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Let us take some of the stress out of holiday gift buying this season by giving you more time to qualify for price adjustments. Price adjustments on purchases are available 10/8/2022 until 12/25/22. If an item you buy has a price reduction before Christmas, we will credit the difference upon request, so you can shop confidently knowing your price is guaranteed.
All credits will be issued as Loyalty Club Points on your Tower Hobbies account.
RTF (Ready-To-Fly) RC airplanes are fully built and always come with a radio and engine (or motor) installed. Some RC airplane models even include "AA" batteries for the radio transmitter! RTF Basic airplane models require battery and charger to take flight.
The dream of flight has a long history. From Superman to the Wright brothers, there is a fascination with taking to the skies. While public air travel is commonplace and becoming a full-scale pilot takes years of training, flying a radio control plane is one of the fastest ways to make the dream of controlled flight a reality. Here, we'll share some tips about RC airplanes for beginners.
If you’ve never flown radio control before or have only dabbled in surface vehicles like cars, trucks, and boats, piloting an RC plane takes more skill. However, the reward of taking off, flying, and landing an RC plane is second to none.
The real question is, how do you find the best aircraft to get you started on your flying adventures?
Check online or at your local hobby store, and you will find dozens of RC planes on the product pages and shelves. There are small, inexpensive planes up to high-powered jets costing many thousands of dollars. There are planes for every pilot and aircraft for every hobbyist and modeler, but we are focused on RC airplanes for beginners.
Today, RC planes designed for beginners feature advanced technology that can save a plane during unsteady first flights. Horizon Hobby championed the most well-known technologies:
AS3X™ (Auto Stabilization 3-Axis) technology AS3X technology enhances the flight stability of all model types. It works behind the scenes to help stabilize the aircraft and counters outside forces such as wind, turbulence, torque, tip-stall, and more to make flights smoother.
SAFE™ (Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope) technology Using a combination of sensors and flight control software, SAFE technology can make an RC aircraft aware of its attitude relative to the ground. This ‘attitude awareness’ makes it possible to program aircraft with different levels of assistance that pilots can choose from based on their experience and needs during the flight.
It's vital to understand that SAFE is excellent for beginners, but the technology is also available on more advanced airplanes. However, those planes are not suitable for beginners. SAFE can make flying challenging airplanes more within your reach, but these planes are not suitable as beginner choices.
Beginners should first find their local flying club and talk to members about their RC flying journey. If you head out to the flying field, beginners can “buddy box” with experienced pilots and get a feel for flying. RC pilots will have strong opinions on the best options, and getting expert advice before buying can be invaluable.
When starting, pilots gravitate toward products beyond their skill level for their first choice. While jets and warbirds look awesome, usually those examples are for more advanced pilots.
The best choice for the beginner pilot is a plane designed to help new pilots learn how to fly and make it easy to practice. A trainer RC plane is specifically intended to meet that demand. In general, trainers are easy to assemble, easy to control, and ultimately easy to fly RC airplanes for beginners. They are usually more durable to deal with inevitable crashes and feature a high wing assisting with stability and handling.
Most trainer RC planes will be set up as Ready-to-Fly (RTF). Ready-to-Fly is just like it sounds. Everything an aspiring pilot needs is in the box. These all-in-one solutions are the most common beginner RC planes. Once you get the hang of flying, you can purchase additional accessories and more advanced aircraft.
New pilots never want to choose a plane they think is boring. The good thing is that several aircraft are designed specifically for the flying you can do. Don’t have a lot of space? Try Ultra Micro. Have a wide-open space like a park where you can fly? Obviously, a Park Flyer is perfect. Are you a new flying club member with a specific flying field? There’s a trainer designed for pilots learning how to fly with the club.
The HobbyZone® Sport Cub S 2 makes learning to fly RC airplanes in more places and smaller spaces easier than ever! Its ultra-micro size makes it the ideal choice for a smaller trainer model that can be flown in large yards, small parks, soccer fields, football fields and other suitable spaces where larger models can't typically be flown successfully by first-time pilots.
The HobbyZone® AeroScout™ S 2 is the perfect trainer because it makes learning to fly an RC airplane easier and more fun than ever before! It's equipped with exclusive SAFE® (Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope) technology that helps to prevent overcontrol, loss of orientation and crashes so nearly everyone can learn to fly successfully. Beginner, Intermediate and Experienced modes allow you to choose the level of stability and control you need or are ready to try at the flip of a switch. Plus, you can instantly return to steady flight using Panic Recovery with the push of a button in any flight mode. Its unique "pusher" power configuration offers improved safety and better propeller and motor protection, and its advanced EPO material makes it highly durable. Oversized tires and a steerable nose wheel make it easy to take off from and land on various surfaces, including grass at large parks, soccer, and other suitable flying fields.
The E-flite® Apprentice® STS 1.5m Smart Trainer features a large size and 1.5 meters (59.0 inches) wingspan offering better visibility and the ability to handle more wind while learning to fly at an RC club flying field. Its inherently stable design plus SAFE® (Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope) technology featuring Beginner, Intermediate, and Experienced flight modes make it easy to fly successfully, especially with the help of an instructor. The Apprentice STS 1.5m is perfect for first-time pilots, experienced pilots who teach others to fly, and club training programs. That's why it's the Official Trainer of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and the best choice for new pilots wanting to learn and progress into more advanced RC airplanes.