rt3232

My Feedback: (6)

Donny

Back in the day I flew a moony mite and an early mk 20/21 both easy to fly, but the mite you had to pay attention on landing as the gear was mechanical and you had to pull the handle back till you felt it lock

Cheers Bob T

Joe Fisher

My Feedback: (4)

You can't fly it light sport it has retractable gear I don't intend to try to take an FAA flight physical. They are real cute airplanes. But now I have more airplanes than I can use I will be happy to get my Cub flying.

donnyman

Full scale with a 180 hp eng.

donnyman

I kinda felt you would say that! but had to give you the choice.

donnyman

The full size moony with mechanical gear was the same way it took some getting used to. I never did care for it, but the cruise flight was a delight.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

At $4000 that is a bargain! But you can build a lot of models for $4000. I worked with a fellow who hit retirement age but was still working while his health held out. He was fortunate to own all or part of 6 full size aircraft in his lifetime, some multi-engine craft. I got to thinking I like R/C better because I can have a lot more than 6 for what he spends on maintenance for just one. It doesn't matter how rare or how many engines it has if I can build it I can own it and fly it! That was why I dropped the idea of building and ultralight, I looked at the cost and went back to R/C. Besides with R/C you can walk away from every bad landing!

ETpilot

You sure are saying a lot in your post. I could be a lot richer today had I not gone the general aviation route. But, I sure enjoyed flying the airplanes I have owned. You can do things and go places a lot faster. My current bird is a Turbo Cessna 210. Quite a lot of airplane. Crossing the U.S. is a piece of cake. I do my own maintenance otherwise I could not have afforded this plane. Now, sadly, it is time to move on. So I have returned to RC. I'm enjoying the building n flying. I still have to improve my RC landings. Some landings are good but a few not so good.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

The Turbo Cessna 210 is one nice airplane!

trainermaster80

My Feedback: (5)

hello flyer in oakhoma
i have trained many to fly r/c & landing is hard for most.
i have found the main reason is that most quit flying the airplane once they reach the runway or slightly before.
the plane will not allways land it's self... so, fly the plane all the way down to the runway to the landing
practice this with low passes down or along side the runway.
you know you are not going to land & are just making a low pass.so you keep flying the plane thru the low pass.
keep flying lower & lower passes. the key here is you are flying the plane
now try a landing. fly it all the way to the landing.
not just letting the plane settle in by it's self.
even when you think you have got it lined up o.k dont quit flying the plane THE KEY HERE IS FLY THE AIRPLANE
trainermaster80

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

That was what I was taught don't stop flying until its on the ground an comes to a halt.

rt3232

My Feedback: (6)

especially with all airplanes full size and rc just saying


+1 on the practice, practice and practice



Cheers Bob T

Sundance2018

Hi Everybody -
I'll join in! I'm just about to turn 51 in a couple months. Looking back at some of the questions and posts here is my stab at them:
Let's see...my very first dabbling into model aviation was when I was 5 years old. My oldest brother tried....(emphasize "Tried") to show me how to build a plastic model which was a Dewoitin 520....ended up being a melted blob of glue But my skills quickly improved. After successfully building many nice plastic models, In a couple years I graduated to the Sterling stick and tissue models and I built a Beechcraft Bonanza V-tail and a Fokker D VIII. Didn't build my first real RC plane until I was 13 and it was a SIG Scamp powered with a Enya .09 and with Hobby Lobby radio equipment. Most of the new RC electronics gadgets baffle me quite frankly. I am still trying to learn all the new electric motor stuff and all the digital radio stuff. I still have an OLD Kraft 4-channel system that works, but needs restoring.

The funny thing is - and I don't know about the rest of you - but I enjoy building the models a hundred times more than I do flying them. I find myself being very saddened to realize that the vast majority of models out there are ARFs, ARCs, or RTFs. And so many more are foamies. Seems like nobody wants to take the time to spend on the art of real craftsmanship anymore except the dedicated among us. I've turned mostly to giant scale now and scratch building. My eyes ain't what they use to be and I can't see the small birds in the air anymore. My favorite planes are: Christen Eagle II, F8F-2 Bearcat (RareBear 77), Jon Sharp's Nemesis 3, and virtually ANY WWI biplane or Triplane as I am a MAJOR WWI / Early aviation buff.

With that said I have been working on an article for either MAN or Model Aviation geared towards helping new hobbyists get into the art of building models again. Hope to get it published soon!
Just a bit more then I'll be quiet. Presently I fly with the Memphis Prop Busters here in TN but have belonged to quite a few different clubs in my day including SCCMAS in CA.

Glad to be part of this forum!
Happy Flying

Happy Flying Everybody!

Joe Fisher

My Feedback: (4)

Sundance 2018 You should have a gallery. I would like to see your stuff. I like to keep up my gallery.

Sundance2018

You can call me Tom I wish I could post a gallery. Unfortunately, right now I am in the middle of moving and most all of my stuff is boxed and packed away except for just couple of small modeling things I have with me. Other than that I am selling off all of my helicopter stuff on RCU, which isn't much but there's an old Lite Machines Corona 110 in there. Other than that, most of my planes are either half built or in kit form waiting to be built except for my Goldberg Protege' and a Goldberg Tiger 120

I see a lot of posts about troubles with landing, which for some reason strikes me as funny because nearly all the flying I did at SCCMAS in CA was on a Goldberg Protege' in high winds (just because it's windy there all the time). The plane has a really bothersome OS 61 in it that has a nasty tendency to quit in mid-flight so practically every landing I had to do was 'dead-stick'. Can't figure out the problem with that engine! Just a dudder I'm thinkin'. Anyway, I managed to get really good at keeping my plane from stalling while floating her in just on the wind to basically plop down on the runway. Now ask me to perform a pretty take off?....HA! I just pray that I get the bloody things airborne (hehehe).

In moving here to Memphis and just trying to have something to play with, I bought one of those Dynam SMART planes. What a waste of $$. The foam material doesn't behave well in heat & humidity it seems, and I had many problems with tail feather warping and servos stripping to the point that my last flight was a burial into the surrounding fence. Foam planes and fences don't really mix to well together, not that wood planes fare any better , but at least I can rebuild a wood plan.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I am with you on those opinions! For me buying ARFs, ARCs, or RTFs is like french kissing your sister, sure you can do it but what's the point?

Joe Fisher

My Feedback: (4)

I like to build airplanes to fly and to last. I admire the beautiful scale jobs but I just can't bring my self to risk all of that work. Just like I would have a hard time flying a radial engine just to much money to risk. I used to think it was silly to build an airplane that I have already had. Now I really like my Yellow Bird. Now I am building the third one. The last couple years I built 2 Ringmasters , a Filet Streak and a Chief control liners for old time sake and to show the grand kids. And I built a Charger rudder only R/C seems like fun.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Don't think of it as losing all that work, think of it as make space for a new project!

KC Air

For me, its all about time. I built an ARF, and am getting ready to build another. It will take me a year to stick build a plane, and I want a couple to fly in the mean time. ARFs and RTFs definitely add pilots to the mix. If everyone had to stick build, there would be many fewer people in the hobby, which would be bad for all of us.

rt3232

My Feedback: (6)

Hay KC

I have been a builder For about 75 years , love it and I do have 2 ARF's, if I just look at my kids and grand kids it's just they want it now, and then there is the vid/games seams every one is in a hurry to go no ware, just keep moving. That said there is a lot of satisfaction flying what you build, and even when you break it to figure out what you did wrong or what caused it, it make you think.

But That is just me.

Cheers Bob T
AMA13377

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

To each his own I was only stating my feels on the subject. ARFs, ARCs, or RTFs do work to bring new blood into the hobby, even though the drone in the news of late have a collective IQ lower than the shoe size of the one with the smallest feet!

donnyman

Hi guys!

We had a big bird meet and it was a blow out--- mobs of people going nuts over the flying. One guy brought and ARF, Yea and ARF check it out. Yes It's and A.R.F. and it flew well, ten foot take off roll. I have a long trip to take will get back with more in a day or two.

jre8655

I began building flying models in 1958 at the age of 10. These were the old Comet and Guillow’s stick and tissue models designed for rubber power.

At the age of 13 my father gave me a Wen-Mac .049 F-7U Cutlass Control Line model for Christmas. This thing had a pusher prop setup and was equipped with a pull starter engine. I never did get to fly it because my father and his friend managed to break it tying to demonstrate how to fly it.

A few months later, for my birthday, I used the money I received to buy a Wen-Mac .049 Aeromite. I proceeded, with the help of a buddy, to learn to fly it. After several crashes and reassemblies I did learn to fly it. It wouldn’t stunt, but that was Ok with me; it still flew. I used that engine to convert several stick and tissue models to Control Line.

While in the Navy, I went on to bigger and more challenging Control Line models. The greatest experience I had was when I was stationed with the Marines at Kaneohe in Hawaii. The model airplane club, the Green Barons, had a flying field directly across the street from the barracks. Every Sunday we were out there flying.

When I retired from the Navy, in 1990, I tried my hand at R/C. The nearest club’s flying field about 22 miles away, but was a very nice facility. My first trainer, a Duraplane, flew like a brick! I actually added about 6” to each wing for more lift. With the help of a very skilled instructor I managed to learn to fly it. Even got it to loop.

I went on and built a Freedom 20 and did pretty well with it. My favorite was an Easy Stick that I had a Wankel .30 mounted to. That one flew like a dream.

In ’94 I had to give up flying because of my job. I was working nights with Tuesday/Wednesday off. I found that there wasn’t anyone out flying on those days. I thought about flying by myself, but that idea didn’t appeal to me and then one of the club members, out flying by himself, had an accident and was badly injured.

So I’ve been out of R/C flying for 22 years now and have retired from my second career. About 4 months ago I saw a couple of guys flying models in a park not far from my daughter’s house. I stopped by and was amazed with the trainer one of they guys had. It was an Apprentice 15s and that sparked a desire to get back into flying. My wife was very gracious and told me to go get an airplane.

I bought an Apprentice and found a club close to our home. Being summer, there were not too many flyers, but one of the other members stood by while I made an attempt to fly again. I found the Apprentice to be the right plane to get me back in the air. After a couple of months I’ve got the Apprentice in the agile mode and am learning to do some aerobatics.

Joe Fisher

My Feedback: (4)

jre I like your post.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I did something similar I had a Midwest Sweet Stik with a Wankel on it. I loved the Wankel except for the fuel it seemed to bleed when running. I heard the current generation isn't nearly as bad.

That little yellow job looks like a good candidate to be converted to R/C!

Mike

jre8655

Unfortunately, the Acrobat no longer exists. While performing an outside square loop I didn't pull out soon enough and the top of the plane was ripped off. Didn't really have the time to rebuild it because I was transferred a few months later. Didn't find another one.

I do have quite a few control line aircraft plans, but there doesn't seem to be much interest around here. That's why I went into R/C when I retired from the Navy and why I'm getting back into it now.

Have to say; I do like the Apprentice!

Jack