INTRODUCTION

At Ray & Robin's Hobby Center we specialize in radio control (RC for short) planes, boats and cars.

Control - The Radio

Radio controlled vehicles are able to be operated remotely by a person holding a transmitter like the one pictured to the left. On a simple boat or car the right hand stick controls the steering and the left hand stick controls the throttle or speed. On a basic airplane the moving the right hand stick from left to right controls the ailerons, or the control surfaces that make the airplane roll left and right. Moving the right hand stick up and down controls the elevators of the airplane causing it to climb or dive. The left hand stick controls the airplane's throttle and rudder. Moving the stick left to right controls the rudder and moving the stick up and down controls the throttle.

As vehicles get more complex they have more functions. For example boats can have water pumps, independently controlled motors or guns, planes can have flaps, retractable landing gear or speed brakes. In order to control these additional functions, the radio must have more functions or channels. The radio pictured at left is an 8 channel computer radio that allows not only control of 8 separate functions, but also mixing or combining the different functions.

What Models Can I Control

Pretty much the sky is the limit. There are radio control planes, boats, cars, helicopters and even rockets. To learn more about some of these models, click here to go to our "Toys" section.

Learning

Needless to say it takes some practice to get good at controlling a radio controlled plane, boat or car. Most veteran modelers will tell you that the hardest thing to get used to is controlling the model when it is coming straight at you. In that situation all of the control inputs are reversed. Honestly though, all it takes is practice to become proficient at controlling even the most difficult models.

We have many teaching techniques available to us that make learning that much easier. For example, we can set beginners up on a duplicate radio called a "buddy box" that allows the instructor from his radio to take control of the vehicle quickly when the beginner gets into trouble.

Age Ranges

This hobby really has very few age restrictions. If the person is mature enough to focus on the event for an extended period of time and has reasonable motor skills, he or she should be able to enjoy RC modeling. We have seen some very talented young modelers aged 6 and up at national competitions and many of our local clubs have their share of older members who at 80 or more are still enjoying the hobby.

Try The Hobby

Drop by the store and we can demonstrate many of the models for you. We can also arrange for you to experience the thrill of RC flight with one of our local instructors.