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A radio-controlled aircraft (often called RC aircraft or RC plane) is a small flying machine that is controlled remotely by an operator on the ground using a hand-held Radio Transmitter. The transmitter communicates with a receiver within the craft that sends signals to servomechanism (servos) which move the control surfaces based on the position of joysticks on the transmitter. The control surfaces, in turn, affect the orientation of the plane.

The earliest model radio-controlled aircraft were constructed of wood covered with paper. Later, plastic film such as Monokote came to be widely used as a covering material. Wood has relatively low cost, high specific Young's modulus(stiffness per unit weight), good workability and strength, and can be assembled with adhesives of various types. Lightweight strong varieties such as Balsawood and pine are also used. Carbon fiber, in rod or strip form, supplements wood in more recent models to reinforce the structure, and replaces it entirely in some cases (such as high performance Turbine engine powered models and helicopters). The disadvantage of using carbon fiber is its high cost. Expanded polystyrene and extruded Polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) came to be used more recently for the construction of the entire airframe.

A four-channel RC system gives the aeromodeler the same basic degree of control that a full-sized aircraft's primary flight controls do:
• Elevator(or horizontal stabilizer) – controls Pitch (up and down).
• Rudder (or vertical stabilizer) – controls yaw (left and right).
• Throttle – controls engine rpm (or thrust for jets and ducted fans, or motor speed for electric RC Aircraft).
• Ailerons – control roll.

Scientific, government and military organizations are also using RC aircraft for experiments, gathering weather readings, aerodynamic modeling and testing.