Homepage Models Games Planes Contact ARFs are basically kit airplanes that have been partially built and covered for you. The fuselage, the wing halves and the tail surfaces come ready to be joined. After you've glued or bolted the tail surfaces to the fuselage and assembled the wing, you'll only have to install the radio gear and the power system. The wing halves are often joined with a metal joiner rod or a brace, so you won't even have to glue the panels together. You simply slide the joiner into a slot or a hole in the wing root, and then slide the panels together. The rubber bands that hold the wing to the fuselage prevent the panels from coming apart. This makes transporting and storing your new airplane a bit easier. With some ARFs, the motor and the servos come already installed. Simply connect the control linkage, and you're ready to go. RTFs are very popular because there's little to do but charge the battery, strap the wing into place, and turn the radio on. These very durable models are often made of formed plastic and rigid foam. Some RTFs come with conventional controls (rudder and elevator), while others have more rudimentary controls that simply turn the plane left or right. Some feature throttle control, while others have an uncomplicated arming switch that turns the motor on and runs it until the rechargeable battery's power has been used up. Several newer designs even come with spare props and wings so you don't have to go back to the hobby shop if you break something.