selecting trainer
 

I have been a full size pilot and have built some balsa kits[enjoyed] but am new to rc. The instructor at my local club will teach me with electric but is reluctant and prefers glow. Can someone reccomend a 3 axis trainer that will be close to glow performance and is not to light or substantially more expensive than a glow,I have the radio picked out, a hi tech laser.

RE: selecting trainer
 

Hmmm, that's a toughie. What your instructor is expecting is basically a .40-size trainer with an electric motor. What you're expecting is to not pay any more for it than a .40-size glow trainer. Problem is, there ain't no such animal...

You can get an RTF .40 glow trainer for $270 right now, and have all the fancy gear you need for another $100 (electric starter, field box, battery, glow ignitor).

The closest match I can think of off the top of my head is the Hobbico Superstar EP. It's 3-channel (rudder elevator throttle), but a good rudder plane flies as well as any .40-size trainer with ailerons.

Are you opposed to doing a conversion? There are a couple of threads in "Glow to Electric Conversions" asking about converting .25-size trainers. The Endoplasma power system I recommend over there will work in any .25-size trainer like the Sig LT-25, Sig Kadet Seniorita, Great Planes PT-20, Goldberg Freedom 20.

RE: selecting trainer
 

Thanks Matt. I pretty much reached the same conclusion after extensive research on line and in print, I was just hoping I was wrong. It would be very expensive to duplicate a comperable glow plane for anywhere near the same money and untill it can be done electric will be thought of as a toy by the ic crowd, but that is going to change in the not so distant future as technology improves and prices come down.
I am going to start with a spad and later see if I can convert to electric. Can get a 3 axis with pushrods, control horns and landing gear for around $50. Almost indestructable and easily repaired. The club in my area does have electric flight and they are very nice and encouraging. They prefer to teach glow so I will start that way. I have always been interested in cutting edge technology and think it is a lot of fun to experiment. Am having a patent search on a new control system for pitch and roll and have done a preliminary search on line at the patent office. Very exciting. Thanks again, Carmine