Novice needs help
 

I have an Midwest Aero-Star .40 with an OS 40 engine installed. I am at the assembly stage where I need to add servos, batteries, and obtain a control unit. I am totally a novice here so I am interested in easy to learn controller units as well as easy to install servos. I also have to put the skin on my plane. Any construction suggestions anyone could provide would be great. Thanks.

RE: Novice needs help
 

A couple of things.
Welcome to the sport. It adictive.
Do you have a model airport around you somewhere?
How about a Hobbyshop?
You can build and install everything yourself but when it comes to flying, GET HELP!!!!!

As for a radio, Thats like asking Blonde or Brunette. I like the Hitec Optic 6 with the Synth Mod. and Futaba.

You can ask the boards. Someone around here has to in your neighborhood.

Good Luck And Happy skys.
Gene

RE: Novice needs help
 

Welcome to aero R/C. Very good advice, mtnmnstr.
Go to your local Hobby Shop and find out where and what time your local club meets. Take your plane and go. Don't be bashful, tell them your new, want to get started. They will help you, I guarntee. Might even get a little flight time on the club trainer. We do it all the time.

You need to join AMA and your local club. Our club requires that you join AMA, first.

AMA provides 2 very important things. 1. Safety Rules which enables all of us to continue to fly, and 2. insurance, in case we do hit someone or something.

Following are 3 sites that you need to go to. Read everything they have. You won't regret it. These sights will answer a lot of questions. Especially, the second site is for builders.

www.geistware.com
www.airfieldmodels.com
www.masportaviator.com

Good Luck. Feel free to post any questions you may have in the interim at this site. There are many veterans who will be glad to answer. Would help if you would post a picture of what you have from 2 or 3 angles.

Jim

RE: Novice needs help
 

If you're just trying the hobby out to see if you like it, then go with a low-end 6 channel radio from one of the major manufacturers: Futaba, Hitec, Airtronics or JR.

If you already know you want to stay in the hobby for a while, then get a better radio - at least 7 or 8 channels with multiple model memories and computer mixing. If you get a good radio you only need one radio for a lot of planes for a long time.

It used to be that radios didn't have model memories so we had to either reset the trims every time we flew a different plane with the same transmitter or we had to carry several transmitters to the field.

Radios are very reliable nowadays. It's been a long time since I've seen someone lose a plane due to a failure or radio tranmission/reception. Servos die sometimes, but most crashes are pilot error. Point being you don't have to worry about what radios actually work. All the above brands work.

RE: Novice needs help
 

Cafeenman Thanks for the radio suggestions I will take a look at what they have. What about servos?

RE: Novice needs help
 

Use the servos that come with the radio. They're standard servos that will have plenty of power for a .40 size model. If you buy any of the radios I mentioned then you won't need to buy any other radio gear. It will come with rechargeable batteries, 4 servos, a receiver, a switch harness, extra servo arms, etc.

You may need a 5th servo if the wing uses 2 servos. If that's the case, then just buy another standard servo like the ones you have or buy a smaller servo for the throttle and use the standard servos for the control surfaces.