r/c boy

Ok, first of all I know this is the MOST common newbie question and half of you will just ignore this, but I need advice on which plane to start with. It definitely needs to be electric and very easy to learn with. I have flown a trainer with an instructor once in my life. However, I don't have the option of getting help or joining a club(i live too far away). So, even though i know it is dangerous, I am going to try and teach myself[X(]! On my property, i have a field about 400ft long and 100ft wide with trees around the edges(I know.......bad place to learn).........but i can walk to a small nearby baseball field that has softer grass and more open space. Ok, so to my question.......I have done many searches on this forum and am still confused as to which plane is right for me. The ones I am considering are the [link=http://www.hobby-lobby.com/hlwingo.htm]Wingo[/link](it has nice accessories like floats and looks pretty slow), the [link=http://www.hobby-lobby.com/tipsy.htm]Tipsey[/link] (i don't really like how it dosen't look like a !QUOT!real!QUOT! plane and has no wheels), the [link=http://www.hobby-lobby.com/minipiper.htm]Mini Piper[/link] (looks cool but may be hard to fly), and the [link=http://hobbico.com/airplanes/hcaa2004.html]Aero Cruiser[/link](also looks cool but may be made cheaply?????). Eventually, I will be flying on my property with trees and need something small enough to have fun with. Also, the plane needs to be slow enough for me to learn. If you have any suggestions of planes, tips, etc.......or comments on the planes I listed........or just plain out think I'm crazy please let me know........any advice it GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

R/C Boy

I really don't reccommend trying to teach yourself with any type of plane. Leaving any danger factors out of it, you will destroy too many airplanes trying to learn. You end up spending a lot of money, get really discouraged, and quit before you get anywhere.

There are flying clubs in Copperopolis, Oakdale, and I believe there is one in Sonora. Stockton, Lodi, and Manteca would be too far away for you.

Send me a P/M and I'll get back to you when I get back on Friday. I'm not too far away from where you are, so it's possible we could talk about it on a land line.

Pat Roy

ActionVerb

looking in the new Model Airplane News, just inside cover, ad for the Odyssey 4CH park flyer by Watt-Age. Might fit the bill. here's one at Hobby-lobby http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/128395.asp

Also, you might read through this. Sounds like common sense stuff that would increase your chances of success
http://www.hobby-lobby.com/howto.htm

mythclmnmnth

If you're going to teach yourself to fly, you should be looking at something that can sustain many hard crashes and tree encounters. You'll probably be looking for a plane made out of foam - preferably EPP (translucent resilient) and not EPS (white brittle). I'm sure there are a few planes that fit this description but I can whole heartedly recommend the Unicorn flying wing (unicornwings.net). They are flying wings and hence don't look like normal planes but you should be able to find out if you like flying in a hurry. The Unicorn is super easily contructed, floats forever (in the air but water too probably), flies about 15 minutes on a charge, and can take a crash unlike any other. Again and again and again . . . I've moved on but I still use this plane to practice slow and low flying and maneuvers - and crashing. Your 100' x 400' area should not be a problem as long as you resist the urge to fly too far in a straight line. You'll need a 3-channel radio with elevon mixing to fly this plane plus a battery charger and a bunch of tape and glue - pretty slim initial investment compared to wet planes.

Danno

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

Look at some of the GWS planes. The Slow Stick is an excellent way to start if you feel you MUST learn on your own. It's inexpensive and can use standard radio equipment so it can be transferred to other planes as you move on. The Slow Stick doesn't really lookmlike a "real" plane, but it's fairly easy to fly.

The GWS Cub and Tiger Moth both look like real planes, fly pretty easily, and would have plenty of room in your backyard, but are a bit more fragile. Still made of light weight foam and can be repaired easily.

The Cub and Moth require micro radio gear though, so you'd have to buy larger servos and receiver when/if you move to larger stuff.

I wouldn't recommend a wing as a first plane because it's harder to keep oriented as to their direction of travel, inverted or right side up. That sort of thing. Pretty important on your first 20 or so flights!

Good luck,
Dennis-

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

Check the AMA website for flying clubs. They will probably list all of CA but you can pick the town nearest you. The site will probably list a phone number for the contact person. For your own sake travel a little distance for instruction. As to electrics think about the GWS Slow Stick. They are sold in the US by Horizon Hobbies. I got one with a Hitec single stick 3 channel FM, an ESC, and two batteries for a total of $188.00 and it will fly very well in a field the size of yours.
It is a pretty sturdy model and if it is absolutley impossible to find a club and an instructor you could conceivably teach your self how to fly it. If you destroy it the whole kit only costs $34.99.

cruzomatic

My Feedback: (17)

I agree with the others and do suggest you get some help as it'll probably save you a lot of money in the long run, but as per your post, that's probably not an option, so lets get started.

I'm 100% self taught. I learned to fly with a Zagi, but actually, I wouldn't recommend that plane. If I had to do it all over again, I would probably go with the Wingo. That plane is a nice slow flyer that rides itself out after a mistake or two. Just be sure and set it up correctly as per the instruction manual, throws and recommended CG (center of gravity). If money is an issue you could go with a simple 3 channel radio, but if you're looking to stay with the hobby and grow into it as you learn, buy the most radio you can afford. I've bought three of them. When flying the Wingo, climb, climb, climb, until you get up high, then teach yourself what you need to learn. Left/right and up/down, pitch, roll, yaw, glide path, etc. Remember, altitude is controlled by power(throttle) and your pitch is control by elevator. You'll be nervous and shaking probably, but we all suffer those symptoms when first test flying our planes.

Best of luck to ya,

r/c boy

Ok, I'll look into getting help.......as for a plane........isn't the slow stick made with a balsa frame(harder to fix then foam)??? oh, and is the wingo slow enough to fly in a fairly small area??? Thanks a lot for all the help and advice guys........I can use ALL of it.

thanks

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

Around here the popular Wingo type plane is the SoarStar. One guy bought a Wingo, later replaced the motor with the SoarStar's geared version.

If you really try this with no help, have someone there to spot people who come into the area, and stay away from them. Oh, and take epoxy to the field.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

BelIblis

Hi! Saw your post and thought that I could respond.

First off.

Contrary to what most people are most likely telling you, your plane is not predestined to crash if you teach yourself.

I got into this hobby about a year and a half ago, and I am on my third plane (by choice, not by crash). I am doing quite well, and I taught myself most of it - without losing a plane.

I started with a Firebird XL. Well it does not have elevator - it has a V-Tail, it gave me a good feeling of what it is to fly. I took it up once a week, all last summer. I crashed it sure, but all the damage I made counted up to about $15.00, which, considering the price of the plane ($119.00) is not that bad. I like my Firebird, although it might be better to start with the Commander.

Remember, you are there to have fun. Don't let people discourage you, if you cannot get to a field, and an instructor, you still have a good chance to learn.

A word about instructing.

I had an instructor with my second plane (Kadet LT-40) and I liked having him. He did not teach me as much as he saved me the two or three times that I would have crashed.

If you can get an Instructor, do it. If you can't, well, just be careful, but NOT scared.

To your origanl question, I would get one of the firebird family; it will give you the feeling, it is hard to damage, easy to repair, you can fly in a big, small and medium size area, it can go slow, and fairly fast, if you push it.

Oh, and another thing, it glide FOREVER! The battery is only supposed to last about 15 minutes, and I have had 40 minute flights

And a tip: don't let it get to far away. I know with me, the temptation was to make BIG circles. Not so. It got away from me once, I let it get to far out, and it flew away, fortunently, it had my name and address on it, and I got a call, three days latter. Some guy had found it in his tree, TWO MILES from there. And, it was undamaged[8D]. That really impressed me, the undamaged part. Also, put something on the bottom of the wign, so you can see which side is up, and which is down.

mythclmnmnth

I agree with buying the most radio you can afford (it shouldn't limit other parts of your budget though) but I think that balsa would be easier to repair. You can buy all the stock balsa you'd ever want at your LHS. If you don't tear (EPP) or crack (EPS) the foam and just tear tape or other covering - then foam planes are very easy to repair. EPP can be rejoined using Formula 77 or some other similar lightweight foam-safe glue. EPS is very fragile and usually has to be repaired with aliphatic resin (wood glue) or epoxy as it doesn't hold up to modern F77 or CA. EPS also has a tendancy to explode on impact if not restrained by something like tape. As for wings - a good covering scheme goes a long way for figuring out orientation but nothing is fool proof. I can't count the number of times I've forgotten where I am in a roll and dove into the ground. The only wings that I've ever flown are a Zagi 400X and the Unicorn. I had to fly the Zagi near full throttle during the entire flight and the experience could be called anything but relaxed. If you built this plane (or any really) as light as possible, you'd probably have a better experience. My dad bought a Unicorn (after reading the forums) after I got my Zagi to learn how to fly. I did his test flight and trimmed it for him. I was so shocked at the difference in handling (Unicorn was better) that I stripped all the tape off of my Zagi so that I could re-tape it, saving as much weight as possible. Almost but not quite. The Unicorn is capable of fast flight and slow flight and many different acrobatic maneuvers. I can fly this plane between 1/4 and 1/2 throttle even with all the strengthing procedures. The wingo mentioned earlier would be a good bet if it indeed has slow flight characteristics. Time runs out fast when you're trying to work out the plane's orientation. The best reason that I can think of for not getting a flying wing is that they pretty much go where you point them. If you let go of the controls in a steep bank or dive - the plane will not level out until it encounters the ground.

Good luck and be safe,
Danno

Daddyo57

My Feedback: (15)

I see nothing wrong with self teaching, I would just recomend easy to fly aircraft at first, BUT, how about an RC flight simulator? do not underestimate this for self teaching, I have seen it work wonders especially for RC Heli pilots. Get one, Dave Brown is fine and the Real Flight is Cool!! and alot of fun. Check it out.

Bobsean

I noticed that you mentioned the Aero crusier in your starting post r/c boy. I purchased a rtf (ready to fly) one of these about a year ago so i could have a quick small plane to fly when i couldn't make it out to the flying feild. When i opened the box the plane was packaged nicely and put together fairly well. The first time i went to fly it I went for a basic hand launch. Once in the air i knew I had trouble. imeadiatly it began to stall. So i compensated with down elevator to regain speed but relized the model was too heavy to flyand it eventually crashed. After repairs and talking with some flying friends i took out plenty of the unessacery plastic and replaced it with light weight plastic along with exchanging the standard servos with micro servos. These mods seemed to have done the trick because the Aero Crusier now flys very slow and prdicictable. I think this would be a good choice if you run out of choices because there are plenty of other good planes out there. But I think that this plane could fly in your feild with ease and could be a good electric trainer if you work to get it light.
-sean-

r/c boy

thanks a ton guys.....I think I got some good ideas from your responses........i am leaning toward the wingo right now but I'll see. I will be sure to let you know when I am ready to start flying.

thanks again........oh, one question is there any on line place that sells electric airplanes for a really cheap price(right) ok thanks

kerrydel

My Feedback: (2)

And if there is, do you think anyone will let you in on their secret?

Kerry

Combat Addict

One thought, don't worry about accessories. You won't be flying floats or any of that other stuff for a while. By then, you will know enough, or post here, to learn how to make floats and the other add ons if you want to.

golfdad

Did you purchase the AERO CRUISER yet? I'm think about purchasing one also. Not many good things said about this plane

Underaged Pilot

My Feedback: (1)

A 2 meter class glider

Gringo Flyer

My Feedback: (18)

I am mostly in the same boat that you are and have learned to fly almost by myself. (I did have a little help in the beginning from a friend.) What made the difference for me was the Real Flight program. I had 2 minor crashes before the program, but after I bought it I have had 0 problems flying. It is a little expensive but it will save you a plane or two and a lot of frustration!

caseymacgyver

Ye be warned!

To all those (us) beginners who are reluctant to accept the FACT that the Aero Cruiser is a complete piece of crap, especially as a trainer, wake up. Yes, it is lucrative (1) being so cheap, (2) it does come with a video, and (3) it does almost look like a "Real" plane, but this translates to: (1) horrible performance, swift destruction, and a steady accrual of seemingly inexpensive replacement part shipping invoices, which, don't kid yourself, will cost you far more than any other option you are currently considering. (2) A video that spends 80% of its run time re-capping the assembly process, which is already excessively detailed in the instruction manual, and then about 1 1/2 minutes showing some 12 year old kid flying the thing with a big smile on his face, which believe me, will only compound your utter frustration when you don't achieve the same results. (3) Who cares what the hell it looks like when you are trying to learn. You will be crashing, there's almost no way around it. There is also no "Cool" way to crash, unless you can trot over to the downed plane, toss it again and keep flying. The much more likely scenario for the Aero Crusier, is it will wingover on you time and time again, resulting in spectactular head-on collisions with terra-firma. Foam goes flying and all you can think about is you have to spend more money on parts that cost more to ship than to buy, so you can take another stab at it next weekend. Stay away from this plane!

I speak from experience here. I am a newbie and I fell victim to all the aforementioned pros of the A.C. I'm working on my 4th fuselage, second main wing and tail set, third motor, second ESC, as the stock one would studder at moderate throttle, and I am very nearly able to fly it. What's interesting is that they give you 2 props, and I have yet to even use the second, huh. I did almost no research about good beginner planes, and have humbly learned my lesson. If anyone is smart enough to ask before they leap, at least listen to the advice of those who jumped sans parachute.

If you already went out and bought one, take the following advice.

Find a very large field to learn in, at least a football sized area. This plane is not very stable flying slow and stalls very easily, usually one wing stalling first, causing it to do a near half-roll, and head straight into the ground, almost certainly bending the motor shaft, and snapping the nose off. The solution, other than not stalling, because you are learning, is to be flying high enough to allow the plane to dive, de-stalling both wings, and then ease out of the dive. The large field will encourage you to fly comfortable at higher altitudes, and to not be in such a hurry to turn the plane. Most aircraft radios are good for nearly 1/2 mile, so let it cruise a little.

Hand-launch it nearly horrizontal, maybe up 3-5 degrees, and resist the urge to yank back on the elevator for at least 100 ft to let it build speed. This thing is a big fat hog in the air, and can't climb for its life, so take it slow and steady or you will stall, flip, and die. Also, resist the urge to add up elevator to your turns, at least to start. This too makes for easy stalls. Remember, this thing likes very subtle controlling. It's heavy and under-powered, a very bad combination, so don't think about any sudden or drastic moves. If your radio has exponential settings for elevator and rudder, set them to flatten out the mid-region of stick movement (Ususally negative %). Believe it or not, it wants to fly upright, assuming both wings are flying. When you release a turn, it flies straight, just keep your speed up, and plenty of air between the plane and the ground.

Anyway, I've rambled quite a bit. The point is, I found myself too far down the road of the cost-to-repair-and-continue vs. cost-to-abort-and-start-with-new-airplane paradox to turn back. I am finally near (I think) the end of the tunnel and am again excited about the light, but hope is a dangerous thing. I've beat my head, and plane, into the ground trying to learn/teach myself to fly. It's not impossible with this plane, but it sure as hell could have been easier and cheaper. Good luck!

BGR

Get a GWS Slow Stick, its about $35.00 for the plane. Its slow, stable and highly modifiable. There are allot of threads on all the RC discussion boards about this plane, read as many as you can. If you hurt it it's easy to fix, if you total it its $35.00 to replace the plane. It can haul up allot of weight with the right power system, I have seen videos shot from an onboard camera mounted to this plane.
You will need all the recomended equipment because for $35.00 you only get the plane and a motor.

Its kinda ugly, its kinda slow, it wont do exciting aerobatics, but it will get you started with rudder.elevator and throttle. When your sick of it you can move the power system, servos and receiver to a faster plane. Or maybe you will never get sick of it and use it for a lazy sunday afternoon flyer when you want to get away from the rush of those Unicorn wings your bound to want to try.