ORIGINAL: bryris
Being a college student on a limited budget, I am unable to buy all the components for my LT-40 right away. My plan is to start assembling the kit, then later down the road, the servos, then the motor, etc. This way, I can use a little chunk of each paycheck to buy the parts instead of doing it all now.
Can I assemble the kit now, then add the other parts later on, when the kit is almost completed? Or will I need to purchase the motor and servos during the construction process? I know the LT-40 comes in an ARF format...wait...so maybe I just answered my own question....
Since I typed it out already, any input?
Bryan
You have gotten some good information here.
The radio or the engine...An ARF......Hmmmm..... If you have to drill holes in the firewall to fasten the motor mount, I would say get the engine first. Many times access to the rear of the firewall for installation of the blind nuts is limited and you may need to adjust the width of the motor mount (depending on type of mount). If you don't have to drill any holes for the motor mount, the choice is up to you. If you get the engine first you can break it in. If you get the radio first you can read up on the instructions.
A suggestion: Get a computer radio, preferably a 6 channel. I know they are a little more than the 4 channel ones and you might say "I don't need all those fancy things", but you will grow into the radio. One BIG plus to a computer radio is that they have multiple model capability. You can store the settings for several different models instead of having to "retrim" every time you grab a different plane. I have a Futaba 6XAS. I wish I had bought that initially. 8 months after I started flying I went out and bought it - I could have saved over $200 by spending an additional $50 to begin with.
Just my $0.02 worth