Common RC Terms

Common RC Terms and Definitions

Battery Eliminator Circuit: Also designated as BEC. A feature found in some speed control units that allows one battery to power both the motor and the receiver.

CA: Abbreviation for cyanoacrylates. A common hobby adhesive that cures very quickly.

Center of Gravity: Also designated as CG, it is that exact point on any object where the object will balance level in all directions when suspended about that point.

Control Linkage: Term applied to any linkage that transmits servo movements to a moveable surface (control surface)on the plane.

ESC: Acronym for Electronic Speed Control. It is the unit that controls the Rpm's of the motor.

Over-control: When you overcompensate for an unwanted movement with excessive control inputs. Liken to over steering in a car.

Receiver: That part of the radio control system that converts radio signals from the transmitter into electrical impulses.

Servo: An electromagnetic device controlled by electrical impulses from the receiver. They are use to move the control surfaces (elevator, rudder, aileron) of the plane.

Transmitter: The hand held part of a radio control system that sends the signal to the receiver.

Z-bend: The simplest way to connect a pushrod to a control horn or servo-output arm

Common RC Plane Terms and Definitions

Aileron: The moveable surface (control surface) on a planes wings that controls its roll.

Airfoil: The shape of the wing's rib that determines how the plane moves through the air.

Angle of Attack: Also designated as AoA. It is the angle difference between the wing-chord line measurement and the relative wind.

Bulkhead: A vertical former (partition) inside the plane's main body part (fuselage).

Control Surface: Any moveable surface of the plane such as rudder, aileron and elevator.

Dihedral: The upward sweep angle of the wing panels. It determines the planes stability.

Doubler: A second piece of plywood or balsa added to the main body part (fuselage) of the plane to add strength.

Drag: Term for the amount of air resistance that slows a plane down.

Elevator: The pitch control surface.

Flare: Term for the gradual increase in the pitch angle just before landing a plane. It is used to bleed off excessive airspeed.

Fuselage: The main body part of an airplane.

Horizontal Stabilizer: The front horizontal portions of the plane tail (flight surface) that support the elevators. It is also used to stabilize the model in pitch.

Leading Edge: Also designated as LE, it is the foremost edge of an airfoil or propeller.

Lift: Term for the aerodynamic force created by air flowing around and airfoil that is equal to or greater than the weight of the aircraft. It acts opposite to the force of gravity.

Moment: A distance measurement on a model forward or aft of its balance point as in nose moment or tail moment.

Rib: The internal vertical parts of a wing that give it shape and airfoil contour.

Rudder: The vertical control surface on the planes tail that controls the right or left movement of an aircraft nose from its vertical axis, know as yaw.

Stall: When the wing looses lift. The aircraft tends to drop abruptly.

Trailing Edge: The aft (back) most edge of an airfoil or propeller.

Trim: Term applied to the adjustments made on a model to obtain stable and balanced flight.

Vertical Fin: A fixed, vertical stabilizer used to reduce a models tendency to move right or left of its vertical axis (yaw).

Wing Chord: The measured distance between the wings leading edge (LE) and trailing edge (TE).

Yaw: The right or left movement of a planes nose from its vertical axis.