If you have been in this godsend addicting hobby for a few years as i have, you should understand the importance of weight.
Even though flight is possible because an airplane utilizes its wings and airfoil for lift, its important to keep in mind that a heavy plane will not fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee….ok so that was not the greatest analogy but you get my point. Remember that a feather floats and a piece of rock does not.
Because gravity affects the aircraft weight, it is very importance to keep the weight of the plane to a minimum. Also, it is important to determine the distribution of weight. Although the aircraft has normal or below the recommended weight, we need to achieve stability for the aircraft to fly properly.
If you have purchased an RTF ( ready to fly ) rc airplane, there shouldn’t be any issues with the airplane’s weight as it has already been configured with the correct electronics. But if your next step is to purchase a ARF ( almost ready to fly ) rc plane, then understanding weight is crucial as you will need to purchase the electronics for the plane.
If your plane is seriously overweight to what it should be, you need to correct this issue asap or the wing loading is going to be too high for your airplane to fly correctly and a serious crash will be in the near future.
To correct your RC airplanes weight problems, your only options are are to use a smaller battery pack which really is your mAh rating, choosing a smaller motor is the next step, and of course your servos must be light weight as well, keeping in mind the kg/cm of the servo and understanding weight ration and size of your plane, again this takes a little bit of time to grasp but if your reading this short article, then you are on your way.
If you have any questions regarding this article, you can comment below or email me and i will help you with your questions.
If your wondering why i chose to display this picture above on an article that is none related to the image, well im asking the same question to myself 😉 Continue reading
Its safe to say, today 5-4-2009 is some what of a special day as i have just come across two new planes by multiplex that will be available in the US this summer and be sure i will get my hands on them. The first is the Multiplex Merlin Airplane ARF this little thing is wicked, with a wing span of 30″, it will be the mother of the little FOX by Multiplex. Here is a picture of the Merlin EPP foam plane.
