fayrwerks

Just curious on how many hours can you get from a trainer (i.e. nexstar since have the plane) assuming some rough landings every now and then for a begginer but hopefully no serious crash.

Mr67Stang

You are asking a question that is like asking God, "How long will I live?" Every plane has an expiration date... but the print is very small and impossible to find.

alan0899

G'day Mate,
My trainer is 25 years old & still flys, I built it from plans in 1981, It's called An Apprentice, from Model Airplane News plans, you can still buy it.
But that is probaly an exception rather than a rule.
Just enjoy it for as long as you can.

boltster

Usually you will make one more take off than you will a landing, I got three years out of my Nexstar. Jim

bkdavy

My Feedback: (1)

Given proper instruction and care, you should get many hours (translate years) out of your trainer.

Without proper instruction, the average life span is about 30-60 seconds.

Brad

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

As everybody has said, it just depends on how you take care of it. I learned on a Tower Trainer ARF and it's still running strong, and goes with me to the feel occasionally every summer. It's been 10 years now. During training I had some pretty rough times with it, including hitting the wind sock pole that ripped the entire nose section off of it. But I repaired it, and even recovered it after a few years, and it's still running strong. So it's entirely possible to get years and years of use out of your trainer. It's my plans to keep my trainer flying until I'm not anymore (translation- when they nail the coffin shut)!!!

In my opinion I think that every pilot should keep their trainer around, and take it out occasionally. It's a total blast to go out and fly your trainer after having flown more advanced planes. In fact, I think that flying your trainer and performing advanced aerobatics on it makes you a better pilot. Because it's not the plane's abilities doing the aerobatics but rather the pilots skills doing it!!!

Hope this helps

Ken

mtmad

I know of a new trainer that the engine did not last long,I sold a brand new trainer with sim software and told the guy what to use for fuel and to get an instructor and join a club to learn more. he flew sim for about a week and put in 10 to 14 flights with it but had went through 4 to 5 props a seperated firewall and the claims he was flying and motor quit and he brought it in safely but motor froze and now knocks .But when asked about fuel cant even tell you content of oil in it wether its syn oil or castor,he bought just what the shop had.Plane life is dependent on good instruction and common sense and willingness to take advise and learning.

mtmad

And he did it all by himself without an instructor and flew mainly alone and more an likely used the car fuel he had for his cars.He also claimed to be performing stunts with it,snap rolls and inverted and loops.All this after using sim.

DaveB

I built my first trainer, the Goldberg Eaglet and decided to teach myself to fly. Why not, it is a simple, easy to fly airplane, isn't it?
It lasted approximately 30 seconds. That was the moment I realized it is not a good idea to learn to fly without the help of an instructor.

DaveB

bruce88123

I kept a trainer in my stable for several years just to loan out, Goldberg Falcon 56. The other day I was making a low pass with it and the aileron servo went nuts (technical term) and snapped the plane into the dirt before I could say "Holy Sh@@". Destruction was total. It was the first scratch on that plane too and a total wipe out. Waaaahh!!

chopper man

The way I'm going my trainer is going to last forever. I have flown it once since I finished putting it together. If its not the weather the guys are helping someone else at the field[>:] At this point I rather be in the market for a new plane because that would mean that I've been flying and destroyed my trainer. I was so looking forward to this weekend when I found out yesterday that I have to take some folks to NY for the weekend. That's right Corporate PIlot[:@] Can't complain, it supports the hobby that I have not been able to enjoy yet
Chopper man

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

My trainer, the NexSTAR Deluxe, went through two student flyers. Me an another older fellow. Both of us abused it, and it still flys, and it's about four years old now. Most hard landings will happen after you solo, or during training while attempting to learn to land. If you are buddy box'ed up with an instructor, he should be able to recover for you, which adds life to the trainer. After you solo, though, that's when you will probably do the most damage, as did I. But that's part of learning, and all my mistakes were repairable, with the NexSTAR that is..ha.. can't say that for my good old classic Goldberg Skylark 56. That had only one mistake, but oh, what a mistake that was. All I had after that was some servos, an RX, and an engine. All else was not more than toothpicks. Then came the Tiger 60, which I still have and still fly. It too took some hard landings, but never anything serious and it still flys great.

DS.

RCVFR

My Feedback: (7)

I guess the trick is to do these things intentionally! Sounds like sustained crash avoidance to me.

bkdavy

My Feedback: (1)

As a corporate pilot, you should be able to find someplace in the plane to stash your gear. I travel a lot and make it a point to visit clubs in the area. Most of the time they ask me if I brought a plane and invite me to fly. Unfortunately, I get to travel in the back, and haven't figured out a way to get a plane packaged for travel. But surely the pilot can find space!

Good Luck!

Brad

Charlie P.

A friend has a Hobbico SuperStar ARF that he bought from his brother in law, both having learned to fly with it, and he still fllies it regularly. I'd say it has well over 300 hours on it at this point; he's a four season flier. Looks kind of banged up but it still flies well enough.

Several substantial repair sessions: firewall tore out, landing gear tore out, wing tore off, vertical stab flattened . . . you know, the normal childhood illnesses for a trainer. If you want you can rebuild ANYTHING and set it right again.

checkmate91

My ARC Ready2 is nearly 4 years old, is used 20 or so weekends per year, is flown by both me and my 11 year old son, has cartwheeled down the runway, been flown through a tree and has suffered more heavy (crash) landings than you could imagine. As it's plastic we simply keep gluing it back together with Marley gutter cement and silicone adhesive and send it back out to the field. It's looking a bit worn now but the guys at the field simply say it has that "lived in" look (I think they're just being polite). As Ken says, it's worth keeping your trainer to remind yourself what it's all about. We have a mid-wing model too which is great fun but the trainer is still my favourite (or is it the 52 four stroke that makes me like it?).

Regards,
Andy

GerKonig

I have flown RC for over 2 decades, but I always have a trainer... Right nowe it is an Electric Telemaster, and it is a blast to fly! Other planes I had for very long time: a Super cub 1/4 scale over 15 years and a electric foamy, the Wingo, that has to have like more than 8 years... They come handy when you want to teach or show somebody how easy it is to fly:-)

RichD

mine lasted 2 years, until I pressed the garage door button to let it down and walked inside when it started raining. I heard a crunch and instantly knew that I forgot to pull my LT40 back into the garage. Better that one than my 260.

LT-40

My Feedback: (2)

I have an LT-40 ARF that I have had for almost 4 years now. It has recently been converted to a float plane and has never crashed. I have kept it in good shape tho. People tell me it looks just like new!

IBrakeForNobody

My Feedback: (16)

My Avistar 40 MKII RTF trainer has 5 crashes on it (last one just put on by my sister last Sunday, who is now learning how to land), and its still flies strong. 'Sides, ugly airplanes fly better! On the other hand, one of my friends has a Hangar 9 Xtra Easy II with an Easy Fly 40 wing that his Dad bought about 10 years ago when a small company just starting out in the RC industry called Horizon Hobby was still in Paso Robles. It was retired a few months ago because its been flown so much that the wood is completely fuel soaked and glue no longer sticks to it (the fuel went through the covering). One final hard landing ripped the gear off, and it was retired. It had an OS .40 FP engine with more gallons of fuel through it than his pickup truck (sarcastically of course), and a silver case Tower Hobbies System 2000 radio, JR and Tower Hobbies servos, a foam nose wheel, and Du-Bro rubber main wheels.

NCIS

Why would someone ask a question that can't be answered intelligently? Good pilot for ever, bad pilot one flight.

Gibbs

chashint

A sure way to shorten the lifespan of your trainer is to pass the transmitter back and forth with your brother (who was not a RC pilot) as soon as you have soloed.
That trainer was tougher than I was but with two against one it didn't stand a chance :-)

aerowoof

As stated before it depends .My trainer built in 1970 is still flyable after thousands of hours.I also have several other planes that are over 30 years old in excellent condition that are flown weekly,stafford p-39,sport air 40 cutlass 60 2t sailplane duelist 40 stafford b-24. alot has to do with how well you take care of your equipment how well you do pre flights what pm you do.pre flight should involve checking all fasteners,control surfaces for looseness .range checks should be done the way they wre done years ago by walking from the plane till it is just a dot and nothing should move on the way out or way back other that the controls that were moved at the end of the walk and called by a helper.I send one complete system in for inspection at the end of every season and at the first sign of any trouble.you would be surprized what can be found by wear on just the tx let aklone the flight packs.granted you could buy a new systems for the cost of the servce but I prefer to keep what I have as I know it is in top notch shape.others will dis agree but my proof is in the longivity of my planes

Dav0012

pheonix classic trainer.... 5 seconds in a full power blender , but hey, its a $70AUD trainer, and hell it does the most awesome torque rolls. this trainer, yes with a 46ax and a 11x5 prop will hover at about half to 3 quater throttle , and does wicked blenders till the wing snaps in half

Stickbuilder

A friend of mine and I built a SIG Kadet Senior and outfitted it complete and donated it to our club. We used it as a club trainer, teaching a lot of people to fly. We wore 3 engines completely out, and I lost count of how many flight packs were put into the plane. It finally became so fuel soaked, that the firewall completely failed, and the model was destroyed. This model was flown at least 20 times per weekend for over 10 years. It was flown with the trainer cord system, and therefore was not subjected to the rigors of hard landings, crashes and the like. So, to answer your question, as others have said, There is no answer, other than...It depends...

Bill, AMA 4720
WACO Brotherhood #1