ORIGINAL: Zombie
ORIGINAL: CafeenMan
Millions of people have learned to fly with balsa planes. I don't regret it.
Considering that balsa was virtually the only option for most of model airplane history, it's not surprising that many people (millions?) have learned to fly with balsa planes - probably a wide majority of current flyers. Kind of a silly statement, really.
Not nearly as silly as the last half of your post, really. My point was that I don't regret learning to build. I'm much less limited because I can build anything I want and I can build it better than any factory and 99% of people in this hobby. If you think you can build mostly SPADs or ARF's and then every once in a while build a balsa plane that will be as good as one that I build, then that's just delusional thinking. Additionally, I would say that I could build a SPAD that is nicer than most of them out there due to the many years I've devoted to learning nearly every building technique there is.
Can't see why one would regret learning to fly on any type of plane.
Neither can anyone else.
Natural selection at work. If you can't handle crashing a plane then find a different hobby.
As a rational, thinking human it is my responsibility to plan ahead - to prepare myself to "handle it" - in anything I do. To reject advances in thought, knowledge, safety, methods, and/or materials will limit my ability to properly prepare or protect myself in most any area of my life. The worst possible mistake I can make at any time is to cop a "tradition" type attitude - as in "it's always been (or been done) this way - and new ways suck!" I limit my life, my safety, and my fun too much by doing so.
What advances? Who is rejecting anything? Is there a point to this that coincides with my statement that you quoted?
As a beginner, I know that learning to fly has a high “crash” probability – most likely after I’ve soloed and left the watchful hands of my competent instructor. Consequently, I'm preparing myself in the best ways possible so that a crash will not be difficult to handle. I've built a very tough, durable, and relatively easy to construct trainer to minimize any crash damage - and to eliminate or shorten any possible down time. I built the complete airframe for under $20.00 (and I have materials left over for additional fuses). If it's totaled it will have negligible financial impact. My free time is extremely limited so I picked a plane for a speedy build. I'd rather use the time learning to fly than spend it at the workbench.
Yup! I built a SPAD. A modified Debonair from [link=http://www.spadtothebone.com]SpadtotheBone[/link]
In the past, I've also built two balsa trainers. An ugly stick and another I can't remember the name of (it was the club recommended trainer choice at the time). There is absolutely no question which plane has the better chance of surviving and thriving in a newbies hands. All three are butt ugly. But the balsas are matchsticks - fragile things that will obviously shatter from modest impacts. My Spad trainer will take much more - and could easily survive and fly after Chris's "kick" test - most likely without any damage.
Learning to fly ... Hmmm! Probably gonna crash a time or two ... or at least have some hard landings. Hrmm! Let's see ... give me that flimsy, fragile, balsa trainer kit for $$ and 50 to 100 hours (or more?) build time. Wait, maybe I should have that flimsy, fragile, balsa trainer ARF for $$$ and 20 to 40 hours (or more) build time. I'm a masochist, you see! I like to cause myself grief...
Maybe you just don't have the aptitude to fly r/c aircraft? I learned to fly when there were no flight sims and no buddy boxes with a silk and doped balsa trainer I built and didn't crash it. When I do crash, I can repair it because I kno how. Nothing masochistic about it, but if you're stuck in worst case scenarios, it's no wonder you want expendable airplanes.