ORIGINAL: destinyy
I've heard that several models of airplane make a "GOOD first aileron" trainer." But why? What determines that? What makes one aileron model better than another in general? I've been looking at a few models (for example see below) and just thinking ahead to the future, wondering how it is that some can claim to be good "first" 4-channel trainers and others don't make that claim. Can someone help me understand? If you're familiar with the Mountain Models line for example, is the DandySport really easier to fly than the MiniFlash? Is the SmoothE a better first trainer than the DandySport? And why would that be the case, if so?
Here are some of the examples I'm looking at (what makes any of these a 'better' first trainer than another?)
Hi there, again! Not a dumb question at all.
I can speak for the Dandy. It's mild mannered with the Sport wing. I have both the balsa and the foam Sport wings and the airplane is a stable and docile aileron trainer.
There's nor particular magic to learning ailerons - you pretty much fly the same as a rudder/elevator plane. On the transmitter you set the right stick for aileron roll with right/left movement, have elevator as before with up/down. Rudder gets moved over to the left stick, which it shares with the throttle.
To turn you use the right stick same as you do with a 3-channel plane.
What makes one airplane a better trainer than another is stability. The Dandy Sport, the SmoothE and the EStarter share some design commonalities: some wing dihedral which adds to stability in the roll axis, and a fairly long moment arm from wing to tailplanes, making response on the pitch and yaw axes more gradual than will be found with the MiniFlash, which is "short-coupled." The Mini Flash is shorter from wing to tailplanes meaning that response to pitch and yaw will be more quick and pronounced .... probably more than a beginner can handle. That is what makes it a great aerobatic and 3D plane.
I love my Dandy Sport, and I liked having the GT wing to move up to without having to get an entire new airplane. The GT wing is symmetrical, has no dihedral and a bit less span than the Sport wing, so it's a good way to transition to the next level of flying with a familiar airplane.
Hope this has helped some.
Best,
BobbyG