RC Plane Lab

In this episode, Ron and Tom talk about cutting and installing canopies on your radio controlled airplane, and they also discuss the ever important question of whether or not to put a pilot in your airplane!   Please help us by taking our new listener survey:   https://rcplanelab.com/listener-survey   Support us by becoming a Patron!   https://rcplanelab.com/patreon​​​   Questions, comments? Reach...

Servos are important in RC Airplanes, but if they're not set up right they can cause crashes and headaches! Ron and Tom talk about the 6 rules Tom uses for setting up servos, and they talk about all the different ways to hook up a servo to your control surface.   Tool of the week! Z-Bend Pliers. Get yours on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qRzqtm   Support us by becoming a Patron! https://rcplanelab.com/...

Ever wondered what a servo is, or what it does?   Servos come in all shapes and sizes, and it can be difficult to know what's what. There are a lot of differences in servos, and Ron and Tom explain what they are. From metal gears to plastic gears, micro servos to standard size servos, analog to digital, there's a lot to know about the servo that goes in your airplane!   This week's tool of the wee...

In this episode of RC Plane Lab, Ron and Tom talk about balancing propellers, what tools to use, and the different ways to do it!   This week's tool of the week: the Dubro Tru-Spin Prop Balancer Get it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rhzC6k   Want to win a FlySky FS-I6?! Enter today! Visit our website: https://rcplanelab.com/giveaway/   Support us by becoming a Patron! https://rcplanelab.com/patreon  ...

Hinges! They're one of the most important parts of your airplane, yet they're often overlooked. Tune in as Ron and Tom talk about the different types of hinges, and discuss the pros and cons of each one.   Want to win a FlySky FS-I6?! Enter today! Visit our website:   https://rcplanelab.com/giveaway/   Support us by becoming a Patron!   https://rcplanelab.com/patreon   Questions, comments? Reach o...

In this episode of RC Plane Lab, Ron and Tom talk about the different glues and where to use them, homemade tools, and answer some more listener questions.   Want to win a FlySky FS-I6?! Enter today! Visit our website:   https://rcplanelab.com/giveaway/   Support us by becoming a Patron!   https://rcplanelab.com/patreon   Questions, comments? Reach out to us!   Email:   Ron@rcplanelab.com   Tom@rc...

Ron is getting Starlink! Ron and Tom discuss why that's a good thing for RC Plane Lab.   They also discuss airplane sizes and answer some listener questions.   Want to win a FlySky FS-I6?! Enter today! Visit our website at https://rcplanelab.com/giveaway/   Support us by becoming a Patron! https://rcplanelab.com/patreon   Questions, comments? Reach out to us!   Email:   Ron@rcplanelab.com   Tom@rc...

In this episode of RC Plane Lab, the guys officially launch the FlySky transmitter giveaway! They talk about some updates about their RC Tri-Motor project, and then get into talking about the full size Ford Tri-Motor that inspired their build.   Want to win a FlySky FS-I6?! Enter now! Visit our website at https://rcplanelab.com/giveaway/   Support us by becoming a Patron! https://rcplanelab.com/pa...

It happens to all of us from time to time. Sometimes when you fly, you crash. But, how do you know if it's a total loss, or if it can be rebuilt? Tune in to see what Ron and Tom have to say on the subject.   Also on this show, Ron and Tom settle a bet on who's Duellist was faster during their maiden flights. You may be surprised by the numbers!   Support us by becoming a Patron! https://rcplanelab...

RC Plane Lab will be giving away a FlySky FS-I6 transmitter! Stay tuned for more details. Since the Duellist project is behind them, in this episode of RC Plane Lab, Ron and Tom talk about their next airplane build, a giant scale Ford Tri-Motor. This will be a fun project to follow along, so be sure to check back for future updates. The guys also respond to listener questions and comments.

In this episode, Tom goes through some ways to save money in the hobby, not only on materials, but on tools as well. While it can be expensive, there are ways to cut costs without cutting corners!  

Finally! The Duellists have had their successful maiden flights! Tune in to hear Ron and Tom talk about how they went, and watch the maiden video on YouTube!   Visit https://rcplanelab.com/youtube and be sure to like and subscribe!

The weather didn't cooperate for our Duellist maidens this week. Trust us when we say nobody is more disappointed than we are! From an ice storm New Years Day, to 5 inches of snow on our backup date, Mother Nature had a way of throwing a wrench in our plans!   Join Ron and Tom in this episode as they talk about the new Remote ID rules from the FAA. 

2021 is finally here! Join Ron and Tom, along with their wives Crystal and Lori, for a look back at 2020 as we answer some listener questions, and talk about some of the highs and lows of the last year. We also talk a bit about what our future plans are for 2021 and beyond!

Happy Holidays from RC Plane Lab! Today, Ron and Tom talk about their recent trip to Dynamic Balsa and the airplanes they came home with. Tom explains what wing incidence is and talks about how he made his wing fairings on his Duelist. 

This week Ron and Tom sit down and have a chat with Brian Burcar from Dynamic Balsa. His experience in the hobby spans more than 35 years. He's done everything from cutting balsa in the early days to producing high quality detailed cockpit kits that have won at Top Gun multiple times.    You can visit Dynamic Balsa's website at www.dbalsa.com or follow him at https://www.facebook.com/dbalsahs  

Ron and Tom answer listener questions this week. If you have any questions or comments, visit rcplanelab.com and click the contact us link tab. There are lots of ways to get in touch with us, so don't be shy. 

Tom's excited about how much work he got done on his Duellist. Listen to find out how much closer he and Ron are to being finished!   Also, Tom got called out by a listener for not telling Ron that the Blue Angels are upgrading Fat Albert, their C-130 transport airplane. 

The Blue Angels are updating the aircraft they fly. Ron isn't okay with that. Ron and Tom also talk about how the Duellist builds are coming along, and they touch a bit on what they're thankful for in the hobby. Visit us at rcplanelab.com !

Winter is coming! At least here it is. In this episode, Ron and Tom talk about some of the things we should do to our airplanes to make sure they survive the winter and are ready for us to fly once the weather warms up.    Visit us at rcplanelab.com to take our listener survey !   Like the show? Consider becoming a Patron !

So you just got your new airplane together and you're ready to fly it. How do you make sure it's flying the best it can? By flight trimming it! Join Ron and Tom as they talk about flight trimming and what to look for during your first few flights.    Like what you hear? Consider helping us grow by supporting us through Patreon !   Have something to say? Fill out our listener survey , or join the c...

In this episode of the RC Plane Lab podcast, Ron and Tom talk about what they've been up to with their Duellist projects. They also discuss what to expect with building a balsa airplane if you haven't done it before. 

Happy Halloween! In keeping with the Halloween spirit, Ron and Tom talk about some of the scary things that have happened to them in the hobby. Tune in to hear listener voicemails, along with a special guest appearance by our friends Matthew and Joe from the Aviation RC Noob Podcast telling a couple of their scary stories!   Head over to rcplanelab.com to see the video Matthew was talking about in...

Ron and Tom discuss the ins and outs of scratch building, answer listener questions, and try to figure out what makes an airplane big.    Don't forget to fill out our listener survey ! Visit our forums ! Become a patron ! 

Tom turned 50 this week! Let's all wish him a happy 50th!  There are a few things you can do to become a better pilot. Tom talks about some of the things he does to improve his skills, and we read some listener mail.