kgoings

I have always been interested in getting into RC planes. Last night my daughter saw a guy flying a slow stick and was very into it. Was thinking it was something we could do together. Is a slow stick a good start and how do we learn to fly it? Thanks!

Mr67Stang

I am not a fan of the slow sticks but they are a tried and true beginner plane. Search the AMA (Acadamy of Model Aeronautics) web site for a club in your area and you may get lucky and find an instructor to help you two out. At the very least try and get your hands on a simulator and practice... a lot... before taking a remote controled airplane model up. Then when you do, do the oposite of what you are thinking. Take it high as to give yourself more time to react to a mistake. Also make sure you are in anopen area where you can not crash into anything you do not want to pay for.

I think it is great you want to do this with your daughter. To make it a memory she will remember for a long time... get with an instructor. If you were in my area, I would take the two of you out on one of my trainers. I imagine other enthusiests might feel the same.

kgoings

Thanks, I love hanging with my girls. I tried to get them to golf with me lol. But yes it's cool when you can find something your both into. My daughters and I go fishing a lot, my youngest caught a 5.5 lb bass...bigger than any bass I have ever caught lol.

Can you recommend a good sim? I had one at one time, but I remember it cost like $500

Mr67Stang

I like the Real Flight G# series. There is a G4.5 for sale here on RCU for $90 right now that would serve you well.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/market/item.cfm?itemId=854208

The latest version is G6 but it is not necissary unless you have to have the latest version. I think I still use G3.5. and it is just fine for me.

SeamusG

K - current sims sell for around $200 if they include their own Tx. Less if you use your own Tx. Common opinion is that you may wear you flight Tx by using it with the sim. There is a RCU forum specific to sims. Might check it out for current "favs".

PS - I used RealFlight 3.5. Comes with own Tx. There are a bunch of new and used versions on eBay. Current flavors have multi-player versions and different POV (point of view) options to add to the "experience". Plenty of plane & Heli alternatives. RealFlight has a training feature that explain and demonstrate different maneuvers from basic to advanced.

Cheers,

Note: Iposted this during / after the Ford lover

Mr67Stang

Well, you must be a Chevy driver... because you came in second [>:]

SeamusG

I drive slow Ford-family products - Volvos and a Miata

FORD - First On Race Day ...

stick

My Feedback: (14)

I enjoy the slow sticks. Easy to fly and you can also have fun with it. I don't see a problem starting with one.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

I enjoy flying my Slow Stick. Getting the Center of Gravity (CG) set correctly can be a little tricky for a new pilot, however. You would benefit from getting some expert help when setting up the plane before the first flight. The GWS Slow Stick is a wonderful airplane that is very versatile and fun to fly. The GWS instruction manual for the Slow Stick, however, is a textbook example of "Chinglish" and the directions are often confusing.

As for flight simulators, I'm a big fan of the ClearView flight simulator, which is free to download at http://www.rcflightsim.com and only $39.99 to register once your trial period is up. I've flown the ClearView flight simulator with the ESky USB sim controller ($19.99 to $27.99 at an e-tailer near you) with very good results.

Another very high quality choice for a relatively inexpensive simulator package is Ikarus' Easy Fly 4 priced at $99 with a USB controller:

http://shop.ikarus-usa.com/easyfly-4...ander-version/

Good luck, and good shopping!

JS_Electric

If you are a beginner, you should always start with a slow stick.

Chucksolo69

Most of the guys I fly with have the GWS Slow Stick. They are pretty docile flyers and are pretty easy to fly from what I have seen. I haven't got one because I prefer a more scale look in my RC planes. I would definately say they are a good starter plane. If you want a ready to fly  (RTF) starter plane that is great for beginners, look at these too:

Hobbyzone Firebird Stratos, Hobbyzone Champ, or the Hobbyzone Super Cub

These are all 3 channel planes (throttle, rudder, elevator) like the Slow Stick.  My first plane was the Firebird Stratos and I successfully flew it the first time with no RC airplane experience whatsoever. I have flown RC helicopters though.