- The remote control, or RC, transmitter sends signals to a receiver on the airplane. Each transmitter has its own signal so that the signals from the planes don't interfere with each other. The receiver is attached to several control motors called servos, and a battery pack to provide power. The receiver sends signals to the servos based on the position of the transmitter stick. These signals tell each servo precisely what position to move to.
- RC planes have several controls, each with a different surface. The rudder steers the plane, the ailerons cause it to bank left and right, the flaps increase and decrease lift, the elevators angle the nose up and down, and the motor controls the power. Each part is attached to the servo by a small control arm which moves the control as the servo turns.
- Remote control airplanes can use either gas or electric motors .The gas engines used are small and have one cylinder. The piston compresses and ignites a mixture of air and gas, which creates an explosion inside the cylinder. This explosion drives the piston back up, which turns a rotor. At the top of its motion, the piston expels the burnt mixture and pulls in more gas and air to start the process over again.
- The electric motors used are generally brushless DC motors. A permanent magnet is attached to a rotor at the center of the motor. Around that magnet are coils. The motor sends brief pulses of electricity into the coil which creates a magnetic field, pushing the rotor around in a circle. An electronic speed controller controls how fast the coils pulse, regulating the speed of the motor.
