emilsanto

My Feedback: (39)

I never seen a great planes kit metioned at all here. HUMM.
but i am a sig fan also

Mustang1971

My Feedback: (30)

All great suggestions but let me add my $.02 or two pence in your case! Pick a plane and start building it and in the meantime get yourself the ultimate "trainer" which is not even an airplane! It is a simulator! I have many friends who actually solo'd their first time to the field after a few months on a simulator at home. I have both the Great Planes RealFlight 4.5 and the Aerofly pro package and both work well.

soarrich

My Feedback: (98)

I second Mustang1971 idea.

LargeScale88

I built the Sig Kadet LT40 as my first kit, and talk about ease of building. Sig has very good kits, and there manuals explain everything step by step, to help you achieve the best flying airplane possible. I would get realflight as many people have stated. It doesn't teach you everything, but it teaches you the basics on flying, and then you learn the rest out at the field (with an instructor).

Good Luck!

Jason

Tarasdad

Yep, and making mistakes in the sim is a whole lot cheaper as well. Single biggest thing it will do for you is Help you become accustomed to the orientation change between flying towards and away from yourself.

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

Sorry guy, you are wasting your time and effort... trainers are usually trash by the time you get through with them anyway... buy an ARF and save the building for another model... if you think you are going to have this trainer for a lifetime... well, I am willing to bet money it will not happen.

Spend your time on the simulator, not building.... chances are you do not have enough knowledge to build a proper airplane yet...you will be at the mercy of the hobby store for equipment selection (can be good, but most likely expensive) Alpha 40 is a nice plane with dihedral and flat bottom wings. You will be better served. Why anyone would suggest a beginner build a trainer is beyond me.

tonywayne

My first kit was a great planes pt-60. Build was easy and Very strong. It took alot of abuse. I would recomend atleast a 60 size. Use accelerator with your ca glue it will speed up building alot. Get a simulator if you dont already have one. the 20$ FMS sim is great for the price and will teach you the basics. And use a buddy box on your first fllights. Those 2 things there would have saved be 100"s of $ and hours of repair time. But were not around 20 years ago. Any name brand high wing trainer would be a good start. Just make sure the throws are set correctly and your cg correct. good luck. its a great sport.

tonywayne

My first kit was a great planes pt-60. Build was easy and Very strong. It took alot of abuse. I would recomend atleast a 60 size. Use accelerator with your ca glue it will speed up building alot. Get a simulator if you dont already have one. the 20$ FMS sim is great for the price and will teach you the basics. And use a buddy box on your first fllights. Those 2 things there would have saved be 100"s of $ and hours of repair time. But were not around 20 years ago. Any name brand high wing trainer would be a good start. Just make sure the throws are set correctly and your cg correct. good luck. its a great sport.

davidhand

Try the "British Model Flying Association" www.bmfa.org .

soarrich

My Feedback: (98)

Maybe because he said:
I am interested in buying and building my own trainer plane, from a balsa kit. I want to build it fully by myself with no prestuck parts
He didn't ask if a ARF or a kit would be best. We answered his question, I myself would say buy a ARF LT-40, so he doesn't have so much emotional investment in the first plane.

EscapeFlyer

My Feedback: (1)

A breath of fresh air if you ask me...

Brian

poheller

My Feedback: (34)

look at AMR out of Canada, Email Deny. i am building my first kit plane, i have always had ARF,s. the one i am doing is a giant trainer 50 he does have a smaller one.
Poheller

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

AMR had the Trainer 50, designed for a 50cc engine, the Trainer 26, designed for a 26-30cc engine, and they are coming out with their Trainer 20 which is designed around a 20cc gas engine. I may be getting one of the new Trainer 20's in a bit to build but we haven't firmed that up yet. All of the AMR kits are very easy to build even though they are larger planes.

Ken

dash008

My Feedback: (1)

Because building planes is as much a part of the hobby as flying them. For me building planes increases my enjoyment of flying them, and being able to fly them increases my enjoyment of building them. The two aspects of the hobby mesh well.

You can learn as much about this hobby from building a beginner kit like a PT or LT type plane as you can from flying an Alpha 40. I'm not knocking the Alpha 40, it is a fine airplane, but some people like kits. Working on a kit while listening to the radio is a very relaxing and enjoyable stress reliever for me and many others.

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

I agree, and the skills you acquire when you build will serve you well. Scraped wingtips, dings, dents all happen. Knowing you can fix them goes a long way in making the hobby enjoyable.

In fact, all this talk about the LT-40 has got me thinking that might just be the perfect plane for my son. His birthday is coming up, and he's itching to move up from the HZ Supercub. He already wants to fly my Hellcat...but that ain't gonna happen unless he's on a buddy box!

RCER88

My Feedback: (25)

Nothing brings more satisfaction than watching something you built out of a box of wood and turned it into an airplane. I stated earlier the LT40 I am sticking by that.

You can cover and paint it and make it your own. It does not look like a "cookie cutter" airplane.

Good luck on whatever you decide the skills developed building a trainer can be used for a lifetime. There will be no airplane that is off limits when you have real building experience.

tryingagain

When I first started in this hobby/sport if you didn't build you didn't fly. I have absolutely nothing against ARFs or those who chose to fly them but I would never deter anyone from building. Kit or scratch built, it is an amazing feeling having something you have built fly and fly well.
My first RC kit was a Goldberg Skylane 62. Not a beginners build (my opinion) but a well designed, strong forgiving airframe. I got started building smaller free flight and u-control.
I believe building can give you a huge advantage after a crash. You saw it in pieces once so you have an idea what to do to to make it look like an airplane again.
Some flyers have no desire to build at all. No problem, that is what ARFs and RTFs are for.
However if you want to build. GO FOR IT! It may well be a rewarding experience that will hook you for life.
If you can find the LT40 by all means try that. I have a soft spot in my heart for Goldberg and my son has an Eagle II on the building board right now. Also a great trainer.
What ever you do make the decision your own.
Most important.......have fun!

Cheers

Gord

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

There is no reason to think that your trainer won't last a long time. I learned to fly on a Tower Trainer 40 ARF 15 years ago, and I still have that plane. And yes, it is still flying. I still take it out to the field every now and then during the season. There's just something so cool about flying precise manuevers with your trainer and putting it through it's paces. It can also be a nice stress releiver to just put the trainer up and putt around the sky. But my point is that it shouldn't be assumed that it's going to be destroyed. In the case where you want to build your plane this is probably even more true as the plane will be a lot more sturdy than an ARF will be. There is no reason to expect that you won't be able to have the plane many years down the road!!!

Ken

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

LT-40 great airplane follow the instructions to the T and you will love the plane! Builds fast and true!

Quigleywins

I think that the Big T is the best that I have flown so far. There are two in our small club and all the instructors that have used it in there lessons all say its the best they have come across I hope the photo is loaded OK and then you can see what it looks like,its not that easy to find this kit or if its still around. But it is fantastic. in flight. yours Paul T

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

Wow never heard of the Big T looks like a good flyer! I see someone has a Tower 40 trainer in the back ground! They are a great flying plane its what I teach with but its an ARF and he is looking for his first kit so maybe he can find a Big T or a LT-40, The LT-40 has allot of wing loading and fly's very slow, And build very easy with good first time instuctions.

raydar

I built and learned on a lt 40, going to fly it today 14 months after I built it, must have 100 flights on it. You will be far more carefull flying your kit built model than a arf so it has a higher chance of survival, and they also are far stronger so take more knocks.

On the downside it adds more pressure when you are flying somethingyou spent 3 months building.

I build and fly arf,syou can do both its notlike you need to do one or the other.

Gibbzy

thanks for your help guys, this is giving me lots of good ideas.
but all these planes you are suggesting have a huge wing span and i dont think ill be comfortable flying them.
is there any good sigs or goldbergs etc. which have a shorter wing span?

thanks again

Gibbzy

Also, i am looking for a simulator now that you are all saying that its also a must.
so if any of you can direct me to a cheap rc simulator? or sell me your old one or something?

thanks for your help

kmeyers

It is time you found your instructor.

Have you looked up local clubs yet?

Get phone numbers and names and start with a club meeting.

This Saturday I am going to a local RC Swap meet (175 tables indoors). There will be everything you are looking for there. New, used, hobby shops and private party. My RC club held a swap meet on the 5th, I had a table and sold a built and ready to go PT60 for 60 dollars. There were 145 tables (4 x 8ft) of RC stuff.

I say start with getting an instructor. Ask your instructor what kind of equipment they like to work with. I hate it when people buy or build based on the internet then tell me this is the best stuff. I say then let those internet experts teach you to fly!

Start with local people face to face, hurry, right now!

Building is a great hobby, but, learning to fly is something different. The two can but don't have to go together.

See ya at the field.

Ken