Lake Sawyer Hawks
A welcoming community of RC pilots with a great field and a strong safety culture. New to the hobby? We’ll help you get comfortable and get in the air.
Glossary
RC terms and club references.
A device that plugs into the back of many radios that determines the broadcast frequency and band.
Refers to a distance on a model forward or aft of the balance point.
The distance between where a force is applied and the Center of Gravity. The distance from the Elevator hinge line to the Center of Gravity is the Pitch Moment Arm.
Nickel Cadmium battery. Rechargeable batteries typically used as power for radio transmitters and receivers.
Synonymous with "stuffing it in." Something we hope you never do.
Back-and-forth movement similar to a vibration that may appear like a wobble. It may occur around any axis, roll, pitch or yaw.
Excessive control inputs that overcompensate for unwanted model movement.
A set or group of data that is sent from an RC transmitter to a receiver in a digital radio system.
One of the most exciting features of SAFE receivers, Panic Recovery will automatically return the aircraft to level flight with the push of a button.
A resisting force caused by external items mounted on an aircraft other than the lifting surfaces.
Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a digital representation of an analog FM signal where the magnitude of the signal is sampled regularly at uniform intervals, then quantized...
A charger that automatically shuts off when your battery is fully charged, ensuring longer run times and preventing overcharging.
The airplane axis controlled by the elevator. Pitch movement involves raising or lowering the nose, affecting climb or dive control.
Plug And Play. Usually comes set up and ready to fly except for the receiver and transmitter. Some models may include both.
A wing design with three distinct upward angles. The two wing halves form the first angle at the center, and additional angles occur closer to each wing tip.
A 12-volt distribution panel that provides correct voltage for accessories like glow-plug clips, fuel pumps, and electric starters. Usually mounted on a field box and con...
An aircraft device (receiver) with dual battery redundancy to support high-current systems found in giant scale and turbine powered aircraft.
A thorough check of an aircraft prior to flying to ensure airworthiness and safety. This includes checking all control surfaces, the propeller, spinner, landing gear, and...
In Gyros Stick priority reduces the amount of gain as the control input (stick) is displaced from center. This gives more control authority as the limits of travel.
A tool used to ensure the propeller and spinner are equally balanced side-to-side, avoiding vibration problems.
The second number in a propeller designation, representing the distance the propeller will move forward in one revolution.
Exclusive software developed by Spektrum for surface RC transmitters that includes all programming functions and features.
An important aspect of RC flying success, the Range Check is a ground procedure to test the radio signal from your RC transmitter to the receiver to make sure it is stron...
Returning your finished model back into a kit, often due to a crash.
The part of the radio system that converts signals sent by the transmitter into electrical impulses.
A device mounted into an RC car or aircraft that receives and decodes a signal sent by a transmitter. Servos, ESC, and other devices are plugged into the receiver.
A water/ chemical resistance coating that is applied to the PC (electric) boards that make the electronics highly water resistant.
An auxiliary receiver that works in conjunction with a main receiver. These are beneficial in larger aircraft and aircraft that may have Radio Frequency blind spots cause...
The transmission “scheme” that each specific radio manufacturer designs for the brand.
Refers to the incremental step size of the data transmitted to the receiver.
The vibration frequency of rotating or moving parts. Excessive resonance can cause vibration damage.
Short for retractable landing gear. Wheels and struts that fold up into the airplane to get them out of the air stream and present less resistance to the airflow.
The airplane axis controlled by the ailerons. Roll is illustrated by holding the airplane by the nose and tail. Dropping either wingtip is the roll movement. This is used...
Applying rudder alone can cause the aircraft to bank into a turn without aileron input. The ability of the rudder to perform a banked turn is called roll coupling since t...
Ready-to-Fly. Some newer airplanes are now available as RTF models. These planes usually come with everything needed for flight--plane, radio system, engine, and all hard...
SAFE technology is an advanced flight assistance system that gives pilots the ability to fly without the worry of crashing due to common mistakes such as orientation loss...
A resequencing of the data the radio transmits based on the type of mixing you select. This feature helps to sync control services that are connected (such as a swash pla...
An electromagnetic device that moves the control surfaces and is controlled by the electrical impulses from the receiver.
The removable arm or wheel which bolts to the output shaft of a servo and connects to the pushrod.
This radio feature allows you to install the servos where they can give the best pushrod routing without concern about the direction of servo rotation. When your installa...
A biplane having one wing significantly smaller than the other.