diff --git a/ArduPlane/ArduPlane.pde b/ArduPlane/ArduPlane.pde
index 00a4bda8aa..9bb147ce3e 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/ArduPlane.pde
+++ b/ArduPlane/ArduPlane.pde
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
 #include <RC_Channel.h>     // RC Channel Library
 #include <AP_RangeFinder.h>	// Range finder library
 #include <ModeFilter.h>
+#include <AP_Relay.h>       // APM relay
 #include <GCS_MAVLink.h>    // MAVLink GCS definitions
 #include <memcheck.h>
 
@@ -400,6 +401,7 @@ static unsigned long 	dTnav;						// Delta Time in milliseconds for navigation c
 static float 			load;						// % MCU cycles used
 
 RC_Channel_aux* g_rc_function[RC_Channel_aux::k_nr_aux_servo_functions];	// the aux. servo ch. assigned to each function
+AP_Relay relay;
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Top-level logic
diff --git a/ArduPlane/commands_logic.pde b/ArduPlane/commands_logic.pde
index 3c4693d140..8f73520e31 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/commands_logic.pde
+++ b/ArduPlane/commands_logic.pde
@@ -483,11 +483,11 @@ static void do_set_servo()
 static void do_set_relay()
 {
 	if (next_command.p1 == 1) {
-		relay_on();
+		relay.on();
 	} else if (next_command.p1 == 0) {
-		relay_off();
+		relay.off();
 	}else{
-		relay_toggle();
+		relay.toggle();
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/ArduPlane/events.pde b/ArduPlane/events.pde
index d5eb2ae9fe..0dd7435406 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/events.pde
+++ b/ArduPlane/events.pde
@@ -104,23 +104,7 @@ static void update_events(void)	// Used for MAV_CMD_DO_REPEAT_SERVO and MAV_CMD_
 		}
 
 		if  (event_id == RELAY_TOGGLE) {
-			relay_toggle();
+			relay.toggle();
 		}
 	}
 }
-
-static void relay_on()
-{
-	PORTL |= B00000100;
-}
-
-static void relay_off()
-{
-	PORTL &= ~B00000100;
-}
-
-static void relay_toggle()
-{
-	PORTL ^= B00000100;
-}
-
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Relay/AP_Relay.cpp b/libraries/AP_Relay/AP_Relay.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f57a74b503
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/AP_Relay/AP_Relay.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+// -*- tab-width: 4; Mode: C++; c-basic-offset: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*-
+
+/*
+ * AP_Relay.cpp
+ *
+ *  Created on: Oct 2, 2011
+ *      Author: Amilcar Lucas
+ */
+
+#include <avr/io.h>
+#include "wiring.h"
+
+#include "AP_Relay.h"
+
+void AP_Relay::on()
+{
+	PORTL |= B00000100;
+}
+
+
+void AP_Relay::off()
+{
+	PORTL &= ~B00000100;
+}
+
+
+void AP_Relay::toggle()
+{
+	PORTL ^= B00000100;
+}
+
+
+void AP_Relay::set(bool status)
+{
+	if (status)
+		on();
+	else
+		off();
+}
+
+
+bool AP_Relay::get()
+{
+	// TODO get the relay status
+	return false;
+}
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Relay/AP_Relay.h b/libraries/AP_Relay/AP_Relay.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a69c10edcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/AP_Relay/AP_Relay.h
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+// -*- tab-width: 4; Mode: C++; c-basic-offset: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*-
+
+/*
+ * AP_Relay.h
+ *
+ *  Created on: Oct 2, 2011
+ *      Author: Amilcar Lucas
+ */
+
+/// @file	AP_Relay.h
+/// @brief	APM relay control class
+
+#ifndef AP_RELAY_H_
+#define AP_RELAY_H_
+
+/// @class	AP_Relay
+/// @brief	Class to manage the APM relay
+class AP_Relay{
+public:
+	// activate the relay
+	void on();
+
+	// de-activate the relay
+	void off();
+
+	// toggle the relay status
+	void toggle();
+
+	// set the relay status (on/off)
+	void set(bool status);
+
+	// get the relay status (on/off)
+	bool get();
+};
+
+
+#endif /* AP_RELAY_H_ */