Radio control systems use defined frequency channels and transmitter limits to keep model aircraft and other remotely controlled equipment operating within an assigned part of the radio spectrum. The figures below summarize the FCC Part 95 R/C service information supplied for this guide. The source is labeled FCC Part 95 RCRS channels; the underlying research is legacy research and was not independently verified here. No measurement date is provided, so the figures should be read as a regulatory reference rather than a dated market estimate or forecast.
Contents
- At a glance
- The 26–28 MHz allocation
- The 72 MHz model-aircraft channels
- Complete 72 MHz frequency list
- Transmitter power limits
- Frequency accuracy and operating context
At a glance
The supplied FCC figures describe three especially useful parts of the radio control picture:
- The Part 95 R/C service lists 6 general-use channels in the 26–28 MHz range.
- It assigns 50 model-aircraft channels in the 72 MHz band.
- R/C transmitters in the 72 and 75 MHz bands must not exceed 0.75 watts mean output power.
- The 27.255 MHz channel has a higher stated limit of 25 watts mean output power.
- The other five listed 26–28 MHz frequencies have a stated limit of 4 watts mean output power.
- Carriers in the 72 and 75 MHz bands must remain within plus or minus 20 parts per million of the channel center frequency.
These numbers describe allocations and limits, not the number of active operators, sales, installations, or radio control users. They also do not establish how frequently any channel is occupied. The most direct use of the data is therefore technical: identifying channel spacing, comparing bands, and checking the stated transmitter constraints.
| Radio control area | Quantified figure | What it describes |
|---|---|---|
| General-use 26–28 MHz channels | 6 | Listed channel frequencies in the lower band |
| Model-aircraft channels | 50 | Assigned channels in the 72 MHz band |
| 72/75 MHz mean output limit | 0.75 watts | Maximum stated mean output power |
| 27.255 MHz mean output limit | 25 watts | Maximum stated mean output power |
| Other listed 26–28 MHz channels | 4 watts | Maximum stated mean output power |
| 72/75 MHz carrier tolerance | ±20 ppm | Permitted distance from channel center frequency |
Source for all figures in this article: FCC Part 95 RCRS channels. The source label is retained as supplied, and no independent verification is implied.
The 26–28 MHz allocation
The general-use portion of the supplied Part 95 R/C information contains 6 channels between 26 and 28 MHz. Their center frequencies are 26.995 MHz, 27.045 MHz, 27.095 MHz, 27.145 MHz, 27.195 MHz, and 27.255 MHz.
The six frequencies form a compact list that is easy to compare directly. The first five are each associated with a stated maximum mean output power of 4 watts. The final listed frequency, 27.255 MHz, is treated separately in the supplied figures and has a stated maximum mean output power of 25 watts.
| Channel frequency | Stated maximum mean output power |
|---|---|
| 26.995 MHz | 4 watts |
| 27.045 MHz | 4 watts |
| 27.095 MHz | 4 watts |
| 27.145 MHz | 4 watts |
| 27.195 MHz | 4 watts |
| 27.255 MHz | 25 watts |
The power figures are limits, not reported average operating levels. A 4-watt entry does not mean that every transmitter on that channel produces exactly 4 watts, and the 25-watt entry does not describe typical field use. It identifies the stated ceiling for the 27.255 MHz channel in the supplied FCC summary.
The distribution is also not a claim that the six channels are interchangeable in every practical situation. Frequency selection, equipment design, local interference, antenna arrangement, and applicable operating rules can all matter. The data provided here supports only the channel count, the listed center frequencies, and the stated power limits.
The 72 MHz model-aircraft channels
The supplied FCC Part 95 R/C figures assign 50 model-aircraft channels in the 72 MHz band. The channels are numbered from 1 through 50, beginning at 72.01 MHz and ending at 72.99 MHz.
The complete sequence advances by 0.02 MHz from one channel to the next. That pattern can be seen in the numbered list below, but the important reference points are the allocation size and endpoints: 50 channels across the supplied sequence, with channel 1 at 72.01 MHz and channel 50 at 72.99 MHz.
All 72 MHz R/C transmitters in the supplied figures share the same stated maximum of 0.75 watts mean output power. The data also gives the same 0.75-watt mean-output ceiling for R/C transmitters in the 75 MHz band. This is a band-level power figure, not a separate output measurement for each of the 50 individual channels.
The allocation should not be confused with an audience or equipment statistic. “50 channels” indicates the number of listed model-aircraft frequencies in this FCC service description. It does not indicate that 50 pilots are active at once, that all channels are equally popular, or that every channel is available under every local operating circumstance.
Complete 72 MHz frequency list
The following compact reference preserves the supplied channel numbering and center frequencies.
| Channel | Center frequency | Channel | Center frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 72.01 MHz | 26 | 72.51 MHz |
| 2 | 72.03 MHz | 27 | 72.53 MHz |
| 3 | 72.05 MHz | 28 | 72.55 MHz |
| 4 | 72.07 MHz | 29 | 72.57 MHz |
| 5 | 72.09 MHz | 30 | 72.59 MHz |
| 6 | 72.11 MHz | 31 | 72.61 MHz |
| 7 | 72.13 MHz | 32 | 72.63 MHz |
| 8 | 72.15 MHz | 33 | 72.65 MHz |
| 9 | 72.17 MHz | 34 | 72.67 MHz |
| 10 | 72.19 MHz | 35 | 72.69 MHz |
| 11 | 72.21 MHz | 36 | 72.71 MHz |
| 12 | 72.23 MHz | 37 | 72.73 MHz |
| 13 | 72.25 MHz | 38 | 72.75 MHz |
| 14 | 72.27 MHz | 39 | 72.77 MHz |
| 15 | 72.29 MHz | 40 | 72.79 MHz |
| 16 | 72.31 MHz | 41 | 72.81 MHz |
| 17 | 72.33 MHz | 42 | 72.83 MHz |
| 18 | 72.35 MHz | 43 | 72.85 MHz |
| 19 | 72.37 MHz | 44 | 72.87 MHz |
| 20 | 72.39 MHz | 45 | 72.89 MHz |
| 21 | 72.41 MHz | 46 | 72.91 MHz |
| 22 | 72.43 MHz | 47 | 72.93 MHz |
| 23 | 72.45 MHz | 48 | 72.95 MHz |
| 24 | 72.47 MHz | 49 | 72.97 MHz |
| 25 | 72.49 MHz | 50 | 72.99 MHz |
This list is a frequency reference, not a recommendation to select any particular channel. It shows the exact channel-to-frequency pairings supplied for the 72 MHz model-aircraft allocation. The geography is the United States regulatory context indicated by the FCC source label; no broader international allocation is supplied here.
Transmitter power limits
The clearest power comparison is between the 72/75 MHz bands and the listed 26–28 MHz channels. The 72 and 75 MHz limit is 0.75 watts mean output power. For the 26–28 MHz list, the five frequencies from 26.995 MHz through 27.195 MHz have a stated limit of 4 watts, while 27.255 MHz has a stated limit of 25 watts.
| Frequency or band | Stated mean output limit |
|---|---|
| 72 MHz band | 0.75 watts |
| 75 MHz band | 0.75 watts |
| 26.995 MHz | 4 watts |
| 27.045 MHz | 4 watts |
| 27.095 MHz | 4 watts |
| 27.145 MHz | 4 watts |
| 27.195 MHz | 4 watts |
| 27.255 MHz | 25 watts |
These values are not directly comparable as performance results. Output power alone does not state usable range, signal quality, receiver sensitivity, antenna efficiency, or interference conditions. The figures only establish the maximum mean output levels named in the supplied FCC summary.
The wording “mean output power” is important. It identifies the measurement basis used by the source summary and should not be silently rewritten as peak power, average range, or effective radiated power. Those would be different measurements, and no figures for them are included here.
Frequency accuracy and operating context
For R/C transmitters in the 72 and 75 MHz bands, the supplied FCC information requires carrier frequencies to remain within plus or minus 20 parts per million of the channel center frequency. This is a frequency-tolerance requirement. It is not a count of channels, a power measurement, or a forecast of equipment performance.
The requirement applies relative to the assigned center frequency. For example, the relevant reference for channel 1 is 72.01 MHz, while the reference for channel 50 is 72.99 MHz. The supplied facts do not provide a converted tolerance in hertz for each channel, so this article retains the rule in its original plus-or-minus 20 ppm form rather than adding unsupported arithmetic.
Taken together, the channel and power statistics describe a structured radio control environment: 6 listed general-use channels in the 26–28 MHz range, 50 listed model-aircraft channels in the 72 MHz band, distinct mean-output limits for the bands and lower-frequency channels, and a specified carrier-frequency tolerance for 72 and 75 MHz operation. They do not provide user counts, adoption rates, historical trends, forecasts, or a measurement date.