Recommendations for beginners’ equipment

The following is a list of recommended items for someone starting up in the hobby. The items are
ones that have been found from experience to be very good for the beginner but they also will
continue to give scope for progression once flying has been mastered. Too often equipment is
purchased that is grown out of, or is inadequate for someone once they progress into the hobby.
While the items below are not necessarily the cheapest way to start they will save money in the long
run and are all worth the investment. Items with an * are perhaps the best overall buys. The items
listed may be found elsewhere at better prices – these are just examples at the time of writing. A
useful link to help find best prices is http://rcferret.co.uk/UK/Index . Note it doesn’t search all
sources and it also doesn’t take into account any discounts club members may benefit from, so some
independent searching is always recommended. It does however provide a useful benchmark.

Additional items will be required over and above those listed (e.g. propellers, servos, motors, speed
controllers [esc’s]) but further advice can only be given once initial choices are made.

Another decision that the beginner needs to make is the power source. The choices are basically
petrol, glow or electric. All have pros and cons. All will need their own set of additional equipment
requirements. All probably work out much the same cost over time, though petrol is now much
cheaper than Glow fuel and small size motors are readily available. Discuss your choices BEFORE you
buy ( many planes cannot accept an IC motor!). We will assume that the electric route is chosen
initially for the advice in this document as its popularity has greatly increased and tends to be more
hassle free.

Other items may be required but these are the main ones. As an indication, the minimum cost of
getting airborne with an electric setup is about £450 but if it can be afforded the advised setup
would be nearer £650. This would provide future proofing and greater diversity. Of course second
hand equipment may be available for reduced prices but be very careful if going this route.

Always talk to your trainer and other club members BEFORE making a purchase.

All guide prices as of document date

Where links are given they are given as examples. There are many sources but experience has
shown that the following on-line stores are worth checking out:
RC World, Kings Lynn Models, Sussex Model Shop, Wheelspin Models, Al’s Hobbies, Hobbyking,
BRC/Robot Birds (same company) amongst others. A good local shop is Addlestone Models.

Transmitter (Tx)

The transmitter is almost certainly the most important purchase. It is more important than the
model and a poor choice here has the potential to cost a lot more later down the line. Initially you
will not need some of the facilities they can provide but before long you will almost certainly be
wanting to expand into planes with flaps and retracts, maybe lights or multi servo planes etc. You
may also wish to utilise the telemetry now available to report on flight battery voltage, power
consumption, altitude, rpm, engine temperature etc. You will also appreciate the Tx being able to
speak the amount of flight time left so that you do not need to take your eyes off the plane. It is
therefore often worth paying a little more and buying something that you can grow into. A 6
channel model should be the minimum you consider, but do also think about an 8 or even 9 channel
model if you think you will be buying more complex models in the future. It may seem an
extravagance and over the top initially but you will almost certainly be glad you did so in the future.

03 December 2019 Page 1 of 9 beginners equipment recommendations v4.docx

The make is also important since once committed and as your fleet grows it will become difficult
(costly and time-consuming) to change completely. All of the well known brands (Spektrum, Futaba,
JR, Hitec etc) offer good products but another consideration is what the other members of the club
use. To buddy box you almost always need to be using the same make. Well informed advice is also
easier to get where many others have the same make. Spektrum equipment seems currently to be
dominating and is very good. Whether you get Mode 1 or 2 is also a decision you need to make.
The majority use mode 2, though most modern Tx’s can now be user swapped and wireless
technology permits a mode 1 to mode 2 and vice versa connection for training, certainly on
Spektrum equipment. If buying a Transmitter with more than 6 channels it is almost certainly not
worth getting one that comes with a Receiver. That probably holds true even on a 6 channel unless
your model has retracts or flaps. Do discuss this with others before you purchase as even spending a
few more pounds for a slightly different version (e.g DX6 instead of DX6e) can have a big impact

Warning – Check the part no. of the item you are buying. Many shops are selling old equipment
which have very similar names. Only the part number differentiates. Spektrum have an excellent
Transmitter comparison guide for their range which also includes the part numbers

Spektrum DX6G3 (SPM6750/SPMR6750)

http://www.kingslynnmodelshop.co.uk/Radio-Spektrum-
Flight_Radios/c29_187_730/p10975/Spektrum_DX6_G3_6Ch_Transmitter_Only_Mode_2/product_i
nfo.html Guide price £179 without receiver, £225 with receiver

Spektrum DX8G2 (SPM8000/SPMR8000)

http://www.kingslynnmodelshop.co.uk/Radio-Spektrum-
Flight_Radios/c29_187_730/p12544/Spektrum_DX8_G2_8Ch_Transmitter_Only_Mode_2/product_i
nfo.html Guide price £259 without receiver, £315 with receiver

Spektrum DX9 (SPM9900/SPMR9900/SPMR9910)

http://www.kingslynnmodelshop.co.uk/Radio-Spektrum-
Flight_Radios/c29_187_730/p11741/Spektrum_DX9_Black__9Ch_Transmitter_Only_Mode_2/produ
ct_info.html

Guide price £359

We do not recommend buying anything less than the DX6 though by all means discuss this with your
trainer for the reasons (basically the cost savings are outweighed by the loss of functionality for
future development)

Receiver (Rx)

Basic models such as the WOT4 only require 4 channels. Bigger models with flaps etc will require a 6
(preferably 7) channel receiver and Tx. The AR6600T receiver (for Spektrum) has inbuilt telemetry so
is very worth considering as it is relatively cheap. If you want to save some money then the Lemon
range of Spektrum compatible Rx’s are reliable and work well.

In the case of Spektrum equipment, Lemon make a range of excellent non OEM receivers which are
considerably cheaper and can safely be considered in place of the OEM. They have excellent reviews
and personal experience has shown them to be very reliable. Be more careful with other supposedly
compatible Rx’s such as Orange which have far more mixed reviews and experiences and aren’t
recommended.

03 December 2019 Page 2 of 9 beginners equipment recommendations v4.docx

4 channel AR410 (SPMAR410) Guide price £22.5
https://www.rcworld.co.uk/acatalog/Spektrum-AR410-4-Channel-Sport-Receiver-
P_SPMAR410.html#SID=609

6 Channel AR610 (SPMAR610) Guide Price £40

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/acatalog/Spektrum-AR610-6-Channel-DSMX-Coated-Air-Receiver-
P_SPMAR610.html#SID=609

6 Channel AR620 (SPMAR620) Guide price £37.50

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/acatalog/Spektrum-AR620-6-Channel-Sport-Receiver-
P_SPMAR620.html#SID=609

*Lemon 6 channel with diversity satellite Rx (0028) Guide price £17

https://www.robotbirds.co.uk/default/lemon-dsmx-6ch-with-satellite-rx-end-pin-lm0028.html

6 Channel AR6600T (SPMAR6600T) Guide price £75

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/acatalog/Spektrum-AR6600T-6-Channel-Air-Integrated-Telemetry-
Receiver-SPMAR6600T.html#SID=609

*Lemon RX 7-Channel Full Range DSMX With Diversity & XT60 (LM0052 / P-00131) (note this is for
batteries with XT60 connections – othere variants available for different connectors) Guide price £43
https://www.robotbirds.co.uk/default/lemon-rx-lm0052-xt60-dsmx-7-ch-full-range-with-diversity-
package-p-00131.html

Plane

Many guides recommend a high wing plane specifically designed for training with plenty of dihedral
providing stability to learn on. We however feel that the planes below are perhaps better than
outright trainers in that they offer relatively easy planes to fly as a beginner with the rates set low
but will enable the pilot to stretch his wings once he has mastered the basics and provide a model
that will not become redundant after learning. We have a number of members who have trained
very successfully on these models. Do check however what the model includes. While one may look
cheaper to start with, if you then need to purchase a motor, servos, propeller, spinner etc as well,
then the price soon climbs against one that includes these items. Three of the planes listed are
foamie models while the fourth is a more traditional ply and balsa model. Foamie models tend to be
the cheapest but are also probably more liable to damage/hangar rash. If they are crashed they can
be glued back together if the damage isn’t too severe. Traditional Balsa and ply construction models
tend to be stronger, heavier (good in windy conditions) and less liable to hangar rash and can also
often be ‘reconstructed’ in the event of a crash. Plan or scratch built models have the advantage
that you develop modelling skills while building them, you understand the construction of the plane
and can be ‘reconstructed’ especially if plan built. There is also a huge satisfaction from flying a
plane that you have built! Models defined as PNP (plug and play) require the least preparation,
ARTF (almost ready to fly) require a little more work and usually you need to supply additional parts
to the kit yourself. Plan or scratch built models require the most work and sourcing of parts.

*WOT 4 Guide price £130

Note: This will require a motor, ESC, servos, propeller, spinner in addition to the receiver and
batteries and either the IC or electric pack

03 December 2019 Page 3 of 9 beginners equipment recommendations v4.docx

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/acatalog/The-New-Ripmax-WOT-4-Mk2-Electric-or-IC-ARTF-
A_CF002_A.html#SID=514

WOT 4 foamie Guide price £150

Note: This will require a receiver and batteries
https://www.rcworld.co.uk/acatalog/Ripmax-WOT4-Foam-E-Mk2--ARTF.html

*Max Thrust Riot Guide price £140

Note: This will require a receiver and batteries
http://www.kingslynnmodelshop.co.uk/Aircraft_Max%20Thrust/c17_371/p4472/Max_Thrust_RIOT_
V2_55%22_PNP_-_Red/product_info.html

*Durafly Tundra Guide price £130

Note: For full functionality this will require a 7 channel Transmitter/receiver and batteries but can
be operated on 4 channels without flaps and tow hitch and 5/6 without tow hitch
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/durafly-tundra-1300mm-51-sports-model-w-flaps-pnf-upgrade-
version.html

Battery tester

This is a necessity to check on the state of your batteries before and after flight

*Smart Guard 2 Lithium Battery Checker & Balancer

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/acatalog/GT-Power-LiPo-Checker-GTP0051.html#SID=80
Guide price £8.50

Wattmeter
This is used to check that your setup isn’t overstressing any of the components. If changing the prop
size from that supplied/recommended you should always use a wattmeter to confirm the current
drawn
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-180a-watt-meter-and-power-analyzer.html

Charger

Be warned! Some chargers are only 240V input and therefore cannot be used at the field. Other
chargers are either 12 – 18V or are dual voltage, which can be used at the field. But any 12V DC
input charger requires a 12V DC power source and LiPo batteries take 1 hour to charge. Unless you
have a spare 12V leisure battery and charger or a hefty DC bench power supply you will need to buy
these too if you get a basic 12V charger. Therefore, we normally suggest you have a minimum of 3
batteries for your plane to ensure you get a reasonable amount of flying each session. A single
charge would therefore take 3 hours to charge them all back up again when you get home. Also
many chargers only have a 50W output. While this may be adequate initially you will probably
rapidly outgrow this. We recommend a minimum output of 100W. A charger that is capable of
accepting a 240V AC or a DC input is really worth considering especially as there are now many more
of these around.

A charger that is capable of charging 2 or 4 batteries simultaneously is very well worth consideration
and the one recommended below is excellent value.

*GT Power X4 Charger 4x100W Charger Guide price £150

03 December 2019 Page 4 of 9 beginners equipment recommendations v4.docx

http://www.kingslynnmodelshop.co.uk/Batteries_and_Chargers-
Chargers/c66_76/p13761/GT_Power_X4_Charger_4x100W_Charger-
_Due_Early_Sept/product_info.html

If going for a basic DC powered charger the range of choice broadens considerably (but bear in
mind you will need a suitable supply). A real quality purchase which offers many facilities not
available on many of the others are the Junsi icharger range that permit measurement of the
battery IR and logging to a PC amongst other qualities.

Junsi icharger 106B+ Guide price £85

https://www.nexusmodels.co.uk/icharger-106b-250w-10-amp-charger-from-junsi.html
Note: Needs DC power source

Other options
Single battery AC/DC 100w charger. Guide price £35
http://www.kingslynnmodelshop.co.uk/Batteries_and_Chargers-
Chargers/c66_76/p13760/GT_Power_C6D_Mini_100W_AC_Charger/product_info.html
- note: only capable of charging up to a 4s battery
Twin battery AC/DC 100W charger Guide price £103.50
https://www.sussex-model-centre.co.uk/etronix-powerpal-touch-dual-ac-dc-100w-performance-
charger

Batteries

These need to be chosen carefully to suit the chosen plane. Obviously they must physically fit but
the rating must also be suitable. The number of cells (e.g. 3s, 4s etc) will be determined by the
motor and ESC. The greater the capacity the longer the flight time possible but bear in mind
increased capacity will increase size and weight. The ‘C’ rating is perhaps the most difficult. The ‘C’
rating is effectively an indication of the maximum current that can safely be drawn from the battery.
It is a multiple of the capacity of the battery. The setup of your model will require a certain
maximum current dependant upon the motor fitted and the prop. All components (battery, ESC,
motor) must be capable of delivering/accepting this current with a margin of safety. The battery is
best charged at ‘1C’ but some do accept higher charging rates, but beware this usually shortens the
battery life! As an example, a 4000mAh battery has a ‘1C’ rating of 4.0 Amps and if quoted as a ‘20C’
theoretically can safely supply 80Amps (see following notes). If the quoted ‘C’ rating were reliable it
would be easy to choose but they are rarely anywhere near realistic values and some manufacturers
are more optimistic than others. A good rule of thumb is to work out the actual required ‘C’ rating
then multiply by 1.43 to 1.66. This should ensure that the battery is not being discharged at too high
a rate and should consequently last much longer. Often the information required to work out the ‘C’
rating required is not readily available. However, a very rough rule of thumb to use would be as
follows: The manufacturer will nearly always quote the ESC rating and the number of cells required.
So, using the equation ((ESC rating *1500)/chosen battery capacity in mAh) for a 2650mAh battery
and an esc rated at 40A we would get 40*1500=60000 and 60000/2650=22.7 In this case a ‘C’ rating
greater than 23 is required so a 25C rating would be the minimum to use. This should build in
suitable safety margins.

3s 2200mAh – 3000mAh examples

03 December 2019 Page 5 of 9 beginners equipment recommendations v4.docx

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-2200mah-3s-30c-lipo-pack.html Guide price £11.60

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-nano-tech-2200mah-3s-45-90c-lipo-pack.html Guide price

£18.95

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/zippy-compact-2200mah-3s-35c-lipo-pack.html Guide price £13.96

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-battery-3000mah-3s-40c-lipo-pack-xt-60.html Guide price

£20.17

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-battery-nano-tech-2650mah-3s-25-50c-lipo-pack-xt-60.html
Guide price £16.05

4s 2650mAh – 3000mAh examples

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-battery-3300mah-4s-30c-lipo-pack-xt-60.html Guide price
£24.23

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/zippy-compact-3300mah-4s-40c-lipo-pack.html Guide price £27.20

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-nano-tech-3300mah-4s-35-70c-lipo-pack-xt-60.html Guide
price £40.86

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-battery-4000mah-4s-30c-lipo-pack-xt-60.html Guide price

£29.21

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-battery-5000mah-4s-25c-lipo-pack-xt-90.html Guide price

£34.45

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-heavy-duty-5000mah-4s-60c-lipo-pack-w-xt-90.html Guide
price £42.58

Accessories required for IC petrol and glow engines

Glow stick (to heat the glo-plug)

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl?ACTINIC_REFERRER=https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl&PRODUCTPAGE=Fastrax-Glow-Starter-and-Mains-Charger-FAST50.html#SID=111
Guide price £10.99

Electric starter
https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl?ACTINIC_REFERRER=https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl&PRODUCTPAGE=JP-PowerTorque-II-12V-Starter-4444300.html#SID=113 Guide
price £32 (Note: A suitable battery will be required)

Chicken stick (to save your fingers being chopped off by the starting prop!)
https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl?ACTINIC_REFERRER=https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-

03 December 2019 Page 6 of 9 beginners equipment recommendations v4.docx

bin/bb000067.pl&PRODUCTPAGE=Engine-Safety-Starter-Stick-RCW0310.html#SID=113 Guide price
£8.50

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl?PRODUCTPAGE=SLEC%2dFinger%2dGuard%2dSL036%2dL_SL036%2ehtml%23SID%
3d113&PRODUCTREF=L-SL036#SID=113 Guide price £2.40

03 December 2019 Page 7 of 9 beginners equipment recommendations v4.docx

Fuel pump - manual or electric (to fill the plan’s fuel tank from the can you have brought to the
field)
https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl?ACTINIC_REFERRER=https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl&PRODUCTPAGE=JP-Deluxe-Electric-Fuel-Pump-6-12V-4444575.html#SID=247
Guide price £10.90 (Note: needs suitable battery)

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl?ACTINIC_REFERRER=https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl&PRODUCTPAGE=JP-Deluxe-Hand-Fuel-Pump-4444580.html#SID=247 Guide price
£9.60

Receiver battery

This is required for IC powered planes and may be needed for electric planes if you opt to use a
separate supply for your receiver other than that from the ESC. (see our training notes for the pros
and cons of a separate Rx power supply). There are a number of ways to go for this supply but
predominately either a NiMh or a LiPo battery (with a stand alone UBEC) can be used. Either way
you will also need a suitable charger. If you don’t have any electric planes then a NiMh with a cheap
mains charger is probably the best option. The choice of voltage will depend upon your servos – ask
for advice if unsure.

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl?ACTINIC_REFERRER=https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl&PRODUCTPAGE=EnErG-Pro-NiMH-4.8V-AA-2100-Flat-Receiver-battery-
4405515.html#SID=201 £8.90

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl?ACTINIC_REFERRER=https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl&PRODUCTPAGE=Hi-Energy-6-0v-1200mAh-Ni-MH-Rx-Pk-Flat-
O_HE5N1200AASF.html#SID=202 Guide price £8.50

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl?ACTINIC_REFERRER=https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-
bin/bb000067.pl&PRODUCTPAGE=Sanyo-4-8v-800mAh-Eneloop-Receiver-Pack-Flat-
O_4EN800AAASF.html#SID=201 Guide price £10.00

Fuel tank

Needs to suit plane and fuel type, but readily available

Propeller

The size of propeller will depend upon the motor chosen but readily available. The model
manufacturer may give advice on size but get advice on diameter and pitch and the effect on your
model and power train. Note also that an electric motor requires a different design of propeller to
an IC engine so make sure you get the right type.

There is still a world of information to understand over and above the basics above. For example
you may wish to power your receiver and servos independently from the BEC in the ESC using a

03 December 2019 Page 8 of 9 beginners equipment recommendations v4.docx

linear or switching BEC. You may want retracts – do you use mechanical, air or electric powered.
The possibilities are endless and your colleagues in the club will be glad to give you the benefit of
their knowledge and experience and explain the pro and cons of your choices.

03 December 2019 Page 9 of 9 beginners equipment recommendations v4.docx