If you do it all yourself, you will have to search far and

wide for a more exciting experience than having a bunch of

parts come together as a flying remote control airplane. Of

course building an RC model is a lot more involved than

building most of the other types of model.

Actually, most hobbyists don't really build their remote

control airplanes from scratch. It's too hard for most of them

because of the electronics involved. If you are a radio

enthusiast or an engineer you may have the skills to create

the remote control system yourself, but most people won't have

those skills.
And, so there are kits for the non-engineer types. There are

almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) and ready-to-fly (RTF)model

airplanes available.  The difference lies in the amount of

building you would have to do to make your model airworthy.

Prior to the ARF and the RTF, all the RC models were sold only

in kit form.

Types of Kits
The kits are similar - Containing parts you should assemble

together. The difference is the material from which the parts

are made. One of the more popular choices is wood - usually

balsa which is very light and strong.

Currently, materials such as plastic, fiberglass and foam are

gaining in popularity. I have not seen a kit with metal parts,

but it could be possible with some very light metal would give

a model strength could be a good option.

When you are selecting a kit, check out how it is cut. Laser

cut kits are easy to assemble and the models created from them

are very nice. Other types of kits are machine cut and die

cut. These are usually the wood kits and they may require some

additional work on your part before you can begin assembly of

the plane.

Tools required
Some of the easier, laser-cut plastic kits do not require any

tools except a screwdriver and some glue. You may need a small

screwdriver, however, especially for the electronics and the

engine.

If you work with machine-cut or die-cut wooden parts you will

need sandpaper to smooth the fuselage, wings and other parts.

Usually, the glue is included in the kits but if it isn't or

if you have to buy additional, make sure you pick the type of

glue appropriate for your materials. The carpenter's yellow

glue is best for wood, while silicone or canopy glue is better

for plastic and fiberglass kits.
Just about your last task will be to paint your remote control

airplane . The plastic kits sometimes come already painted,

but that's never with wood. Before painting you may want to

apply a technique called dry-brushing. It creates a

realistically looking model airplane. Dry brushing and

painting are the most important things to do if you want your

model airplane to look good.

Of course the most important characteristic of the remote

controlled airplanes is whether they will fly and whether you

can control the flight. When finishing your kit you must be

careful not to disturb some of the fine details of the

electronics or the engine.

Building models yourself is the most exciting part of model

aviation. Give it a try.  Join a model club and you will find

plenty of volunteer assistance, maybe even more than you

bargained for.