For real planes, taking off is the easy the part; and the hard part is trying to land. However, just the opposite is true for Remote Control Airplanes. If you have your hands in the wrong position, your plane will not be steady. You need to make sure that your plane is balanced so it can takeoff correctly. Failing to do so will lead to your plane in the ground and you being frustrated. So try to make a couple of practice runs before actually doing the real thing. The more used to having the plane properly placed in your hands you are, the easier it will be to get your plane in the air. It may take two people to get your plane going until you fully master taking off. One person can hold the plane, while the other masters the controls. A Remote Control Airplane can be ruined if you do not take the time to learn how to take off properly. Now before you do get ready for takeoff, you want to be sure to go through your preflight checks listed below.
• Wing and tail securely fastened
• Control surfaces moving freely and correctly
• Motor operation correct
• Everything inside secure (no loose components)
• Radio control gear batteries OK
• Range check
Now that you have gone through your checklist, take a look at the diagram below to see the proper way to hold your plane for takeoff.
As you can see, you must place your finger tips under each wing. At the same time, you must make sure that the plane is correctly balanced. If the tail is hanging down too far, the plane will not takeoff properly. You want the plane hanging level or with the nose slightly forward. Using this technique will increase your chances of a successful take off.
If your plane takes off and looks like the picture above, you will know you have done something wrong. More than likely, you had your tail slanted too far back. After your RC model plane takes off like this, it is going to dive straight back down and crash into the ground. So make sure to take the proper steps to ensure that this does not happen. The plane below shows what your plane should look like right after take off.
Once you are in the air, there are several things to keep in mind. First and foremost, you want to keep an eye on the weather. If the wind starts to pick up and it looks like it might rain, you are going to want to land your plane immediately and head for shelter. You also want to keep an eye out for other RC jet planes in the area. Keeping a distance of 30 feet will ensure that your RC aircraft do not collide. Having both yours and someone else’s planes destroyed because you were flying too close to each other is going to leave both of you very unhappy. The picture below shows RC planes and helicopters that flying way too close to each other.
Okay, so now that you have made sure that the weather is okay and there are no other pilots nearby; feel free to open the plane up by going full throttle ahead. Be sure to stay close to your plane so you do not lose control of it. Once you do have your Remote Control Airplane at top speed, it should look something like this:
When you have had your fun and exhausted your battery, it is time to bring your Remote Control Airplanes in for a safe landing. Now, the best place to bring your plane in for a landing is an empty parking lot or basketball court. You do not want to try to land your plane in the grass unless you absolutely have to. The key to a successful landing is speed. You want to bring your mini RC plane in from about 50 feet away from your designated landing strip. When you get within 20 feet you want to slow the throttle down almost all the way and start to bring the plane down. Even if your plane does not land perfect, it should land in one piece if you follow these guidelines. Here is what your plane should look like when you are coming in for a landing:
If you do happen to experience a crash landing, be sure to quickly extinguish any flames. Take a look around and recover any pieces that may have broken off during the crash. Next, you are going to want to bring the plane back home and see if you can fix it by gluing it back together. If the pieces are completely ruined, you may have to order a replacement part. If it is beyond repair, you are just going to have to go and buy a new RC model aircraft. Although this is something that you do not want to have to do, it could give you the chance to pick out another airplane that might be better suited for you.
Remember, just going through these simple steps can prevent your Remote Control Airplane from looking like the one pictured above. Rescue efforts will not help much if your plane bursts into flames and is shattered into pieces. So be sure to take your time and follow these guidelines. This will help ensure that you and your plane are kept safe.
This is what your RC plane should look like after a successful landing. Once you have it back on the ground, be sure to look over your plane for any damage. If there is no damage, then clean your plane off and return it to its storage place to be charged up for next time. Following these easy guidelines will ensure safe flights from here on out. There is no worse feeling than seeing your expensive micro RC plane broken in half.