DD_Programmer

I was planning on building a trainer. I know I could get a RTF, but part of the fun it seems to me would be building your own. Here are my ideas of what to get. I just want to know if this setup is the best for me.

-Great Planes PT40 MKII trainer
-OS .46LA
-Hitec Laser 4 w/4 hs300 servos (i can buy this new for $85. Is that a good price?)

I am in the Lake Conroe area of Texas. I know there is a club in the area. My dad took me out there many years ago. We built a plane, had someone fly it, and was gonna teach us, but something was wrong with the plane. We took it home and fixed it, but never went back out there. I still can't remember why. It's sad really. I assume there may be members of that club on this forum. It was the Barnstormers I think.

Anyway, any help is appreciated.

bruce88123

Tower has the plane for $70 and you can download and review the build manual there to see if this is what you want. It would be a good plane IMO for you. Be sure to build it in the "trainer" version.
I am unfamiliar with Hitec but I checked the price and it would be good if NEW. I would not recommend buying used radios if that is what this is. Too many hidden possibilities although it may also be fine.
Engine choice is OK. Tower sells for $68
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXGGV7&P=ML

You may already have these prices or better ones. Just thought I would throw them in for you.
When I build I like to use Tite Bond II. A good quality wood glue, not a CA type. Takes longer to set/dry but gives more time to position parts properly. You also won't glue your hand to the plane. Some people are also very allergic to CA glues, use good ventilation if you go that way.

Check at your local hobby shop (LHS) for club info or at www.modelaircraft.org they have a club locator section that you can plug your zip code into and find clubs in your area.
You are right about there being a large number of people here from Greater Houston area. Even me, 17+ years ago.

Welcome to the hobby/sport and enjoy it with us.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

DD, the PT-40 is an excellent start, as it the Tower Trainer that Bruce mentioned.

The OS 46LA is OK, but if you can spare a few more bucks, a Thunder Tiger 46 Pro, or an Evolution 46 would be a much better choice as it will allow you to move up to better planes once your training is over.

PS, if you get the PT-40, build the "Sport" wing. The general consensus is that the Beginner's wing is far too basic and doesn't allow for anything beyond the basics.

bruce88123

What Tower trainer did I recommend MinnFlyer?
The price I quoted was for the plane he listed if purchased from Tower
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXJ557&P=ML

I'll concede the "sport" wing will be more agile. I was just repeating what the manual recommended.

DD_Programmer

Thanks for the input guys.

I will probably be building the "sport" wing version as I have heard you get bored with the trainers easily. I just got back from my LHS, and the guy there showed me a Hangar 9 P-51 PTS. If I would've survived the wife after coming home with that, I would have. Although, I think I was just excited about seeing that thing. I still want to build my own. There's just something about it. My plan is to start building, and get the engine and radio, etc as I need them. I don't know how long it will take me to build, and that way I can spread the cost out.

The radio says it's brand new, but if I do get that one, then if I need more than 4 channels, then I'd have to get a new radio. So I'll have to think about that. I'm not too concerned about the engine, although, the better one is only a little more. I figure I'd just buy a new one when I built my next plane.

About the radio: What would I need a 5th channel for? I can think of landing gear, but what else? And, do I need to be concerned about the frequency?

bruce88123

You could fly a long time on 4 channels but sometimes it is nice to have more capabilities. Many 6 channel radios offer function "mixing" that allows for flaperons, elevons and coupling one control to another to make automatic compensations. You won't need this in a trainer but one thing to look ahead to is using the same transmitter with more than one plane. This requires what is called "model memories" so that you can store plane set=ups and trim settings for each plane and select which plane you are going to fly from an on-board screen. You would only need to buy the airborne portion of the radios. The Futaba 6EAXS is an example of this and I BELIEVE the Focus optic 6 has these features but please verify this. All major brands of radios have radios with many features available. Your LHS will be happy to show you some of these. Just remember - they are all "used car salesmen" in disguise. Gosh I hope I'm wrong about that, I guess I'm just saying keep an open mind.

Extra channels for retracts, flaps, bomb drops, lights, smoke, brakes(big planes) or just about anything you can wish really.

onlyb

I have to agree about having an extra channel. I have a five channel transmitter, but have yet to use the 5th channel, but it's nice knowing it's there. As to which frequency to pick, I'd look at what frequencies are most used at the club, then pick something different. That way you won't have as much conflict with other members frequencies (less waiting for your turn).

carrellh

The Sig Kadet LT-40 kit is another plane you might consider. It costs 82.99 at Tower Hobbies
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFG11&P=0

The PT-40 is 69.99 but requires you to buy a bunch of parts that are included with the Sig kit

RCKen is currently doing a detailed build thread for the LT-40
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3439708/tm.htm

Since radio installation comes late in a build, hold off buying it as long as possible. Before spending any money, find the local club and speak to the instructors. Be sure you buy something compatible with the buddy box or transmitter you'll be using during training.

MikeEast

My Feedback: (3)

Barnstormers is a club that my friend Don Ramsey is a member of. Heres a link to the club website [link=http://www.tri-countybarnstormers.com/]Tri County Barnstormers[/link] or [link=http://members.cox.net/don.ramsey/]Dons Site.[/link]

ROBT4

I built both kits (sig and gp) and in my experience the gp is the better kit,both in the instructions and the way the plane is being built.After building the gp pt 40 i was very confident in knowing quite a bit about the sport of model planes.

Paladin049

DD, you are getting some great advice in my opinion. I have a couple of things to add...contact the club before you buy a radio and see what brand the majority of the members are using. The major brands - Futaba, Hitec, etc - are all excellent, and you'd have a hard time going wrong with any of them, but if you get what the folks who will be teaching you are used to, they should be able to assist you better. Also, see if the club has a trainer and make your first few flights on it while building the sport wing for your own plane. That way the first few are the most forgiving, and when you move to your airplane you'll be a lot smoother on the sticks and should be able to handle the more responsive, less forgiving wing.

DD_Programmer

I'll definately be building the pt. I liked that I could download the manual, and get a good idea of what I'll need for the build. From the advice here, I will hold off on the radio and such until I talk to some club members. I went to the site(thanks MikeEast), and it looks like one of the instructors is in my town. What do yall think the odds are of an instructor teaching me away from the club? I have access to about 70 acres of wide open pasture. I would only want to do that, because the club is about 30 mins from my house.

Oh, and thanks a bunch for all of the advice, yall remind me of the sport shooters(I'm an avid shooter). It seems like the two hobbies attract the same kind of people.

bruce88123

It's hard to tell what another person will do until you ask. If I was in your place, I would want to meet as many in the hobby as I could and learn as much as I could from all of them and participate in a group atmosphere. More fun. You can always fly at home some days once you have learned but join a club and enjoy the other people.
Isn't shooting more fun when with others? It always was for me.

Nebbie

My take on the radio is: buy the brand radio that the majority of the club instructors use. It will make it a lot easier for buddy box training. The brand will not make that much of a difference to you at this point.

For the club, even if it is a 30 min drive, join the club and learn to fly there. Part of this hobby is the social aspect, being around a bunch of like-minded people that will quickly become your friends. You can get a lot of advice (all kinds), tips, tricks, etc. Also, the instructor that lives in your town will probably go through some spells where they are very busy. Out at the club site, you can always try and grab another instructor, rather than waiting. Also, if you break a prop or have trouble tuning your engine, you can get help or borrow at the club site. It seems like I always end up having to borrow a screwdriver, or someone needs to borrow my glow igniter since theirs went dead.

Support your local club like you support your local hobby shop. You never know how long they will be around without your support!

DD_Programmer

I was planning on joining a club. I absolutely want to do that. I was just thinking about times when I couldn't make it to the field. I will support my local club and HS, but I may have to find another HS. The guy kinda rubbed me the wrong way when he told me the engine in one of the RTF trainers was $250 if you bought it seperate. Otherwise though, he was very nice and gave me alot of useful info.

TheParrot

DD, that 250 dollar engine is possible, depending on what kind of engine it is. Trust me I just paid 250 for an engine[sm=tongue.gif] But in a trainer, I would doubt it too.

DD_Programmer

Watch_ur_6, it was the evo .40 that's in the hangar9 p-51 pts. if it did cost 250, that would be great, because I would feel better about going back there.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

As long as you join the club, many instructors (Like myself) wouldn't mind teaching you in your backyard (Since it's close for BOTH of you) PROVIDING he agrees that it is a good place to fly (What looks good to you may have many problems to the veteran flier).

And if he thinks you have a good place to fly, build a nice runway and be prepared to host a few summer Fun-Fly's

If you build it, they will come

bruce88123

This is the "power system" that comes with the P-51.

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Shop/ByC...ProdID=EVOE100

I don't know what the LHS guy was thinking of. Maybe the radio system?

DD_Programmer

He was talking about the engine. I even said, "That engine is $250!". Oh well.

bruce88123

The entire plane is only $400.

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Shop/ByC...ProdID=HAN2825

What was he asking for it?

TheParrot

Thats ridiculous, If it were me I'd say "ok then give me the plane and radio for 150" walk over buy a 46 AX and be happy

DD_Programmer

he was asking the 399, the standard for it. I think he was trying to tell me what good of a deal it was. I imagine I'll be doing most of my buying online anyway, so I'll just go there if I need to get something quickly.

SoonerAce

My Feedback: (1)

Nothing wrong with supporting the lhs, as long as they are knowledgeable in the R/C aircraft aspect. Our LHS's are a mix, a cple have very knowleadgeble staff. Another is more into Cars. And of course there is the one that just wants to make the money. I prefer to work with the ones that are helpful, knowledgeable and want return business. (LT-40, 46AX)

Bidwin

My Feedback: (5)

DD,
Before you buy your radio gear check with the club you plan to join and ask if they have a frequency coordinator (FC), whose function is maintaining a list/file/database of the channels members use. He/she should recommend some lightly used channels, which may mean fewer channel conflicts and more flying time for you. My club's FC usually recommends the 5 least used channels. I took those recommendations to my LHS when I bought my radio and asked for a recommendation of the five, which I bought. I've been flying for about 1 1/2 years and I've never had a frequency conflict at the field.
Good luck,
Bidwin