Besides the aircraft itself, what other electronics or accessories do I need to get started?

If you are new to the hobby and have settled on the aircraft you are going to learn to fly with, the other electronics and accessories you will need depends on the model you selected.

For instance, if you selected an RTF (Ready-To-Fly) model, you do not need any extra electronics and accessories as RTF models include everything you need to fly right out of the box. If you’re looking to get into the air with the least expense, browse popular RTF bundles here

If you have selected a PNP (Plug N' Play aka Receiver Ready) model, you will still need your own transmitter, receiver, LiPo battery and compatible LiPo battery charger to fly. The advantage of a PNP is that once you have your radio transmitter, a battery charger, and several batteries and receivers, the PNP’s price is lower than the RTF.

In every aircraft's product page there is a Requires section.  Located under Features and above Product Specifications this section will offer everything that is required to operate that aircraft.  We offer links for the required accessories including batteries for your convenience.

Note that we will guide you towards what minimum channel radio and receiver is required.  If you are just starting out, chances are you don't need nor want a high-end high-channel radio and receiver.  This is what the minimum recommendations are for.  However, it's good to know that while you may not need a top shelf radio when starting out, it's never a bad idea to go for a radio you can grow into.  Say a 6, 7 or 8 channel for instance.  However, what matters most is the radio you want and the one you feel most comfortable with starting out.

For batteries pay extra attention to the cell size, the mAh size and the connector type.  This is why we do the work for you and offer a specific battery to choose that we feel would work best for that particular model.

For battery chargers, they are like radios.  An investment.  While not required, we recommend considering a charger capable of charging a higher cell LiPo than what you may need in the beginning.  In other words, if you need a 3 Cell charger, it's not a bad idea to consider a charger capable of charging 6 Cells.  The reason is not to upsale, but because most people find they quickly progress in the hobby and before they know it they need chargers that can charge 4 Cell, 5 Cell and 6 Cell batteries.  Again, what's most important is choosing the charger you feel comfortable with.

Note:  Be extra mindful when choosing a battery charger not to make the mistake of choosing a charger incapable of charging your battery.  In other words, if your model requires a 3 Cell LiPo battery, you don't want a charger only capable of charging 1 Cell or 2 Cell batteries.  This happens frequently because beginners tend to look at price first (and sometimes only the price), inadvertently selecting a charger that is not capable of charging the battery they need.  This is why it is of vital importance to select the charger that is capable of charging at the very least the cell battery you have or require.

The easiest way to do this is once you are in the charger section, simply select the cell(s) you want to be able to charge using our check box filter system on the left hand side of the charger collection page:

We hope you found this article helpful.  If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.  Our friendly and knowledgeable Customer Support Team is happy to assist you with any of your questions.  Good luck and Happy Flying!