lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

I walked in the hobby shop knowing nothing about planes 3 yrs ago. Mow I'm still learning. This hobby is just very deep and intricate.
Im a medical doctor so I'm a little more educated than most people and still the perils of RC planes are slowing getting in my memory bank.
There are planes, but there are warbirds, acrobatic, sports, pattern, combat, ducted fan jets, turbine jets........ Each of these categories fly different and requires a different set of skills. To the point that if you are flying a warbird for two or three flights and then decide to take off on a pattern or acrobatic you can crash it .
Then there are electrics, glow, gas and turbines powered. The electrics use batteries, wow another science, there's different brands and different powers.
The glow uses a mixture of nitro, methanol and oil, but wait, there is 0-5-10-15 &30%. Which one do I use. Well that's another science, it all depends if your engine is 2 stoke or 4 stroke, OS, Saito or Moki. God forbids someone gives you a vintage German engine because that's another chapter.
These engines uses glow plugs, but they are 6 or 8 or F. But they can also be long or hot. Whattttttt. If your head isn't spinning by now there is more.
Even the glow or gas powered engines uses batteries, yes both things fuel and batteries. They are foe the electronics. Another science. They are nimh or nicad, lipo, life.... They need a charger which in turns need a power supply. Some are little some are bigger. Which one? It all depends on the CG. That itself is another science. Sometimes the manufacturer tells you where the CG is supposed to go, but guess what it is wrong and the only way to know is by flying a poorly balanced airplane and risking destroying your brand new plane.
So are you ready? I think not. There are some planes RTF, ARF or Kits.
Wait you need to know about receivers and the difference between a 5 ch or a 10 ch, Futabas vs JR. Ready?
Not so fast... Do you know what a servo is? The difference between mini servos, digital, analog and metals?
That is why this hobby is so interesting. You never stop learning, you never get bored because there is always another level to go where you know little of..
Then there is RCUniverse, a web page where all the RC guys hang out, buy, sell ask and answer.

bingo field

[8D]
Great post!

Charlie P.

Ah, but the further you go in medicine, the more specialized. Which means the less you know about everything else in the universe.

You didn't mention building. Every build is an adventure in bashing or altering designs. The Zen of getting a wrinkle free Monokote covering can take years to master.



And then you use a Dremel tool to lop off a bit of extra bolt and, even though you made a cardboard shield, it bounces and lands on the wing and melts through top and out the bottomcovering before your eyes. Always learning . . .new cuss words.

Chucksolo69

Why? Well, I tell ya, I have been into RC for a couple of decades. Mostly cars/trucks and helicopters. There is no better or relaxing feeling than piloting a plane as she soars through the sky. Just beautiful. But best of all are the two most exhilirating things in this hobby. The thrill of a perfect ROG takeoff and the beauty and excitement of a perfect landing. Yep, this is a fantastic hobby, no doubt.

mike109

G'day

Some time back in the mid 1950s a small boy and his dad stood outside a model shop in Manly, NSW, Australia. In the window was a row of brightly coloured model engines. The boy was transfixed by the anodized red and blue cooling fins on the small diesel engines.

A few years later his next door neighbor, a boy about the same age, turned up one day holding a small model engine (Frog 150 diesel). The local chemist (pharmacist) mixed up some kerosine, ether and castor oil and a short time later the boys had the little engine singing.

Move forward a couple of years and one of the boys has started to learn to fly control line but this time with an OS 15 glow engine. His early attempts at building were not pretty but they flew and he was hooked. Eventually school studies got in the way and the models disappeared for a while.

Marriage and a real job made the possibility of getting back into models a possibility and for several years he raced small diesel powered, and later glow powered models then his son came along and family again took precedence.

Now the son is 12 years old and a move to a country area again wakes the modeling monster. This time it is RC. The son quickly learns to fly and solos but dad drags the chain and when about two years later the family moves overseas, the models again go into storage with dad still learning

Son moves off to university, dad's job starts to slow down and once again the itch is back. This time it is four stroke engines and slow fliers and at last dad is up and away with his Kadet Seniors.

Ten years have now passed and dad now has a shed full of models ranging from small diesel powered old timers to 1/4 scale models. Teaching others to fly and build gives dad great satisfaction.

It just keeps getting better and better and it all started with a small kid with his nose pressed against a shop window.

Mike in Oz

Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

Good post. One of the things that keeps me so interested is that I have always found so many variables that are challenging to me. I truly like that aspect of all the challenges. It is definitely not a narrow path that is for sure unless you make it narrow. Money does affect how far you can go, but what hobby is that not true? It also incorporates various levels of skills from simple mechanical skills in building, repairing, replacing all the way to mind to hand cordination when flying.

Another thing I like is that even the pros and seasoned experts can stumble which levels the field at times and makes us not so well seasoned guys enjoy it just a bit more

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

My point is that this hobby is more challenging than most others, take fishing, or hunting. Not to much to learn or do there. I think we are in the best hobby, always learning and perfecting techniques, and when you are done with one category, there is always the next.

Chucksolo69

Hmmmm, I think some serious hunters or fisherman would disagree with you there. Ihunt, especailly upland birds, it ain't easy. Especially the part where you have to learn the habits of the creatures you are hunting. Then there is the safety aspect of it. A simple mistake with a light foamie aircraft can cause the loss of your plane. A simple mistake while hunting can cost you your life or someone else's. Anyway, I agree that this hobby is all about always doing something in it be it building, repairing, flying, etc. I do consider this my most enjoyable hobby. All my other hobbies, competition shooting, playing rock guitar in a band, etc. are all way too serious most of the time. When you are flying your plane, it's just you and it up in the sky enjoying peace of mind and the outdoors around you.

ATVAlliance

Yeah...I hunt and fish (like fishing more than hunting) and neither is easy.

I can take someone fishing with me on the river and in a canoe.  I will catch 40 bass...they may catch 1 or 2 or 3 or 4...not nearly as many.  I try to make them laugh it off by saying something witty like..."You must not be holding your mouth right or somethin'?".   I even give them the same lures that I use.  Its just they dont have the proper technique to angle a fish.

Hunting is even more difficult because you have to know how too fool an animal into them not knowing you are in the woods.  Especially bow hunting for white tail (only hunting I do as I dont hunt anything I wont eat).

Anyway...I get your point.  I havent hunted or fished nearly as much as I did before I got into the RC hobby.  Its like this RC stuff just completely consumes me.  Its like some heroin junkie.  Im addicted!  Just ask my wife, she'll tell ya!  LOL

koastrc

This hobby is as you pointed out "challenging." Many of the things that are positive parts of the hobby can be applied to other pursuits. In the military and as a law enforcement officer I always fired expert. I was trained to do so. The thing is. The more I flew these things the better I got with firearms. So much so that after twenty two years as a law enforcement officer I set the stress course pistol record. Many think it was because of my use of eye and hand to fly these things. If you fly much, it gets to where you never look at the transmitter while flying. Not even realizing I never looked at my pistol to reload. I would say it was a fluke, but the same thing is going on now and before with others.
There is many other things that are beneficial. The list is mighty long of benefits to this hobby. Assembling, electronics, use of tools and yes the use of the computer. The "best" part of the hobby and what make it the best hobby is the PEOPLE.
One note, my weapon is a model-19, that is a six shooter.

Charlie P.

My other interests include fly tying and then fly fishing, huntingfor ruffed grousewith a flintlock English fowler and whitetail deer with a flintlock rifle and also a recurve bow (1966 Browning Explorer with wood arrows Ifull-length taper and crest and fletch myself) and sailing a 31 ft sailboat. The traditional archery/bowhunting and sailing are as much a lifestyle as a hobby. Ishoot a few arrows every day, all year round before Igo to workto keep my aim and muscles tuned. It's a very focusing martial art - clearing your mind and focusing on a spot while pulling 55 lbs of bow weight repetively. Try it some time on foot at a deer's eye level if you want a challenge. ;-)

But R/Cis my hobby. For fun and relaxation.

WaffleMan

My Feedback: (1)

Because it's so much more fun than whacking at little white balls with long metal sticks.

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

LOL
I agreeeeeeee

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

The there is the transmitter science, some people call them radios. There are 3 channels basics one but nowadays there is an 18 Ch. They can be 72 Mhz or 2.4. They hace crystals or telemetry. Some can even transmit info to your phone.[X(]
How about wing loads, dihedrals, throws, dual rates, expos.
You have to have 2-3 weather stations on your preferred pages in your computer because you want to know the wind speed and direction before you go to the field. You have to know how to read the wind sock so you take off and land appropietely.
So I will say give or take it will take the average Joe 2 yrs and lots of instruction to learn the basics of RC flying.
Can you say that of golf?


And some people want to self learn

quiltsfly

Lopflyers, great article, started in RC in the early 90s, my son and I would ride bikes close to a RC field, stopped one day to see the planes up close, by Saturday we were working on a GP PT-40. The next plane was a .60 Piper Cub J-3 and that was history.
Over the last several there has been more building that flying so the hanger is very large from a 1/4 J-3 down to several PNP park flyers. This is the best hobby in the workd. Great Posts!!!

Keep them in the air
Quiltsfly (Barry)

Termites Dream

My Feedback: (11)

Lopflyers, great thread. I am also a doc and have been in the hobby around 4 years. Wish I had started long ago. There is a huge amount to know about so many different aspects of the hobby. Thats one of the things that makes it so interesting. I have learned a lot about things that are handy outside of the hobby- soldering, gas engines, electronics, battery technology, the list goes on. If this were all simple I would have been bored by now. Am currently contemplating building a Ziroli B 25, which will be about a 2 year project. I expect to learn a lot in that process as well.

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

Hey, good luck building. That is in my to do list. What it is I like flying them so much that I can't stay indoors building whereas I can be flying them.
I have a couple of friends, one of then I pay to build my planes and the other one is the engines czar, so I pay him to repair them when I have those needs.

rctech2k7

My Feedback: (1)

Welcome doc to this wonderful hobby which for me also is the best hobby and recreation... Glad to know a medical related person likes also this hobby, I'm a technically inclined person with engineering background... This hobby doesn't stop there, it's also part of science. It's continuously developing technology and a masterpiece of generations... Just like equipment you used in hospital, very sophisticated now a days... As a former athlete it's also my vitamins to keep my blood stream at high energy level during busy days. This hobby compose of many fields of technology, science and engineering. It's a never ending flow of experience and knowledge. This hobby connects me to many people at different walks of life and most especially to our Creator. This hobby can be related to many aspect of our transportation specially aerospace where it has a very complex application. Not just about technology but the beauty of nature, when we look to the sky and around us. The linkage between the airplane and pilot, the beauty of apperance in the sky while holding energy, pride and joy of owner, builder and designer...

Wagon1

Lightspeed1551

My Feedback: (4)

There are a lot of things that make this hobby awesome. What I like is the level of participation is up to you. You can fly an RTF plane, a Spad plane made out of corrugated plastic sign, or build a 40% war bird with hand painted rivets. Yore plane can literately be what ever you want it to be.
I started out with a .40 glow Avastar trainer, now I'm putting the finish touches on a custom covered 160 U-Can-Do with a 52cc Brison gas engine.

KiwiKid

Great sentiments. I fly all sorts of models , but get a real kick out of gliders and ridge soaring.

One wet Sunday I threw a few pics together off my hard drive and made a vid.

http://vimeo.com/37842800

Chucksolo69

Yes, It's intresting how different people take to this hobby in different ways. I for one like civilian type aircraft. One of my buddies is into mostly WWII warbirds, another is into pusher type planes and likes to get them up high and soar like a glider does. His personal best is soaring for 59 minutes and 10 secons on 1 battery. Another likes to fly Slow Stik type planes and helicopters and yet another is into aerobatic Yaks and the like. We have a new friend coming out this weekend who has been flying for 20 years, it will be intersting to see what he brings. All in all, the diversity and the fun, the friends, and the thrill of a great take off, flight and landing is like nothing else there is in RC.

rbrown597

Great video, KwiKid. One day I will get to New Zealand and see it first hand. But my wife says I have to leave my planes at home.

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

Wow, that's a beautiful place to fly gliders. Well attended too.

fly24-7

For me, what makes it great is that in order to have a flight experience that meets with my satisfaction, I need to completely devote my full attention to the process. No thinking about the crap at work, the non-stop activities at home, or anything else for that matter. It's about working to execute a symmetrical cuban-8. A uniform and level 4-point roll. A crisp and equilateral square loop. The hobby is my escape from the aggravation of every-day life...