Best First Plane
10-02-2003, 10:33 AM
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Best First Plane
I recently tried the Firebird Outlaw and with little flying experience was amazed at the ease of flying this little thing!
This is the perfect plane for a beginner, it is small, (27 inch wingspan!), comes ready to fly, and is very easy to fly. It has 2 channel radio and has no control surfaces, it is controlled completely by its two motors, more power to climb, less to descend, more power to one side to turn (I think it rolls from the torque of the motor). This plane is very hard to damage in a crash, and even better, is very hard to crash, as long as the power is cut when you are close to the ground it should just glide in nicely to land, although on grass the tiny wheels tend to get caught and it flips onto its back. This does not matter as it doesn't damage the plane the landing just doesn't look as nice! One downside though is that if you do come to the ground with the motors going it can easily damage the wing, as the propellers are very close to the bottom of the wing and the wing is held just by rubber bands which means it can tilt from impact leaving you with lovely hole in the bottom of you wing, cut by the propellers, but if you cut the throttle, this should not be a problem. (have a look in the picture where the propellers are if my wording is a little unclear). In a crash, if the ground is hit with force the propellers pop off the motors, and I think this might help. One other problem that can happen in a crash is the bar holding the motors can snap at its weak point inside, making the bar band and the motors come out of place, but this should be able to be fixed with some super glue. Another good feature that comes with many of the !QUOT!bird!QUOT! planes (hobby zones firebird, aerobird etc.) is that when the batteries start to get low, it automatically cuts the throttle to save power and only uses remaining power for steering, this allows you to land safely before you completely run out of power and loose total control.
Because it has no control surfaces and steers with the motors, it is not as responsive, and takes a little while to turn, but for a beginner I think this is OK. This also means that all aerobatics are impossible, but also makes it hard to stall etc. and therefore easy to keep up in the air. To land cut the power and glide slowly in, you don't even have to touch it, flying with a friend earlier today, he watched a landing and said !QUOT!wow nice landing!QUOT! but since i started to come in I hadn't touched the controls! It flies very slow and does just what you want if there is no wind. It is very light with small motors, so the wind really affects it.
This is the perfect plane for a beginner it comes RTF, is very cheap, it is extremely easy to fly, and is hard to break. Some people will say it is not worth it because you cannot use the radio gear in you next plane, but at this price it is very cheap and if this is your first plane what is the point in getting one that is more expensive and harder to put together if you might not even get another one? For a first plane have some fun and worry about getting decent radio gear later. Overall if you are looking for a first plane, do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars, get a Firebird Outlaw for a hell of a lot cheaper!
This is the perfect plane for a beginner, it is small, (27 inch wingspan!), comes ready to fly, and is very easy to fly. It has 2 channel radio and has no control surfaces, it is controlled completely by its two motors, more power to climb, less to descend, more power to one side to turn (I think it rolls from the torque of the motor). This plane is very hard to damage in a crash, and even better, is very hard to crash, as long as the power is cut when you are close to the ground it should just glide in nicely to land, although on grass the tiny wheels tend to get caught and it flips onto its back. This does not matter as it doesn't damage the plane the landing just doesn't look as nice! One downside though is that if you do come to the ground with the motors going it can easily damage the wing, as the propellers are very close to the bottom of the wing and the wing is held just by rubber bands which means it can tilt from impact leaving you with lovely hole in the bottom of you wing, cut by the propellers, but if you cut the throttle, this should not be a problem. (have a look in the picture where the propellers are if my wording is a little unclear). In a crash, if the ground is hit with force the propellers pop off the motors, and I think this might help. One other problem that can happen in a crash is the bar holding the motors can snap at its weak point inside, making the bar band and the motors come out of place, but this should be able to be fixed with some super glue. Another good feature that comes with many of the !QUOT!bird!QUOT! planes (hobby zones firebird, aerobird etc.) is that when the batteries start to get low, it automatically cuts the throttle to save power and only uses remaining power for steering, this allows you to land safely before you completely run out of power and loose total control.
Because it has no control surfaces and steers with the motors, it is not as responsive, and takes a little while to turn, but for a beginner I think this is OK. This also means that all aerobatics are impossible, but also makes it hard to stall etc. and therefore easy to keep up in the air. To land cut the power and glide slowly in, you don't even have to touch it, flying with a friend earlier today, he watched a landing and said !QUOT!wow nice landing!QUOT! but since i started to come in I hadn't touched the controls! It flies very slow and does just what you want if there is no wind. It is very light with small motors, so the wind really affects it.
This is the perfect plane for a beginner it comes RTF, is very cheap, it is extremely easy to fly, and is hard to break. Some people will say it is not worth it because you cannot use the radio gear in you next plane, but at this price it is very cheap and if this is your first plane what is the point in getting one that is more expensive and harder to put together if you might not even get another one? For a first plane have some fun and worry about getting decent radio gear later. Overall if you are looking for a first plane, do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars, get a Firebird Outlaw for a hell of a lot cheaper!
10-03-2003, 08:10 AM
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RE: Best First Plane
I have to agree with this on some things here. For only about $50 this is a heck of a bargin and a neat little plane to mess around with. It does have some drawbacks as mentioned above.
However, for other beginners reading this thread, don't expect this plane to be a "trainer". This is a toy. If you're thinking it will "teach you how to fly" and "learn the basics" so you can move on in the hobby, or "give you a idea of what it's like to fly a real RC plane", in my opinion, you're sadly mistaken and in for a very rude awakening when you get your next plane.
If you want to get into the hobby and really learn how to fly you've got lots of choices, but I feel the best choice is the Slow Stick.
If you want an inexpensive plane just to mess around with, you can put up with it's limitations, and you don't expect to move on in the hobby, the Outlaw is hard to beat. In fact, my third plane was a Wattage Lightning (about like the Outlaw) just for messing with at work during lunch, but if the Outlaw was available then I would've got it instead.
It's not a bad plane- just take it for what it is and don't expect too much from it.
However, for other beginners reading this thread, don't expect this plane to be a "trainer". This is a toy. If you're thinking it will "teach you how to fly" and "learn the basics" so you can move on in the hobby, or "give you a idea of what it's like to fly a real RC plane", in my opinion, you're sadly mistaken and in for a very rude awakening when you get your next plane.
If you want to get into the hobby and really learn how to fly you've got lots of choices, but I feel the best choice is the Slow Stick.
If you want an inexpensive plane just to mess around with, you can put up with it's limitations, and you don't expect to move on in the hobby, the Outlaw is hard to beat. In fact, my third plane was a Wattage Lightning (about like the Outlaw) just for messing with at work during lunch, but if the Outlaw was available then I would've got it instead.
It's not a bad plane- just take it for what it is and don't expect too much from it.
10-03-2003, 08:55 AM
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RE: Best First Plane
Being a Glow guy myself i don't really mess with electric but i have a few 
....
my nephew wanted to learn to fly so i got the new timer, and what a little plane this is!!..
considering its large wing it handles wind pretty well and is a grate trainer and you can still have fun with it....
even my nephew was creaming landings after a day in the air!!, its so gentle its unreal but push it and it will do some light aerobatics
this fighter birds and a so on are not models there just toys IMO while there still fun they wont give you the training you need for larger models, i would take the new timer over any electric trainer out there
just my opinion
....my nephew wanted to learn to fly so i got the new timer, and what a little plane this is!!..
considering its large wing it handles wind pretty well and is a grate trainer and you can still have fun with it....
even my nephew was creaming landings after a day in the air!!, its so gentle its unreal but push it and it will do some light aerobatics
this fighter birds and a so on are not models there just toys IMO while there still fun they wont give you the training you need for larger models, i would take the new timer over any electric trainer out there
just my opinion
10-03-2003, 08:57 AM
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RE: Best First Plane
here is the link if you are interested
[link=http://www.cermark.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=C&Product_Code=CER-A110&Category_Code=AAA]new timer[/link]
[link=http://www.cermark.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=C&Product_Code=CER-A110&Category_Code=AAA]new timer[/link]
10-03-2003, 10:10 PM
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RE: Best First Plane
I had a Firebird two weeks ago, threw it in the trash after breaking the motor pylon a few times. I got a slow stick and it is much better, it will turn.. and if you get in trouble those nifty, ah, what are those, yes, CONTROL SURFACES help a lot.
I'll admit I got a worse pile. It was 20 bucks at walmart, who could pass that up? Don't remember the name, but it was very small, and had a trim tab on the rudder you would actuate with the ONE available control, a button on the tx. They say on the box (famous last words) it would fly for about 5 minutes, and recharge with a 6-C pack it comes with. But I could never get the pile of crap to cross a 4-lane road with no wind. Oh well, cheap is cheap!
I'll admit I got a worse pile. It was 20 bucks at walmart, who could pass that up? Don't remember the name, but it was very small, and had a trim tab on the rudder you would actuate with the ONE available control, a button on the tx. They say on the box (famous last words) it would fly for about 5 minutes, and recharge with a 6-C pack it comes with. But I could never get the pile of crap to cross a 4-lane road with no wind. Oh well, cheap is cheap!
10-04-2003, 10:11 AM
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RE: Best First Plane
There is no denying that the outlaw is just a toy, but for the price that it is, I still believe it is a good way to get into the hobby. It will give u a taste of what it is like to fly a plane, and if it is really your thing. You will probably get the thing in the air and think wow this is soooo fun, and you will be hooked. Also I believe that it will make sure that you are capable of fly a plane, I know it is incredibly easy to fly, but if you are uncoordinated, or can' t get your head around 3 dimensions, stalls, wind, flying towards yourself, etc. then it is only a small cost instead of spending heaps of money on a plane that you can't fly. But aside from this, IT IS FUN! Even thought it is slow and aerobatics are impossible, for a beginner, if they are a true RC flying fan then they will have loads of fun with little chance of costing extra money from crashes etc. It is worth it.
10-19-2003, 05:04 PM
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RE: Best First Plane
Also ont the subjest of great begginner planes Check Out the "Cox XB-29 Airlifter"It is all Foam. I has a wingspan of 50inches and come with every thing. It is a twim motor ducted fan type plane. The motors and blades sit inside a plastic reinforced foam case. The plane looks loke a 727. The motors rubberband onto the bottom of the wings so when you land the motors drag out behind the wings and recieve no damage. The plane is very durable and survives many things. I got this plane at age 7 and flew it fine. On its 3rd flight my dad flew it to high and it got flown into a tree. i thought all was lost. After about 1.5 weeks my neibhors noticed it and proceeded to throw rocks at it. The majority of the plane survived the 150ft fall. The tail spplit at the base of the tail but it glued right back on. All the had to be done.I am now 13 and a couple of weeks ago i managed to rip the antenna out of the reciever. I can no longer fly it until I buy a soldering iron. But seriously look at this plane
10-21-2003, 08:29 AM
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RE: Best First Plane
By far the best plane for a beginner if you fly in huge openspace is the Jkaerotech T52. And intend to continue in the hobby...
http://www.jkaerotech.com/T52.htm
Why? Because this plane grows with you. You can go from a speed 480 motor, elevator rudder. To a nice brusheless setup, ailerons, and a full on setup. Crashes are a non event if you use a flexible prop, and you can be creative with it... wheels, etc...
http://www.jkaerotech.com/T52.htm
Why? Because this plane grows with you. You can go from a speed 480 motor, elevator rudder. To a nice brusheless setup, ailerons, and a full on setup. Crashes are a non event if you use a flexible prop, and you can be creative with it... wheels, etc...
10-21-2003, 10:47 AM
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RE: Best First Plane
Here is my 2 cents to help new flyers choose their first E plane. See the picture below. I learned on the Firebird II, but hindsight says the Sky Scooter or GWS Tiger Moth would have been better first plane choices. If you have slower reaction times or average hand and eye coordination the Moth is your best bet and you'll still fly it after moving on to the big boy.s
************************************************** ***********
New flyers might find my brief Park Flyer history helpful.
My first plane was a Slow Stik. At the time, I didn't know what I was doing and kept stalling and breaking props. Things like center of gravity (COG) and other basic flying concepts weren't getting properly grasped. So I put the Stik aside and ran down to the local hobby store and bought a Firebird II. This is the plane I learned how to fly on. I paid the price; hung it up in trees and even had one go too far up and get blown away never to be seen again. The Firebird II has no elevator control and cannot do very tight turns. However, the Firebird II is inexpensive, crashworthy, and will give the new pilot very important "Stick time" in which to become familiar with turning the plane while flying towards and away from a given reference point.
Next I bought an Aerobird and it about killed me. One day it flies ok and the next day it crashes. The Aerobird always had something going wrong with it, servos, radio, tail boom, COG shift, etc. My Aerobird has been sold and is no longer in my hangar.
Next I bought a GWS Tiger Moth and this plane really built my 3 ch confidence back up after the Aerobird nearly killed it. The Moth is easy to fly and land on those breezeless evenings. After flying the Moth I went back to the Slow Stik and learned to fly it in all types of conditions.
I also now have a Graupner "Super" Terry that flies like a demon. The Terry cannot take rough landings so I would not call it a beginner's plane. The Terry also can fly very fast very quickly and can catch the novice off guard. The Terry is a great acrobatic sport plane that can get you into a little thermal riding. Also the Terry's tail feathers and wing are removable and can neatly pack up in the original box and travel with you.
A couple of months ago I bought the Sky scooter Pro II to practice landings to build up a confidence level with the Terry landings and try a plane with ailerons. The Scooter is a blast to fly and the upgrades purchased at Servo City make plane really perform. The scooter can easily do loops and rolls land hard and fast if needed. The Scooter would make a great beginners plane. You do need a large field, especially if you are a new R/C pilot.
If I did it all again I would have bought the Scooter instead of the Aerobird. The planes cost about the same but with the Scooter you get real R/C gear and a plane that flies and turns a heck of alot better. The Scooter has a high mount swept wing that is extremely stable even in 10+ MPH winds. High altitude and distant orientation is easy with the Scooter because it casts a triangular image and looks like the pointer of a PC mouse.
In conclusion, I could have learned to fly using the Scooter. Based on what I know now, the Sky Scooter would have been a better first plane choice for me going the self taught route.
Fair winds.....
************************************************** ***********
New flyers might find my brief Park Flyer history helpful.
My first plane was a Slow Stik. At the time, I didn't know what I was doing and kept stalling and breaking props. Things like center of gravity (COG) and other basic flying concepts weren't getting properly grasped. So I put the Stik aside and ran down to the local hobby store and bought a Firebird II. This is the plane I learned how to fly on. I paid the price; hung it up in trees and even had one go too far up and get blown away never to be seen again. The Firebird II has no elevator control and cannot do very tight turns. However, the Firebird II is inexpensive, crashworthy, and will give the new pilot very important "Stick time" in which to become familiar with turning the plane while flying towards and away from a given reference point.
Next I bought an Aerobird and it about killed me. One day it flies ok and the next day it crashes. The Aerobird always had something going wrong with it, servos, radio, tail boom, COG shift, etc. My Aerobird has been sold and is no longer in my hangar.
Next I bought a GWS Tiger Moth and this plane really built my 3 ch confidence back up after the Aerobird nearly killed it. The Moth is easy to fly and land on those breezeless evenings. After flying the Moth I went back to the Slow Stik and learned to fly it in all types of conditions.
I also now have a Graupner "Super" Terry that flies like a demon. The Terry cannot take rough landings so I would not call it a beginner's plane. The Terry also can fly very fast very quickly and can catch the novice off guard. The Terry is a great acrobatic sport plane that can get you into a little thermal riding. Also the Terry's tail feathers and wing are removable and can neatly pack up in the original box and travel with you.
A couple of months ago I bought the Sky scooter Pro II to practice landings to build up a confidence level with the Terry landings and try a plane with ailerons. The Scooter is a blast to fly and the upgrades purchased at Servo City make plane really perform. The scooter can easily do loops and rolls land hard and fast if needed. The Scooter would make a great beginners plane. You do need a large field, especially if you are a new R/C pilot.
If I did it all again I would have bought the Scooter instead of the Aerobird. The planes cost about the same but with the Scooter you get real R/C gear and a plane that flies and turns a heck of alot better. The Scooter has a high mount swept wing that is extremely stable even in 10+ MPH winds. High altitude and distant orientation is easy with the Scooter because it casts a triangular image and looks like the pointer of a PC mouse.
In conclusion, I could have learned to fly using the Scooter. Based on what I know now, the Sky Scooter would have been a better first plane choice for me going the self taught route.
Fair winds.....
10-24-2003, 01:17 PM
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RE: Best First Plane
Personally I love my slow stick. I honestly started with a 60 sized trainer but found it a pain to transport and I had to drive for ever before i had a place to fly it. So I bought a SS. Best investment I have made ever! I think its very easy to fly and I have given the controls to 2 friends to fly and they have picked it right up. Takes a crash to. Must say that one of them got it stuck in a tree and i riped the tip of one wing trying to get it out. I cut off both tips and now its way more fun. I also suggest to put a few LEDs on it. Night flying is a blast..... Bigger battery helps 200% to. I am using my hummingbirds(micro helicopter) battery and its much faster and runs longer.
