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Types of Airplanes
Practically every full-size airplane that’s ever graced the skies has also been reproduced as an R/C model. That’s one of the hobby’s biggest draws. Though most of us will never actually pilot an Air Force Thunderbird or Blue Angel, we CAN fly an R/C model that looks exactly like one!
Of course, real jet pilots go through a tremendous amount of training before they’re qualified to handle such a powerful machine. Again, there’s a parallel in the R/C world. Some models are just too demanding for beginners to fly successfully.
When you browse through Tower’s airplane offerings or visit your local airfield, you’ll see R/C models that fit into all of the following groups. Stick with the hobby and eventually, you’ll be able to take your pick from them all—and it’ll be some other newcomer whose jaw drops when YOU take off!
Trainers
R/C Trainers, with their high wing mounting and flat-bottom airfoils, are specifically designed for first-time modelers. They fly slowly, giving you extra time to think and react. If you momentarily lose control, you can simply release the transmitter sticks—your trainer will return to straight, level flight. Trainers also have a very slow stall speed, which means that their wings can generate enough lift to stay aloft even when just creeping along. Kit versions deliberately avoid complex building techniques, and many trainers are available in prebuilt form.
Bipes (Biplanes)
A staple of aerobatic airshows, two-winged biplanes never fail to win over an audience. R/C versions deliver the same “barnstorming” performance, making them a favorite of experienced hobbyists who are in the mood for something different.The lure of the bipe is something that most sport fliers experience at least once. And building an extra wing is a small price to pay for the pleasure of flying a small piece of aviation history.
Indestructibles
If there’s an R/C equivalent to Superman, Man of Steel, this is it...not so much a type of plane as a type of construction. While many R/C models are built of wood or foam, “indestructibles” are made of tougher stuff. Ultra-durable FlightFlex planes, for example, have and airframe and wing made of built-up EPP foam that allow the plane to keep flying, even after many crashes! They’re easy to assemble and great for practicing your aerobatic skills.
Scale
Scale models recreate full-size aircraft. Some are intended only to look reasonably close to the real thing. Deviations are made to keep assembly and performance within the abilities of a particular skill level. Then again, there are also scale kits created expressly for very serious craftsmen. The reward, after plenty of painstaking effort, is a model that’s nearly a photo-perfect reproduction of the real plane. Scale kits are not for first-timers, but the Great Planes Cap 232 shown here can be an exciting “next step” after you’ve built and mastered a trainer.
Warbirds
A sub-category of Scale Models, R/C warbirds bring dogfight excitement directly to your local flying field! Some of aviation’s greatest advances came during war years—and some of the most colorful plane nicknames, too (such as “Whispering Death” and “Butcher Bird”). Through R/C warbirds, experienced modelers can join their love of history with their favorite hobby.
Giant Scale
Giant Scale models, like the name suggests, combine lifelike detail with immense size—imagine controlling a model whose wing spans as much as seven feet or more! As you'd expect, such aircraft are higher priced and demand a great deal of time, patience and skill...they are not for beginners.
Sport Models
Generally, Sport Models are any planes designed to perform aerobatic maneuvers. Most have wings mounted at the middle or bottom of the fuselage, and symmetrical airfoils—meaning that the top and bottom surfaces of the wing are curved to allow greater maneuverability, at the expense of the stability that first-time fliers require. “Sport Trainers” are available that combine characteristics of basic trainers (such as a wing mounted above the fuselage) with sport planes (such as a semi-symmetrical airfoil). These make a good “step up” after you’ve mastered your basic trainer.
FlatOuts
FlatOuts are lightweight, fun aircraft for spur-of-the-moment flying and perfecting 3D aerobatics! They're quick-building, inexpensive and they can perform extreme maneuvers both indoors and out. Unlike the tape and glue that flat foam planes from other makers use, FlatOuts have a complete line of innovative hardware the comes with every model. The 3mm thick foam is reinforced with carbon fibers rods for extra strength and to ensure straight-and-sure building — resulting in planes that are flat out fabulous to fly!
Park Flyers
If you want to fly -- but without a lot of effort or special flying site requirements -- Park Flyers are the answer! They offer all the fun and excitement of larger R/C airplanes, but in a smaller size that has several advantages. They're very affordable. Kit assembly is quick and easy (some Park Flyers also come in ARF form and can be flight-ready in just 10-12 hours). Because of their compact size and clean, quiet electric power, you can fly them almost anywhere: at a park, in a football field, or even in your own backyard.* How well do they fly? With recent advances in electric technology -- and the use of ultralight materials for construction -- Park Flyers perform like champions!
*To ensure safe operation, always fly Park Flyers at a site at least five miles away from established radio-control flying parks.
Sailplanes
R/C sailplanes ride on rising masses of warm air, called “thermals.” Their slow flying speed and stability makes them a good choice for first-time hobbyists. The challenge is learning to locate those invisible thermals and use them to your advantage. Some sailplanes are equipped with “power pods” (electric motors) for easy, powered launches. Others are launched by tossing them from a hill or slope...by using a slingshot-like device called a hi-start...or by towing them in a fashion similar to launching a kite. See the sailplane section for more information on this type of plane.
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