The RC Plane Lab Podcast Archive
With more than 200 episodes—and new ones added regularly—there’s plenty to dig into. Join Ron, Tom, and Dave as we talk about the airplanes we’re building, flying, fixing, and occasionally crashing, along with new gear, events, and the lessons we pick up along the way.
Looking for something we discussed? Search the podcast transcripts to find matching episodes, excerpts, and timestamps, or browse the complete episode list.
New to Podcasts?
A podcast is a lot like a radio show you can listen to whenever it fits your schedule. Each episode of the RC Plane Lab Podcast is a casual conversation about building, flying, fixing, and occasionally crashing RC airplanes.
You can listen right here on the website by opening any episode and pressing play. You can also find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or just about any other podcast app. Search for RC Plane Lab, choose an episode, and start listening.
Listening is free, and following the show in your favorite app makes it easy to find each new episode when it is released.
Ep 37: New Forums! Bending Landing Gear Wire, a Good Book to Read, and Fusion 360 Software
In this episode Introducing the RC Plane Lab Forums! Head over to https://forums.rcplanelab.com, sign up, and start posting! The guys talk about the book “Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying”, which is a book that Ron read when he was learning how to fly. They also discuss how to bend landing … Read more
Ep 37
Episode 37’s tool of the week is blue threadlocker. It’s removable, but holds screws tight so they don’t vibrate loose during flight! A link to the book Ron and Tom talked about in this episode is below. It does a great job of explaining how airplanes fly and gives a basic understanding of what to … Read more
Ep 36: We’re on Patreon! Ron built a third Duellist Wing, Vacuum Bagging the Wing, UMX Airplanes, and Listener Questions
In this episode Ron built a third Duellist wing in the hopes of third time’s a charm, and it seemed to have worked out well. He talks a little bit about how the vacuum bagging went, and covers some other things about the build. The guys talk a little bit about UMX planes and they … Read more
Ep 35: Warped Wings, Retracts, and Listener Mail
In this episode In this episode of the RC Plane Lab podcast, Ron and Tom discuss how to straighten a warped balsa wing while it’s still in the bones, or hasn’t been sheeted yet. They also discuss the different types of retracts used in model aeronautics, and respond to some listener mail. If you want to … Read more
Ep 34: We bought a friggin laser! What’s the AMA? And gas vs glow.
In this episode Ron and Tom bought a CO2 laser cutter! Tom explains why it’s advantageous to be an AMA member, and they discuss the pros an cons of gas vs glow. Episode 34 Transcript This transcript has been lightly edited for readability. Timestamps are retained. Read the full transcript [00:00:04] Welcome to RC Plane … Read more
Tool of the Week: Airplane Stand
Episode 34’s tool of the week is the Airplane Stand. It’s makes working on your airplane easier because you can set the fuselage at any angle and easily get to what you need to see.
Ep 33: Tom buys an Ajusto-Jig, Ron fixes the Duellist wing, What to expect at a Fly-In, and what a spotter does.
In this episode Ron and Tom ramble on quite a bit in this episode, but mostly they cover Tom’s recent purchase of an Ajusto-Jig (because he wants to be just like Ron!), Ron’s Duellist wing repair (not very pretty), what to expect at a fly in, and what a spotter does. Episode 33 Transcript This … Read more
Tool of the Week: Drill Index
In Episode 33, Tom chooses a Drill Index for the Tool of the Week.
Ep 32: Breaking the Duellist, 3D Printers, and Fuel Tank setup
In this episode In this episode, Ron talks about how he broke the wing of the Duellist he’s building. Ron and Tom also cover 3D Printers, and how to setup your glow and gas fuel tanks. Episode 32 Transcript This transcript has been lightly edited for readability. Timestamps are retained. Read the full transcript [0:00] … Read more