When I was starting to get interested in RC planes, even before I bought my first one I was already curious about how long I could keep it airborne and whether I could fly it over long distances. I believe many of us -RC Planes enthusiasts- already asked ourselves these questions. So I searched on the internet and there was very little information. Now, after several years in the hobby and owning multiple planes, I’m ready to share what I’ve learned.
On average, electric RC planes can stay in the air for almost 15 minutes, while gas-powered planes can remain for up to 1 hour. Regarding range, most planes use a 2.4 GHz radio system which has a control range of 1.6 miles (2.5 km).
In this article, I will share with you detailed insights about the limits and capabilities of RC planes based on my experience with various models, from electric trainers to gas-powered aircraft. Keep reading!
How Long Can an RC Plane Stay in the Air?
The flight duration on RC planes varies on multiple factors. The average electric RC plane models have a duration range of 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the battery capacity and flying conditions. On the other hand, gas or nitro-powered aircraft can stay for much longer durations, they can fly for almost an hour non-stop.
Personally, the flight time capacity of an RC plane doesn’t concern me much. I’m satisfied as long as it can go for more than 7 or 8 minutes. For me, a fun session doesn’t exceed 10 minutes, my flight lasts 5 to 8 minutes on average before taking a break. However, if you like long flights, it won’t be hard to modify your plane for much higher durations, since I’ve already built a plane that can go for over an hour when I wasn’t even an expert yet.
Flights duration depends on multiple factors, and can widely range from one aircraft to another, and from a pilot to another. The primary factor is the capacity of the battery or fuel tank. Naturally, if your plane can carry more fuel or has a larger battery will have a longer flight time. Additionally, the pilot experience plays a crucial role in fuel or energy consumption per minute. Weather conditions play also a part, an RC plane flying in windy conditions will consume more power to compensate for increased wind resistance.
Another interesting example is the gliders. A glider is an aircraft that uses the dynamics of air to support its flight, it can even go without an engine. The average battery capacity of gliders is the same as other electric RC planes, but a good pilot can fly it for hours if he knows how to use the weather conditions in his favor.
There are also solar-powered aircraft, this type can go for days since it can recharge while in the air.
Electric vs Gas-Powered RC Planes in Terms of Flight Duration
Back in the day, Gas or nitro-powered RC planes had a huge advantage over electric ones. The batteries were huge and had a very limited capacity while the gas engines were already in their prime, so the electric RC planes had no chance to stay in the air more than the gas/nitro planes.
As time went on, more researches were conducted in terms of battery efficiency and batteries became more and more smaller and more efficient. With this new technology and modern electronic parts, electric RC planes’ flight time began to rival gas engines offering longer flights at a lower cost.
You can always add more capacity to your RC plane by adding more batteries in parallel, which will affect your plane weight and as a consequence your power consumption rate. For example, if you put two batteries of 2000 mAh in your plane, you’ll get a 4000 mAh energy capacity.
Gas-powered RC planes have their disadvantages, but until now, in terms of flight duration, they’re still holding their places as the top models.
Another advantage gas models have is that they can be immediately refilled and be ready to fly again, but they’re held by the quantity of gasoline you bring with you.
The Link Between Tank/Battery Capacity and Duration
As we stated before, the tank or the battery capacity of an RC plane has the biggest impact on the flight duration. The more power you hold, the more time you can fly. The other factor we talked about, is energy consumption which is how much power your aircraft uses per minute.
The flight duration can be simplified to a basic formula: it equals the energy capacity divided by the consumption rate. This equation highlights how the amount of energy an RC plane can store and its rate of consumption directly affect how long it can stay in the air.
The consumption rate of an engine differs depending on the size of the engine and the type of energy used.
| Engine size | 10 -20 CC | 30 -50 CC |
| Consumption rate | 0.3 – 0.7 Oz/minute 10 – 20 ml/minute | 0.7 – 1.4 Oz/minute 20 – 40 ml/minute |
| Engine size | 0.4 – 0.5 ci | 0.6 – 0.9 ci |
| Consumption rate | 1 – 2 Oz/minute 30 – 60 ml/minute | 1.5 – 3 Oz/minute 45 – 90 ml/minute |
To find these details on a specific RC plane model you’re particularly interested in, you can look in the technical sheet provided by the seller.
How Far Can an RC Plane Go?
There are 3 types of RC radio systems, there’s the sort range which can go as far as 1.3 miles (2km), the medium range which can go for about 1.3 to 6 miles (2-10 km), and the long-range which can go 6 miles and above. The range can be influenced by multiple factors such as weather conditions, radio noise in the area (the more noise there is the more distributed the signals are the less range you have), and the radio power and frequency.
The most used radio systems are the 2.4 GHz radios, which have a range of approximately 1.6 miles (2km) on average, and go for more in ideal conditions. Higher radio frequencies give you smaller ranges because they’re easily distributed by atmospheric absorption. For example, a 900 MHz system in a clear area could potentially give you a range of 6 to 12 miles (10-20 km) or more.
You should keep in mind that any decent radio will give you a bigger range than the legal range allowed by the regulations. You should always check the local laws in your area before flying your RC plane.
In the US, FAA regulations mandate that RC planes must be operated within the visual line of sight of the pilot, and not exceed an altitude of 400 feet without authorization. For comprehensive details, it’s advisable to consult the full FAA rules here.
The flight range is also limited by its endurance, which is how long the plane can stay in the air, and the speed of the plane.
What Happens If an RC Plane Goes Out of Range?
Have you ever thought about what will happen to your RC plane if it goes out of your radio range? It happened to me 🙂 and unfortunately, my plane crashed. It was a cheap plane so I didn’t expect that it would react any other way.
The reaction of your RC plane, if it goes out of range, depends on the plane setup and the technology integrated into it. Most planes will encounter a loss of control, which was my case, I wasn’t able to control the aircraft so it continued on its last heading till it crashed.
More advanced RC aircraft are equipped with a fail-safe system. The most recent models, especially those equipped with GPS have a return-to-home system that makes them go back to the location of departure. For the gliders, they will probably glide down and land wherever it happens to be, which can be safe if it’s an open area, or can cause damage if there are obstacles in their route.