jared185drifter

ok I have a couple questions. Thanks in advance for any help
1. I am not new but newer to rc airplanes. Anyway I was wondering whats the best and easiest covering for a nitro sig four star 40.

2. I was wondering if the hanger 9 rv8 would be a decent plane to learn on I have flew simulators and got decent and I flew a hanger 9 p51 but a malfunction caused it to get demolished(it was not my fault). Anyway is it decent or is there anuthin I can do to make it decent it has the thunder tiger gp.61 motor

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Easiest covering to work with in the plastic type is Ultrakote and it's what Hanger 9 uses. Mono is what Tower uses. Ultra is a lot easier to work with but a fine job can be had with both.
To learn on you may want to go to a club field or meeting and see if they have a club instructor that has his own trainer and buddy box before you buy anything. All I ever ask is the student supply there own fuel.

jared185drifter

i have no one to do that with and i bought well traded for the hanger 9 rv8 with a dx7 tx both in new condition. and do you iron on the ultrakote.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Jarad welcome to the forum.

The first thing you need to realize is this is not a solitary sport and you are going to just learn everything in a vacumn, That will never work.

The very best way to learn to use modern covering films is by networking and finding a mentor that is best done by getting involved with you local club

Just about every day at the field there will be someone following me home to get some help with their airplanes and simply sitting down with them so they can watch covering being applied and then they work a panel and so on. That's how you really learn. Yes there are forums and vidios but its nothing like being mentored.

Now for the second part of your question, That RV-8 would most likely be a terrible airplane to learn on. The same applies to your P-51 which you already found out is not going to be easy. Neither airplane is a very appropriate trainer this is especially so if you are going it alone. Which I think is what you are doing, correct?

The very best I can suggest now is run, don,t walk to your nearest club and let the adventure begin as this will be the key to realizing the dream.

John

jester_s1

Do a search for "covering videos" and you'll learn a lot about using monokote and ultracote. It won't be nearly as much as if someone sits down and works through covering a plane with you, but it's at least something. As for appropriate trainers, that 4 star isn't half bad if you're working with an instructor, but not as a newbie going it alone kind of deal. Even the traditional trainers like the Sig LT-40 or Hobbico Nexstar can be a handful if you don't know what you are doing, but at least they give you a fighting chance.

jared185drifter

Yeab I just dont know of any clubs around here that meet when im not working lol I know of a few but they all meet when I work and they kinda didnt wanna come in when I dont work.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Doesn't have to be a club meeting, there will be a few people at any club on a weekend and you can go out and talk to the members about getting help. I teach both flying and building to almost anyone that wants to learn. You will find club members at the field on most any nice day.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

jared, I would urge you to listen to the guys who have responded to you. They are giving the advice from experience. They have been there and done that. You have some nice equipment and it would be a shame to lose it because you refuse to arrange for an instructor. We know from experience that going it alone will about 99.9% guarantee a disaster from which you may get discouraged and give up a really satisfying hobby. We all need you in the hobby and we all hope that you succeed in the hobby, but we also know that the way to do that is with an instructor. You start destroying planes and this hobby gets really expensive and time consuming (rebuilding or replacing planes) in a big hurry. Kentucky is a big place. Maybe if you tell us where in Kentucky you live, someone here would be close to that area and volunteer to help you. I guarantee you are going to make a mess of your first covering job if you go it alone.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Agine run, don't walk to the nearest club. Network dude, network. You actually have to go there and meet people and do not expect to just communicate on the net,, Ya gotta network if you actually want to be successful. Like GB unless you go there you may never know Who can help and when.

Another thing do not start buying a lot of stuff before you ever connect with that mentor, he most likely will be able to steer ya to the right stuff that will work for you and save you a ton of money.

If one insists on doing the lone wolf thing be prepared to waste lots of bucks.

You will not regret finding that MENTOR[8D]

John

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I have told every student I have had not to buy anything until after they solo. By then they will have an idea if they really want to follow up with the hobby and stick with it or not. They will also have an idea of what they really need. No reason to spend any money on anything except fuel.

acerc

Jared, you are being taught by several mentors on this thread. Listen, learn, and enjoy. I started off by myself 30 something years ago and I went through several models before I could Solo. And I have no idea how long before I even began to understand the nuances of building. A mentor at that time would have been more than welcoming, shoot I would have paid for one. It would have been cheaper and I would have became smarter sooner. Find a club, drop by in your spare time, when someone is there ask questions and you will soon be on your way. Most of us old builder types absolutely love sharing and passing on the tradition.

Robert

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

Yes, Jarted, you will find in this hobby that all you need to do is show up at a club or field and ask a few questions acting like you really want to learn and the guys will flock to you in an effort to help. This is the most sharing hobby I have ever seen. The one thing club members will object to is a noob showing up and acting like they know it all and are doing the guys a favor just by being there. Act like you don't know (which you don't) and you really would like to learn (which I hope you do) and they will be all over you to help.

jester_s1

I figure going it alone will add at least $300 to the cost for the first couple of years and easily 40 hours of effort over what it will be if you work with an instructor at a proper flying site. That's also factoring in the cost of the club and AMA dues. When you figure 2-3 hard crashes and probably a dozen smaller repairable ones, that $300 goes quick in parts, supplies, and new planes. Sure, there are guys who go it alone and are successful eventually. But there is no easier or cheaper way than working with an instructor at a field with a nice smooth runway and a wide open space to fly in. I know it's very tempting to get out into someone's cow pasture or an empty lot someplace, but if you don't have a really flat and smooth surface (which you'll never have unless the ground has been specifically maintained to be) you'll do everything from nose your plane over to tearing out landing gears to cartwheeling down the runway because a wheel caught, and that's even after you actually know how to take off and land. It's very rare to make the math work going it alone.

jared185drifter

Advice well taken thanks for the responses I know I my plane was intermediate but I was hoping I might add a mod or something to make it better for trainer. As far as instructor most people fly on weekends and I fly during the week im transitioning from cp helis so I thoight the transition from heli to airplane wouldnt be to bad

Mr-Punk

My Feedback: (2)

Jared, Where in Ky are you from? My Club is the Tri County Sky Sharks. We are a great bunch of guys and fly in the London/Corbin Area. I agree with the others here. Get some real life trainer experience with someone on a buddy box. Most clubs will let you fly on the box without being a member first. Things can happen really fast even with a 40 size glow trainer. For your first question Ultra-cote is easier to apply but I use Monocote. The Four Star 40 is a great second plane and wonderful first kit to build. I've built and flown several and It's still my favorite sport flying plane. Good Luck! If you're anywhere near me I'd be happy to help.

Jimmy

jessiej

John, these folks are indeed fortunate to have a master builder such as you for a mentor.

I became interested in modeling many years ago when my age was still counted in single digits. I knew no other model builders and struggled through many Comet and Guillows builds by trial and error and the occasional tidbit of information gleaned from a model magazine.

I had finally progressed to a Firebaby and then a Fox 35 powered Ringmaster when my father (I was still far too young to drive) spotted a few guys flying control line planes. I met a Sergant from the nearby Army base who built and flew beautiful control line precision aerobatic models. He took me under his wing and I learned more in the next few months than I would have in a lifetime of solitary
effort.

I have never forgotten the helpful soldier, or the skills he taught me.

Jess

jared185drifter

hi mr. Punk, jimmy. I am from corbin ky a half mile from loves truck stop off exit 29 sure id love the help tho I have the hanger 9 rv8 and I dont have a trainer plane but if ur willing to teach im definatly ready to learn. Lol ive been wantong to fly airplanes for a while now.

jester_s1

If you already fly CP helicopters it shouldn't take much to get you competent on a plank. Landings seem to be hard for heli pilots to get since you're used to not having to maintain forward momentum, but the basics of orientation are pretty much the same. I'd expect a decent instructor could have you ready to solo in 2 or maybe 3 training sessions. Building is a whole other set of skills, but as long as you are conscientious about keeping things straight and have a dead on straight building board, it's not that hard to get either.

jared185drifter

Thats kinda what I thought oh and the sig is actually a resto it was built and flown and they didnt do maintain it anyway Im rebuilding motor and need to recover it and it needs reglued in a couple places