Greetings,

I have been poking about here for a while, having a general interest in remote control, but now, I have a need for some information.
Please forgive my ignorance and I do realize that I am asking a VERY broad question, but I would like to get hold of a list of parts, common to any RC aircraft, but that are peculiar to RC aircraft and that are likely to need replacing. The goal of this question, which hopefully will explain it better, is to be be able to identify parts for RC aircraft repair or modification from a list of general stuff. So, if there is a particular gauge of wire used almost exclusively for aileron manipulation or a certain kind of glue that holds the thing together.. that's what I would be after.

Also, if I may, is there a list of commonly used frequencies or bands for the RC part?

I can't answer your first question, but I can speak to the second.

Yes...RC aircraft most commonly operate in the 72MHz band, though you might also find them in the 6m HAM band, Spread Spectrum (2.4 GHz), or 27 or 49 MHz range.

A rather complete listing of the Freqs you'll find RC aircraft on can be found at http://www.modelaircraft.org/comp/frequency.htm

HTH

peeper,

There is such a wide variety of models these days, from micro size to mega monsters, that it may be hard to make any useful list of spare parts. Even if we limit it to 40 size glow powered trainers it depends on the type of plane, rubber band mounted wing vs. bolt on wings etc. If you want spare parts for yourself then wait until you decide what planes you will be flying and then get spare parts for it. If you are looking for a list of spare parts to bring to a field to share with others then here is a start:

Metric and SAE hardware, bolts nuts washers etc.
Include some long 4-40 socket head screws for mufflers and some 1/4-20 nylon bolts for wing mounting
also some tiny wood screws for hatch mounting
Prop nuts
Wheel collars
rubber bands (esp #64)
CA glue
5 minute epoxy
glow plugs
fuel tubing
band aids
Spare glow starter and battery
Packaging tape for quick covering repairs

Peeper, gboulton answered you well for the freq charts so I'll start the list of common replaceable parts

In general all parts are replaceable. It really depends on your skills. What I mean is if the plane has damage to wood then obviously some wood working skills are required. Not extensive but basic skills are enough. Unless you are me and cannot cut a straight line even if the line is drawn and you have a saw that has a laser guide

As far as glues go:

Thin CA (used commonly for CA hinges to install the control surfaces and balsa to balsa wood gluing)
Meduim CA (I use this for tack gluing for trial fitting certain parts)
Thick CA (I used it where I need good penetration for balsa to balsa)

5 minute epoxy (good for items like gluing wood blocks into wheel pants where not allot of strength is needed)
15 minute epoxy (same as 5 minute but better wood penetration)
30 minute epoxy ( Used for higher stress surfaces such as installing the horizontal and vertical stabs, joining wings together and where you want excellent wood penetration)

You have to be careful with epoxy, it can add allot of weight and once fully cured can be a bear to sand. But it is usually very strong

Control linkages:

2-56 metal rods (usually found on planes up to 60 size with some exceptions)
4-40 metal rods (usually found on planes over 60 size with some exceptions)

4-40 carbon fiber/fiberglass rods (usually found on planes 1/4 scale in size and larger)

On glow engines it's not uncommon to find the throttle linkage all the way up to 160 size planes to be a 2-56 rod as it does not have any load on it
On 2-stroke gas engines nylon or carbon fiber rods are the normal for the engine and for maximum strength on the control surfaces carbon fiber, fiberglass control rods are the normal stuff you see, again with exceptions.

Stiffness is the control surface connections is important. Loose connections and high speed can lead to control surface flutter and the very quick destruction of the aircraft. There are other things that contribute to flutter but we are staying in general terms here.

One basic thing to remember is to try to aviod any metal to metal contact. When the engine is running , vibrations can setup RF interference (radio interference) and while flying you can lose contact with the model and crash possibly injuring people. The common check for this is a ground range check.

That's a decent start, I'll let someone else keep going with the list

There are 2 common sizes used for the ailerons and the other control surfaces as well for that matter. The first uses steel push rods called 2-56 for the size. It has a diameter of 0.074". The second one is heavier duty called 4-40 in size and has a diameter of 0.095". On glue types there are a usually a combination that is used. Either epoxy and CA or wood glue and CA. Epoxy works faster but wood glue is lighter. 5 minute epoxy is used for areas not requiring a lot of strength. 15 or 30 minutes epoxy is used where more strength is needed. It has more time to soak into the wood and is stronger and less brittle. CA is sometimes called Super glue but the hobby versions has 3 differnt thicknesses. Medium thickness works well for most applications except CA hinges where you need the thin verson in order to wick into the material. For radio control, there are about 50 channels available in the 72 mhz band that is reserved for Rc aircraft only. Common repair parts, if its a bad crash then it might take less time to build a new kit. If its a minor crash, in a lot of cases all you need to do is squeeze the split sides together, and reglue with epoxy. If the sheeting is split then flow some CA in the crack. The better engines are tough as nails and can handle crashes. You will almost always need a new prop and maybe a new spinner. You will also probably need some new covering. You will need to remove the old stuff in the break areas to inspect the damage and effect repairs. Some servos may end up with stripped gears as well and need to be replace. For aircraft modification, add balsa, more glue, and more covering. You may also need more hinges. I prefer the plastic type with the metel pin between them. That should cover most of your info. [8D]

Thank you very much!! You folks are wonderful! Believe me this information will be put to good use and one that you would be pleased with. I will keep monitoring this thread for any further words of wisdom.

Thanks a million!

Some more items to keep handy while your in your plane shop or at the field....
At least 5 inch pair of hemostats. Better if its 7 inches. Boy do these come in handy!!!
Electrical Tape. When I connect the rx battery to on/off switch's connector, I wrap both plastic housings together in order to prevent one connector from coming loose.
Spare silicon tubing (I keep mine in the flight box).
And here is a tip on control rods which attach to your control horn and servo. I have used these type of quick connects. Don't use them on elevator/rudder or ailerons. I have lost a plane because of the tightening screw coming loose. The best thing is to use
a threaded rod with either a Sullivan metal clevis or plastic clevis on one end and a zee bend on the other. I've even had horn keepers come off (this past sunday on my Space Walker).

Dave...

Can I use Futaba servos with a JR receiver?

Yes, bob...I am doing so on 2 different planes.

For the most part, you can pretty much match any servos and receiver you want to (as far as brands go) There may be (as is the case with what you ask) some minor modifications to be made)

In this case, you'll need to make one small mod, and keep something in mind:

The Futaba servos will have a small flange on on side of their connector...this flange will prevent them from plugging into your JR receiver. (It's there to keep you from plugging it in the wrong way on a Futaba receiver). You can easily trim this flange off with a hobby knife, and the connectors will fit in the JR receiver no problem.

Once you do this, however, you'll have nothing preventing you from plugging in the connectors the wrong way.

On MY receiver (an R700 slimline) the white wire goes to the same side as the printing on the receiver. Whether or not that's the case with other JR receivers I do not know. Might want to do some research on your particular model of receiver and servos.

HTH

BIG BAD BOB,
You can use just about any servo with other brand receivers. You just have to make sure that the wiring is correct. Please refer to the attached picture for the differences.

Hope this helps

Ken

Thanks for the servo information
Bob

I found alot of usfull info on the (a beginners guid to rc thread) Not too sure, haven't checked it in a while but i think there is a .pdf file(adobe). anyway thats my 2 cents. welcome and good luck.