What is aeromodelling?
Aeromodelling is the art of making and flying non man-carrying aircraft. The aircraft can be a scale model of a full size aircraft or a design specifically for the hobby. Model aircraft can be anything from un-powered and uncontrolled, free-flight gliders, to multi engine radio controlled aircraft with wingspans of six or more feet. Many people start off by building a free flight model from a kit, and progressing to more advanced models as their skills improve.
Model aircraft are flying or non-flying models of existing or imaginary aircraft, often scaled down versions of full size planes, using materials such as balsa wood, foam and fiberglass. Designs range from simple gliders, to accurate scale models, some of which can be very large.
Models may be built either as static non-flying models, or as flying models. Construction techniques for the two are usually very different.
Static model aircraft are scale models are built using plastic, wood, metal or paper. Some static models are scaled for use in wind tunnels, where the data acquired is used to aid the design of full scale aircraft.
Collectors can buy models that have already been built and painted, models that require construction, painting and gluing, or models that have been painted but need to be snapped together. Snap models require minimal construction and are becoming increasingly popular
Flying models are usually what is meant by the term aeromodelling. Most flying model aircraft can be placed in one of three groups:
Free flight (F/F) model aircraft fly without any attachment to the ground.
This type of model pre-dates the efforts of the Wright Brothers[9] and other pioneers.
Control line (C/L) model aircraft use cables (usually two) leading from the wing to the pilot. A variation of this system is the Round-the-pole flying (RTP) model.
Radio-controlled aircraft have a transmitter operated by the pilot on the ground, sending signals to a receiver in the craft.
Some flying models resemble scaled down versions of piloted aircraft, while others are built with no intention of looking like piloted aircraft. There are also models of birds and flying dinosaurs
Construction
The construction of flying models is very different from most static models. Flying models borrow construction techniques from (usually vintage) full-sized aircraft (although models rarely use metal structures.) These might consist of forming the frame of the model using thin strips of light wood such as balsa, then covering it with fabric and subsequently doping the fabric to form a light and sturdy frame which is also airtight. For very light models, thin tissue paper can be substituted for fabric. First it is shrunk by water spraying, allowed to dry, then coated with dope. Heat-curing plastic films ("heat shrink covering" or "solarfilm") can be ironed on — a hand-held iron causes the film to shrink and adhere to the frame. A heat gun can also be used.
Other model construction techniques consist of using formers and longerons for the fuselage, and spars and ribs for the wings and tail surfaces. More robust designs may use solid sheets of wood to form these instead, or might employ a composite wing consisting of an expanded polystyrene core laminated with a surface veneer of wood, often obechi, which protects the core and provides strength. Such designs tend to be heavier than an equivalent sized model built using the traditional method, and would be much more likely to be found in a power model than a glider.
The lightest models are suitable for indoor flight, in a windless environment. The covering for the very lightest of these aircraft can be made by bringing an open framework up through water to pick up thin plastic films, perhaps just a few drops of lacquer spread out over several square feet (known as microfilm). The advent of "foamies," or aircraft injection-molded from lightweight foam and sometimes reinforced with carbon fiber rods and strips, have made indoor flight more accessible to hobbyists. Many come ready-to-fly, requiring little more than attachment of the wing and landing gear.
Flying models can be built from scratch using published plans, or assembled from kits. Plans are intended for the more experienced modeller, since all parts must be sourced separately. The kit contains most of the raw material for an unassembled plane, a set of assembly instructions, and a few spare parts to allow for builder error. Assembling a model from plans or a kit can be very labour-intensive. In order to complete the construction of a model, the builder assembles the frame, covers it, and aligns the control surfaces
What is radio control?
Radio Control aircraft are controlled from the ground by the pilot, usually by digital proportional radio control units. The radio control units consist of a transmitter, which the pilot holds, a receiver, which is inside the aircraft, and servo’s, which are connected to the receiver, and actuate the control movement given on the ground. Radio sets can range from single 'channel' to 10 or more channels, a channel being one control function (eg. A rudder only controlled plane would be single channel, and rudder and elevator plane would be two channel). The greater the number of channels, the greater number of different things that can be moved in or on the aircraft. If an aircraft is radio controlled, it can do what the pilot wants it to - go up, down, faster, slower, turn, roll, loop, or any combination of these things and more. To co-ordinate flying a radio controlled aircraft, the pilot need especially developed skills and understanding, so the Model Aeronautical Association of Australia awards 'Instructor' status to people who have the necessary skills to teach people these skills. Some instructors charge for doing this, as it has taken them time and money to be able to do it, while others do it for the joy of having more people share and enjoy the hobby
Power Source
Engines:-
Aircraft 2-Stroke Engines
Aircraft 4-Stroke Engines
Helicopter 2-Stroke Engines
Gasoline Engines
Electric:-
Brushless Motors(a 3 Phase Induction Motor)
Brushed Motor(2 Phase Motor)
