Once you've covered the basics like Ailerons (2 channels), Elevator, Rudder, Throttle, add Flaps, Gear, Smoke and a Drogue Chute you would have a pretty fancy plane and still have 5 channels to spare.

So what do you use a 14 channel radio for?

14 channel radios offer virtually unlimited programming capabilities; you may not use nearly all of the channels, though some may.

Large (like huge) scale planes have several servos on each aileron, multiple servos on the rudder, etc. Add flaps, bombs, smoke, lights...you get the idea.

I was talking to a top pilot at a pattern meet who used a 12 channel radio. I think there were only 6 servos in his plane but he wanted and uses some of the very advanced programming features only found in high channel radios.



By the way, sushi is absolutely incredible. I was just about to head to the restaurant and get some until I realized the time [&o]

I see a lot of the 12 and 14ch radios at IMAC and 3-D events then at the IMAA events, IMAA is giant scale and like Joe mentioned, big scale planes can use up a rado really fast. One of the pilots I know was showing me his 14 at the local IMAC and it was just way more then I would ever use. Then again I used to say that about the 9 and 10ch radios and I can use up my 9 in a hurry with one of my big planes. I have been told that some of the heli pilots are using the big radios a lot but I haven't been to an event so don't know.
Not something a weekend pilot would need.

I came up with 15 possibilities in a minute or so. I'm sure I missed some.
2 aileron
2 elevator
1 rudder
1 throttle
2 flaps
1 retracts
1 bomb bay doors
1 bomb release
1 sliding canopy
1 drag chute
1 smoke
1 ignition kill switch
15 total

This plane uses 14 channels.

1- Elev
2- Aileron
2-Flaps
1-Rudder
2-Engine
1-Retracts
1-Wheel Brakes
1- Smoke
1-Air Brake
1-Nose wheel steering
1-RX Batt (back-up power)
... And the dedicated primary RX battery port.

Add choke on a big gas engine

On big models using 2 channels slaved together for rudder and nose wheel steering is common.

The above is absolutly correct. The abundance of programming features is the main reason many purchase radios such as the Futaba 14MZ.

Thanks, guys!

As a follow up question...
Why would you use multiple channels for functions like flaps and elevators? I understand if you are turning ailerons into flaperons but even there you are using two channels for two functions. But if you need two servos on an elevator, what do you gain by utilizing two servos and two channels vs two servos and a Y jack?

As for sushi, I love it too. I also enjoy offshore fishing, so somehow the username seemed appropriate.

Using independent channels for servos (on a good computer radio) allows you to independently adjust the center, end points, direction, differential, and even speed of each individual servo, so that all surfaces work in unison.

Using Y-jack does not give you this kind of control.


Another cool thing you can do with a high end radio is adjust the 'curve' of the servo/control surface. The servo arm moves in a circle and thus the speed that the control surface travels is not linear. With a fancy radio you can change that - make it linear or any shape you want (smooth from low to high, more sensitive at mid, sensitive at low and mid but not high, etc.)

Another channel that some people like to use also is one for nose gear steering. Meaning, one channel for rudder and another for steering. You mix the steering back to the rudder. Makes triming planes that take off and land fast sooo much easier because you can trim both controls independently.

Cheers.

With flaps and ailerons on two channels each, and the right transmitter, you can have
> regular ailerons
> regular flaps
> full span ailerons (flaps acting as ailerons)
> crow/butterfly (flaps down, ailerons up)
All of this is often done on the Hangar 9 Ultra Sticks

With elevators on two channels, and the right transmitter, you can make the elevators work in conjunction with the ailerons.

The Bruce Tharpe Delta Vortex has dual rudders. With them on two channels, and the right transmitter, they can be used as 'air brakes'

Okay,

This is cool stuff! I think I understand now. You don't have to be controlling 14 discrete functions, but you have the flexibility to control or link controls in unique ways.

So who here is ready to drop $2,200 on a Futaba 14MZ? [sm=tongue_smile.gif]

A guy at my field has the JR 12ch radio. It's really freaking nice[sm=spinnyeyes.gif] However I would not feel right with one in my own hands. I could feel good about owning a 9 or 10ch, but not a 12 or 14. I honestly don't think I will ever need the functions associated with a 12-14 channel radio (of course that's my hobby and my own take on it)

IMO users of radios more than 6 channels - its not what they need its what they want.

You've obviously never setup a jet..

You mean to say users of 'basic airplanes'.. not radios, need no more than 6 channels.

FYI- 'Most' people who have to buy a 12/14 channel radio don't really want to buy it... They actually need to buy it for the airplane's system requirement.

... Notice I said "most" people, not all people

I'm looking at gas airplanes yak's, extras now and being surprised those big DA-100 powered airplanes need only 4-6 channels.
sure for jets you can invent even 20 channel needs...
and yes the the programing capability of those high end radios is amazing, i'm just trying to justify for myself a purchase of a higher end radio.

Alex

unless you get into serious IMAC/pattern/ect (if you get that good, to a point where even little things make a big difference, you will be flying 2500+ planes and the tx wont look so expensive)
or can drop 4000+ on a really big airplane that needs that many channels.
their is not really a way to justify it.

Alex, Those planes don't have retracts, brakes flaps...blah blah blah, so you'd think a 6 channel is OK, and it is, BUT those airplanes can have 2 to 4 servos on ONE aileron.

Guys flying that kind of equipment need an airborne power supply to feed those power hungry servos. A Power expander like Power Box and the like is what is in place between the RX and the servos. These 'expanders' can split channels to give you "more RX channel ports" while using the basic 6 or 8 channel RX.

My point is that i rather have less switches to clean and brake on my Tx but keep the high end radio programing capabilities on a 6-8 channel Tx.

trust me, at first you wont use the switches but later on they will really come in handy
their isnt a 4-5ch (that i know of) that has 7-8 ch programming capabilities.
the reason being all of those switches are used to turn on and off those fancy mixes and whatnot that you will be useing.

also
why would you worry about breaking them if you would never use them to begin with (but you will use them). they are a lot harder to break than you think

get a decent 7-8 ch radio
i would recommend a futaba 7c.

i would stay away from 6ch radio's because they do not have the extras a 7+ radio has. these really come in handy.

There really is a difference between 6 channel radio programming and 7 channel radio programming. I would be a little surprised to find a pilot flying a Yak with a DA100 who didn't really want a 7, if not 10, channel radio.

I had a 6 (even an 8) channel radio, and it was incapable of some functions that are 'basic' on larger aircraft (dual elevator setup, dual aileron setup, simple knife edge mix, etc.)

I'm not starting the argument here that one needs X amount of channels to fly a plane, but you (I) get to a point where you expect certain things beyond the capabilities of a 6 channel radio.

Best thing is to figure out what you really want before buying a new radio.

Funny you say this........just read your own tag line

There aren't a lot more switches on a bigger radio. Don't drop your radio, even a 4ch, they don't like it!!
HOw many big planes like the 40% YAK have you ever seen flown with a small radio. Half of the guys I fly with are flying giant scale and the 9ch is the number one choice for sport pilots. People flying IMAC tend to go bigger.
You could set up a big plane with a small radio using Match boxes, not Y-harness!! You would be missing a lot of the programs.
When you break away from the smaller planes you will want the biggest radio you can afford.
And a big NO, I can never see myself spending the money for a 12 or 14. I don't have the type of money you need to get into the planes that will require a radio that big.
I had to use a match box for my 30% Extra when I ran out of room in my 9ch though and I'm only running single aileron servos. If I was running four then I would have needed another match box.
Just for grins go into your radio and set Expo on your throttle, just see if you can do it. That's just one little program a lot of us use.

Even on my fairly simple Waco Biplanes that does not have flaps, or retracts, I use the following:

2 Elevator
1 Rudder
1 tail wheel
1 adjustable horizontal stabilizer
1 throttle
2 aileron

That's 8. I have used 12 on some models, and could have use 14 if I had not used Y harnesses.

You might wonder why I use a seperate servo and channel for the rudder and tail wheel, but the tail wheel only travels 40% of the rudder movement.