Radio control is a massive hobby with something for nearly everyone. RC airplanes, boats, cars and helicopters can each be divided into different vehicle types, power systems and performance levels. This guide provides a non-technical introduction to the main choices and helps point you toward the area of RC that best matches your interests.
Which RC Hobby Is Right for You?
Choosing your first RC vehicle sounds like a simple decision, but there are many options. That is both the best and most challenging part of the hobby. You can choose something focused on speed, scale appearance, technical setup, building, racing, flying or simply having fun outdoors.
RC is suitable for a wide range of ages and experience levels. A young beginner can enjoy a simple ready-to-run electric vehicle, while an experienced hobbyist may spend years refining a high-performance boat, aircraft or car. It can also be a great family activity and a good way to meet other hobbyists through local clubs.
Most radio-controlled vehicles fall into four main groups:
- Radio control airplanes
- Radio control boats
- Radio control cars and trucks
- Radio control helicopters
Each group can then be divided by power source and vehicle classification.
RC Vehicle Types
The first decision is the type of RC vehicle you are most interested in operating.
- RC airplanes: Trainer aircraft, sport aircraft, 3D airplanes and EDF jets.
- RC boats: Sailboats, scale boats and high-performance boats.
- RC cars and trucks: On-road, off-road, racing, drifting, bashing and crawling.
- RC helicopters: Co-axial, fixed-pitch and collective-pitch helicopters.
RC Power Sources
Most powered RC vehicles use electric, gas or nitro power. RC sailboats use wind power. Each option provides a different ownership and operating experience.
Electric Power Advantages
Electric power is clean, quiet and easy to operate. Maintenance is generally low, and many electric vehicles are close to plug-and-play. Modern brushless motors and LiPo batteries can also produce extremely high performance. Electric power is usually the best starting point for someone entering the hobby.
Gas Power Advantages
Gas engines are normally used in larger RC vehicles, especially large boats and airplanes. They provide long run times, realistic sound and strong performance. Gas engines are generally easier to tune and operate than nitro engines, although they still require more maintenance than an electric power system.
Nitro Power Advantages
Nitro engines are smaller, high-revving engines that provide realistic sound and a hands-on tuning experience. They are commonly found in RC cars, trucks and boats. Nitro power can be very rewarding, but it requires more preparation, tuning and maintenance than electric power.
For a first RC vehicle, electric power is normally the easiest and most reliable place to begin.
RC Vehicle Classifications
Once you choose a vehicle type and power source, the next decision is its classification. Just as full-size cars can be divided into sports cars, luxury cars and off-road vehicles, RC vehicles are divided into categories based on how they are designed to operate.
RC Airplane Categories
- Trainer airplanes
- Pattern, sport and aerobatic airplanes
- 3D airplanes
- Electric ducted fan and jet airplanes
RC Boat Categories
- Sailboats
- Scale boats
- Performance boats
RC Car and Truck Categories
- On-road RC cars
- Off-road RC cars and trucks
RC Helicopter Categories
- Co-axial helicopters
- Fixed-pitch helicopters
- Collective-pitch helicopters
The sections below explain these categories in more detail and provide links to the appropriate areas of the website.
Trainer Airplanes
A trainer airplane is normally the best starting point for a new RC pilot. Trainers are often designed with the wing mounted high on the fuselage. This configuration helps produce stable flight characteristics and gives the pilot more time to react.
New pilots commonly over-control an airplane by making excessive or abrupt stick movements. A trainer responds more slowly and predictably, which makes it easier to learn orientation, turning, takeoff and landing. Trainer airplanes may be scale models of full-size aircraft or designs created specifically for RC training.
Learn More About RC Electric Airplanes
Pattern, Sport and Aerobatic Airplanes
Pattern, sport and aerobatic airplanes offer a much larger flight envelope than trainer aircraft. Pattern airplanes are designed to fly precise aerobatic sequences and respond accurately to control inputs.
These aircraft commonly use a mid-wing or low-wing layout. They generally fly faster and respond more aggressively than a trainer. This makes them exciting to fly, but also less forgiving. A new pilot will normally have greater success learning on a trainer before moving into this category.
3D Airplanes
3D airplanes are designed for extreme aerobatic flight. They are usually lightweight, highly powered and equipped with oversized control surfaces that can move through large angles.
Many 3D aircraft produce more thrust than the airplane weighs. This allows the aircraft to hover vertically from its propeller and perform maneuvers at extremely low forward speed. The large control surfaces make these airplanes very responsive, so they are best suited to experienced pilots.
Read the RC Electric Airplane Guide
Electric Ducted Fan and Jet Airplanes
Electric ducted fan jets are among the fastest and most exciting electric RC airplanes. They generally handle very well at speed, but their slower-speed handling can be less forgiving than a propeller-driven trainer.
EDF aircraft use an electric motor to rotate a fan inside a duct. Larger scale jet models may instead use miniature turbine engines. Turbine-powered models provide extremely realistic sound and performance, but they are expensive and normally operated by experienced pilots.
EDF jets are also demanding on batteries and electronics. A pilot should be comfortable flying a conventional airplane before moving to a fast EDF model.
Sailboats
RC sailboats are a relaxing and technical way to enter the world of radio-controlled boats. Their controls are similar to those of a full-size sailboat. One radio channel controls the rudder, while another adjusts the sails. The jib is commonly controlled at the same time as the main sail.
RC sailboats are available in several size classes. One of the most popular is the one-metre class, where the measurement refers to the approximate hull length. Although they rely only on wind, these boats can move surprisingly quickly.
Many sailboats are available as almost-ready-to-run models, making them a practical choice for someone beginning in RC boating.
Scale Boats
Scale boats are designed to resemble full-size ships, tugboats, military vessels, work boats and submarines. They are often selected by hobbyists who appreciate detailed construction and realistic operation.
Some scale boats include working lighting, rotating turrets, cranes, water pumps, sound systems and other moving accessories. The available detail is limited mainly by the builder’s imagination and available space inside the hull.
Scale boats normally operate at slower speeds so their movement looks realistic for the size of the model. They are a great choice for someone who enjoys detailed building and realistic presentation rather than maximum speed.
Performance Boats
Performance boats are built around speed and handling. Even an entry-level ready-to-run performance boat may be capable of speeds above 30 mph, while properly prepared custom boats can travel much faster.
Different hull designs provide different handling characteristics. A monohull generally handles rougher water well, while catamarans, hydros and outriggers can provide greater speed in suitable conditions.
Although many hobbyists enjoy building their own high-performance boat, a ready-to-run model is normally the easiest and most reliable starting point. Once you gain experience with setup, cooling, propeller selection and battery use, building or heavily modifying a boat can become just as enjoyable as running it.
Fast Electric Boat Guide
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RTR Electric Boats
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Gas Boat Guide
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Nitro Boat Guide
On-Road RC Cars
On-road RC cars are designed to perform on hard, smooth surfaces such as asphalt, concrete or indoor carpet tracks. Common categories include drift cars, touring cars, circuit racers and top-speed cars.
Drift cars are designed to slide through corners while maintaining control. Touring and circuit cars balance acceleration, handling and top speed for racing. Speed-run cars are designed mainly for straight-line performance and can reach extremely high speeds when properly prepared.
A beginner will normally have the best experience with a ready-to-run touring car or general-purpose on-road model before moving into dedicated drifting or high-speed setups.
RTR Cars and Trucks
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Brushless RC Cars
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Nitro RC Cars
Off-Road RC Cars and Trucks
Off-road RC vehicles are designed to operate on terrain that is not perfectly smooth or flat. This category includes buggies, stadium trucks, short-course trucks, monster trucks and rock crawlers.
Buggies are lightweight and fast on packed dirt or prepared tracks. Monster trucks and bashers use larger tires and long-travel suspension to handle rougher ground. Rock crawlers are designed for slow, controlled movement over extremely difficult terrain.
Off-road cars and trucks are one of the easiest ways to begin in RC because they can often be operated in a backyard, park or open dirt area. A ready-to-run electric truck is normally a dependable starting point.
RTR Cars and Trucks
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Brushless RC Cars
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Nitro RC Cars
Co-Axial Helicopters
A co-axial helicopter is one of the easiest ways to begin flying RC helicopters. It uses two main rotor systems mounted on the same axis and rotating in opposite directions. This arrangement helps cancel torque and produces very stable flight.
Many co-axial helicopters are small and lightweight, which makes them suitable for indoor operation and helps reduce damage during minor crashes. They still require practice, but they are far more forgiving than most single-rotor helicopters.
For someone who has never flown an RC aircraft, a co-axial helicopter can be a practical first step.
Fixed-Pitch and Collective-Pitch Helicopters
A fixed-pitch helicopter is the next step beyond a co-axial model. It uses a single main rotor system with blades that remain at a fixed pitch angle. The helicopter climbs or descends mainly by increasing or decreasing rotor speed.
A fixed-pitch helicopter is less stable than a co-axial helicopter and requires regular control input to maintain a hover. This provides a more realistic flying experience but also creates a steeper learning curve.
A collective-pitch helicopter takes the design further by allowing the pitch of the rotor blades to change. The motor can maintain a relatively constant rotor speed while blade pitch is adjusted to control lift.
Collective-pitch helicopters can perform advanced aerobatics and inverted flight, but they are highly responsive and require considerable experience. Becoming comfortable with a simulator or a simpler helicopter first will greatly improve the chance of success.
Where Should a Beginner Start?
The best first RC vehicle depends on what interests you most, but a few choices are especially beginner-friendly:
- An electric ready-to-run car or truck
- An electric trainer airplane used with an RC flight simulator
- An electric ready-to-run boat
- An RC sailboat
- A small co-axial helicopter
Start with a model that is stable, durable and easy to repair. Learn how it operates before adding more power or moving to a more demanding class. The hobby becomes much more enjoyable when you build your experience one step at a time.