cgenius80

Hello everyone,
So I think it's about time I invest in fixed-winged RC aircraft. It's been one of my strong interests for a very long time but I haven't had the money for it. My only experience with flying fixed-wing aircraft is in flight simulators and video-games. But I still do have a strong passion for aviation. I'd like to get into Nitro-fueled RC aircraft, they seem a lot cooler and more fun to tinker with. I called my local hobby shop to ask for advice (Evett's Model Shop), and pretty much what the guy said was "Dude, just find an electric plane to start with. It's too hard, the learning curve is too steep. You can't do it. I can't help ya. Sorry."
So I'm coming here to get advice from you guys, because nitro is where I really want to start --- Even if it takes me a while to get up and flying.
I'm looking for a nice trainer to start with; Something durable, fine for a beginner but can still be used and customized once I get more advanced, good flight time, etc.
And I'd like to get everything I need to get up and flying for under $425.
Where should I start? What should I look at getting? What else should I know?
Thanks.

red head

To start with ~~ where are you ? I don't know of the shop (Evett's ) that you went to but I'd have to visit myself just to see what kind of shop keeper they have .

I'm not going to suggest a plane as I think if you can get hooked up with an instructor, he should be the one to suggest a plane . That being said I suggest you TRY to find a field and go visit. While there see if they do instruction and if so try to talk to an instructor and maybe even get set up with him to help you .

As far as what the shop keeper said about electric's, I HATE to agree with him but the modern electric's are a lot easier to learn on then the glow jobs, especially if you have to do it alone . If you can find an instructor then going glow is kool , if not you might want to go electric until you get to flying electric's then switch to glow . Good Luck ENJOY !!! RED

rpellicciotti

There are a lot of ways you can go. Most people I help get started are going electric now. I have flown nitro powered airplanes for 40 years so I am fine with that. I agree with others here, find a club that has instructors and talk to them. Pick a tricycle gear, high wing airplane for starters. The bigger the better. It is amazing how much better a 60" wingspan plane flies than a small one. Resist the temptation to put in an engine bigger than the one specified. If you like to build, then get a kit (and save money). If not, especially for your first airplane, look for a ARF (almost ready to fly).

Hydro Junkie

Sounds to me like the shop clerk didn't really want to do anything but take money. A hobby shop that really wants your business would have actually helped you by giving you information on local clubs, offering to order you something and anything else to make you want to come back. By telling you that if you don't buy an electric plane, you're bound to fail, is not only doing you a dis-service, it's telling you not to bother trying to learn to fly. For me, personally, I wouldn't go back if that was the last shop in the area as the clerk did absolutely nothing to help you learn to fly.
For the record, I'd buy a Kadet MkII or a Kadet Senior since both can be built with either nitro or electric power

TomCrump

I like Sig planes, too.
I have two Kadet Senior Sports., one glow powered, the other electric...Personally, I prefer the way that the glow powered model flies.

Both would be good trainer aircraft.

buzzard bait

I taught myself on a Cox .049 powered trainer with a 39 inch wingspan, and had total success with it. It was light and suffered little to no damage when I crashed; it was slow and easy to fly, engine was easy to start by hand. Trouble is, short of scratch building or converting an electric, I don't know how you'd do anything like that now.

I think the best I've seen out there is probably the Sig LT-25. A friend in the club had one and he loved it even after he got pretty experienced. He had a plain bearing 25 on it. Plenty of power, 4 oz tank, a gallon of fuel lasts all summer. I don't know if you can even buy those engines anymore new, unless you pick one up on the trader forum or buy on ebay. There must be tens of thousands sitting in drawers, so if you join a club someone will probably sell you one cheap.

Once I started flying with engines larger than my Cox I set up a test stand so I could get used to starting and adjusting the engine at home before I put it on a plane and took it to the field. I highly recommend that. I go to the field to fly, not to fuss with engines.

I flew that little trainer by myself for a couple of years and then joined a club. Never regretted either one. Joining a club and getting some instruction is a good idea. I had flown free flight and CL before, so I learned on my own easily, but most people want and need an instructor.

cgenius80

I went into the hobby shop and went ahead and followed the guy's recommendation. I picked up an electric trainer for just over $100.
It's a BNF Horizon Hobby Sport Cub S with a couple of extra batteries. It's a nice inexpensive trainer, I picked everything up fairly quickly when I took it out to the park to fly. But that's probably only because I already had a lot of aviation knowledge beforehand. I can say though, it is NOT meant to be flown in high wind. The manual says that wind should be less than 5mph, but where I live, wind is always 10-15 mph. So there was a lot of hovering, rolling backwards on the ground, being pushed around, etc. I do feel that I could go straight for a bigger nitro though. (Or maybe just a bigger and more powerful electric). But now my budget is a bit smaller. Is there any way I can get up and flying with something better with less than $250-$300?

jester_s1

Yes, you can. I have an Eflite Mini Ultra Stick which is great in the wind (all sticks are) and can handle some pretty rough landings too. It's not self-righting, so it's your call on whether or not you need a plane that will roll itself back upright or pull itself out of a dive. But sticks of any size are so easy to fly they will spoil you. Most any "Sport" type plane in the 3 cell 2200 battery range will be better in the wind than your trainer as well if the MUS doesn't appeal to you.

buzzard bait

If you want to fly a glow engined airplane, go to Value Hobby and you can choose from several sizes and types, including a Stik if you want that. But even the 25 size Aviator can be flown in a lot of wind... Balsa/Fiberglass Planes - Airplanes | Value Hobby

For a field box with basic equipment go to a swap meet or ask in your club. Used glow stuff is really cheap these days because of estate sales and people switching to electric. Engines in good shape go anywhere from free to $40 or so. Pick up a couple of them, get a couple of new glow plugs and fresh fuel, try them out on a test stand. If you're in a club, there will be someone, or a few people, who are handy with glow engines. Learn from them, it's not hard once you know the basics.

Jim

Propworn

My Feedback: (3)

Your budget at 250 to 300 bucks doesn't leave room to join a club or AMA so unless you can find someone willing to instruct you who is also flying on their own your kinda stuck where your at.

If the guy at the hobby shop really knew his stuff he might have guided you to an Apprentice instead of the cub. Cubs rarely make for the better trainers.

When I learned to fly it was on my own and the only trainers were nitro powered wood and tissue models. Most of my time was spent repairing As I learned to fly only then did I spend more time flying than fixing. Can your budget support buying the materials and tools you will need to repair it when you have an oopppppsssss!

That is one of the reasons foamies are so popular. People can bounce them off the runway, run into things, etc. and they seem to take that abuse. Repairs are simply to glue the pieces back together without much skill needed to finish or repair. If the hobby shop sells them chances are they make more selling replacement parts, (that tell you something).

Flying on your own has its disadvantages biggest one is you may be informed you cannot fly from city/town land. Many have by-laws restricting or banning RC of any kind.

All that being said the absolute best way to learn, be successful and enjoy the company of others who share your passion for the hobby is to first find a club that you feel comfortable with. In that club you will find a mentor/instructor listen to his advice on what to buy. He may even know of some used equipment that you can get pretty cheap.

Good Luck which ever way you choose to go.

Dennis

cgenius80

Thanks guys. What I'm gonna do once I finish my research is get a slightly better aircraft like the Apprentice S 15E or the EFlite Mini Ultra Stick. Other money would be allocated towards things that I would need for repairs, modifications, and upgrades down the line (I also have a lot of tools and etc, I'm a pretty technical guy already). Once I get more into the hobby (and I get settled, because I'm moving soon) then I'll start looking into joining a club. That way I can already have my own equipment and basic experience to bring to the table before fully engaging with another club.

TomCrump

I suggest that you join the club first, and then buy a better air frame. That way, you can benefit from the club's inherent knowledge.

I've seen newbies show up at the field with their new pride and joy. While club members are willing to help them, the equipment they show up with is often inadequate, or out of their area of expertise.

I feel that it is best to tap the local knowledge, and purchase equipment that they recommend, and are familiar with. That way, you are making it easier for them to help you have a successful entry into the hobby.

jester_s1

From the sound of it, the OP has already figured out basic flying. He probably won't need an instructor in the traditional sense since he is able to take off, fly around, and land on his own. There is nothing wrong with his plan to add to his collection now so he can keep enjoying the hobby alone and then joining a club and expanding more later.

To cgenius80- What the club will do for you is give you a group of guys who will answer your questions when you ask. RCUniverse is obviously a resource for that too, but there is nothing better than having people there with you who can check over your planes and make suggestions, see your flying and show you how to improve, and involve you in conversations about all aspects of the hobby. But I'm glad to see you progressing by yourself. That Sport Cub is a nice flying plane, but you are right that it does get tossed around by the wind a lot. If you are flying it competently though, I wouldn't get an Apprentice. Go with a sport type plane and have yourself a great time.

TomCrump

If the OP has the basics of flying down, why would he want/need an Apprentice ?

cgenius80

Just for fun. I'm just looking for good plane to fly, and I see that the Apprentice is very popular. It being powerful and stable plane with a simplistic design appeals. So the Apprentice is just one of the planes in my consideration.

And yeah, you're bringing in good points. Once I get settled into my next place, I'll start looking for clubs around that area.
And which sports-type planes do you recommend?

jester_s1

The Mini Ultra Stick. That's assuming you want to stay with electric park flyers. If you are up for going bigger, take your pick of Ugly Sticks, Super Sticks, Ultra Sticks, etc from various manufacturers. If it has "Stick" in the name, it will be a gentle, forgiving plane that's super stable in the wind but also can do aerobatics as wild as you want when you are ready to turn the controls up. Other good choices are the Hangar 9 Pulse and the Sig 4 Star.

F4 Phantom blue angles

I would follow your dreams of getting into Nitro. It is really fun. You have the sound of that motor screaming,and of course that beautiful smell of Nitro.(especially on a cold clear morning). When I started, it took me about 1yr,and 4 planes or so until I learned how to fly. Once I mastered flying, the hobby got even more fun. Just do what your heart tells you to do.

cgenius80

I'm gonna get one of those Ultra Sticks. Have fun with it for a while, then work on converting it to nitro later.

jester_s1

The mini isn't going to be big enough to go nitro. Get 3 batteries for it and a 50 watt charger, and you'll be in business. It's amazing how handy these smaller park planes are. I have planes that cost 5 times what the little stick did and fly way better. Yet I have more flights on this one because it's just so easy to toss it in the car and go to the park with it. Plus it has saved a couple of flying field days when I had a problem with the plane I had intended to fly and the little stick got brought along just in case.

cgenius80

Gotchya!
Thanks for your help btw