Building your own Remote Control Jet

These toys are as close as you can get to the real deal. They are fast, powerful and sound like a real fighter jet. They run on the same principle and at 7 to 10 feet, are the largest radio controlled models available today. How do you go about getting your hands on, and creating, your own radio controlled jet airplane? Lets find out!

There are few things more powerful and realistic, in the world of toys, than radio controlled (RC) jets. Like real fighter jets that are built on the cutting edge of technology, RC jets too are at the cutting edge of toy-world science. Containing a model jet engine that is based on the real-life version, RC jets are a huge challenge, even for those who have built them.

If you do want to get into the world of RC jets, it is imperative that you have prior experience in making, flying and maintaining regular forms of radio controlled models. With RC jets, you hit a different level altogether, in every aspect. Without prior experience, it might be very difficult for you to put everything together.

The Growth Stage

As a person interested in radio controlled toys, RC Jets are the final stage of evolution. You cannot reach this stage unless you pass through a few levels before it. While there is just one distinct line of separation, experienced hobbyists will tell you that from the first level to the last, there are enough and more jumps to take, before you can take on the really big boys.

For beginners, there are RC Trainer Jets to help you get through the acclimatization phase. These jets are easier to build but are made along the same principles. This allows you to make exactly what you need without having to go through the complex build procedure of a real RC jet.

Once you have learnt how to build and fly an RC trainer jet, you can move onto the maintenance bit.

With all these aspects under control, you can move beyond trainers and get onto the real things. However, you need to know that even in the non-trainer variety, there are various levels. While these levels may not be clearly demarcated at all times, you are sure to find something in a progressive manner.

Buying your RC Jet

The first thing you need to do is go out and buy yourself a good RC jet. The primary difference between all RC jets is the kind of performance they give. This means that if you aren’t going by the aesthetics, you are unlikely to have something vastly different from everyone else. That said, you can always tweak things around and find a setting that gives you just that bit more.

Now, buying an RC jet requires you to consider a few things. First, do you prefer looks over performance? There are numerous manufacturers, small and big, who produce everything from an F-22 to a commercial Concorde jet to a World War II Spitfire. You have a huge range to choose from if it is the look that matters to you.

If you are looking at performance, you are likely to have a standard engine set that comes along with your model. Unless you are willing to open up your model, or its engine, and tweak settings yourself, it is best to stick with what you get. This means that your engine will be a stock version, capable of doing what everyone else’s might.

Finally, you need to know the kind of engine you want. The most common versions available in RC jets are the nitro-powered engines. These are more powerful than the gas-powered versions and, therefore, require more care. However, what you get is unmatched performance and blistering speed.

Now you can easily buy an RC model from any hobby or RC store. While toy stores also carry radio controlled toys, there is a major difference between a radio controlled toy and a radio controlled jet. Depending on what you like and how much work you are willing to put in, you can pick our radio controlled jet model and get working on it.

The First Part

In most cases, you will find that the really powerful and realistic RC jet models come in the form of kits. This means that when you do open the case, you will have to put together every single piece on the model. You will also find that making each model from scratch gives you greater satisfaction as compared to simply pulling one out of the box and running it.

The first thing to put together is usually the fuselage, as it requires the most care. Then you start building each and every body part separately and then, putting them together, slowly bring your plane together. Starting off from the front, the nose cone requires you to, first, put together all the individual parts and then move onto the canopy.

Then you begin work on the middle and rear parts of the plane. Depending on the kind of model you have bought, you can have parts of the model that are pre-cut, or not at all. If you have picked the latter part, then you need to have the capability to work with wood at all levels. You will need to be able to cut parts out and then put them together.

Once you have all the parts cut out into shape, putting them together becomes the next aspect. In most cases, you will find smaller aspects of the RC jet, like some electronic parts and wires that need to go in under the outer case. Once you have the inner electronics in place, you will find it much easier to put the rest of the things together.

Finishing Touches

Once you have all the parts in place, you can start adding the engine and the control surfaces onto the RC jet. The control surfaces enable you to control the movement of the plane with your hand-held radio controller. Depending on the kind of engine you have, the positioning and placement of the engine will vary.

While most plane have a tail-engine, others tend to have one in the belly. Unlike their real-life cousins, you are unlikely to find RC jets that have engines under their wings.

To make your RC jet look better, you can use anything from vinyl strips to regular paint as well as stickers. The choice of paint is yours and usually, to make things look authentic, hobbyists go for a ground-camouflage coat on the top part of the RC jet and a blue-grey colour on the bottom. However, while that makes the plane look authentic, it might make spotting minute twitches and issues, in flight, difficult.

Maintenance

Once you have built you RC jet, you will have hours and hours of fun, flying it at speeds of almost 150 kmph or even more. However, there will come a time when that wonderful piece of radio controlled magic will have to be put away. At this time, it is important that you keep it in shape, regularly, to ensure that the next time you pull it out, it runs just like new.

Depending on the kind of engine you have, the fuel mixture changes. However, whether you have a gas- or nitro-powered monster, you will need to take care of it over time, when not in use. The first thing you need to take care of is to use safe and adequate measures to dispose-off the fuel already in the tanks. Any form of combustible fuel, in the fuel tank, can be dangerous and unpredictable over time. This means that there is little room for error.

Cleaning the fuel tank after draining it completely, and then drying it out thoroughly, is absolutely vital. The engine needs to be cleaned out as well, before being put away. While have oil, in some parts, is important for proper lubrication, there is little need for oil to stay in the engine when kept away for long periods. This oil can bring rust, as well as unwanted debris, into the engine, resulting in corrosion or overall degradation of the engine and its performance.

If you are looking to store your RC jet away, you need to make sure that it undergoes regular servicing. While a gas-powered RC jet can be serviced every month or so, you need to make sure that you regularly check that nitro-RC jet and keep it fresh and clean at all times.

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