Top 5: Best First RC Planes

Want to know which remote controlled planes are the best for beginners? We walk you through five categories of planes for beginners and the best options in each to get started in the hobby.

[Moraren]

I cant recommend the Swappable series enough. Its amazing, to build something yourself, and then see it fly beautifully. My first plane was the FT Flyer, and its great! The swappables is great too if you are like me, and love building. So many wonderful airframes awailable, and you can fly them all with the same set of electronics. Cheap and Fun!

[jadenjohnson]

I bought the apprentice as my first plane over 3 years ago and i still sometimes use it. It can take a beating! I had the nose completely break off and just used hot glue and packing tape and it works perfectly fine now. Half of my elevator broke off mid flight and i was able to land it and use a piece of foambord to make it work like new again. I even added a bomb drop box to it as well. Overall, I would 100% recommend as first plane.

[isaaclyonsf]

I started with a cheap, micro Cessna and then moved to a sky surfer.I recommend the FT 22 as a good diy plane, looks good, flies amazing.

[JasonPhipps]

You guys are essentially and legitimately my RC flight instructors. With over 12, 000 real hours logged, you've taught me about everything I know about RC. That Apprentice was my first buy last summer with the DX6, and I cannot recommend a better way to learn on your own. Great job, guys! Love your work! Keep it up!

[dennisschuchman]

I have been flying and teaching flying for over 30 years now and I completely agree about the Apprentice for a 4 axis airplane trainer for beginners. I have had kids as young as 6 years old fly and land this airplane the first time out! I have also taught people 80+ fly this airplane with the same success and the best thing is the smiles afterwords! I love teaching new people how to fly. I usually bring my Apprentice along with me when I fly, I normally fly my 106" Edge 540 and people are constantly coming over and asking if they can fly, I say no but you can fly this.... The Apprentice Well done guys!

[andrewpulsipher]

Thanks a ton guys! I scratch built a tiny trainer for my brother for Christmas this year. He loved it, he learned a ton, my family went out together several times to fly with him, smiles all around every time. I'm now helping a co-worker to do the same. Thank you for free plans, tips, and low cost electronics! keep it coming!

[Guy_]

Best beginner plane I flew was your FT Storch! So forgiving, really stable, loads of room for mods and easy to repair. I started with just a standard 4 channel set up, crashed it hard, glued it back together, crashed some more, put flaps on, crashed some more. The thing lasted about a year, but after that year I was ready to fly and repair everything.
I think the most important thing about a starter plane is not necessarily how it flies, but also how easy it is to repair and adapt. Because as we all know, flying RC planes is 50% flying, 50% repairing.

[Antonluisre]

I think as a small high wing trainer, I choose the Sport Cub S; great plane, cheap, small, and easy to fly.

Also, it was the plane that got me into the hobby. One year after I had it, I was flying carbon gliders and doing aerial photography (with gliders as well /).

[nicos]

Holy **** yes! I loved these videos way back 4 years ago. So awesome to see Josh and Josh back together doing a review. I really miss the good old plane reviews in chad's garage.

[OutaTimeFPV]

The original Champ was a great trainer for me. This new one looks even better. Love you guys!

[knight]

I've been trying to get into RC flight for 30 years. I built a balsa glider when I was 12, but I couldn't get the hang of flying it and, after crashing it several times until it was no longer flyable, moved on to other hobbies. I got back into RC with FPV racing quads last year, but I still wanted to learn fixed wing. I didn't really have anybody to help, so I built a Tiny Trainer. I spent a week flying every day with the 3-channel polyhedral wing, then switched to the 4-channel sport wing and I was doing loops and rolls by the end of the second week. Now I'm flying an FPV racing wing and building another plane to fly quad racing courses with. Thanks for the great design, plans, and build video that finally gave me the tools to be successful in fixed wing RC flight.

[Stambo]

I learned with the original yellow Champ with no assistance. Coming from helicopters and quads I actually found it a little too easy, but now my son flies it.
It has had both wings ripped off in crashes and hot glued back on and still flies like a "Champ".
I now fly FT Sparrow and Arrow and an AXN as well as quads still.
My son who just turned 8 is flying a 250 quad with FPV goggles and loving it.

Very small criticism, Josh S voice is louder than Josh B so I find myself turning the volume up and down so I don't disturb other people. I don't know if anything can be done about it and it's no big deal, just thought I would mention it.

[deepthoughtification]

Guys I found your channel playing around on YouTube with my fiancee and I can't tell you how much fun we've had watching. In high school I was into rc cars/trophy trucks/ model building but because of the cost couldn't get into rc aviation but spent a lot of time at the local rc airfield at markham park where I grew up in south Florida (broward county). We've been looking for a hobby to do together and with our three children, we've done some model building (ironically the kids always want to build aircraft and my son picked the blue angels f18 by Estes that I built at the same age when I was younger) and I'm feeling like we might be getting a trainer build kit to build together and get everyone into the air. Thanks for all the videos keep up the good work!

[nvo]

First ever plane was a high power Cessna 206. Was way out of my league and as a result I quit R/C altogether for almost 10 years. A few years ago I picked up a Champ. Loved that little thing. On calm days it was pure joy. Any kind of wind was too much though. Then I found you guys and decided to build a tiny trainer. Built and flew 3 of them, all wonderful planes. Next I built an FT Explorer. Liked it but didn't love it. I've also built Spitfire, Old Fogey, Mini Sportster and Mini Scout. But my favorite of all, and the plane that I recommend to all my friends is the FT Simple Storch. What a joy to fly. Wide speed envelope and docile handling but it can get exciting really fast on normal throws at full throttle. I've built three of them now and the most recent is my favorite. If I could do it again I would build a Tiny Trainer to learn on and then move directly to the Simple Storch.

[czflyer]

Flew nitro with my dad as a kid. My 1st rc to solo was the original Parkzone radian. Still have it. Still love it. From there I got a Parkzone Sport Cub . Flew it a few months and graduated to the plane that is now the FAVORITE plane in my hangar, the Eflite Carbon Z Cub. I almost never go to the field without it. I now fly my Sport Cub on floats & it's great. So as of today my hangar consists of my Radian, Sport Cub, CZ Cub, Rare Bear, Red Bull Edge 540, Red Bull Corsair, Parkzone Sukhoi (regular receiver), Freewing Rebel, Carbon Z Cessna 150.. Previous planes include a Carbon Z T28, (sold) Hobbyzone Corsair, (traded) and a HSD Viper 75 that never flew right so I junked it.

[dukedelacroix]

I started with a Sportsman S+ (SAFE), Stable Highwing. Brand new these things cost around 4 to 5 hundred dollars. I was lucky enough to pick one up second hand with Radio all in working order for $140 Aussie bucks. I rate it, I'm still using it and I have a lot of fun flying it. It's not fast which is great and if you're flying it into a little headwind it will just float there/move slowly without any flopping around etc. Great plane overall for a beginner. Thanks Josh's for putting this up and helping us all get into the hobby, love your work (everyone at flite test), thanks again.

[alwishy]

I bought the Apprentice for my kids after watching your 1st review and its still our go to favourite plane.

[jhbuxton]

Howdy all! Last year about this time I had just found Flite Test videos and was trying to figure out how I was going to get into the air and fly. I called Flite Test to make an order and it ended up being Jim Bixler on the other end of the line, I really wanted to get the Guinea Pig and fly a twin, but Jim suggested for me to get the Explorer to start off with. Taking his suggestion I ordered the Explorer and also got the Guinea Pig. I'm glad he took the time to talk with me and suggest a plane that would be a lot more forgiving to learn on. Needless to say, It is a year later and I am loving every moment of this hobby! Thanks guys and girls of Flite Test for doing what you do. P.S. the explorer and the guinea pig are both alive and well! :-)

[flavoie]

Newbies out there? I'm one... owner of an apprentice s15e. Had it for 2 months. 1st thing I did was add skis B-). Flying in winter -15°C has its challenges, plastics are brittle and had to snow proof the plane. Thanks to FT I arrived in the hobby with eyes open & great essential info. FT beginner series is time well spent, and be prepared to maintain & repair your apprentice. Beginner mode I found is great to build initial confidence as I was learning on my own.
But above all I cannot say how much I love you guys at FT for sharing your passion and getting people "in the hobby". I'm a living example. thanks FT! Next project : FT tiny trainer.

[robertemmons]

I bought the Apprentice over 3 years ago as a first plane. I've built and flew several models since, but the Apprentice is still my one go-to plane that never fails to amaze me, even after all the crashes and repairs that have been done. It's still ready to fly to this day.