rino002

hey hows it going , im totaly new to rc planes , i really dont know much about it , been browsing the site a little.

i saw a few i think they are beginer planes

Super Cub RTF Electric and the Cessna 182

which should i get , any other suggestions rtf ?

mostly gonna try and teach my self how to fly them

Fliprob17

In my opinion it is much easier to fly/learn to fly with ailerons vs. rudder only. I would look at the Cessna 182 w/ ailerons. I would also suggest ARF, the RTF radio equip. really does not do you any good for the future, it is only good with that plane. And it is usually not of the best quality. To really enjoy flying, I would go with Futaba, Hitec, Spektrum, etc. Just my 2 cents, a bunch of people like the RTF stuff.

rino002

i doubt im gonna be into it and collecting different planes , but ya never know i might be hooked after my first plane .... i mean im looking to spend no more than 200 dollars , are my choice very limited ? to a RTF ?

rino002

also , which is better to fly , remote helicopter or plane, whats the differences ? skill wise

acarter

about the helicopter as opposed to plane, heli's are much harder to fly NOTE=i do not own a heli, just going by the simulator and what i have heard

gt5500

That all depends on what model it is for example a slow stick or a slo-v plane is so easy to fly that after a few flights you should have the hang of it, a 3d capable helicopter will take for ever to learn to fly and can be very, very frustrating, but a coaxial helicopter is probably easier to fly then the slow stick when flown indoors, I would have to say in general a full 4ch heli is harder then a 4ch plane though but some would argue that its the other way round. What i will say is that I have been learning to fly a slo-v (got it really, really cheap) and although its not perfect although it could be with a battery upgrade, it does fly and it flies so slowly and stable that after a couple, yes two flights I could take it up to height fly round do nice turns a loop and then come in for a nice landing. However I won't recommend it as a beginner plane unless you live somewhere with no wind because otherwise you will be grounded all the time waiting for the wind to drop. The easy star and super cub can handle much more wind although at first I would not fly it in the wind, the pros and cons are the easystar is more or less indestructable flies very stable and when you get confident can be turned into a mild sport aerobatic plane, the super cub has the advantage that it can land and take off from the ground, I will also add though that the Hobbyzone supplied electronics are not very good with the easystar you can fit you own electronics. If you don't have a nice smooth field get the easystar if you want to learn landings and take off get the super cub.

Leo L

Hi Rino,

Welcome to R/C flying!

Gt5500 gave you a good overview, but let me add a couple of comments. A lot depends on your personal preferences and the area that you have for flying. For the most part, whether you decide on a heli or on a plane, you should download the free FMS simulator program and parctice with it. It won't completely equip you flying, but it will teach you the basics.

Basically, the more variables that need to be controlled at the same time, the harder it is to fly. 2-channel planes only require two variables to be controleed and are therefore the easiest to fly. However, they are also the most limited in what you can do with them and people tend to get bored with them very quickly. 3-channel planes have three variables and are usually, therefore, easier to fly than 4-channel planes. Any heli that is above toy-grade requires 4-channels to fly and is therefore usually more difficult to fly than a basic plane. Helis and planes are different in their controls, therefore someone who gets good at flying a heli cann't just jump into flying a plane well, and vice-versa.

The best beginner heli is the E-Flite Blade CX2, which you can get for around $190. However, it can only be flown indoors or outdoors if there is ABSOLUTELY NO WIND.

If you're not sure about getting into this hobby and you just want to get an idea of what flying is all about, go to Toys-R-Us, Target, etc. and but an Airhogs AeroAce (no substitutions) for $30. Its a small, very basic plane that is easy to fly, is lots of fun and is practically indestructable. Many experienced flyers keep one of these around for fun flying while thier batteries are charging.

Every plane needs some adjustment and trouble shooting to fly properly. The more building that the plane requires, the more adjustment will be needed. For this reason, I strongly advise beginner flyers to start with a ready to fly (RTF) plane, which requires the least amount of building. Although the radio gear in these planes is not top quality, if you buy from a manufacturer with a good reputation, you should have no problems. Then, if you continue with the hobby, you can invest in a quality radio system.

Probably the two best beginner planes are the Multiplex EasyStar and the HobbyZone SuperCub (my preference). The EasyStar has no landing gear, so it must be hand launched and must belly flop its landings, therefore its suited for flying in a field where there is no landing area. The SuperCub, on the other hand, has good landing gear so if your flying area has a paved section, has hard dirt or very short grass, the SuperCub will be able to do ground take-offs and landings.

If you don't like either of these, other good beginner planes are the Aerobird Challenger, T-hawk, SkyFly, Wingo, Beaver, Slo-V and SloStick. Let us know what you decide, or if you have questions, feel free to ask. Also, check out the various threads and forums for beginner flyers. RCGroups and Wattflyer are two additional forums with great beginner threads.

rino002

where do i download the free FMS simulator

Leo L

Just type in FMS on your search engine. There is also a very good sticky, either here, or on RCGroups or Wattflyer about the FMS.

Time Pilot

http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html