Howdy folks,
first off a thanks to this "family", been reading your posts now for days (no joke) and your feedback is the reason I'm gonna lay yet another newbie thread on you.
My older son (5yr) is fascinated by "remote planes" and basically wants me to buy that cool-looking ducted fan MiG... right. I've been enamored with the sport for, oh, 15 years? And of course, did it all the wrong way. Here's my pitiful history:
Quite a few years ago I had built an all-wood glider. I was a teenager then, and impatience was strong. Short story: I botched the plane together. But: it actually would have flown, had it not been for a misinterpretation of the effect the elevator throw has: I was convinced that elevator-up meant the nose goes down. I couldn't figure out why, when I'd PULL on the stick (elevator down) the dang plan kept burrying it's nose in the ground. Ok, brief temperamental interlude (remmeber I was a teen) and the plan was on more.
My second attempt was to get a Groupner ARF electric motor glider. Much smarter. Except I was still impatient. Maidenflight with a few trees strewn liberally about, and a school's soccer stadium close by -- with tall, metal floodlight masts.
On one gentle bank I misjudged the distance to the masts and the glider gently wrapped its wing around the immovable steel pole.
Good thing that it was an ARF - I was able to buy a replacement wing quickly.
Second attempt was in an area about 500 feet wide, a mile long, bordered by trees. And a creek in the middle. In that lovely area, and on that day, wind was prevalent but I figured I'd be fine.
Well, as soon as the glider got 30 feet high, a gust flipped it upside down and it spiralled - into the creek, where to my surprise the motor kept running, and the plane was turning lazy circles.
It dried out well enough, a marvel of modern engineering.
It's last flight was on a beautiful summer evening, 9ish PM. Light wind. So I pitch it into the wind, and it's great.
But like a moron, I didn't realize that it's a GLIDER, ie, once the initial few minutes of motor are gone, I have no power.
The plane is like 150feet up, and I had it go up pretty much above me - not so smart: the wind soon takes the plane with it, gently, but farther and farther away, until, with increasing twilight, I can't see whether the plan is pointing toward me or not. Not much of a flyer, it didn't occur to me to try a slow turn - I panicked and used full throws and the plane just flipped and tumbled.
At some point I sighed, and gave up. Turn off the radio, and followed the plane.
I found it 5 min later. It had burried itself in a field, not 50 yards away from farmers working it. What a sad sight. I think one wing was still recognizable, and so was part of the tail.
Back to today:
I want to get started and have a couple ideas: I want an ARF or RTF. I want electric. I want a rig that is affordable, and lets me grow a little. Not interested in 3D or acrobatics, or scale. Just want to fly. Have logged WAY to many hours on a sim (A-10, A-10 Cuba) that has decent flight dynamics, I am told. These days I fly with the mouse and still kill
Just got the FMS sim, too.
From your posts, it looks like I should go with
- a gentle trainer (high wings, slow flight)
- foam
- 6ch computer radio
- find a club/trainer
Here my questions and concerns:
- most trainers seem to come with Rudder/Elev/Throttle. Having witnessed the effect of wind from the side, I am stuck on thinking my trainer should have ailerons, too. Reasonable? Too much for starters? Thoughts?
- I initially looked at kits (EasyStar, NexStar, SuperStar) because I get all I need under 250ish. Some recommend getting a 150-200 radio - leaving me with 50 for a plane.
- as you can tell from the above, getting a feel for how far the plane is with respect to them plane grabbers is something I yet have to learn. Is this pure experience? Or maybe avoidance might be better...
- how do you gauge whether the wind is too much? I have no idea how to tell whether I have 5mph or 20 mph winds.
- I live in Berkeley, CA, and am looking for someone to coach me - who's close by. Any of you out here?
- I *think* a powered trainer is th eway to go because it can pull me out of bad approaches - which a glider won't. What do you think?
So if you had to recommend a plane/radio combo, what would you give to a novice? Why?
Can't wait to read your feedback - thanks a bunch!
-sven