morgan175

congrads did the apprentice then the super stik very happy with the progression.  Good luck!   Only thing i want to say is i have had the apprentice up in 20+ mile winds and it did fine.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

We think of the trainer as our first plane, just because it is owned by your club doesn't mater. In your case your flying your first plane right now.
The stick of any type is a great choice for anyone after flying a trainer. Tail dragger or trike gear makes no difference. I learned to fly with a tail dragger and I had more problems with flying a trike geared plane. I fly with a fellow that will fly nothing but electrics. He has a stick in 40 size and I think 60 size with electric power. He even has one 40 size e made into a twin for real windy days.
You mentioned the Pulse, it looks a lot hotter then it is, it's one jump above a trainer, get one if you like it and just convert it to electric. They are real floaters like a trainer and very easy to land.
At the moment I'm scratch building a pair of Swoose sea planes and they are both going to be electric. The fellow that I am giving one to and myself are just now looking through the net to see what motor and ESC we will be using. Just pricing things and getting measurements so I know where we will put things like the battery packs.
At the bottom of the header page is a web site called Wattflyer. It's a perfect place to find answers to all things electric.
Plenty of web sites to do your shopping too. I'm finding better places then Hobby King and they are here state side. When you phone there is a real person on the other end to talk to. I haven't ordered anything from them yet so I can't say anything about there service so I won't name the name yet.

Skerts

If I decide to go for a Pulse, I'm in a good position as eFlite already make one ready for electric. I understand what you guys are saying about getting a .40 size plane and converting it to electric but I don't want the hassle of trying to vent it in order to keep the ESC cool. A guy at our club brought a .40 size high wing trainer and converted it to electric and is having nothing but problems with his ESC entering a fail safe cool down mode. At least the eFlite planes are designed for electric and pre-vented so it saves me a job haha.

JeffinTD

I think that will be a good choice for you. If you are in doubt about being ready to fly it, you could always ask for help from whoever has been giving you instruction.

On the Advance, anyway, I found adding more ventilation helpful.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Sometimes the easy road is the best one to travel. As long as your having fun it doesn't mater what you are flying. Yes, the ESC, battery and motor must have an air flow and if all you have ever seen and know are ARFs then it is probably a good idea to stick with them. Doing any type of conversion requires a bit of skill and thinking, not to mention a bit of glue, a piece of balsa wood and an exacto knife. Fun is the key to anything RC.

Skerts

I really do like the eFlite Advance and the eFlite Pulse, they seem roughly the same with the exception that the Advance has tricycle gear and the Pulse is a tail dragger. I will definitely own one or the other eventually I just don't want to run in this hobby before I can walk haha. I do however feel like I could fly the advance, it has so much dihedral in the wings and the air foil is only semi-symmetrical. I'm just paranoid of trashing it on my first, fifth, tenth flight. I know I'm going to crash eventually, it comes with the hobby. I just don't want to crash right away if I can help it haha. I'm seriously considering the Stik right now as I feel I'll be kinda underwelmed by a high wing trainer or at best, I'll get 10 flights out of it before I want to upgrade. By the way, I really appreciate all the kind words and advice. It's been more than helpful to say the least.

JeffinTD

My Advance is pretty tame to fly, and I assume the Pulse is similar. Response isn't twitchy even on high rates.

Mine is set up with 4s 3300 on the e power 32 and the recommended JR servos. Like that the battery has to be hanging as far off the back of the battery tray as it will go to balance.

It also has a relatively high stall speed, and will drop a wing tip. If you did that a few feet off the ground on an approach you would get a spectacular cartwheel.

On the first flight I'd get up to safe altitude and spend some time reducing power while adding up elevator to keep it flying level, until it stalls. You will get a feel for how the plane acts when it is on the edge, and for how fast you want to shoot an approach.

If I were to do it again I think a 25 motor on 3 cells would be plenty of power, and could save some weight. Also I'd have gone for a Tacon Bigfoot or other cheap motor, and I'd probably also use cheaper servos- though I understand you may have to do a little trimming or sanding to get most other servos to fit.

Diesel6401

My Feedback: (1)

Everyone is different, but I'll offer my suggestions. I'm not the best pilot by any means, but have flown lots of different airframe types.

I started with the mini super cub as my first plane, a 3CH trainer. When Iwas looking for my next plane Iwent in with the intentions of buying a 4CH trainer, but was afraid I would out grow it very quickly. With that being said here's my suggestions.

Iown the mini pulse xt, and not sure how close it is to the Pulse, but I would consider it a more of a 2nd or 3rd plane. It's not difficult to fly, but is balsa so not as easily repairable as a foamy and the landing gear (mainly the tail) is very week and takeoffs can be interesting on occasion.


I would recommend the following:

* Flyzone Cessna Corvalis 350; low wing scale airplane that is a 5Ch (flaps) and is a pure cupcake to fly. Nice self-righting tendencies, decent speed at wot and/or cruise around at 1/2 throttle if you wish, the large wing span and light frame allows her to glide in very gently similar to a high wing trainer. You don't need to use the flaps at all if you don't wish, but I set mine up for 2 position flaps (even with a dx6i). On very HIGHwind days Itake her out, climb as high as I can cut the throttle and just cruise around as if it was a glider lol. It's a very nice plane, and guys at the field where impressed with the way it flies for the price. Also it is easy repair, but the foam is not as strong as say epo or z-foam. 1 servo for rudder/nws, 1 servo for flaps and 1 servo for ailerons. Easy constrution. Wings come off easily for transport if need be, she's got a large 57" wing span, but uses the common 3s 2200mah packs: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXCKXG&P=7

* I was also recommend the Parkzone T-28. Check it out on Phoenix. She is probably the tamest most beginner friendly warbird on the market and is recommended as a low-wing trainer. Very nice self-righting tendecies, good speed parts are available at almost any/all LHS and easily repairable. Fly stock for a while then you can trick her out to your liking. Very popular and very successful airplane that you won't outgrow. Fly around "training" for a while then when your ready to move forward into mild aerobatics she also fits the bill. I would suggest the BNFversion and grab yourself a Spektrum dx6i which is one of the best and effortable radios on the market!

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

My second plane after the trainer was a 60 size Ultrastick.

flycatch

My Feedback: (26)

IMO what you have now is a Volkswagen Beetle and what you want to transition to is a Corvette. Too many people have ventured down this road and never survived the crash. Get yourself a H9 1/4 Scale J3 Cub and learn how to fly a real model airplane.

Skerts

Congratulations to Flycatch for the first condenscending post in this thread and no, I'm not saying that because I don't value your opinion, its helpful. I say it because I can't remember the last time I had to control pitch or roll while driving and also because with the exception of race tracks, the VW Beetle and the Chevrolet Corvette in your example are both limited by the same traffic laws and speed limits. It's a poor comparison. Then there's the issue with comparing an eFlite Advance to a Corvette when a high wing trainer is a Beetle, it doesn't compute well seeing as the Advance won't be 3-4 times faster than the trainer in a straight line a la the Corvette vs. Beetle. We could even venture into handling too... the Advance will undoubtably have moderately precise handling along each of it's axis however, the Corvette isn't the first thing that comes to my mind when I think precision turning and handling. If I had to pick an American car to compare the Advance to it, I'd go with a muscle car (Mustang, Camaro, Challenger) although they don't have the most precise handling either so perhaps the best American vehicle that I can think to compare the Advance to would be the Ford Focus SVT - it's faster than the Beetle but not terribly so, has precise enough handling but not by Lotus standards and the cost is roughly equal.

That's my humble opinion but realistically I still feel that comparing RC planes to real world cars makes for poor examples.

levram1

My Feedback: (1)

I second that. Perhaps it's time to shut this thread down.

flycatch

My Feedback: (26)

Most say that was one hell of a rebuttal but too many fledge wing pilots have left the nest before they were ready.

Skerts

It's ok Flycatch, I appreciate what you were saying and I "get it". I wasn't trying to be an ass about it, just looking for opinions and other peoples experience. I try to live my life by the saying "learn from other peoples mistakes cos life's too short to only learn from your own". I really am not opposed to buying a high wing trainer just wondered what others would suggest given my stated experience so far. I really don't want to be "that guy" who shows up to a club with a plane thats way too hot for me that I end up totalling and going home with my tail between my legs. The hobby has really become an addiction so far and I hope for many years of enjoyment in it. Conversely, I just don't want to buy a high wing trainer that I fly 5 times before it starts to collect dust on a shelf however, I will take your advice into careful consideration.

JeffinTD

Actually for an inexpensive and very quick to build foam aerobat you might take a look at the Handy King.

No self-correction, of course, but with appropriate rates and expo it can be a very mellow flier with no bad habbits.

Pre-assembled kit comes with motor and servos installed. Just glue in the self-aligning tail feathers, add your own reciever and speed control and go fly.

levram1

My Feedback: (1)

Who is the Handy King vendor?

JeffinTD

The Wingsmaker.

http://www.thewingsmaker.com/airplane_details.php?name=HANDY%20KING%20EP%20(40) %20(Pre-Assembled%20Combo%20Set)

It is a larger version of the Handy Man, which seems to be the plane everyone breaks out on windy days where I fly.

The one weak point is the area behind the ply socket for the main gear. Inlay a little ply or a Popsicle stick in that area.

It was really gusty and unstable wind this morning, and I had a blast flying it and shooting landings, until I landed a little hard and took a prop tip off...

Skerts

Thanks JeffinTD, I'll check it out. So I doubt it makes any difference because it's virtual and the conditions are PERFECT but my Phoenix flight sim order came yesterday and without sounding too big headed, I can fly the wings off the "Low wing trainer", the "Parkzone T-28" and interestingly enough, the "Parkzone Habu". I can land all of them everytime with no bounce or occasionally a little bounce. Still, I doubt it makes much difference because it's virtual and it's rare to get such perfect conditions in real life but I just wanted to add that. A question to those that use Phoenix though... I noticed theres no Stik of any type so do any of the planes on there handle even remotely like one? Oh and lastly, I am amazed by how twitchy and precise the Sport Aerobatic / 3D planes are and I'm nowhere near that level yet haha.

JeffinTD

IMHO simulator practice is super helpful. I'd imagine you would do fine with the Advance, Handy King, a Stick or whatever.

At full 3D throws the King is super responsive, but on low rates it really isn't bad to fly. I'm not good enough to play close to the ground on high rates. It is more stable and I think easier to fly than the carbon z yak, for example.

By comparison aileron response in the Advance is pretty docile even at maximum throws.

Skerts

That's good to know about the throws on the Advance. I really do like the look of that plane and RCUniverse has a fairly recent review of it that really hypes it up as a second or third plane. Quick question JeffinTD, does the higher dihedral angle in the wings of the Advance give it any self righting tendencies or is it all down to the stick movements? Either way isn't really an issue I'm just curious. I find the T-28 on Phoenix to be very quick to self right and I like its handling on there but I'm put off by it because it's a foamie and I'd prefer the Advance to be honest.

jackal270

My Feedback: (4)

The answer is obvious,buy the flyzone switch,made by hobbico it has a good pedigree and iscost effective,my nephew has one and he loves it.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...rticle_id=1288

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

I've read about those. Mike's review spells it out. From what I read, they seem to be a pretty good choice for a second plane. I wonder if they make a glow powered version?

My second was a Tiger 60 ARF with an OS 61 SF. It was great. It was (heck, still is from what I understand.. I sold it to a guy and he still flys it)... a tough plane, as second planes usually have to be. Once we get past the trainer level, well, we tend to beat them up as we practice and learn more about flying RC.

I hope that the Switch is as tough as the Tiger 60 is.

CGr.

scott36

My Feedback: (54)

I have the advance and the 25 ultra stick cant say which one i like better , these i i went to after i had the T-28 and was getting bored with it, also had the mini ultra stick, all planes fly great and were a good choice to got to after the trainer T-28, so in MHO either one will be a good choice to get. have some one at the field get it trimmed out and ready for you to fly , do a few buddy box flights and you will be ready for either plane. the ultra stick is a faster build as you get the control flaps pre glued, i have my planes powere with 3 cell packs just to have all the same batteries.

JeffinTD

I'd say tha Advance has a little self-centering tendency when it is close to wings-level, but you still need to command it to roll back to level.

It is a very nice flying plane with no bad habbits.

It also kind of sounds like there is something about the plane that just appeals to you, which is a valid reason to go for it.

Sherv

My Feedback: (1)

Sorry to derail but I wanted to say thanks to the previous posters because I just purchased an Advance 25e from hobbytownusa in frederick yesterday after reading the suggestions here. I have a spare 1.5 year old (never used) Turnigy Sentry 60A esc so I'm going to be ordering the Turnigy clone of the e-flite 32 motor in a week or two along with some turnigy metal gear servos and some 4S batteries from hobbyking. While I wait to save up the funds I'm going to build the plane. I felt I needed this plane before I fly my A-1 Skyraider.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=23696