BUILD YOUR OWN REMOTE-CONTROLLED AIRPLANES QUICKLY, EASILY, AND INEXPENSIVELY! Take to the skies with a majestic motorized model aircraft you create and pilot yourself. Written by the founder of the Brooklyn Aerodrome, DIY RC Airplanes from Scratch shows you how to build a Flack (Flying + Hack) delta wing from the ground up using widely available, low-cost materials and tools. You'll also learn the skills you need to get your plane into the air and keep it there. By the end of the book, you'll be able to create your own customized designs. The sky's the limit! Discover how to: Select the components you’ll need and get them at a low cost Build a sturdy deck and secure all of your airplane's electronics to it Construct the airframe with the proper trim and center of gravity Learn to fly--one crash at a time Diagnose and repair your airplane Decorate your aircraft for dazzling daytime flights Illuminate a night flyer with otherworldly effects Experiment with unique airframe shapes, including the Flying Heart, the Bat, and the Manta Ray Learn the basics of aerodynamics Devise, build, and fly your own unique designs Companion videos available at http://brooklynaerodrome.com/bible
Examines new technologies that allow enthusiasts to access areas with electric models which were previosly inaccessible. Offers advice on choosing a battery, tethered and free flight, simple and advanced radio control, indoor flight, build-it-yourself kits and exact scale flying.
Build and fly your very own model airplane design. Using clear explanations, you will learn about important design trade-offs and how to choose among them. The latest research and techniques are discussed using easy to understand language. You will discover: The special challenges faced by the smaller models and how to overcome them. How to choose the right material for each part of the airplane. Easy rules for selecting the right power system, gas or electric. When it makes sense to use one of the innovative KFm airfoils. Pros and cons of canard and multi-wing configurations. A step-by-step design process that includes goal setting and flight testing. In-depth discussions of important topics like airfoils and wing design. The sources of air drag and how to minimize their impact. ADVANCE PRAISE "This book is a joy to read! The writing style and wit add dimension in a way that is rarely found in today's reference materials. If someone has considered designing their own airplane and been put off because of complicated formulas, vocabulary and reference style that would bore even an engineer, this will convince them to go ahead and try it. Written with real people in mind and not engineers - and I mean that in a good way. This is a book that will reside along the other favorites on my bookshelf. Carlos really managed to produce a book that will last a long time and become one of the standards for modelers." - Greg Gimlick, Electrics columnist, Model Aviation magazine "RCAdvisor's Model Airplane Design Made Easy is the ultimate model airplane design book for both beginning and experienced modelers." - Richard Kline, Inventor, KFm airfoils "RCadvisor's Model Airplane Design Made Easy is a real contribution to the world's literature on the subject. It provides an excellent bridge between full scale aviation and aeromodeling, showing the relationship between the two, for better understanding of the differences and similarities which should be applied for good model performance. While thorough in detail, the book is also easily readable so that the information is simple to understand. It is a very good combination of theory and practical application. Nicely illustrated, the book is also full of common sense explanations and references to other sources of information." - John Worth, former President and Executive Director of the AMA "Carlos Reyes personably leads the reader through some basic aerodynamics, materials considerations, electric power system planning and a practical application of theory as it is applied to a finished flying model. The background history of various types of aircraft shows the development of aviation and how it relates to the models that we build and fly today, as well as how models have influenced general aviation. It is always exciting to find some 'new to me' concepts and theories, and there were several in this well-written narrative." - Ken Myers, Editor, Ampeer electric flight newsletter "No matter how long you've been aeromodelling, or what your interests are in our great hobby, the greatest thrill of all is standing behind a unique model that you've designed and built yourself, from a blank sheet of paper - or even a blank CAD file - and preparing to make that first take off. So sit yourself down in a comfy chair, read RCadvisor's Model Airplane Design Made Easy and set off on aeromodelling's greatest adventure. Let Carlos Reyes - an aeromodeller of long standing and great talent - take you through the mysteries of how to arrive at the point that every lover of model aircraft should experience." - Dereck Woodward, aeromodeller, designer and magazine writer for the past fifty years
Seldom has a long-established hobby been transformed more than radio controlled model aircraft flying has been with the development of light-weight, inexpensive electric power systems. After decades of dominance by glow and gas powered internal combustion engines, the hottest thing in RC flying today is electric powered model aircraft.Energy dense lithium polymer batteries, powerful brushless electric motors and the digital devices that control them have taken the radio control hobby by storm. With them has come a veritable tsunami of molded foam models of nearly every type of airplane imaginable. Warbirds like the P-51 Mustang, aerobatic aircraft like the Edge 540 and a variety of trainers similar to the Cessna 172 fill the online marketplaces and the shelves of local hobby shops around the world. Traditional models, too, are being developed or converted to fly with electric power systems.These models have their own body of knowledge. Instead of tinkering with the needle valve settings of internal combustion engines, now modelers are computing watts, managing amps, determining volts and shopping for components that maximize power without exceeding the electronic limits of their model's components.RC Ground School provides you with the information you need to get started in the exciting hobby of model aviation. You'll get answers to these and other questions:What should I consider in choosing a model aircraft?What kind of transmitter should I consider?Should I go with a ready-to-fly kit or an almost-ready-to-fly model?What if I need to teach myself to fly?How can I find an instructor?How do I operate my model safely?How do electric models work? Come join the thousands of other modelers enjoying this fun and interesting hobby. RC Ground School is the perfect tool to help you get started.Already flying glow or gas airplanes? Thinking about converting to or adding an electric model to your hangar? The second half of the book is a deeper dive into what makes up an electric model's power system and what you'll need to know to convert that old friend to electric power or at least keep up with the conversations at the field.
This companion to Don Ross's immensely popular Rubber Powered Model Airplanes now opens the world of Electric Power, CO2, Micro R/C, and even Compressed Air, to beginner and expert alike. With explanations and graphics that break complex processes into simple steps, anyone can become a better than average builder, flyer, and competitor. This book will lead you from simple tools and techniques right through to state-of-the-art" materials that will enhance your model's appearance and increase its flight time 25-40% or more! Some of the key topics covered include... -ELECTRIC POWER-Charging, Assembling, Adjusting, and Flight Trimming. Make an electric Power Module that can convert rubber power in minutes, right at the field. -EVOLVE from a simple 28-inch span rubber model through Competition Rubber, Free Flight Electric, and finally...Micro R/C. -NEW COVERING MATERIALS that are as light as tissue but much stronger, along with techniques that make them easier to apply. -NEW SCALE TECHNIQUES that can give your model that "professional" appearance so admired at contests. Make your own markings and decals and size and color. Create camouflage or lozenge patterns with plain tissue. -FOAM SHEET and block construction methods for scale models. -NEW RUBBER TORQUE AND TURNS formulas that need only two stokes on your calculator to predict rubber performance. -BUILD LIGHTER to reduce weight without reducing strength-a really simple way to get longer flights and stronger models. -LOST MODEL LOCATORS-what to buy-how they work. -GEARS-Do they help? A plan for Rubber Powered Contra-Rotating Props...AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!
It's a lot easier to fly RC planes now than it used to be. There's been a revolution, thanks to the miniaturization and lower cost of tiny electronics and rechargeable batteries. These days you can buy a ready-to-fly plane, charge the battery, and be in the air within an hour. And that's part of the problem. Now it's so easy to get into the air, you can get there long before you're ready. Through trial and error, I've discovered which planes are the best for novice RC pilots. There are dozens of choices, but relatively few have earned a place in this book. I've purchased and flown all of the planes mentioned here (along with other planes that didn't make it into this book). My recommendations are based solely on how the planes perform, the quality of the materials, and the manufacturer's customer support.
Based upon a compilation of articles by Eric Coates published in Aeromodeller from the early 1970s, this book is a leading source of practical advice on how to build and fly a scale model aeroplane.
This edition of this this flight stability and controls guide features an unintimidating math level, full coverage of terminology, and expanded discussions of classical to modern control theory and autopilot designs. Extensive examples, problems, and historical notes, make this concise book a vital addition to the engineer's library.
Based on a 15-year successful approach to teaching aircraft flight mechanics at the US Air Force Academy, this text explains the concepts and derivations of equations for aircraft flight mechanics. It covers aircraft performance, static stability, aircraft dynamics stability and feedback control.
