ORIGINAL: ctsieber
ORIGINAL: F-18
I am new to r.c planes and i don't know what planes to buy that will get me ready for a jet turbine. I am thinking of a hangar9 alpha 60 for my trainer. I am also thinking of the hangar9 extra 260 27% for my second or third plane. But i have no clue what to buy that will prepare me for a jet like the skymaster F-18E.
LOTS AND LOTS OF EXPERIENCE. an extra is not a 2nd plane, more like a 4th or 5th.
Both of these statements are very true. You might want to ask this in the Jet forum.
I think I would go something like this, be prepared to break out the credit card, you're gonna need it
1 season on a good trainer, you have made a good choice there
1 season on a good second plane like a Tiger of 4 Star
2 - 4 seasons on highly aerobatic models in the 25% to 30% range
Maybe one or two seanson in 40% plus planes
During all this tme try to find someone around with Jet experience. In the US I beleive you need an actual checkout (test) for them. Plan on the engine running anywhere from 1500 bucks on up. Airframs for about the same amount, servos costing $100.00 or more each
A decent first Jet can run upwards or $5000 but most of the ones I like go into the $10,000 range. We will not even get into the amount of money Jet-A fuel costs and the amount you burn in 10 minutes plus I think you also need a permit to purchase it (not sure if that is true though)
Most of the guys I have spoken to at Jet Rallies had roughly 500 plus hours in Giant scale planes alone (does not include trainers, second plane and 30% planes) with advanced training and a competition background. You need to understand that you are looking to fly a plane with extremely high wing loading that needs to takeoff in the 50mph range, land at the same speed and is complicated with retracts, brakes, flaps. Your support equipment will not be cheap either and from what I have learned not much if anything from your glow/gas planes will carry over.
I'm not trying to disappoint you in the least. I'm stating somethings I have found out in time. Some people are naturals at it. Please, do not take any full scale time that you may have and think it carries over. It does not with one exception, aerodynamic principal. Pleasew take you time before moving to a Jet.
Actually, I just read your posts in the Jet forum. You are getting great advice in there. Please follow it
I also see that you have been asking basically the same questions everywhere else in the beginners forum and jet forum and the concensus is start small. You mentioned in one post that you are saving for college and will be starting college in 2 or 3 years. Trust me, a decent starter jet will easily be about 1 years tuition for a local college