ealvarez805

so i get the idea that i shouldn't start with a jet. Can I start with a warbird, maybe a f4u corsair or any other warbird. 3 ch. Piper Cub? I also would like to get a RTF kit. let me know

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

if you want to start with a warbird then the Hangar-9 Mustang PTS is a start, it gets good and bad reviews but will get you going in the warbird direction if thats where you want to head it also is available in a ARF Almost Ready TO Fly, where you can chose your endine and radio that your club members recomend, or the RTF ready to fly version that has engine,and radio provided.

for a less expensive plane there is also the parkzone line of warbirds, there light weight and don't handle much wind, and are not really beginner planes, the ones I have seen fly well though.
one thing to consider when chosing any plane is how much help your going to get and where your going to fly, is it windy or sheltered, and do you have a instructor to get you started, this is a important factor when chosing any plane.

I happen to be born in Ventura, and grew up there, and the only official flying area at that time was lake casitas, unless you flew in one of the unincorporated areas,out in the orchard areas, where we flew mostly,that was 30 yrs ago.
last time I was through there the place we flew at was full of condos and a shopping mall.

after having flown for several years in my teens, and stopping for over 20yrs, I started again with a Nextar trainer, I wanted to fly warbirds as well but knew I needed to get the basics down before advancing to more difficult planes.
I am a bit of a warbird nut, and focus on WWII planes,always liked the fighters, but it still took a couple of years to get to that level of proficency to handle a fast sensitive plane.

bottom line is get the basics down, with a trainer, and the advanced planes will come along in due time, best to work through the progression to build your skill set with a clasic trainer, like a tower trainer or a Nextar, or if you have alot of help handy, a Mustang PTS like plane.

Sandmann_AU

Sure... start with a warbird, or even a jet. We love seeing newbies do that where I fly - it's always good for a laugh, unless you fly it into someone's car or their face. It's twice as funny if you fly it into your own face though. Hope you've got a big wallet or you won't be flying long.

Seriously, the hobby shops don't sell stacks of trainers because RC is easy to fly at the top levels - they sell them because even trainers are really easy to completely demolish in seconds for a newbie. We've even had qualified pilots of full sized planes turn up with a new ARF and claim "I'm a pilot, I don't need lessons!" only to total their shiny new plane in seconds - flying from a third person perspective is a lot different to doing it from inside the cockpit.

If you really want to start with the harder planes, at least do yourself a favour and buy something you can't break first - an RC simulator like RealFlight. These things comes with a PC controller that's set up pretty much exactly like the radio you'll use on a real plane, but when (not if) you crash the plane you just press the spacebar to get a new one. Oh and remember, as much as the authors of these sims will go on about how accurate they are, they're not. Sims are always easier to fly than real models and if you can't do a manoeuvre on a sim you definitely can't do it for real.

If you want it to be a lasting hobby, get yourself a good high wing trainer, a decent 2.4ghz radio with at least 6 channels (I like the spektrum DX7 but get what appeals to you most), and a good .40 or .60 size engine, take some lessons, and get lots of simulator time in. While you're "getting your thumbs in", buy a builder's kit of whatever warbird you want to fly and by the time you've finished building it you might be almost ready to fly it, and you'll have learned a lot about what makes these things tick.

LuftwaffeOberst

Why is it that every new guy wants a warbird or jet to start on? If you think your that good go right ahead! My Club Sandmann, won't let a newbie fly without a buddy box for safety reasons. The PTS Mustang isn't the best first plane either. I know... I had one that was my second plane. JMHO

jetmech05

The Mustang PTS is a trainer but its not a good Mustang or a good trainer....but if you must then do these things before you take to the skies....
do not skip step one or the other steps mean nothing

1. get an instructor...do not fly without the instructor..until the instructor says you can
2. get rid of the 3 blade prop that comes with the PTS...get a new spinner and 2, APC 11x7 props..make sure the spinner fits over the APC props.
3. dispite what the instructions say lock the flaps in the up position and leave them there for now...you're gonna be busy enough without worring about flaps
4. get a tube of 5 minute epoxy, .remove the main gear, with the airplane up side down take a toothpick and put a fair amount of epoxy in the hole the gear came from...now put epoxy on the gear where it slides in the wing, reinsert the gear...do this one side at a time as you don't want the epoxy to harden before you get the gear back inside....clean any excess epoxy off with alcohol...

or you can learn to walk before you run and get a good high wing trainer.....
this is a great hobby, but it's better on your wallet and your ego to enter this hobby in steps

Sandmann_AU

hehehe neither do we actually, but the imagery was too good to pass up. The by-laws at our club state that an unqualified flyer may fly so long as he is "under the supervision of a qualified member". Technically you could say that it's ok for me to just go out and tell someone what to do and let them go for it, but I don't think any member with any sense would take that responsibility on - I know I certainly wouldn't.

Having said that, my second plane was a Spitfire... take a guess how long that one lasted.

manks

What you have to realize is the more a model looks like a real plane, the harder it is to fly.

Warbirds, are the sports cars of airplanes, fast and manuverable but with that comes increased difficulty to fly, you have to know what you are doing with a Warbird, they are usually 3rd planes.

Now there is the Mustang PTS, and the F-22 PTS which are marketed as "Progressive Trainers" but I think most would tell you they are not the best trainers out there. If you want to go to a Warbird right off the bat, go to the Mustang, that would be my suggestion.

BTW - As much as I love Corsairs (and have one) they are generally considered the most difficult to fly of all the Warbirds, you will not last more than a few seconds in the air if you tried to fly even the most basic Corsair.

draftman1

Lay off the warbirds untill you have soloed for a while, in a trainer. you have been given excellent advise on what to and NOT what to fly. a wise person would follow it. you will save a ton of money and frustration.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Personally, I like the Mustang PTS. I have successfully taught several people to fly with it.

Is it the best trainer? No. But it has many advantages over more typical trainers, such as:

1 - It has the ability of going from trainer to Advanced Trainer

2 - Comes with a simulator.

3 - And it has much better looks than a typical trainer, which is often important to the owner.

Many of us veteran fliers are stuck in the mindset of "looks don't mean squat - you need to start with a trainer", But looking at it from the student's point of view, looks mean a lot.

Plus, personally, I prefer to train students with an intermediate airplane. They are far easier to control than a basic trainer because you don't have to fight the self-correcting tendencies and as long as you're on a buddy box, there is little chance of crashing.

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

I keep a trainer on hand for instruction, and I prefer to use it for the student's first flights. After a ten minute flight, using a buddy box, the student is able to tell if he wants a stable training plane or an unstable aerobatic plane. Universally, that safe first exposure to the controls is a good idea.

You may find someone who will provide the same. Or, you can make the same discoveries using a computer RC flight simulator. I guarantee you will find at least some surprises in the process.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

ChuckW

Because they are cool. It's that goegeous warbird, jet or high performance aerobatic plane that gets so many hooked on the idea of RC flying. Problem is, people have no idea how difficult flying is let alone, a high performance plane like that. The uninitiated tend to see RC planes as just toys, not the miniature, real aircraft that they actually are.

When a friend or newcomer is about to make this mistake I remind them that student full scale pilots don't learn in a priceless P-51, billion dollar F-22, or full scale Edge-540 either.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Yes, that's why it always bugs the hell out of me when you see people on TV flying planes.

I particularly remember an episode of "Home Improvement" where the wife mentioned something about their son's "Toy Helicopter" and the next thing you know, Tim was flying it to chase a bird away or some such nonsense.

Things like that give the uninitiated person the belief that anyone can pick up a transmitter and start flying advanced models when in reality, they would total a trainer in 3 seconds without proper instruction.

phlpsfrnk

Satisfy your warbird urge but maintain sanity:

1. Find a good trainer type plane.
2. Paint or recover with olive drab, add invasion stripes and stars and bars.
3. Find your local club/instructor.
4. Have fun.

flaminheli

Just pick out one of these and have fun. If you put it in the dirt then you really haven't lost much. They have the RTF F4 on sale today only $149.00
[link]http://www.nitroplanes.com/[/link]

carrellh

Thake a look at the Hobbyzone Super Cub
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=HBZ7100
$159.99 ready to fly.

Once you've learned to fly it, and if you want to stick with electric models, maybe something like the Parkzone T-28
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=PKZ4400
They also have a Corsair that could probably be a good plane number 3
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=PKZ4600

mydartswinger

First off, the Mustang PTS is no longer offered as an ARF (you'd be lucky to find one still NIB). It's now offered only in an RTF format with a Spektrum DX6i (instead of the JR SX600 that it used to come with), and no longer includes a simulator. They've made some other changes, the most noticeable is the change in trim scheme and the way the wing mounts.

Secondly, the Mustang PTS is a decent option as a trainer for THE RIGHT STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR. This means that the instructor must be open to it and the student should have at least a few hours of sim practice under their belt and/or previous RC flight experience. It can grow with you as well, meaning that you can take off the training aids as you progress. By the time you have removed all of the training aids, you will have a decent sport plane.

There are better trainers out there. If you have someone willing to help you (local club, friend that flies, etc...), discuss your options with them, get a sim first, and make an educated decision.

If you think a warbird/jet/good looking plane is the only way you want to go, don't give up hope. Even if you start on a traditional trainer (there is nothing wrong with this either), you could possibly (depending on how short your learning curve is) be flying a sport scale warbird within a year of starting.

Whatever you choose, enjoy it.

Spacemonkey71

I'm the last person to tell you to fly a warbird. They are AWESOME planes, but let me tell you from 1st hand experience - they are a HANDFUL!!!!! If you've REALLY got to try a warbird as your first plane, at least make it a plane that's fairly easy to repair, because you WILL do alot of it! Trust me!!!! I could recomment the Parkzone Corsair - it an RTF with a Spektrum DX5e controller. It's a pretty decent plane, but be forewarned, you WILL dirt dive ALOT! THankfully, they designed it with a breakaway motor mount so when you go "lawn dart" you can replace the mount for $3.35. Go ahead and order about 10 of them (and maybe a cowl or 2). I'm not saying you'll fly it well, the fact of the matter is, you're going to pound it into the ground like nobody's business.... BUT if you stck with it, you'll eventually get the hang of it. Plus, because it's edf foam (a tough kind of styrefoam) you can glue it back together fairly easy. This is really NOT a beginner plane, but if you're dead set on warbirds, this is probably your best bet.

When I got started I was DEAD SET on flying a P40 Warhawk.... Thankfully, smarter heads than mine prevailed and I decided that this really was an advanced plane. It all has to do with wing loading - a trainer has a wing loading of 7-12 lbs/in; a "sport plane" has a wing loading of around 13-18, and warbirds have a loading of 21+. As a "general" rule of thumb, the higher the wing loading, the tougher it is to fly. (especially landing!!!)

I still want that P40. It's kind of my "dream plane"and I've loved them since I was 6 years old. I WILL fly one one day, but I now know enough to know that I just don't have the skills to keep one in the air without bringing it down in a shattered mess. Stick with the hobby and in a year or less, you'll be hotdogging with the badboys of the airforce. It's admirable that you WANT to fly these planes and I wish you all the luck in the world. But you have to crawl before you can walk and when you do "walk" you'll have a BLAST !!!!!!!!!!

Keep up the good work and don't let your dream of flying the warbirds die!!!!!!! I sure haven't and I can't wait until I crank my P40 for takeoff. It's going to be the happyest day of my life., Good Luck, buddy!!!! It's worth it in the end, just don't get ahead of yourself. You'll just wind up wasting money, time, and getting really frustrated. Do it right and you'll reap the rewards.

From one Warbird enthusiast to another - keep the faith!

LuftwaffeOberst

Ok... this is the best way to explain it all. A friend of mine gave me this video of a guy at his club who thought he was ready for a Warbird for his SECOND plane. He was bored of his trainer and wanted to skip a few steps in his learning development. This is what happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcHBQgYeYhk

The plane was a KMP Hurricane. Not cheap! My friend told me he hasn't been around the field for some time after that... I guess he quit. So you can find what you want in these threads to justify in your mind that you can handle a warbird and go buy one. There's a good chance you might not be in this hobby for long. A good number of us seen people come and go... we like to save you some money and heart ache so you will grow and get better and stay with us.

In time you'll be ready to fly sexy planes... just now isn't the time.


You are an Evil man![>:] LOL If you got your Spit in the air and kept it there for a while... then you did well. It's those hot landings and tricky take offs that tend to be a b*tch in most warbirds.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

That video, along with your "Story Behind It" says it all.

Sandmann_AU

Funny, my ex-wife used to call me that too.

Yep - that video looks pretty familiar, and the 'cane even looks a lot like my Spit'. I actually managed to get mine off the ground first flight, but only because it was massively over-powered (1.20 4 stroke w/ 3 bladed prop in a .60 sized arf). Of course I nosed over 4 times before I got it to the runway, broke the tip off the rudder, glued it back on and carried it to the runway. Hit the throttle and the plane traveled 2 feet before shooting straight up. I spent the next 5 minutes trying to trim the massive torque roll out of it, then it ran out of fuel (.60 sized tank running a 1.20), brought it in hot for a dead-stick landing and ripped the retracts out of the thing. I bought new retracts and spent days rebuilding the wing only to have a more or less carbon copy of its' first flight. The Spit's now hanging from a 5 year old's bedroom ceiling as an un-flyable ornament.

It's a great way of learning a bit of humility - I went back to my .60 sized trainer for another 6 months after that and only graduated to a Harmon Rocket III after I'd had to oversize the prop and put separate aileron servos on to keep up with my developing skills. I could never quite manage to get that high-winged, underpowered, big dihedralled trainer to hold a knife edge. I ended up putting a pair of .40's in the wings of that trainer (its single .60 had long since been transplanted into the Rocket III), complete with home-made nacelles constructed from hardware store plywood and an oversized rudder. It made two very nice laps of the airfield before I decided to see what twiddling the rudder would do - which turned out to be ripping the entire vertical stab out of the plane and hurling it ground-wards. Oh well - it was a learning exercise, and an excuse to buy a Seagull Dual Ace to put the .40's into.

mydartswinger

From what I've seen, you're trying to avoid an "ugly" trainer. That being said, just in case you get the hankering, no racers either. Probably just as bad as or worse than a warbird. They're fast, nimble, and largely unforgiving. After 7 months of flying (3 months with this plane), I buried one 2 weeks ago from poor flying conditions (for me anyway) and dumb thumbs (i.e. not enough speed when turning base and dipping a wing, then failing to neutralize the sticks to attempt a recovery from the ensuing spiral).

That turned this:


Into this:


You have been shown several examples of what NOT to do, and been told what you should do. Heed the warnings and follow the advice being given to you, and you'll get a good looking plane before you know it. Just don't give up, you'll be rewarded with an enjoyable, lifelong hobby if you don't give up.

MasterAlex

That video is priceless! Thanks for sharing, LuftwaffeOberst!

Cogburn

I have a P-40 that I have had a long time(1992?). It is so fun to fly I might fly it once every 2-3years and usually only if the wind is down the runway at 20+mph. It sometimes takes 2-3 attempts including forward slipping to get it on the ground after takeoff. It will snap roll so fast it will disappear and doing one snap roll is virtually impossible. I have to have the rates on high all the time to be able to fly it when it slows down, Id rather fly on high rates than remove my thumbs and fingers from the controls for a short second. It would be very difficult to control using just thumbs. It flies well and is fun to fly in the air but landings are hot and the landing gear is not real tough so it is a forward slip to the front edge of the field and then a gentle letdown that takes a good part of the rest of the field for a wheel landing. Three point landings are out of the question and would destroy the undercarrage. It would help to not have trees within 1/8 mile of one end of the runway and powerlines an 1/8 mile the other way.

P.S. My regular fun flier is currently a Phoenix See Bee Pattern plane. Flies pretty good and is easy compared to the P-40. The only other plane that was close to flying like the P-40 was an overweight way tailheavy Muddimann Flying Machine. I used a Shoestring Racer for a fun flier for a while and that was easy to fly compared to the P-40 also.