BrandonHarmon

My Feedback: (33)

I had alway wanted a r/c airplane but never wanted it bad enough to afford it. Growing up I had r/c cars and trucks.

A few x-mas's ago I had some extra money (yea right) and stoped by the local hobby shop and bought myslef an airplane. It was a Brightstar .40 arf (low wing), and new focus 4 radio, a starter kit (get an ele starter) and fuel($500.00). I had it put together before I went to bed (the next evening).

Saturday morning, I loaded everything up for my 1st flight and decided to go to the local park (had a scoccer field). The park workers said it would be fine to fly(it was December-30 deg.). I started it (new engine, not broke in, with a chicken stick,wrong took 30min of flipping) and taxied it around the parking lot overlooking the field (used the rudder trim to make it roll straight) We were all impressed (never seen one run before).

Followed the book(that came with the airplane) and powered up (downwind toward the field) gave it some elevator and it came off the ground really quick (straight up) and then made a large left hand turn(death spin) into the ground. Made some comment about everyone is going to crash sooner or later (5 sec into 1st flight) and went home (to hide the pieces).

Damage=3 striped servos, prop, fuse, wing, tail feathers,never found the batt., fuel tank and the radio tx (droped it when I went to get what was left of my airplane.)

I went home and told my wife I had a great time but it was just to cold to fly.(white lie). After looking at the airplane(what was left) the hobby shop owner said that he had a repair kit to replace the broken pieces.(a new arf)(and radio TX).

OK the lesson learned:
1. You can't solo by yourslef
2. You need more room to fly than a soccker field
3. The booklet with a new airplane leaves out important details
4. Buddy boxes are your friend
5. There maybe a local R/C club that can help you
6. Get an ele. starter
7. The LHS wants to sell airplanes (not give advice)
8. The controls change direction when not flying away from you
9. TX may not recover from a drop on asphalt
10. It's only money

I am now a member of our local R/C club and have many planes and am teaching others to fly. I thought that this might hit home with some of you and create a smile. The original brightstar has been rebuilt and is kind of my (hanger queen) you never forget your first.

ajvpb

My Feedback: (3)

I agree with everything except its only money. I've had arf's until this coming xmas (i hope), when I get a scale .60 p51 kit. If I crash that, its gonna be more than money, because once you spend a winter building something and destroy it, you don't just say "o well its only money." Once you put in many many hours you grow attached to the thing just out of the shear time you've put into it. I would not want to just buy the kit over again and build for another 3 months. It would be to boring to do it over again and just plain frustrating. That is the nice appealing thing about ARF's, if you crash, get another.

Alex

Crashem

If thats how you feel you might want to consider sticking with ARFs OR making that kit of yours a none flying display model.....

Flyfalcons

Everyone feels that way about flying a kit that they spent a lot of time on. Some people may not admit it though. However, flying a plane that took a lot of time for me to build gives me a certain rush that no ARF ever will. I may get a little more upset if I total it, but that's part of the game.

beavertail

The best advice i can give anyone is get the realflight simulator, you dont need a buddy box to fly, or an instructor, but you do need a simulator or an instructor.

Billy Haynes

I've crashed my share of planes, all but one were ele.......as we say at our club field.......so goes the life of a model airplane.
The following will refer to pic that I will post. Rick (fellow club member) was going to fly his Easy 2 RTF (think that was what it was called) for the last time, pull out electronic equipment, motor, ect & install in another plane. He was flying on ch.36 with his card in the freq. board, another member decided to fly, put his card on ch.38 on the board. Problem was, that radio was on ch.36, turned his plane on...radio on...worked the sticks......figured out he had grabbed the wrong radio... just alittle too late. Just a couple seconds after turning the radio off, Ricks plane was planted into the ground. Rick was right.... it was the last time he was going to fly it.

GeeBeer

Here is how I feel... If I crash a plane with 100 or more flights, I'm of course not happy, but generaly feel that I got my money & effort's worth. 50-100 flights... Not happy, and dont feel quite satisfied... Under 50 flights... Not happy, and not happy. I am refering to the catastrophic crashes... not the ones that can be repaired within a reasonable amount of time.

I crash... I've destroyed more than 2 on the first flight... (Learning) and many others after that... They all will crash, eventualy... they will. Its when.... thats what matters to me