<p>Back in the early days of RC, people only had single channel radios, and vintage models were designed to be flown with only the rudder (and a small amount of fuel in the tank to limit the maximum height).</p>
<p>Vintage models were typically high-wing with lots of dihedral and a forward CG to make them very stable. Car RC gear should be fine in this sort of model, and they also make good trainers.</p>
<p>You will need to find the right size model plan for your motor, as most vintage designs were for IC engines. Assuming you have a brushed motor, measure the length of the can in mm and add a zero to get the size code - if it's 30mm long, you have a '300' size motor. If it's 40mm long, you have a '400' size motor. Then look for a model that was designed for that size motor. You don't have to build that exact model, but that gives you a target size and weight.</p>
<p>You can buy prop adapters that will fit the shaft of the motor; the shaft sizes are a fairly standard range of sizes.</p>
<p>Also, check the frequency of your radio is legal for air use in your country. In particular, 40MHz is for ground use only in the UK. In the US 72 was for air use and 75MHz for ground use. 2.4GHz can be used for air or ground in most countries.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-10T15:21:06.153Z
Indeed, if one is going to build a single channel plane then that is how to do it, and car RC gear is far more suitable than what such planes typically flew with in their era; the motor will probably work too, with a prop adapter in place of gearbox - the real challenge will be sizing the plane and trimming it.   The frequency distinction by usage is at least historically important: the US also had similar rules with 72 (air) vs 75 MHz (surface) bands; but 2.4 GHz gear authorized for either has been pretty thoroughly taking over for the past decade so is much more likely to be found now.
Chris Stratton
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T08:13:50.937Z
@ChrisStratton - thanks, excellent points, I've added them all into my answer.
Robin Bennett
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-10T08:06:26.377Z
2020-08-11T08:13:21.063Z
2020-08-11T08:13:21.063Z
Robin Bennett
<p>This is an interesting idea and I think it could work. There are, however, a few things that are worth considering. First of all, a controller for an rc car will usually have only 2 or 3 channels. This is only a problem if you want more controls such as rudder, elevator, elevons, etc but if you only want to control pitch you will have enough channels. Another thing to consider is that the electronics in rc cars are usually a lot  heavier that those in drones/planes. This is especially the case with ESCs as rc car ESCs will have heat-sinks and sometimes fans built in. If the ESC that you have is too heavy you can get around this by replacing it with a cheap, lightweight ESC (with an adequate BEC to power the servo) that has no heat-sink/fan.</p>
<p>These are just a few suggestions that I thought were worth noting. Hopefully they prove helpful.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-08T23:58:24.670Z
Mass is an interesting consideration, but planes care a lot less about an extra 100-200 grams from heatsinks than the multirotors we're both most familiar with. :) Also, the heatsinks may very well be mandatory because ESCs are rarely mounted on planes outside the airframe where airflow can help with heat transfer. That's one of the only reasons why multirotor ESCs don't need large heatsinks.
ifconfig
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T00:15:14.410Z
@ifconfig fair point. I guess it really depends on how the ESC is going to be mounted and used.
Jacob B
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-08T22:41:35.530Z
2020-08-08T22:41:35.530Z
Jacob B
<p>Maybe!</p>
<p>Let's take a look at what parts from the RC car we might be able to reuse for an RC plane. You haven't shared any specific details about the RC car you're looking to salvage parts from or the RC plane you're trying to build, so I'm not able to make a specific analysis.</p>
<h2>RC Transmitter and Receiver</h2>
<p>One major concern is how many analog channels the RC car control system has. analog channels allow you to vary the control signal through its range of motion as opposed to having the channel just be on or off. AFAIK most RC cars only have two channels (<em>throttle and steering</em>) and you'll need 4-6 channels to control an RC plane (<em>ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle, any aux channels you may need</em>). You probably won't be able to reuse the RC TX/RX if it doesn't have &gt;=4 analog channels.</p>
<p>The RC transmitter might also be less than ideal for RC aircraft control. If you have one of the pistol-grip type devices, like this one from Radiolink, you might find that operating the plane becomes cumbersome even if it has enough analog channels.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/yPaCG.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/yPaCG.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Most RC aircraft controllers are shaped quite differently for ergonomic reasons, like this one:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/bogOx.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/bogOx.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<h2>ESC</h2>
<p>The major factor to consider here is the current rating of the RC car ESC. Depending on the size plane you plan to pair it with, you may need an ESC capable of supplying &gt;20-30 amps of current to the propeller's driving motor.</p>
<p>Assuming that the current rating for the ESC is adequate, the chances are good you'll be able to reuse the RC car ESC.</p>
<h2>BLDC Motor</h2>
<p>This is something you didn't ask about in your question, but I thought it would be good to mention anyway. It's possible you may be able to reuse the drive motor to power the propeller, although it's difficult to give a more specific answer without knowing more about the RC car and airplane.</p>
<p>As @JacobB notes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Most RC cars use comparatively low voltage batteries (<em>2-3s</em>) and have a spur and pinion gear to create the necessary torque.</p>
<p>And because many RC cars use brushed motors (<em>and the ones that are brushless have high Kv, like 4000 or 5000</em>), having the motor attached directly to a propeller would likely result in either a severe lack of power and/or extremely inefficient performance.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Servos</h2>
<p>Servos are rated for how much deflection they can provide (<em>e.g. 45°, 90°, 180°, 360°, continuous/infinite rotation</em>) and how much force/torque they can deliver. Again depending on the size of the aircraft you want to control, the servos you find in your RC car may be too small to control the aerodynamic surfaces of your plane.</p>
<p>The aerodynamic surfaces on a plane can experience decently strong forces in-flight, so it's important to make sure your servos are appropriately sized and can maintain control.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T00:47:30.927Z
A solid answer!
Nike Dattani
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T01:04:16.683Z
Something worth noting is that most rc cars use comparatively low voltage batteries (2-3s) and have a spur and pinion gear to create the necessary torque. And because many rc cars use brushed motors (and the ones that are brushless have high Kv, like 4000 or 5000), having the motor attached directly to a propeller would likely result in either a severe lack of power and/or extremely inefficient performance.
Jacob B
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T02:04:43.057Z
@JacobB Yes, that's true!
ifconfig
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T09:28:12.470Z
Thanks for your help but unfortunately the heads of the hex bolts that hold the electronics are gone, making it difficult to take them out, so I'm not sure if it's worth the effort.
ThatCoolCoder
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T15:15:04.473Z
I've flown RC planes (in the distant past > 30 years ago) using a 2-channel radio. Typically controls where combined: ailerons/rudder, elevator/throttle (or fixed throttle). Not ideal, but it worked well enough - particularly with designs which were more like powered gliders.
brhans
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T15:18:34.877Z
Servo capability is unlikely to be an issue for a trainer-type RC planes.  That's especially true today when there's no longer much reason to be build things as large as we used to - eg, an entry level RC plane used to need to weigh 2 kilograms, today those weighing under 40 grams are common which means they can be flow in a small field and don't tend to damage themselves much from the inevitable mistakes.  Even if you build bigger at say a kilogram and meter wingspan, you're not going to see excessive forces for common servos.
Chris Stratton
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T16:53:27.510Z
@ChrisStratton Yeah, that's probably true. I just wanted to mention servo sizing in case a larger scale was intended.
ifconfig
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-08T23:43:37.730Z
2020-08-09T02:06:44.083Z
2020-08-09T02:06:44.083Z
ifconfig
<p>I am a beginner to the hobby and I've been constructing chuck gliders out of foam board and card for a few years. I'd like to start making models that I can control, but I don't have much of a budget. I do, however, have a hobby-grade RC car with a receiver/esc/servo combo and matching transmitter. I am planning on removing this unit and using it to control the one channel (pitch) of a foam board glider. Is this a feasible idea? What are some major problems I might come across?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-08T23:19:42.090Z
How many channels does the RC car transmitter/receiver have?
ifconfig
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-08T23:36:27.677Z
it's throttle and steering but I am only focusing on controlling pitch at the moment
ThatCoolCoder
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T01:08:14.107Z
Just to clarify, do you intend to create a powered rc plane (one that creates thrust for continuous flight) or just a glider with a way to control it?
Jacob B
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T09:23:45.643Z
sorry for the lack of precision, I mean a glider
ThatCoolCoder
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T15:10:44.607Z
@ThatCoolCoder simple RC planes *always* control "steering" first.  Pitch should be controlled by trimming and by choice of a stable aircraft.  You are likely to see a tendency to nose up under power, which can be partially compensated by installing the motor pointing several degrees down (eg "down thrust").  Right thrust is also typically used to counteract the effect of the propwash swirling past the vertical fin.  Look at typical single channel planes - conventional layout, high wing, huge dihedral, rudder control (possibly with an engine cut off).
Chris Stratton
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-09T15:20:52.593Z
Really the biggest challenge here is not that the recycling the components will be problematic, but that as an inexperienced builder/pilot its going to be hard to make the right design choices and get things trimmed well to work with only rudder control.  So don't "wing it" with an original design, pick a kit or at least published plan that there's real evidence will work.  And do keep in mind the low actual price of things like the HZ champ and its competitors.  An experienced pilot to help with initial flights will probably save you a lot of repairs.
Chris Stratton
<transmitter><receiver><fixed-wing>
Is it feasible to use an RC car transmitter/receiver to control an RC plane?
ThatCoolCoder
# Is it feasible to use an RC car transmitter/receiver to control an RC plane?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-08)

I am a beginner to the hobby and I've been constructing chuck gliders out of foam board and card for a few years. I'd like to start making models that I can control, but I don't have much of a budget. I do, however, have a hobby-grade RC car with a receiver/esc/servo combo and matching transmitter. I am planning on removing this unit and using it to control the one channel (pitch) of a foam board glider. Is this a feasible idea? What are some major problems I might come across?

**Tags:** transmitter, receiver, fixed-wing

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: How many channels does the RC car transmitter/receiver have?  
> **username_0**: it's throttle and steering but I am only focusing on controlling pitch at the moment  
> **username_2**: Just to clarify, do you intend to create a powered rc plane (one that creates thrust for continuous flight) or just a glider with a way to control it?  
> **username_0**: sorry for the lack of precision, I mean a glider  
> **username_3**: @username_0 simple RC planes *always* control "steering" first.  Pitch should be controlled by trimming and by choice of a stable aircraft.  You are likely to see a tendency to nose up under power, which can be partially compensated by installing the motor pointing several degrees down (eg "down thrust").  Right thrust is also typically used to counteract the effect of the propwash swirling past the vertical fin.  Look at typical single channel planes - conventional layout, high wing, huge dihedral, rudder control (possibly with an engine cut off).  
> **username_3**: Really the biggest challenge here is not that the recycling the components will be problematic, but that as an inexperienced builder/pilot its going to be hard to make the right design choices and get things trimmed well to work with only rudder control.  So don't "wing it" with an original design, pick a kit or at least published plan that there's real evidence will work.  And do keep in mind the low actual price of things like the HZ champ and its competitors.  An experienced pilot to help with initial flights will probably save you a lot of repairs.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-08-08. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Maybe!

Let's take a look at what parts from the RC car we might be able to reuse for an RC plane. You haven't shared any specific details about the RC car you're looking to salvage parts from or the RC plane you're trying to build, so I'm not able to make a specific analysis.

## RC Transmitter and Receiver

One major concern is how many analog channels the RC car control system has. analog channels allow you to vary the control signal through its range of motion as opposed to having the channel just be on or off. AFAIK most RC cars only have two channels (*throttle and steering*) and you'll need 4-6 channels to control an RC plane (*ailerons, elevator, rudder, throttle, any aux channels you may need*). You probably won't be able to reuse the RC TX/RX if it doesn't have >=4 analog channels.

The RC transmitter might also be less than ideal for RC aircraft control. If you have one of the pistol-grip type devices, like this one from Radiolink, you might find that operating the plane becomes cumbersome even if it has enough analog channels.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/yPaCG.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/yPaCG.png)

Most RC aircraft controllers are shaped quite differently for ergonomic reasons, like this one:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/bogOx.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/bogOx.png)

## ESC

The major factor to consider here is the current rating of the RC car ESC. Depending on the size plane you plan to pair it with, you may need an ESC capable of supplying >20-30 amps of current to the propeller's driving motor.

Assuming that the current rating for the ESC is adequate, the chances are good you'll be able to reuse the RC car ESC.

## BLDC Motor

This is something you didn't ask about in your question, but I thought it would be good to mention anyway. It's possible you may be able to reuse the drive motor to power the propeller, although it's difficult to give a more specific answer without knowing more about the RC car and airplane.

As @username_2 notes:

> Most RC cars use comparatively low voltage batteries (*2-3s*) and have a spur and pinion gear to create the necessary torque.
>
> And because many RC cars use brushed motors (*and the ones that are brushless have high Kv, like 4000 or 5000*), having the motor attached directly to a propeller would likely result in either a severe lack of power and/or extremely inefficient performance.

## Servos

Servos are rated for how much deflection they can provide (*e.g. 45°, 90°, 180°, 360°, continuous/infinite rotation*) and how much force/torque they can deliver. Again depending on the size of the aircraft you want to control, the servos you find in your RC car may be too small to control the aerodynamic surfaces of your plane.

The aerodynamic surfaces on a plane can experience decently strong forces in-flight, so it's important to make sure your servos are appropriately sized and can maintain control.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: A solid answer!  
> **username_2**: Something worth noting is that most rc cars use comparatively low voltage batteries (2-3s) and have a spur and pinion gear to create the necessary torque. And because many rc cars use brushed motors (and the ones that are brushless have high Kv, like 4000 or 5000), having the motor attached directly to a propeller would likely result in either a severe lack of power and/or extremely inefficient performance.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Yes, that's true!  
> **username_0**: Thanks for your help but unfortunately the heads of the hex bolts that hold the electronics are gone, making it difficult to take them out, so I'm not sure if it's worth the effort.  
> **username_6**: I've flown RC planes (in the distant past > 30 years ago) using a 2-channel radio. Typically controls where combined: ailerons/rudder, elevator/throttle (or fixed throttle). Not ideal, but it worked well enough - particularly with designs which were more like powered gliders.  
> **username_3**: Servo capability is unlikely to be an issue for a trainer-type RC planes.  That's especially true today when there's no longer much reason to be build things as large as we used to - eg, an entry level RC plane used to need to weigh 2 kilograms, today those weighing under 40 grams are common which means they can be flow in a small field and don't tend to damage themselves much from the inevitable mistakes.  Even if you build bigger at say a kilogram and meter wingspan, you're not going to see excessive forces for common servos.  
> **username_1**: @username_3 Yeah, that's probably true. I just wanted to mention servo sizing in case a larger scale was intended.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-08-10. Score: 5

Back in the early days of RC, people only had single channel radios, and vintage models were designed to be flown with only the rudder (and a small amount of fuel in the tank to limit the maximum height).

Vintage models were typically high-wing with lots of dihedral and a forward CG to make them very stable. Car RC gear should be fine in this sort of model, and they also make good trainers.

You will need to find the right size model plan for your motor, as most vintage designs were for IC engines. Assuming you have a brushed motor, measure the length of the can in mm and add a zero to get the size code - if it's 30mm long, you have a '300' size motor. If it's 40mm long, you have a '400' size motor. Then look for a model that was designed for that size motor. You don't have to build that exact model, but that gives you a target size and weight.

You can buy prop adapters that will fit the shaft of the motor; the shaft sizes are a fairly standard range of sizes.

Also, check the frequency of your radio is legal for air use in your country. In particular, 40MHz is for ground use only in the UK. In the US 72 was for air use and 75MHz for ground use. 2.4GHz can be used for air or ground in most countries.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Indeed, if one is going to build a single channel plane then that is how to do it, and car RC gear is far more suitable than what such planes typically flew with in their era; the motor will probably work too, with a prop adapter in place of gearbox - the real challenge will be sizing the plane and trimming it.   The frequency distinction by usage is at least historically important: the US also had similar rules with 72 (air) vs 75 MHz (surface) bands; but 2.4 GHz gear authorized for either has been pretty thoroughly taking over for the past decade so is much more likely to be found now.  
> **username_4**: @username_3 - thanks, excellent points, I've added them all into my answer.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-08. Score: 3

This is an interesting idea and I think it could work. There are, however, a few things that are worth considering. First of all, a controller for an rc car will usually have only 2 or 3 channels. This is only a problem if you want more controls such as rudder, elevator, elevons, etc but if you only want to control pitch you will have enough channels. Another thing to consider is that the electronics in rc cars are usually a lot heavier that those in drones/planes. This is especially the case with ESCs as rc car ESCs will have heat-sinks and sometimes fans built in. If the ESC that you have is too heavy you can get around this by replacing it with a cheap, lightweight ESC (with an adequate BEC to power the servo) that has no heat-sink/fan.

These are just a few suggestions that I thought were worth noting. Hopefully they prove helpful.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Mass is an interesting consideration, but planes care a lot less about an extra 100-200 grams from heatsinks than the multirotors we're both most familiar with. :) Also, the heatsinks may very well be mandatory because ESCs are rarely mounted on planes outside the airframe where airflow can help with heat transfer. That's one of the only reasons why multirotor ESCs don't need large heatsinks.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 fair point. I guess it really depends on how the ESC is going to be mounted and used.  

---

