When it comes to RC airplanes as a hobby you might be a little bit like me. I will give you the story.

It takes time, money and some resources to adventure into the hobby of RC airplanes. I mean the real airplanes that are made out of balsa wood and have combustion engines. The hobby is more than that but that is the real goal for me. Well, when I was a kid I saw some guys flying these types of airplanes at a local high school athletic field and I was absolutely enthralled at the whole hobby. It was simply amazing.

But, I was just a kid and I didn't have the money to buy the stuff needed for this so I had to put it on a back burner, way in the back! Now that I am an adult I have been able to catch up on some of those things that I wanted to do as a kid and I am so glad for that. I have the time, some hobby skills, and the money to invest in this hobby. So that is exactly what I have been doing.

You might be in the same situation and if so then I congratulate you and encourage you to just go ahead and do it! It is very rewarding in several different aspects.

First there is the whole aspect of building or assembling a plane. And I have to admit that flying is fun but building it is the real joy for me. I really enjoy it. The picture shown here is a balsa wood plane that I have finished the assembly on. It was an ARF which means "Almost Ready to Fly" it needed about 10% more work to complete and that was a good ten hours of work. Installing the engine, the servos and more.

And as far as building a plane goes there are many different levels to this. You can buy kits that give you the pieces of wood and the instructions and you can build the whole plane from parts. Or you can buy a partially assembled kit like this one. Or, if building it is not your thing you can buy a plane that is fully assembled and RFT or "Ready to Fly".

And Then There is flying the planes!

This is the biggest reason why people get into the hobby -taking that plane out to a big field and flying it. And it is very rewarding. It is such a lot of fun. And there is a strong social component to this. You can find a local Airplane club and meet with them out on the field they use. Making a day of it, or a half day of it is pretty cool. Everybody flying and talking about the planes.

Subtler aspects to the hobby of RC airplanes

But there are also other aspects like the collecting of planes. There are a very wide variety of planes like military craft, biplanes, waterplanes, aerobatics planes and more. There are so many different types of planes that it is easy to go down different paths when it comes to collecting and admiring them. And there is the history of planes - You can get planes that range throughout the hundred years of flight.

The science of flight

And if you are science or engineering minded there is the whole aspect of designing and building your own planes. This is a challenging and rewarding aspect of the hobby. Wouldn't it be cool to design your own plane and fly it?

Whatever you think your reasons are for falling into the hobby of RC airplanes I highly recommend you give it a try if you haven't started yet. There are so many rewarding aspects to it. It can give you hundreds of hours of simple joy. And you can scale yorself into it by starting out small and inexpensive and over time work yourself up into the aspects that interest you most.

P-40E Warhawk .60 Gold Edition KitI have had my eye on this particular plane and I may buy it. This is a build from parts kit. Lot of work but very rewarding.

P-47D Thunderbolt Giant Scale Kit

The Giant Jug is Here! This is the 1/5 P-47D Thunderbolt "Gold Giant Scale Edition" Airplane Kit. This was modeled after the P-47D-30-RA attached to the 366th Fighter Squadron, 358th Fighter Group, USAAF, Tour, France, 1944.

This 1/5th Scale Warbird boasts Incredible Scale Accuracy, along with the Ease of Assembly made possible by Gold Edition Engineering.

FEATURES: Utilizes Familiar Wood Kit-Building Techniques, Tools and Materials Precisely Interlocking Parts Designed through AUTOCAD, and a thorough Photo-Illustated Manual Helps Guide Modelers Through the Assembly Process. Balsa-sheeted exterior provides an ideal surface for scale finishing.

Easy to Build and Fly for the First Time Giant Scale Modeler In the Air, the Giant P-47D Delivers Scale Flying Performance, and its Large Size makes it Easy To See and Appreciate. IMAA (International Miniature Aircraft Association) Legal Uses a notable elliptical wing platform using the proven S8036 airfoil at the root and the S8037 airfoil at the tip. This Combination delivers excellent flight performance and stability. Fully-Symmetrical Wing Vacuum-Formed ABS Cowl Included Includes instructions and most parts for optional P-47D Razorback version (except Canopy).

INCLUDES: ABS Parts (Cowl, Turbo-Supercharger Cover, Air-Cooler Vents), Clear Bubble Canopy, Pushrods, Full Size Plans, Photo-Illustrated Instructions and All Wood to Complete the Kit and Decals. REQUIRES: Engine: 2.1-2.8 cu in (34.5-45cc) Glow OR 2.5-4.2 cu in (41-70cc) Gas and more.5" Spinner, Propeller, Engine Mount, Fuel Tubing, Easy Filler Fuel Valve, 24-32oz Fuel Tank (see commments on multicylinder option) Main Retracts (see comments), Tailwheel Retract, Air Control Kit. Radio: 6 to 7 Channel Servos: 10 (Standard: 2-Flaps, 1-Retracts, 1-Tailwheel Steering, 1-Throttle High Torque (over 45 oz-in): 2-Elevator, 1-Rudder, 2-Ailerons Y-Harness: 4 (Elevator, Flaps, Ailerons, Rudder/Tail Steering) Servo Extensions and more

The HobbyZone Sports Cub S RC Airplane

• Everything you need to fly RC today
• SAFE technology from Horizon Hobby
• Recovery with the pull of a trigger with Panic Recovery mode
• Proportional 4-channel control with working throttle, rudder, elevator and aileron
• Steerable tail wheel for easy ground control

E-Flite Apprentice S 15e RTF Beginner RC Airplane with SAFE Technology

SAFE technology is a revolutionary leap forward in flight control and training. Key Features SAFE technology provides spatial awareness and flight envelope protection The ideal beginner's choice when learning to fly with an instructor Quick, easy assembly Lightweight and durable Z-Foam construction Powerful 15-size, 840Kv brushless out runner motor installed-flite 30A Pro Switch-Mode BEC Brushless ESC installed Large, easy-access battery compartment Wide-stance tricycle landing gear Nose wheel steering for better ground handling Powerful 3S 3200mAh 20C Li-Po battery included-Po balancing DC charger included Optional E-flite Apprentice S Floats (EFLA550), available Safe Technology Information Needed To Complete Nothing! Everything you need to get flying is included in the box. Overview The E-flite Apprentice S 15e RTF airplane is the most intelligent RC airplane ever offered by Horizon Hobby. At its heart is groundbreaking SAFE (Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope) technology that makes RC flight incredibly easy, even for the least experienced user. Its combination of spatial awareness provides flight envelope protection which adds a degree of security never before available, while its smooth flight capability battles windy conditions so that all you feel is control that's crisp and responsive. Multiple levels of flight envelope protection are provided that can be reduced or removed as your skills progress, yet the "panic" feature is always there to instantly return the model to level flight if you ever lose orientation.