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Glossary
Channel - A nomenclature used to differentiate the different functions of a radio transmitter. For instance, on a Futaba 6EXA radio, the right stick is able to go in 4 different directions: up, down, left and right. Left and Right, the motion usually associated with the rudder, is channel 1. Up and down, the motion associated with the elevator is channel 2. So, if you want something, usually a servo, to respond to the up and down motion of the right stick, you would plug it into the receiver's channel 2 slot.
Dihedral - Dihedral refers to the upward sweep of the wings, when viewed from the front. Dihedral aids an airplane's stability in roll. The opposite of dihedral is Anhedral, where the wings droop downwards from the fuselage to their tips. Typically, more dihedral causes more aerodynamic stability in an airplane, and causes the rudder to control both the roll and yaw axis. This is why Slow Sticks require only 3 channels of radio control
ESC - Electronic Speed Control. this device connects to the receiver on one end, and the motor on the other. It is used to control the speed of the motor. The battery also connects to the speed control. Contrary to popular belief, an ESC does not operate by varying the voltage to the motor, rather full voltage is always applied, but it is applied in small bursts. The closer the bursts are together, the faster the motor turns and the farther they are apart, the slower it turns. Higher end ESC's are rated in KHZ.
LiION - (Lithium Ion) is a rechargeable battery technology which utilizes the metal Lithium. They are generally unaffected by charging habits, and have no memory effect. They are lighter and smaller than equivalently powered NiCD and NiMH batteries. Unfortunately, the use of LiION batteries requires great care. Charging or discharging them beyond their rated capacities, charging unbalanced cells, crashing the plane carrying the batteries, and many other things can lead to a dead battery, or worse yet, fires. LiION fires are not unheard of, and there are reports of fires on the RCGroups forums.
NiCD - (Nickel Cadmium) is a rechargeable battery technology which utilizes the metals Nickel and Cadmium. Generally they don't have as much energy storage capacity as newer technologies like NiMH or LiIon and are not generally used for airplane power supplies. They can be found in use as transmitter power supplies, however.
NiMH - A Nickel Metal Hydride Battery, also referred to as a Ni-MH or NiMH battery, is a rechargeable battery that is capable of holding more power that a NiCd battery and suffers much less from memory effect. It is also typically more expensive than a NiCd battery. NiMH batteries often come stock with many planes. The next step up from NiMH is LiION
RX - Shorthand for Receiver. The receiver receives the radio signal from the transmitter and translates it into electrical impulses that are sent out the appropriate channel to a servo, ESC, or other device.
TX - Shorthand for Transmitter. Also known as a radio. The TX sends the control signal to the RX, or receiver