The New Age of Electric R/C

The Realization of a Dreamthe engine's muffler. The landing gear was severely
Since I was probably old enough to hold a transmitterbent and the engine would have to be completely
in my tiny hands, I have been an avid fan of radiobroken down, cleaned, and tested before there
control hobbies. As a kid growing up, I mostlywould ever be another flight. I gathered all of my
tinkered with R/C cars and trucks. But almost 20gear, picked up my plane, and left the small field that
years ago, as I was nearing the end of my teens, Iwas supposed to have been my field of dreams. It
got an itch to start flying. Actually, I wanted to buywas there that my airplane was supposed to defy
an ultralight aircraft, but not having an extra $10,000logic and gravity. It was there that I was to take this
put a hold on that idea. I would need a substitutecomposition of wood and glue and metal and master
that was more economical for a young man of mythe elements as it soared through the late afternoon
age. Not sure where this new venture would takeskies. It was here that my new plane would see its
me, I headed to my local hobby shop to buy my firstfirst and its last flight.
R/C plane.Coming to Terms
Upon entering the hobby shop, I was overwhelmedTwenty years later I still have that little orange plane.
with choices. How many channels, what size engine,I have since repaired the damaged landing gear, but
what type of radio, do I get a kit or alreadythe plane has never left the confines of my home.
assembled model? After getting some advice fromAfter all of the hours I poured into creating that
the salesman behind the counter, I settled on abeautiful little aircraft, it was too horrifying to
2-channel kit trainer that ran on a Cox .049 glow fuelcontemplate what I would do if something worse, a
engine.crash resulting in complete destruction, ever occurred.
When I got home, I immediately opened the kit as ISo, I protected my creation, keeping it from possible
was anxious to get started. Inside the box wereharm.
dozens of pre-cut balsa and plywood sheets, woodTwenty years later I now also own my own Internet
blocks and the building plans. I again found myselfhobby shop, RC Hobby Explosion. But times and R/C
overwhelmed when I opened the plans for thehobbies have changed dramatically. Now the beginner
airplane, which looked a lot like an architect'shas options that weren't available on my fateful day.
blueprints. Ready for the challenge, though, I set upToday, novice pilots don't have to spend 100 or
my work table, got my hobby knives, glue, andmore hours building a trainer to learn to fly. They
accessories and embarked on a project that would,don't have to worry about the know-how needed to
unbeknownst to me, throw many curves beforeoperate fuel-based glow engines. We are in the age
completion.of electric R/C, and there are literally hundreds of
For the next several weeks, I spent hours each dayready-to-run electric R/C airplanes that can be
working to build my first aviation masterpiece.purchased for less than a hundred bucks and require
Precision was everything - every piece had to belittle more than the charging of a battery. Parts are
flawless and I trimmed and sanded each to matcheasy to get and inexpensive for these planes, so a
the specifications perfectly. During this time, I wascrash may hit your rainy day fund for a few bucks,
introduced to terms like roll, center of gravity, trailingbut it won't put you in therapy.
edges and stiffners. I learned how to install radioDon't misunderstand me, though: Kit planes and
systems, balance the plane, and applyfuel-based engines still have their place in the R/C
MonoKoteÂ(R) covering with a sealing iron andworld, but they are much better suited for pilots who
heat gun. When that long-awaited day arrived andhave earned their flying wings and can comfortably
my bright orange 2-channel aircraft was ready, I hadtoss into the wind a creation that has bonded in
logged a total of almost 140 building hours. That planesome way with their sensitive psyches. That said,
had bonded with me and became a part of my soul.with the advent of more powerful electric engines
The engine and radio had been tested, so it wasand high-quality lithium polymer batteries, even many
time for the final step - my first test flight.of the pros are gravitating toward electric R/C. This
A 4-Second Definition of "Simple"newfound power has brought on a whole new
I carried my gearbox, fuel bottle and shiny newgeneration of larger-scale electric aircraft. As this
airplane to a small open field just behind mytechnology develops, electric R/C will continue to
neighborhood. My hands were shaking. I was nervoustake a bigger share of the R/C market. Pilots like less
partly because I was venturing into the unknown, butmess and clutter, which translates into more time
also because I was about fulfill what had developeddoing what they love most - flying.
into a dream - a dream that had become a nearFortunately for me, I never gave up my dream of
obsession, occupying every moment of my spareflying. What started as a child is a part of me, and I
time.now pass this love onto my kids and my customers.
I took a few minutes to re-test my radio and then IAnd hardly a week goes by that I don't have a
filled the fuel tank, hooked up the battery to thefascinated customer ask me for advice on what is a
glow plug, and started the engine. After adjusting thegreat first plane. Fortunately for them, I have much
reed valve and setting the speed, I picked up mymore experience now and a multitude of options to
plane, held the transmitter in my left hand and gaveoffer that the salesman I bought from twenty years
the plane a toss into the wind.ago didn't have. Hardly a week also goes by that I
I have played the next 4 seconds over in my mind adon't have a customer buying parts tell me his
thousand times or more. What I had envisioned asemotional airplane crash story. When I hear these
the simple flying of an airplane quickly turned into astories, I am always taken back to my sad day in
disaster. When I tossed the plane into the wind, Ithe small field behind my house. But I am comforted,
pointed the nose too high. A small gust grabbed theknowing that most of my customers aren't taking
plane, taking the plane into a perfect loop. I havetheir nose dives and poorly executed loops as
since learned that loops are fun, but they are not toseriously as I did mine. They know that repairs are
be executed when the plane is at an altitude of lesscheap and just a few shipping days away.
than 15 feet. I pulled back fully on the left stick,Michael Roberts is the President and owner of RC
trying with my limited expertise to pull the nose upHobby Explosion, an online hobby superstore and
as the plane came out of the loop. But the groundauthorized dealer for Venom RC, Megatech, Nikko,
caught the landing gear hard, and the incredibleand Erector. RC Hobby Explosion carries nitro and
amount of momentum that was generated in thoseelectric remote control cars, airplanes, trucks, boats
brief seconds caused the plane to flip end over end aand helicopters, and these products are supported by
couple of times before coming to a complete stop.a giant parts department. RC Hobby Explosion also
I rushed over to that shiny new part of my soul,provides a drop-ship/resale program that benefits
which now looked old, battered and filthy. Dirt fromboth Internet and brick and mortar hobby shops.
the field filled the cowl and had made its way into