintain for beginners. On the other hand, if you’re an experienced RC plane hobbyist and have already had owned a few RC planes, you can go all out with the advanced and more complicated models. Of course, the more complex or advanced the RC plane is, the more costly it gets.
Next is the weight of the plane. As you may have already known, the importance of the aircraft plays a considerable role in getting the RC plane in the air. Ideally, the lighter plane is the better option; however, you would also have to consider the engine or motor of the aircraft. Some plane engines and motors weight significantly; however, enough power to neutralize their weight imperfection has. In this regard, you’d want a plane that can counter its problem with the weight with a good engine or motor. The engine or motor should live the plane without a problem and can push the plane midair. Another advantage of choosing a lighter RC plane would be for portability purposes. You don’t want to carry a heavy plane every time you go to the park or out in the open. Also, heavy parts and components such as the wings of the plane can cause damage and wear on the other parts of the aircraft, which can cause total failure for the plane in the long run.
Also, a fast RC plane is not always the best plane. Many first-time RC plane hobbyists and enthusiasts always look for speed in their aircraft. While a short RC plane may be an excellent option for someone looking to use the plane for a race, it’s not very practical for the regular hobbyist or enthusiast. Your main goal as an enthusiast would be to get the aircraft off the ground and marvel at the plane as it moves in the air. Making it move faster can easily be fixed later on as you upgrade your plane to faster ones or make modifications and upgrades to the parts to achieve the speeds you want.
Furthermore, you’d like to make sure that the plane can slow down, especially during landings. The most crucial time when flying a plane is the landing since it presents possibilities for engine failures and even crashes. The slower the plane is, the easier it is maneuvered or controlled for a safe landing.
The next thing to consider out of your ideal RC plane is its maintenance. Is it easy to maintain, repair, and clean even for a beginner? These things should be inquired directly from the retailer or vendor to ensure that you’ll know what you’ll be doing. Furthermore, you may want to ask about the maintenance yourself since you won’t be able to rely on an expert all the time. At times, you’ll be flying on your own, and it would be handy to know how to fix issues with the plane.
Adding to the maintenance, you will also need to ask about the services or warranty offered for your RC plane. Many vendors and retailers assist with a few extra bucks. While spending on these additional services and charges may cost you ridiculously, it ensures that your plane runs smoothly every time it flies, and it lasts for a long time. The warranty can also help you avoid unnecessary expenses and fees whenever the plane gets any issues.
Last but not least is the always ask an expert to help you out with your RC plane purchase. There is no better and more reliable recommendation than someone who has flown these kinds of planes themselves and has actually maintained, repaired, remodeled, and even damaged or destroyed it themselves. If you don’t know of any expert to give you advice whenever buying an RC plane, it won’t hurt to spend for an expert opinion. Many experienced RC plane hobbyists and enthusiasts are willing to lend their opinion and guidance with a few extra bucks.