RC Glossary
RC terms, acronyms, and club references explained.
A maneuver where the airplane's controls are used to make the fuselage fly at an angle to the line of flight. This causes a tremendous increase in drag and allows an airplane...
Unwanted, excessive free movement in a control system. Often caused by a hole in a servo arm or control horn that is too big for the pushrod wire or clevis pin. This condition allo...
Model rolls at a uniform rate through one (1) revolution in either direction. Center is the inverted portion of maneuver. Inside Loop: Model pulls up and executes the loop. The loo...
Designed and developed by Spektrum, Smart Technology employs the latest advancements in connectivity and integration for a hassle-free and more fun RC experience. This is made poss...
A type of rolling maneuver that is very quick and violent. It's basically a spin where the flight path is in any direction chosen by the pilot.
Large panels that fold out of the aircraft structure to provide a lot of extra drag to the air. They are not part of the wing structure, but are usually mounted on the fuselage. Mi...
Cone on the front of the propeller made from plastic or metal to improve aerodynamics, looks, and use of an electric starter.
Model performs one-half (1/2) roll in level flight then immediately executes one-half inside loop to level flight in opposite direction as entry. (This is basically an Immelmann do...
Basically a reverse Immelmann. The airplane rolls onto its back, and then the nose comes down to finish a 1/2-loop. The direction of flight is changed 180°.
A model which possesses some attributes of many of the specialty airplanes and is best for general flying as they are the most versatile and durable.
(Slang courtesy of RC Universe) A new Nitro owner running his engine too rich, causing all the excess fuel to either run down the fuselage or spill on the track.
SRXL is a single wire serial data protocol developed by Spektrum that allows channel data from SRXL equipped receivers to be transmitted to flight controllers and other accessories...
SRXL2 is a powerful bi-directional communications protocol that improves the speed, security, and richness of data transfer between your radio system and compatible on-board device...
When the air flowing over the wing cannot produce enough lift to support the weight of the model. This can happen if the modeler flies too slowly, or if the wing is at a too-high a...
The maneuver in which the model is flown to a point where the rotor disk/main wing is vertical, reaches an apex/stalls, then is turned about the yaw axis to continue in a nose-forw...
The model must be brought exactly parallel to the flight path and flown in an absolutely straight and level path. Inverted Flight: The model flies along a straight line inverted.
This is a trim function on many computer radios, allowing trim adjustments during setup while still allowing the full trim function in flight.
Refers to a stabilizer that is mounted on top of the fin. This brings the stabilizer away from the turbulent airflow of the wing and makes pitch control more responsive. It also ge...
This refers to the landing gear configuration where the main landing gear with two wheels is placed forward of the center of gravity and one small wheel, called a "tail wheel,...
The small wheel at the tail of the airplane. This is found on the type of airplane that has the two large wheels in the front and the small one in the rear. The airplane sits on it...
The model must stand still on the ground with the engine(s) running, without being held. The throttle is then smoothly, not suddenly, advanced. After the takeoff roll has started,...
Provides real time information regarding model parameters (like battery charge condition, speed, radio link condition, etc.) to the pilot or driver typically through the transmitte...
Disables throttle function.
(Propeller) These are somewhat uncertain due to the complexities of aerodynamic environments. The relative axial speed at the propeller (at any radial station) is the aircraft spee...
The outboard end of one wing (the tip) stops developing lift, causing the plane to roll suddenly in the direction of the stalled wing. This situation is not fun when you are only a...
(Propeller) These are generally not known. Analytical estimating techniques used by Landing Products to quantify torsional acceleration loads suggest that they can become dominant...
Landing and taking off without a pause. Often confused with a good bounce.
The aft-most edge of an airfoil or propeller.
A model designed to be inherently stable and fly at low speeds, giving first-time modelers time to think and react as they learn to fly.
This effective method of training allows two transmitters to be connected by means of a trainer cord. The instructor can pass control over to the student's transmitter so that...
The hand-held part of the radio system that sends the signal to the receiver.
a 2.4GHz receiver needs to be 'bound' to the transmitter before it can receive signals from it. The process involves the Rx identifying a unique code being emitted from the Tx, and...
Refers to the landing gear configuration with a single steerable nose wheel mounted in front of the center of gravity and a set of main landing gear with two wheels positioned just...
The adjustment of a model's control surfaces to obtain a stable and balanced flight performance.
A fixed, vertical stabilizer that reduces the model's tendency to yaw about the vertical axis.
An intentional twist in the wing, causing the wing tips to have a lower angle of attack than the wing root. In other words, the trailing edge is higher than the leading edge at the...
An aircraft's natural tendency to turn into the wind.
A small, round retaining device used to keep wheels from sliding off an axle.
A tubular flag-like device that shows the direction of wind movement. Wind speed may also be approximated by the angle at which the sock hangs. Used by pilots to aid with takeoff,...
The distance measured horizontally between the wing's LE and TE.
This is the amount of weight per square foot that has to be overcome to provide lift. It is normally expressed in ounces per square foot. This specification can be easily calculate...
Allows wireless buddy box training using two transmitters (instructor and student) typically used to make training easier and safer.