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Need advice on buying Airplane - 3/25/2002 7:44:18 PM   
aashu



Posts: 293
Joined: 3/9/2002
From: Edison, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		Hi All ,

I have been flying Helis for a while and was wondering if someone could help me buying a 40 size plane (has to be good looking) I donot want any Aerobatic fast flyer .. should be a nice balanced machine . Also will appreciate if you reccomend me where to buy .


thanks
       Post #: 1

Need advice on buying Airplane - 3/25/2002 8:33:14 PM   
Steve Campbell2


 

Posts: 603
Joined: 12/5/2001
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Status: offline 		We need a little more information. Where exactly are you in your helicopter skills? If you are past the hovering stage, you can handle just about any 40 size sport model out there; until it comes time to land.

If you are already into forward flight on the helos, learning to land will be the only real obstacle you'll have. A good trainer-type model is best for that, ESPECIALLY if you're going to be learning on your own. OTOH, I have taught experienced helo-only pilots how to land competently in one afternoon, using a low-wing aerobaticsport plank and a buddy box.

So, tell us a bit more about your situation. Do you have competent fixed-wing experienced help available? And welcome to the plank world. I've been flying both for many years, and they both still thrill me.

Steve

(in reply to aashu)
       Post #: 2

OK - 3/25/2002 9:03:14 PM   
aashu



Posts: 293
Joined: 3/9/2002
From: Edison, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		I do hover niecly .. do circles, little FF and good at hover in any kinda wind.. I guess that gives you an idea.. and I may have someone to help on Airplane side.. so I won't be totally by my own

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       Post #: 3

Need advice on buying Airplane - 3/25/2002 10:10:55 PM   
Jazzy



Posts: 1106
Joined: 1/8/2002
From: Erie, PA, USA
Status: offline 		HighHover,
Sounds like you'd be a good candidate for a trainer with some aerobatic ability.
ARF or kit?
If you're thinking about an ARF might I suggest the Hobbico Avistar.
For a kit the Sig Senior with ailerons and reduced dihedral would be an option.

Since you have the patience and concentration to fly a heli, flying an airplane shouldn't be terribly difficult.

Getting help will be the key factor in learing to fly.

Good luck and Have Fun!

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       Post #: 4

Sig Rascal .40 - 3/25/2002 10:16:48 PM   
cbk07


 

Posts: 537
Joined: 12/30/2001
From: farmington, CT, USA
Status: offline 		The Rascal 40 has to be one of the easiest to assemble and fly arf's I have ever put together. Additionally, it is light, looks great and is quite aerobatic. You can't miss with this plane. cbk

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       Post #: 5

Need advice on buying Airplane - 3/26/2002 9:06:56 AM   
Zoned


 

Posts: 102
Joined: 1/5/2002
From: Easton, PA, USA
Status: offline 		Hi, I was in the same position last year. If you have some sim time or some help from the guys at the field, I would get something like the Ultra stick 40,60 or a some thing extra. If you get a trainer you will get bored very fast as I did.I got the avistar and sold it after 5 flights.

Pat

(in reply to aashu)
       Post #: 6

Need advice on buying Airplane - 3/26/2002 11:44:02 AM   
Shortman



Posts: 5971
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Clovis, CA, USA
Status: offline 		get a plane that's built to fly, not to crash


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       Post #: 7

Need advice on buying Airplane - 3/26/2002 12:03:57 PM   
dugman


 

Posts: 30
Joined: 1/30/2002
Status: offline 		HighHover
You may also want to check out winnerrc.com They have a several planes you may be interested in. I have heard only good things about the T-34, Super Stunts 40 and the 25 size Attack. I have to agree with cbk07, the Rascal 40 looks like a nice plane though I have not personal flown one. Winner also has a trainer combo that is very inexpensive. I think it was $139 with a motor.

(in reply to aashu)
       Post #: 8

Need advice on buying Airplane - 3/26/2002 5:40:45 PM   
Steve Campbell2


 

Posts: 603
Joined: 12/5/2001
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Status: offline 		Well, HighHover, you've got two basic choices:

1. A trainer-type model, which will give you the best chance for overall success. But as has been mentioned, the risk of you becoming bored with it in a short while is there.

Actually, you can do many things besides fly around in a straight line with a good trainer; especially one with a semi-symmetrical wing like the AviStar. But such airplanes are not "sexy", or otherwise appealing, like a low-wing aerobat; so the short-attention-span types lose interest rather quickly. I'm not saying you're one of them; just relating what I've seen.

2. A docile sport model, like a Stik or 4-Star 40. One of these can get away from you in a hurry, so you have to weigh the added "zip" and "sex appeal" (or whatever you want to call it) against the fact that you will have to be on your toes constantly, until you get comfortable with it.

It all depends on the quantity and quality of your help, and how far and fast you want to push yourself. If you can hover a helicopter consistently, you can fly a plank with no drama. Learning to land safely will be the big thing.

You also must choose between ARF and kit. I would suggest an ARF for your first effort. You assemble these, rather than build it. This is like your first helicopter; you are probably going to dork it a few times, so it doesn't make much sense to spend weeks (months?) crafting a kit, when you can put together an ARF in a week of evenings and be ready to go.

Plus, you have much less EDF involved in an ARF. Someone coined this term, which stands for Emotional Debt Factor, long ago to describe the anxiety one feels when flying something that he has spent a great deal of time and loving attention on while creating it. There will plenty of time for that when you get in deeper. Right now, you just want to learn the basics of keeping one in the air, then getting it back down in one piece.

Let us know which type model (kit or ARF) you want, and then we can make some specific suggestions.

Steve

(in reply to aashu)
       Post #: 9

My thoughts - 3/26/2002 6:35:10 PM   
Blackie



Posts: 1896
Joined: 2/10/2002
From: Austin, TX, USA
Status: offline 		I hear trainers mentioned in here, what I would like to suggest is an H9 Ultra Stik 40 tamed down and constructed with a nose gear for learning on, that way once mastered it can be converted to a real fun fly acrobatic plane. It seems to me that HighHover has enough experiance to handle one of these and even if he does't a tame stick can still be used as a trainer.


Randy


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Airplane trainer for heli pilot - 3/26/2002 7:54:37 PM   
PilotFrog


 

Posts: 137
Joined: 1/5/2002
From: LA
Status: offline 		Another type of plane you might look at is a fun-fly. Morris offers several ARFs of their more popular models for around $150 or you can build the kit. With the CG well forward they are quite docile and can & should be flown at slow speeds....good trainers especially to practice landings as they land at a crawl. Move the CG back once you have experience and it becomes a hoot to fly.....no boredom here....the perfect ticket for a heli hot-dogger.

(in reply to aashu)
       Post #: 11

can you - 3/26/2002 10:00:33 PM   
aashu



Posts: 293
Joined: 3/9/2002
From: Edison, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		Can you give me the site address and model number ..
Thanks

(in reply to aashu)
       Post #: 12

Thanks guys - 3/26/2002 10:11:16 PM   
aashu



Posts: 293
Joined: 3/9/2002
From: Edison, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		All of you guys here have been very helpful .and I really thank you for your valuable time . What I have understood from this thread is.. that trainers are easier to land and are just basic flyers (slower too, less intimidating) . I can Hover the heli for as long as I want and can do circles , tail in land pretty good ! I also have some experience in flying Aeros on SIM .. Donot know how close it is to real stuff. While in sim, I can fly almost everyplane , some are really faster (extra 300, Corsair ...)and some are trainers . My question to all of you is that ,
While landing how the 2 types differ .. Do I have to constantly level the Aerobatic and trainser levels out itself..? Or , are there many more differences..? Also, does the aileron, Elevator, rudder stick work the same way as in Simulator (I guess same as heli) .?


Thanks for all the help . BTW , I really donot want to build the whole plane and would like to get into ARFs (I did assemble and repair / reassamble my helis quite a few times though)

(in reply to aashu)
       Post #: 13

Some views needed - 3/26/2002 10:48:08 PM   
aashu



Posts: 293
Joined: 3/9/2002
From: Edison, NJ, USA
Status: offline 		Friends .. also need your views on :

http://store.yahoo.com/ehobbies-com/1000-0507.html


And a SIG RaSCAL 40 size

In any case , I wanna use a 4 stroker . I guess if you guys can judge.. I just love these machines and feel happy just by flying em.. same goes with heli.. I really donot want to do extreme aerobatics.. but do care about a neat looking stuff , neatly built.

(in reply to aashu)
       Post #: 14

Need advice on buying Airplane - 3/27/2002 2:57:46 AM   
Shortman



Posts: 5971
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Clovis, CA, USA
Status: offline 		when landing a trainer its pretty simple, heres how i learned, i started by making sure i could do nice slow passes to get the feel for the sticks, start a couple hundred feet back, or whatevers comfortable, and chop the throttle to about half, depending on what your engine, i had a os 70 surpass in my 40 trainer so i just kept it at idle, then slowly let it descend, when your about 50 feet from the runway chop the throttle all the way down and began to flair, then come in keeping the nose up just a tad bit until the back 2 wheels touch then just let it settle down and there you go... it took me a while to get this down, but after you learn it you should have no problem.. took me a few broken props but i got the hang of it, as for aerobatic planes there a little more squirly, they are faster and require more skill, but nothing out of the ordinary... i think aerobatic planes are easier to fly because there more responsive, but there also easier to get into trouble. as for the simulators i dont know, but i hear they teach you the BASICS of flight


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Steven Carroll
AMA# 738035

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       Post #: 15

Need advice on buying Airplane - 3/27/2002 4:07:25 AM   
Blackie