ORIGINAL: isaacsgs
the problem I have is that I don't know how serious I am going to get into this hobby, and do not want to dump a bunch of money into something that will just sit in my basement and collect dust. I also wanted to stay with electrics because someone told me that glow was messy. Any thoughts on this?
Yes, many. I've only skimmed through the answers so far, but I do see a familiar pattern emerging. Many people are trying to steer you away from electric. Keep in mind that this particular beginner forum is inhabited mostly by people who fly glow. You are seeing this bias. It is true, glow planes require cleaning. The oil from the fuel does not burn completely, and depending on where the muffler points, you may have some slime to clean off. The good news is that in reality, the plane can be cleaned in less than 2 minutes with a bottle of cleaner (I use Simple Green) and some paper towels or rags. For me it's not a big deal.
One more question. I have a 6 year old son that is also wanting to try this hobby. How old should he be before I let him try?
Every kid is different. Put him on a simulator on the computer and see how he does. I've seen kids at this age flying on their own, with an adult standing nearby.
Guess I am just in a pickle as to whether to bite the bullet.
I say bite it. R/C planes are great fun. It will be a great activity for you and your son.
Now on to the basic question, electric or glow. I must say, I am clearly in the glow camp. I've got 25+ engines and 6 flyable planes. However, I will never attempt to steer someone who is interested in electrics toward glow. Electrics can be a great way to start flying. They are cleaner, quieter, simpler to operate, and because they are typically smaller, fly slower and are therefore easier to learn with. So, I say if you're interested in electrics to start with then go electric. However, if your only objection to glow is that someone told you they are messy, go check them out before deciding.
Next issue, ailreons or not? People who have never flown without ailerons will try to convince you that it's boring. I learned with a .15 size 3 channel glow plane. I can tell you that this was far from boring. Other than not being able to roll around the axis of the plane, there was little that I couldn't do with this thing. The most recent plane I purchased was a GWS Slow Stick, a 3 channel electric. I bought this because it was a small, slow, and simple to fly plane. Once it's together I will be able to take it to the street and fly. I've seen video of someone doing 3D stuff with this plane.
So, if you want to go electric, no problem. Get yourself a good, basic plane, the Slow stick is one example, 3 battery packs, a field charger that can charge 2 packs at once, such as the Hobbico Quick Field Charger Mark II, a basic 4 channel radio, and have yourself a ball. Oh, and you should also find someone to help you learn. You'll get flying faster, and spend less (perhaps no) time repairing.