I'm interested into getting into 3D flying. Whats a good arf to start with?
I want one that can hover easily, yet good enough to good most if not all 3D manuvers.

Marks90004

How much do you want to spend? What size are you looking at?

Most of the little 3D foamies are great to learn on. Good cheap (ish) fun.

40 sized 3D arfs are ok. 120 sized are better. (constant cord wing)

Then there is IMAC stlye planes. Which are probably the best you can get.
Composite-Arf Extra 2.6 will do just about anything. (just to mention one arf that is available. In the USA you have access to a bunch of different makers of ARFs)

Cheers
Buzz

the funtana 90 is a great 3D ARF not beginner but for the price its worth 209$ its great match a saito 100 and its fun i only reccomend this cause largert planes are easier to 3D with trust me you will love it just build it smart and use a low pitch prop this is a pulling plane. good luck if you have any questions feel free to ask

Thanks for the help guys. I have a saito 100 to go on whatever 3D plane I choose.
I've seen the .90 Funtana. Looks great. Though the guy who had it where I fly couldn't hover it all too well.
I don't know if it's the plane or him. He seemed to be a very accomplished pilot, whereas I'm just starting 3D.
So I would need something easier to hover.

The .40 size 3D planes would suit me more just cause of transportation issues. ie. small car.
I've looked at the following planes:

3D Funtana (H-9)
U-Can-Do 3D (GP)
3D flip (Kyosho)

Out of these, which would you pick? Are there any other ARF's you all recommend?

the funtana 3D or 40 is great it was my first 3D plane but comparing it beside the funtana 90 the the 90 is total better but put an aft cg on the 40 size and you will have a great time but you will notice its a bit mor jittery and touchy on the controls all i can say it bigger is better and that 100 will do perfectly on the 90 funtana

He said small plane, so Funtana 90 is out no matter how much you like it.

Funtana 40 is a bit more aggressive than you'd want for a first 3d plane. Try that 100 on a UCD 46. I'd say Flip, as I think it flies better, but is more money and you can't get replacement parts cheaply.

Thanks for the tip. I've done aerobatics before (giles-202,ultimate bipe).
But again I've never tried 3D. I like the funtana.
Would you think the funtana .40 would still be a handful for me?

Also, would the funtana do hovers, full power flat spins, etc?
What can't it do?

I like the look of the funtana more than the UCD.
I know for sure the UCD can do just about anything.

Freestyle Rush with a ys 63.

I just retired my GP Giles 46 and started flying the Funtana 40. I think you’re probably in my boat in that you’re looking for a plane to keep developing your aerobatic skills and learn some 3D. If you like the look of it better than the UcanDo, I think you should go for the Funtana 40. I’ve been flying mine for almost a month now. I have a OS 0.91 Surpass II in it, and I’ve been starting to learn to hover it. I’m still hovering at 100ft to be safe, and I can get it to hang motionless for 10 seconds or so after about a dozen flights of practice. Now if I can only figure out what to do when it torques around and it’s belly is facing me, I’ll be fine :P
I think that the review of the Funtana 40 on rcuniverse includes a video of the Funtana 40 flying with a Saito 100.
For normal flying, it’s easier to fly and land than my GP Giles, so I don’t think you have to be worried about it being too much for you. The other differences about it I’ve noticed are that the snaps are not quite as crisp (probably because of the thick wing), and it pulls towards the belly in knife edge much more than the Giles does.
My vote is for the Funtana.
Tom

Tommy,
I am getting the funtana soon and I want to put a .91 4s on it. Does yours pull it around good, and how much throttle does it take to hover?
Thanks

try the .40 sized edge profile from Extreme Flight RC. well worth every penny. extreme flight has already raised the bar for arf quality.

The 91 is TONS of power for the funtana.
Mine seems to hover at just past half... but the throttle response isn't that linear on my stick. I think the engine is probably making about 75% of its power when I'm at half stick (hovering). I have plenty of power so that when I do fall out of hovers, I barely loose any altitude... it just sort of flies out. I'm still using a 15x6 APC though. I'm going to switch to a 15x4W when I get the chance. That should make things even better

Flying with the 91 basically consists of cruising around with the engine just above idle... and then using more throttle when you need vertical.

Only downside is that the OS 91 seems to weigh alot. My flying weight is around 6 lbs... where most people with Saitos are advertising about 5.5lbs. Even at 6 lbs, the plane floats like a trainer though.

Tom

Alright, thanks. I havent decided which brand I will get(Hope its a Saito or YS but probably a magnum).

the ys will blow you away

Ill get a YS if i find a good deal. Theres about a 0% chance of that. Ill probably have $150 to spend on engine. Lookin for some good used 4s .91

trust me man. if you buy a ys now you wont be buying a more powerful engine for that plane later. it is well worth the extra $$

Well the only money ill have is B'day(turn 15) money and maybe a few extra bucks from side jobs. I already have to buy 1 high torque servo and maybe a reciever, and epoxy, more CA. i hope to have a job by next summer so I can really take hold of the hobby. I get up just enough money every month to buy fuel(actually I owe $17.00 for a gallon of 30%). But ill see what I can do to get that YS. YS or Saito is what I want. The Funtana will be my second plane. I have almost worn out my trainer doing knife edge, hover for about 3 sec., and flying combat(I got a cut the other day but I almost lost my tail from all that yankin and bankin). It may take a month or two to get this Funtana finished because im a really slow builder, and lack of money, but as long as I have it finished by late Sept.(Mall Show) Ill be happy.
Thanks

Hey....


Any of you guys heard of the Freestyle Rush? One of the guys here recommended it for a 3D plane. I want to know more if any of you have any information on it.

just to let u know,TPierce , i have the UCD on a cheap Towerhobbies .61 bb abc and i can hover at 1/2 throttle. it has unlimited vertical. Mine climbs a lot faster than my friend's who has a Saito .91 in his.

think about it for your funtana, only $89 [link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXUR77&P=ML]http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXUR77&P=ML[/link]

im also 15


TTYL<
Andrew T.

tpierce, i am 14 and i definatly know what money restraints are. i make some extra $ by recycling aluminum cans and it takes me over a year of scrounging money to pay for a new plane, but it is well worth it. when you get a 3d plane, all that extra "no benifit" extra stuff suddenly has a great deal of benifit to you. partly because your skills have improved, partly because the plane is more responsive. i saved up and saved up and sold everything i did not need and bought an EF yak with a 110 and digital servos all around and i would have waited twice that long for how happy i am with this. it really does make a difference. keep saving up. that's all i can say. ask any of us kids here on rcu. it is tough

Thanks guys,
Im really lookin for a 4s. We have a guy at our glub that will sell me his Magnum .91 for $90 so Ill probably settle for that and upgrade later. Im gonna sell my TT Pro .46 and an old Top flite Sierra Kit and a few other things and maybe I can get that YS. Its good to know how many other teens are out there on the forums that We talk to all the time and never realize it.
later,
Trent

I have a UCDO 46 with a Saito 82 and I never fly at full throttle unless Im pulling vertical out of a hover...I had a Funtana 40 with the same engine and I liked it a lot except it had a nasty tip stall which finally did it in Its built well and goes together easily floats in for landings and has an awesome roll rate!!!..The UCDO is very forgiving(more so than the Funtana) and will do all the 3d you want It also floats in like a trainer..Do a search on the funtana and youll gets lots of good info..there is a good thread about the tip stall issue that you should read..has lots of good info in it...good luck!!1

tommy321, when your plane starts to torque roll and the belly is facing you push your rudder towards the low wing. It take a bit of practice to get used too!

I would recommend the UCD, though I may be slightly biased

I have a Saito .91 on mine and it has very good power.

Waterfalls, walls, blenders and flatspins are great. Flatspins are flatter inverted than upright. Knife edge spins are great and so fast it's almost a blur.

Harriers are not the best, even with spoilerons there is a good amount of wing rock. I haven't really messed with elevators yet so I can't comment. I have heard that it elevators really well, and I've also heard that it rocks badly.

Knife edge stinks(pitches hard to the belly and rolls opposite of rudder input), I had to mix it out with my radio, and even now it's better, but not great(still tweaking though).

Hovers are easy, if I could just hold them for longer...

I really can't speak about the Funtana as I've only flown one once and didn't really do much with it. I think that the UCD would be a little better choice for a first 3D airplane because it is more forgiving. True it's not the best looking, but you're trying to learn, not win a beauty contest. I was able to get my UCD for about 30 bucks less than the Funtana 40, FWIW.

I'd pass on the Flip due to the price. I really don't know anything about it, either.

tommy321, some more advice on the torque roll, when the belly is toward you push the rudder in the direction you want the tail to go, thats how i do it so all i got to focus on is the tail section or about midway down the fuse. that is the way i learned. good luck!