mpw_8679

Hey guys, Just wondering why the aircore planes arent being recommended to beginners. They are cheap, easy to build, and take abuse. I know they are heavy, and not very good to look at but they fly pretty good and can handle a stiff breeze. I'm flying a colt with an OS 70 Surpass and it is a blast to fly. I've wrecked it a few times with no damage. Just wondering why more people arent learning to fly with these planes. Thanks.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

They're heavy and they don't fly as well as lighter-weight balsa and covering airframes.

The best trainers are planes that fly well rather than planes that crash well.

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

Nice. I like that

Nathan King

True! Never build an airplane to crash; build an airplane to fly.

mpw_8679

Just cause they crash well doesnt mean they fly like crap. When I was a beginner I was very intimidated about crashing and having the aircore really helped. Anything can happen and its nice knowing that u have a plane that can take a mistake or two. Nothing is worse then a beginner crashing his fragile wood trainer cause he made a little mistake. Honestly having a trainer that flew a little faster like the aircore, and knowing that if I crashed it I wouldnt have a pile of fire wood really sped up my learning curve.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

I never said aircore planes fly like crap. They're simply heavier than most comparably-sized balsa ARFs and heavier doesn't fly as well.

Balsa trainers aren't nearly as fragile as most people imagine, either. I've seen plenty of cartwheeled take-offs and bad landings with balsa trainers that ended up none the worse for wear and tear.

For the crash-phobic, aircore planes and SPADs are a terrific option. They're also nice to keep in your hangar when you just HAVE to go flying but the wind has been blowing at 30 mph all week.

You don't have to apologize for liking aircore planes; but the trainers that are recommended most are usually the ones with the lightest wing loading.

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

Were you able to save that thing, or was that the end of you Tower Trainer?

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

It's out in the garage. It's quite repairable. I was flying on a very gusty day last November and was about ten feet above the runway just a click or two above idle and landing when a huge gust of wind caught the wing, flipped the plane straight up, and then slammed it upside down and backward onto the runway.

bingo field

It is cool to see what you can put back together from a crash. My son in law planted one of my Alpha 40's, and at first I thought all I would do is mount the tail feathers to a small plaque and give him a lawn dart award. About 2 weeks worth of rain kept me indoors and I had run out of things to do, this Alpha went back together in about 5 hours of glueing and making repair parts from scrap balsa pieces. It is now one of my best fliers, and probably cost about $5 to repair.

masonman

Aircores do fly like crap.Just like a brick............Hate to say it but its true. Way to heavy. When you put a big enough engine on it to have the power to get a newby out of trouble, then it weighs that much more. No one just starting needs to try an land a trainer that lands like a Little toni!!!

If your afraid to break something, well your in the wrong hobby. There are going to be days that breaking things is all you do. Then you fix it an go on.

Get a non-crashable trainer an never learn how to fix anything. That leads to buying lots an lots of Arf's

Tinkering is almost as fun as flying these things..............My 2 coins

claflin75

I bought an Aircore 40 several years ago to fly out in the oil field when I'm out on job sites. It does well flying off of rough oil field roads and old well locations. It's nice not having to worry about repairs if you flip it on a rock on take off or landing. Mine flies pretty well with a Tower Hobbies .46 and it handles the West Texas wind pretty well too. It's one of my favorite planes I have, all the rest of which are balsa that I've built myself and I plan on teaching my step son to fly with it when he's ready. I'm thinking about buying a Colt to try out. I wish they still produced the little bipe.

bkdavy

My Feedback: (1)

I personally learned on a Spad Debonair, the inspiration I believe for the Aircore planes. The problem with the Aircore planes is that many beginners today want to jump right into the scale looking planes. Its hard to convince people to learn to fly first, then worry about the appearance of the plane for your second. They don't realize that once you start, there will be a second, third, fourth......

Brad

Stick 40

Hi,
I learned to fly using a Balsa USA Stick 40 and trained others with it, I agree with the point that built balsa planes make a better trainer than the AirCores . BUT the best person I have trained and quickest to learn had a AirCore high wing trainer, He built it as well as anyone could and it flew well enough. After that I bought a AirCore plane for the fun of it, guess what I had a mid air with a balsa plane and my air core droped to the ground while the balsa plane flew on to land.

YUKONFLYR

If you are learning with a competent instructor with a buddy cord, there is no way he is going to let you crash. So with that in mind, get the best trainer out there and that is the best flying one with the lightest wing loading.

If you are learning by trial and error, have no instructor, or are not near others that can help, you are going to have to self learn and that will mean that your plane will more than likely meet the largest object that it can not avoid............ mother earth, probably more than a few times. If that is the case either get more ARF trainers, cheap ones or get something that will take the abuse and ask for more, for the self learned the aircore is like money in the bank

bassfisher

My Feedback: (21)

I think that the biggest thing about the Aircore is the different construction methods and the fact that it is a plastic fluted cardboard. Not too many hobby shops stock that. Yes, they are heavy, but they can take a lot of abuse. I've flown them and built them. Once they are trimmed out, they fly no different from anyhting else. The AirCore trainer needs a good .46 to fly well. I traded a Aircore Colt to a friend of mine, but he has not put it together yet. Maybe I'll get it back and get it flying.

FantzyPantz

Check the SPAD forum - You'll see several different planes and free plans for planes made from coropalst (the same stuff as Aircore) and they fly very well to beat, you can build very heavy but if built lightly, they don't weigh any more than their balsa cousins.

Afraid of crashing? Fly Spad. I fly both Spad and Balsa.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/forumid_178/tt.htm
www.spadworld.net
www.spadtothebone.org

jimgee1

My Feedback: (3)

MPW, Don't expect to learn to fly with your first trainer.. All you can learn without expert help is how not to crash.. You learn how not to crash by crashing!! By learning what you did wrong and correcting! Your first trainer shoud be more crash-worthy than air-worthy.. Aircore and spad are the way to go.. When you've learned how not to crash get an ARF trainer and LEARN TO FLY! Your pocket-book will thank you..

Jim Gallagher
jimgee1

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

A few years ago I had a student who learned on a AirCore trainer. The engine was a .40 FP with an airbleed carburetor. Had to drill out the airbleed hole one drill number to get it to idle reliably.

The plane was heavy and under powered, and that taught the student some good habits. Had to fly on the wing, make long takeoff runs. I thought it was a perfectly adequate plane for instruction.

Best wishes,
Dave Olson

OzMo

My Feedback: (3)

As a frequent instructor I enjoy teaching students with spad Debonairs and Spadets. I made a Swizzle stick fuse and a full span airfoil spadet wing (foil out to where the tips usually go). this thing flys slow and smooth perfect for training. Low wing loading lets the plain fly WELL at lower airspeed . very important for landing.

coda5351

Hello RCU! I recently re-found the forum and been doing lots of reading lately.

I learned to fly solo with the US AirCore colt 6 years ago. I love that plane so much. It tought me good habits like Scar mentioned. Flying on the wing. Make longer takeoff runs and not trying to jump into the air. Use throttle to control altitude and elevator for attitude. When I finally joined a club I could slow it down just as well as any of the balsa trainers. I flew that plane so long the rubber cement used to bond the coroplast together started to come undone.

With an instructor it would be just fine to learn with. [sm=thumbup.gif]

k9cc

Exactly my sentiments. I am finally getting proficient, and I did it with the AirCore Trainer. I am now transitioning to the Sig Senior ARF, but using the AirCore trainer to learn to handle the wind. I recommend the AirCore trainer.

jdbowmananalex

I got a lucky break and won an eBay auction for a NIB AirCore Knighthawk. Even though these kits are 10 years old I'm optimistic it'll be the reliable trainer I remember reading about years ago. After reading the building instructions the build-out looks easy enough; it's been a long time since I built control-line planes in Junior High. The under powered comments I've read are plentiful & I hope to overcome this obstacle with a new Saito 56. Wish me Luck!