pit91

I'm looking into a good first plane, Ive asked a few questions before about a good beginner plane and a few electric planes wer mentioned. but I'm not really ready to spend $200-300 bucks on a god elec. plan so I looked into some sail planes, they ar very cheap and seam like something that could be worked one easily.
My question is would a sail plane be a good option for someone who hasnt flown before?

da Rock

Yes a sailplane is an excellent way to get into RC flying. They're very easy to learn to fly. We used to teach guys to learn to fly in just a couple of sessions and found it better to teach them without using a buddy box.

Great beginner's airplanes. HOWEVER........

They are not (repeat NOT) the type model that you should expect to fly by yourself or without a couple of other flyers. You really do need to find some other sailplane flyers and link up with them. If for no other reason than that sailplane flying fields are quite a bit different than your average RC club field.

hogflyer

pit91,

Welcome to the world of RC and RCU. You'll soon find there is a wealth of information just waiting for questions to be asked to overwelm you with information.

First, what ever you do and just like full scale aviation, don't try to teach your self to fly - it'll only end in disaster. Seek out a club and instructor to teach you how to fly.

Yes, a sail plane can make an excellent trainer as it will fly very slowly. Also, depending where in Florida you live you'll find you can learn to thermal and spend many hours enjoying silent flight. I used to live in Port Orange, just south of Daytona Beach, and flew quite a bit at a development that was all but abandoned along with a private farm and spent may hours thermaling. Mornings and evenings where calm, and the thermals popped up midday to late afternoon.

You have to think about what your after - powered or silent flight. Powered flight is by far the most popular. I'd recommend you talk to your local hobby shop (LHS) to find out what clubs are in your area, and also join AMA. Your LHS should be able to guide you to a club, and may know of one that is a glider club, but they will be harder to find. While power will be more expensive, you'll have and easier time finding an instructor and can find out what type of trainer is prefered in you area. You can also talk to a club and see if anybody has a trainer up for sale which can save you some money. Also if you learn to fly power, you'll find it a piece of cake (no pun intended as there is a glider known as a Piece O' Cake) to learn to run a glider up a high start or winch.

As far as the cost is concerned, power flight will cost more to get into. But you will also be able to do more aerobatics that a glider can't do since it's unpowered. Don't worry too much about the cost right now, but do some homework and visit some clubs first. There are also a lot of clubs that have a trainer that you can get an introductory flight on, and possibly some instruction before you do get your own trainer.

As far as a trainer goes, I like the NextStar and it's available in an almost ready to fly with a .46 nitro engine, Futaba radio and a flight sim for the computer. Downside is it will run you about $400.00, plus you'll have to get a flight box and support equipment. Figure about $500.00 or so to get started with all new equipment. Sorry, I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but RC is not the cheapest hobby to get into. On the up side, you'll have the radio and engine for you follow-on planes and the expense will be quite a bit less. For electrics I really can't help you there as I don't fly them.

Hogflyer

BipesRule

I think that hogflyer has the right idea about getting into a hobby. The first time getting into any hobby is the worst because you have to buy all new stuff and get everything that you possibly need. Once you have the major things first then it isn't so bad getting other small things later on throughout the hobby. When I first started flying I didn't have a thing, but now I have a ton of things that you get and start collecting like scraps of covering, balsa wood from kits, and all those servo arms that come with each servo...got a ton of them. Once you get into it you really can just settly with what you got.

da Rock

Absolutely yes.

johnboyrc

I taught myself to fly with a Great Planes Spirit. Building it was hard for a first build but took my time and it turned out really nice.

Flying it is fairly simple, slow with lots of time to react and I had a nice big hay field to fly on so I didn't have to worry about landing close when starting out. The hardest thing was the launch using a high start. Launches weren't the prettiest to begin with but got much better.

Getting help with flying it to begin with, especially launching would have been worth quite a bit. Judging height and knowing when to set up for landing takes a few times to learn. Looking at something powered, like a GP Spectra, it would still be a good idea to have experienced help with getting up in the air.

I got a regular trainer a few seasons after, and it was an easy transition to powered flight.

carrellh

Our club recently got a new member. He has built and flown several sailplanes. He’s now learning powered flight using a Tower Hobbies Trainer 40. I asked him how the transition was going and he said it is more difficult than he expected because the powered plane is so much faster and more responsive than the sailplanes.

B.L.E.

Oops, double post[:@]

B.L.E.

I learned on a Gentle Lady which I also built. Find a big field, don't underestimate how big it needs to be. Gliders are the hardest planes to do a precise spot landing with because they just keep gliding and gliding and gliding. You think it's time to flare for a landing and it zooms 15 feet into the air instead then you dive back to a low altitude and it regains the speed it previously had that's too hot for landing.
The key to a good high start launch is to throw the plane level, not up. The first 10 ft or so of the launch accelerates the plane to flying speed and then it will rotate to the up direction automatically. All you need to do is keep the wings level with the rudder. A sharp dip at the top will help release the bungee cord.
As my skills grew, an experienced glider guider friend of mine would launch and land the plane for me at the dam on Lake Travis. With a southeast wind, you could fly on the lift there until you were tired of it or the reciever batteries were dead. Huge flocks of buzzards would show you where the lift was. It was an easy place to fly but it had a tiny landing zone.

One of the advantages of starting out with gliders is that you won't freak out when your powered plane's engine dies in mid air. You are now flying a glider and you already have the skills needed to deal with it.

Dennis H.

I Too, taught myself to fly with a Great Planes Spirit, The only club close to me was about 100 mile from me! Never crash her, That was in 1991, And I still have her today, Then I move to Texas, And wanted to fly power plane. A friend of mine at work, fly R/C too, So I went to his field, With my new 40 size trainer,{ Now is happen on the same day } I did great, So on the 3rd time out, Gray ask if I want to go up again, And said yes! Got the plane ready, And told Gray lets go, He told no, You are on your own! Boy O Boy, You talk about being scare, But I did it! Take off and lots of touch and go's, Some of the other flyers out there that day, didn't even know I was NEWBIE! Until Gray told them! Lol....
Dennis

B.L.E.

Dennis, I wouldn't exactly consider you a newbie. Gliders will teach you a lot of skills that a ballistic sport plane will never teach you. I have seen my share of people who can bore holes in the sky with their hot sport planes but become like "deer in the headlights" when they have a deadstick. I have seen one guy put his plane down in the woods when all he needed to do was make a single 90 degree turn to make the runway, he had plenty of altitude.

I would still have my first Gentle Lady but my wife spiraled it into the ground. I am really tempted to get another one. It's a whole different sport with its own set of skills.

Raad

al salam alaikum ,

hello all .. i too was wondering bout that , i saw a few nice gliders online .. and i would like to get some opinions on them .. can u please help me out ?

one is this 3 ch electric glider .. that is rudder and elevator + motor
(( http://cgi.ebay.com/1-6M-3Ch-WIND-Su...QQcmdZViewItem ))
second is also an electric glider ,4 ch (Elevator, Ailerons, Airbrakes, Throttle Functions)
(( http://cgi.ebay.com/4Ch-RC-EP-Fiberg...QQcmdZViewItem ))
last is this skyhawk..it has the looks and the price is tempting..the only thing i do not like about its a 3ch plane !
(( http://www.raidentech.com/3skyharereco.html ))


please let me know which one is best in your opinion and please let me know why .. i appreciate all your help .. thank you ....


p.s. i did look at the members list and i got no replies ..

Raad

Dennis H.

Hi B.L.E, Yes you are right, But want I didn't say, And I should, Is that It was 9 yrs scince I last pick up a radio control plane, Only flown my glider for 2 or 3 years, Then 9 yrs later when I pick up R/c again.

pit91, One thing, Do find help in flying if you can, Not everyone like me and some FEW And I mean FEW other, can teach them self to fly, You will have more fun, if you can get a teacher!
Good luck to you

Dennis

Dennis H.

Hi Raad, I have never flown any of the planes you post, And this is only my though, And someone may think diffrent, If you never flown R/C before, I would go with the one at Ebay, It look slower to fly, the other two look to be fast flyer, Elec. motor is good, It will get you up there, then shut the motor down, Then just glide around, when you get low to the ground, start the motor again, and up you go! But the main things is what do you want? And find a teacher to help you fly, Have fun and good luck.
Dennis

Raad

al salam alaikum ,

hi all , i did not get to make my choice over the three planes .. and i would like to add this plane to the choices .. the begin o air ,, i would like to know which is the best to be a trainer out of those four .. thank you dennis for ur reply .. i do think the ebay one is the best .. but still it doesnt have no rudder the...even though its my first choice..

thnk you

http://www.parkflyers.com/html/begin-air.html

Raad

Dennis H.

Hi Raad, Go to this site, and read about the Easy Star, great plane to learn with, I have one, fly very good, I even mount a small video camera on the Easy Star.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=459096

This is the video I did, with the Easy Star, it was my first time trying.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...672&pr=goog-sl

Dennis

Raad

al salam alaikum ..

Hi dennis , thank you again , i looked at the easy star .. and i did like it very much .. it was actully the first arial video i saw and got really pulled into buying an airplane... i searched and found the easy star , one thhing i did not like about it is that it is a foam plane .. it would be cool and light .. but still i could break it easy ith out flying it ..plus it is a 3 ch plane ..no alieron ..i am looking to get a plane with 4 ch so i would have full control , if u look at the last one begin air .. it looks like the easy star only it has a landing gear ..i think i should put this to a hold til i get to take a wider look at the market !

Thank you .. Raad

Raad

hi agaian . mr dennis that is a nice video . thanks alot ..