Top 6 Starter and Beginner Remote Control Airplanes

New to the RC airplane hobby? Looking for a good trainer plane? Here are my top six trainer RC airplanes. First, here are the features I look for in a trainer or beginner plane:

• Tricycle landing gear

• High wing (wing on the top of the fuselage) as opposed to a low wing aircraft

• Larger wingspan (1.0 meters to 1.6 meters). – larger wingspan makes the plane more stable, especially in the wind. You might think small planes are easier to fly, that isn’t the case.

 1.     Apprentice – Tricycle landing gear and high wing make this an excellent trainer plane. The wing is attached with rubber bands, which gives the plane more forgiveness with rough landings. Also, the Apprentice is easy to transport with the wing easily removed from the fuselage.

 2.     Pandora – Tricycle landing gear and the Pandora is convertible from a high wing to a low-wing aircraft. As you become more confident in your piloting skills, you can convert the plane into a low-wing plane—all these features for a reasonable price. Typically priced below the Apprentice.

3.     Timber – There are three versions of the Timber. I like this plane’s versatility as you can take off and land quickly, commonly known as STOL (Short Takeoff and landing), do all the acrobatics you want, even 3D flying, and has a large wing area for stable flying. A nice plane you can grow with as your skills progress. Flaps allow for slow landings, which help reduce the damage associated with hard landings.

4.     AeroScout. - With a 1.1-meter wingspan, a great starter plane. AeroScout’s unique feature is that it is a pusher plane. The motor and propeller are on top of the wing facing the tail (“pusher”). This design helps protect the propeller and motor from damage on heavy crashes. Starting out, you tend to go through a lot of propellers. 

 5.     Carbon Cub S - Another larger plane at 1.3 m wing with tricycle landing gear. Civilian scale plane so looks excellent in the air. SAFE mode is exclusive to Horizon Hobby, as is “Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope) technology that helps to prevent over-control, loss of orientation, and crashes so nearly everyone can learn to fly successfully” .

 6.     Air Titan 1600mm (63”) Large wingspan at 63 inches (1.6 meters). All around nice plane to fly and grow into. Stable in the air and easily repairable.

Conclusion - You cannot go wrong with any of these planes, so it comes down to some of the unique features they offer. Also, what looks good to you, and what are you going to be excited to pilot. If you have a local hobby shop, what brands, models they stock to get replacement parts quickly can be critical. I have made many stops on the way home from the field to pick up or order replacement parts.

Disclaimer - None of these links are affiliate links. Links are only included for your convenience; I have no association with the vendors linked. Thanks