Just joined Waldorf, MD
 

Hi All, just getting interested in flying electric planes. I have been reading and researching. I am thinking of getting a Parkzone Ember to start with. Ihave been messing around with the free flight simulator and realized I am in no rush to crash a real plane. I bought a Dynam 6 ch radio off of ebay because Ithought it was bind and fly. Nope. It only binds to the receiver it comes with. Live and learn.I guess I will re sell it when it arrives in the mail this week. I have a decent size auditorium at work and plan on practicing there, after some more sim time. Ilook forward to gleaming more information from this site and you guys.


I got the Dynam 6ch 2.4 radio and reciever in the mail. Any ideas on whether to keep it for a later project or start buying the rest of the parts to assemble a plane. Iama beginner with planes, but I assembled and ran a nice4wd Audi froma kit as a first RCcar. Should Ikeep with the notion of buying a RTFEmber, or assembling astarter type plane (I will be primarily flyingindoors until my skills improve), or buyan actual radiothat is DSM2 andthen a BNF plane? It bugs me to have a radio and reciever and do nothing with it, but I want getairborne as soon as Ican.

RE: Just joined Waldorf, MD
 

I ordered the RTF Ember 2 with an extra 110mah battery. I've been working on the FMS with some of the slow fly models. I seem to do much better with the faster planes that roll. Easier to correct and get back up in the air I guess. Ihave the most difficulty attempting to line and up and land back on the runways. I think it is the depth perception being limited by the computer screen. I hope so anyway. I should get my Ember in this week. I hope to eventually build up to flying something like the ducted A 10. I have always loved that plane from my Air Force days. I am not in a big rush. Iknow Ineed a lot of stick time and figure that is about 2 more planes away.

RE: Just joined Waldorf, MD
 

I could not wait to fly my ember inside of an auditorium. I waited as long as I could. There was zero wind this morning. Took it out, made some lazy loops around the house, over the street. I landed it softly on the road and took it back up. Started feeling a little confidence. My wife was watching, my 5 year old daughter was watching. Ooohs and aahhs as I deftly let it soar around. Made a nice loop de loop. Then BAM!!!!!! A rogue wind or gust or an evil force slammed that puppy down onto the asphalt. No warning, no bobble. Nose first. Snapped the prop shaft in half. Prop skittering across the ground. One second it is gliding along nicely and then it acted like it had a turbo on it. I should have already had placed my order for replacement parts. I'm glad they are on the cheap side. I ordered two of everything to rebuild the front. Now I have to wait for the parts. Oh, but those 5 minutes of flying were great. Big cheesey grin the whole time. I'm not even upset about it, I got that much enjoyment for those few minutes. I'm sure it is the first of many lessons in gravity and control I will be taught.</p>

RE: Just joined Waldorf, MD
 

Hi Fed50H,

Welcome to RC flying! That grin will only get bigger as you spend more time flying.

RE: Just joined Waldorf, MD
 

Thanks Leo, I'm sure it will. I am (can't say patiently) waiting for my repair parts to come in. I think I should have went with an outdoor trainer. Maybe that is the next purchase. I will keep reading and see what the masses suggest. Thanks for the response.

RE: Just joined Waldorf, MD
 

I received my parts on Friday (enough to rebuild the entire front two more times) and got outside to fly today. Beautiful weather. I killed four batteries and was grinning like a loon the enitre time. I flew on the stock battery for about 14 minutes. I got the Ember up and throttled it back and just sailed around. I got comfortable enough to do super slow touch and goes off my roof. I plan on taking it in to work tomorrow for some more flying time in our auditorium. I am hooked. I loved getting it into a fast death spiral then pulling it out and leveling off. I am glad I chose this model. It does everything I need it to do. I particular enjoy throttling it back and just cruising over in the neighbors yard and way down the street and back. Somewhere I lost the rubber cone that covers the front of the prop. After my prop shaft snapping crash I just pushed it on. I did not need it today though. I had about a dozen successful landings and no crashes. I find myself looking outside just to check the wind. Iuse contractor's hail damage sign to guage the wind. It is one of the flimsy posterboard wire signs. If it is still, then I know I'm good.

RE: Just joined Waldorf, MD
 

hey there fed50h, just tried launching my new apprentice at a park in charlotte hall md, unsucessfully till i finally disabled it. if you ever want to get together in waldorf or charlotte hall to try to fly together just pm me. nice to have a forum member in southern md.
jason

RE: Just joined Waldorf, MD
 

Hey Jason.  I haven't been on here in quite some time.  Good to have another member in the area.  My motor is currently down, I expect a replacement this week.  I only have the ember 2 for now, so if there is wind (any wind) I am grounded.  Shoot me a pm when you're flying, I'll hang out even if I'm not flying.

RE: Just joined Waldorf, MD
 

Well I swapped the motor in the Ember for a sukhoi motor and added athree blade prop, added some extra wing surfacefrom a pork chop platter and now have an Ember almost capable of vertical climb. I picked up a Sky Surfer with the brushless motor and I am planning to fly it this Friday. After flying the Ember for quite a while I think I am ready for some 4 channel flying. I have extra tape and glue if I am proven wrong.

RE: Just joined Waldorf, MD
 

I was not ready. The wind pitched it up and up and up. The rudder wasn't large enough to turn it quickly, everytime I corrected, the wind pushed the nose up into a stall and carried it further away. It was so far away I decided to just dive it down. It is now wrapped in a tree at the park. I attempted to retrieve it with my fishing rod for about an hour and a half. I spent over anhour on the phone and with the online help at BH to get it working correctly. Oh well. I will be building the next one myself, so the write off will not be as large. Gonna nurse my wounded ego with some Amber Bock and plan my next crash....

I went back to the park this morning and someone was nice enough to put the plane parts in the tennis court. Irecovered almost everything and got it reassembled. I had to make some control horns from CD's and linkage from a paper clip. Everything else was hot glued. I will spend some extra time with the FMS program, but it isn't the same. Ican fly my plane all day, with the wind on, but in real life I stunk it up. I have to run to Lowe;s for some more epoxy to glue my home made control horns onto the servos, but other than that I am ready to try it again.