Groundman

I have been reading magazines and also threads about different planes and trainers and I have yet to read the difference between learning on an electric or nitro. I have a schumacher menace and love my nitro burning truck. Is thier an advantage in either trainers ?

extra260bum

The only difference is your preference. If you have a nitro powered truck you will already know the engine basics which would help, butyou'll find that airplane engines don't require the maintenence and constant tuning that a surface engine has, and due to the much lower RPM's they last alot longer too. But as I said in the end it doesn't really matter, it just depends on you.

Groundman

What would you say is a better trainer ?

--Hanger 9 Alpha 60

--Thunder tiger pegasus

PipeMajor

My Feedback: (1)

I don't own one but electrics seem a bit more complicated than a glow engine. I have to admit, the electrics I've seen fly are quite impressive though.

rc-plane

H9 alpha

psullivan

If you have experience with nitro then I highly reccomend buying the Alpha 60, E-planes are alot more expencive, and they dont have the gas-n-go but you must wait for batterys and stuff. E-planes are better for flying around your house, if youre going our to a field anyway, you prob dont want to have to wait on batterys...

Just my $.02

GerKonig

I always have a trainer handy. Having flown RC for about 30 years, many times it is fun to relax or teach somebody:-) Currently my trainer is a telemaster, the electric ARF. It is very complete. If you buy the power pack they recommend, the thing even has the blind nuts installed for the Axi. It is lighter then the gas version ready to fly, and it flys like a home sick angel. Before that I had a Hangar 9 ARF 40 size trainer. The Telemarter is really great in windy days, and yes, in a breezy day it does fly backwards!
I really like this one more than the nitro version. No mess, no fuss, pure bliss. No carburator, fine tuning etc. For a beginner I think this is a point in favor. BUT, there is the "dark side" and that is price (the force be with you). Nitro still is cheaper:-) Check it out at Hobby Lobby, mine is the red one (about 72"). (hobby-lobby.com). I think I paid (for the kit) like $140 at last year's Wram show...
If I would buy the same plane again I would buy the 4 in series, 4000 battery (not the 3 in series they recommended).

The Alpha 60 is also a good choice, if you go the nitro way. Bigger is always better. The telemaster is my smallest plane. Not true, scratch that, I have a Wingo I did not fly for over a year, the Wingo is up there with the easiest things you can fly:-) Last year I fried the controller when I replaced the old battery by a LiPo, I'll fix it for the spring season.

Good luck

Gerry

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

You should go to where your interests lead you. Neither is better than the other. Electric will be cleaner, more complicated (there's a lot to learn when putting together a power system!), and much more expensive as an initial investment (for an equivalent airplane). Glow will give off a nice smell, nice noise, and be messy to clean up. Tuning the engines requires some skill, but it sounds as though you already have that. You'll also find more folks at a club who are familiar with it.

B.L.E.

Glow engines are definitely a lower cost investment. You can always move up to electrics later.

Electrics complicated??? Let's see. No fuel tank/fuel tank plumbing to worry about. No throttle servo linkage to route to the engine. No throttle servo endpoint adjustments to make. Nothing needs to be fuel proofed. No reciever battery that you need to remember to charge if you use a battery eliminator. They always start.
I go to the field with three charged batterys and usually have one flying or ready to fly, one cooling off, and one on the charger. I seldom find myself having to wait for a battery to finish charging. I actually find myself flying more because I never waste an hour or so trying to figure out why a glow engine isn't running right. And the only deadstick landings are the ones I do on purpose.
They aren't complicated but choosing a combo that works well can be confusing to someone who is used to glow planes.

rc-plane

I dont have that many problems getting my motor to run. And all the servo stuff is just part of the build. Once you get it right then ur good most of the time unless something happens.

I dont have an electric (kinda wanted one to fly around the house) but its going to be your decision. There is + & - to both. IMO nitro is better and i like it better but its your money

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

Hi Groundman, glad to hear that RC flying is starting to grab your interest.

The TT Pegasus is a great value, but the Alpha .60 RTF is simply a larger, nicer airplane with a more powerful engine. Thunder Tiger offers the Tiger Trainer .60 Super Combo, which is very similar to the Alpha .60 RTF, although again at a substantial cost savings at eHobbies.com:

http://www.ehobbies.com/ttr4503-f12.html

The Tiger Trainer .60 Super Combo includes the Thunder Tiger GP-61 glow engine pre-installed with glow plug, propeller, and spinner. Also included is a very high quality Airtronics VG400 radio system with receiver and servos pre-installed.

At $279.99, eHobbies is selling the Tiger Trainer .60 super combo for a full $110.00 less than the Hangar 9 Alpha .60 RTF package (they carry both). As an added bonus, if you join the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) right now, you can get a free Airtronics buddy box to use the included Airtronics radio system, all you'd pay is the $7.95 for shipping and handling:

http://www.modelaircraft.org/promos/1/default.aspx

The JR buddy box could be used with the radio included with the Alpha .60 RTF trainer, if you decided to go with that package instead.

There are plenty of good Ready-to-Fly trainer packages on the market, the Thunder Tiger super combos available from eHobbies.com simply represent the best value right now. Hangar 9 and Hobbico offer some terrific RTF packages; and the Tower Hobbies Tower Trainer .40 MkII RTF combo is a really good value as well.

If electric flight interests you more than glow power, there are a couple of very good options for a primary trainer. You will want to check out the Hobbico Electristar Select RTF:

http://www.hobbico.com/airplanes/hcaa12.html

The Electristar is available in the $299 to $349 price range, and is a Ready-to-Fly electric trainer with a brushless power system that's not quite ready-to-fly. It's very complete, and comes with a nice Futaba 4-channel computer radio. You will still have to buy a pair of 3000Mah batteries and an appropriate charger before you can fly the plane.

If you want to design your own power system, Thunder Tiger is offering the Tiger Trainer OBL:

http://www.thundertiger4u.com/thunde...f729cd199632e8

The Tiger Trainer OBL sports a generous 70" wingspan and is the only trainer ARF (almost-ready-to-fly) that can be outfitted with either glow power or electric power right out of the box. You can buy the TT Tiger Trainer OBL along with any radio you want, and then add any glow engine or electric power system that you'd like. The recommended factory power system is listed with the airframe details.

There are a lot of great choices for either electric or glow power for your first trainer aircraft. The Thunder Tiger Pegasus SC and Hangar 9 Alpha 60 RTF packages are two great places to start. Feel free to ask any additional questions that may pop up here in your thread.

Good luck and good shopping!

Groundman

I would like to thank all of yall that took the time to offer me your advice and opinions. I am a fan of the thunder tiger engine and also the hanger 9 brand. My menace 21 from shumacher has the thunder tiger.21 and also the airtronics radio. My brother has the Hanger-9 P-51 mustang and i am as well impressed with thier products as well. It will be a tough decision. The Thunder Tiger .60 is looking very tempting.

D-LOCO

I think when you're talking about 40 and 60 size planes (and larger), the electrics get expensive; especially the batteries.

Of course there are advantages going electric but I LOVE the smell of nitro and I like the sound of an engine and, of course, the smoke trail

If you're used to/familiar with glow power, then that's what I'd recommend.

Dave
AMA 847123

twigster

My Feedback: (8)

GO FOR GLOW! you get cool smoke, the cool sounds,, and the sweet sweet smell of nitro!

electic is cool, only cause you don't have to wipe off your plane afterwards...

Hanger 9 Arrow-- best first plane of all time... can be set up to fly like a kitty cat, but is
Semi-semetrical, so it can do some aerobatics, once you get used to flying.

whatever you buy, GET HELP FROM SOMEONE! don't just crash em like i did!

B.L.E.

Yes, the batteries are pretty high. A 4500 mAH 6s lipo typically used in a .60 equivilent power system costs about $280 each. I figure that if they last about 300 cycles, it will cost a little less than a buck per flight to fly this plane. That's about the same price as 8 ounces of glow fuel.
I was originally going to make my present plane glow powered but then remembered just how many planes I ended up retiring not because I crashed them but because they eventually got so oil soaked that they became unairworthy. It doesn't seem to matter how carefully you fuel proof them or what exhaust extensions you use, eventually, the oil finds the balsa under the covering. I have had fuel tanks leak inside the fusilage soaking not only the airframe but also the radio gear. Servos also last longer because they don't get vibrated to death.
And finally, my clothes don't stink from castor oil smoke after a day at the field.

Fastsky

Most of my 3d and up type planes all have sideways mounted engines which means that the exhaust exits out the bottom of the plane. It usually means little if any clean is required.[8D]

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Groundman: Like most people before the real electric craze started, I did glow. I still mostly do glow because that's what I am used to. But, I have several electrics, both foamie/flattie, and balsa construction. I tried several different types because I was interested in seeing what was out there and what I may like to fly, given different weather/indoor-outdoor situations. I have not flown indoors yet, but plan to with th new 'Bug' that I picked up at the WRAM show.

Now, as far as I am concerned, I prefer the glow because you do not have to deal with throttle management as much as you do with electrics. If I want to burn up the sky (and fuel), I can leave it at full throttle and just go for it (although I never do that... but I can). With electrics, of course, the harder you fly them, the faster the battery runs down and the shorter the flight duration is. And, you chance on burning up the motor/ESC/battery if flying that way.

Added to that, most electrics are limited in range. You have to put in a standard RX to get the range of the standard RC Glow plane but at a cost of weight. Weight becomes real critical with electrics. Of course, it's a point of interest in all RC aircraft, but moreso with the electrics. More weight means more watts consumed, and with already limited battery duration, that means shorter flights and more potential for damage to the motor/esc/battery.

With that said, I do enjoy flying my electrics. They are quieter, can be as fast, but usually slower (which can be a good thing.. and, as someone said, cleaner.

And, as Flatsky said, I do have one plane, my favorite glow, Venus II with an OS 1.20AX that is mounted on an angle that puts the exhaust right out the bottom, and with an exhaust deflector, keeps the oil residue away from the fuselage and wing bottom.. minimal clean up is required.

It comes down to a matter of personal choice (to me, anyway) but I would put the glows in a slight advantage because of the variety and range of choices of flying types that are available.

DS.

Groundman

The more i read all of the threads in the beginners section, i am seeing more and more hanger-9 trainer planes being purchased.

Dave trimmer

learn on nitro then learn about electrics, you can always change engines.

B.L.E.

Another thing about the "high cost" of electrics. The 4.5 amp-hour 6 cell battery packs I own to fly my .60 equivilent electric were a pretty big investment. But, I can build a second .60 electric or a whole fleet of them and use those same batteries in them too. Just take any of the fleet and fly it, even the one that hasn't been flown in a year or two. The throttle won't be glued shut by dried castor oil, with a battery eliminator you don't have to worry if the reciever battery is charged or still good.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

Hangar 9 offers the most variety of glow trainers on the market, and their new unconvential trainers are drawing a lot of attention. The Mustang P-51 PTS and the Raptor F22 PTS have created a lot of buzz because new pilots like the exciting warbird styling. Packaging them with flight sim CDs and computer radios doesn't hurt, either.

That having been said, I have previously stated that I believe the Hangar 9 Alpha 60 RTF is the finest overall RTF trainer package sold today. It is a large stable airframe that is easy to see. It has a high quality .61 ball-bearing engine. It comes with a very high quality basic sport radio.

The second best overall RTF trainer package sold today, in my opinion, is the Thunder Tiger Tiger Trainer .60 super combo. Like the Alpha .60, the Tiger Trainer .60 is a large stable airframe that is easy to see. It also comes with a very high quality basic sport radio.

The only knock of the Tiger Trainer .60 super combo versus the Alpha .60 RTF is when comparing the engines. The Thunder Tiger GP-61 is a high quality, powerful bushed engine. It's a perfect match for the Tiger Trainer .60, but may not perform as well as a ball-bearing engine if used later for a very high performance sport plane or 3D flying.

The TT GP-61 engine is a very good engine for trainers and sport planes. If you wanted to use the engine from your Tiger Trainer .60 in a Goldberg Tiger .60 or Sig Four Star .60 after you finished training, you'd find it to be a perfect match. The GP-61 would also power most any .60-sized "Stik" variation with plenty of authority.

The overall quality of the two engines is very close, and the overall quality of the airframes, hardware, and radio systems is virtually identical. The $110 price difference between the two, on the other hand, is enormous. At $279.99, the Tiger Trainer .60 Super Combo is actually less expensive than a lot of the .40-sized RTF trainer packages out there.

Lastly, you mentioned that it seemed like everybody was buying Hangar 9 trainers. Earning style points is probably the least important aspect of selecting your trainer, although it certainly hasn't hurt P-51 PTS or F22 PTS sales. I wouldn't like flying an airframe where 10 other guys at the field are flying the same thing. I just think it's fun to have a more distinctive airframe and not flying what everyone else has.

chashint

Well it sure is hard to beat that RTF package price.
Alpha 60 RTF $390 (Quantum Models has free shipping on orders of $125)

I still think picking the individual pieces is the better way to go and ultimately it will save money but the initial outlay will be a bit higher.

If I was picking out a 60 size trainer setup with an eye to the future I would do this.
Prices for Tower include $20 off $125 discount code and assume free shipping via Super Saver membership, each piece is a separate order to maximize the discount.
Magnum 91 four stroke ( Tower $149.99)
Hitec Optic 6 with 8 ch RX and 4 BB servos batteries and charger (Tower $189.99)
Tower Trainer 60 and 2 Master Airscrew 14x6 S-2 G/F Nylon Gray Propellers (Tower $109)
Total of individual pieces $449