I have a buddy that has a electric 3d plane, I was looking into getting a hangar 9 tribute 36. Is this a good way to get into 3d flying, or are there cheaper ways to do it.

Can't beat a profile for 3D. The Tribute is a bit heavy, however for a turn key bird, it will work.

a simulator and a foamy,get a radio and powerplant that can be used in others after you destroy or get bored with the first one,or if money is real tight get a combo deal.The sim can provide many hours of confident building skills and fun.

if you can find one, get an EPP foamie.
they are a little floppy in flight but will foregive most mistakes and come back for more.

By 'easy' do you mean 'cheap'? There is no cheap way to get to 3D....period.

If you want to learn on the best 3D foamie ever made, go to http://www.chargerrc.com and get a Charger CR-1. (Hint: get the BEST setup you can afford, servos matter, motors matter etc). Here is the setup I learned/am learning with:

Airframe: Charger CR-1 foamie ($40). (If you are an advanced 3D'r, get the CR-260 for better harriers and rolling maneuvers...same price).
Servos: Futaba 3114 ($15X4) ($60)
Motor: Hacker 20-26M DO NOT COMPROMISE ON THIS ($50). Run an APC 10X4.7 prop...period.
Servos: 4X Futaba 3114 ($15 each)...($60)
ESC: any 20 amp or higher...(avoid hacker esc's) ($50)
Battery: THUNDER POWER 3S 1320 (Don't compromise on this either). ($55).
RX: The lightest you can find ($40)

This little foamie can be a trainer on low-rates, or a 3D MONSTER on high rates. They were flown extensively at the AMA show in Ontario, CA. I know most of the guys who flew them there.

IMHO, these foamies are the best, (and cheapest, by far), way to get into 3D flying. Once you have the setup, it's only $40 for new airframes. The best part is, they build in MINUTES. They snap-together and are ready to fly in an hour or two...REALLY. Get some foam-safe CA and activator for quick repairs.

This is the way to 3D, IMHO. Don't risk your $$ on junk planes. What you need is practice, and LOTS of it. Get your practice on an airplane that you can afford to replace occasionally, and one that builds quickly.

I don't recommend getting the landing gear. It adds weight and you can just as easily belly-in or catch the thing.

You can learn on the Tribute, but it's just not the same with regard to 3D...it's a different league.

I have been/am in your shoes. Get a foamie, fly it every single day and fly with people who can actually DO what it is you WANT to do.

Here is another link: http://www.teamflyingcirkus.com Go there, register and learn.

Good Luck!!

I don't know about the foamies, I've only had one and it didn't fly straight. I think the tribute was fine, alot of fun and cheap enough to replace if you need. imo you need some stability for harriers and hovering, and the bigger the better, obviously if you want to get into 3-d you know how to fly pretty good right, so move up a step not down, like the sig mayhem or fliton inspire, or a good profile. practice up high enough so you dont hit the ground, and practice ALOT on the simulator, imo the simulator is the VERY best prsactice tool. just my opinion, I could be wrong.

by easiest i mean least frustrating and most forgiving. I like the affordability of the tribute by hangar 9. also i live in an apartment so size does make a difference i had a 60 size uproar it was a good sport plane but naturally i want something more agile. as far as my flight experience i would consider myself to be pretty good, this is not my first parade! i like the arf idea no room to build in here.

I had the Tribute 3D and did the review on it for RCU. You can see how it performed in the video clips.. The thing is very durable and mine withstood several little disagreements with mother earth.. I finally destroyed the wing when I flew it into a flight station at the field while playing chicken with a PVC pipe . It was a good way for the plane to die. [8D]

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...article_id=776

It flies very well at 4.5 pounds with the Evolution 36. It does all 3D manuevers really well, rolls nice, flies nice and straight for a plane of its design. Its not foamy power with th .36 but it is just enough power to pull it out of a hover with good authority. With that being said, this airframe is built really light so I would recommend nothing larger than a .46 if you want the airframe to stay in one piece. If you put a larger engine on it chances are the mass of the egine is going to cause the wing securing structure to pull apart or the fuse may break in a blender.. But, putting a larger engine on the tribute would be like putting a 350 chevy in your jet ski,, its just not made for it.

i have read your review and seen every video of the tribute. It looks like a good plane. One concerne was the fuselage being weak, even though i will just run the evo 36 on it is it a good idea to reinforce the fuse around the wing saddle? i was going to get the pnp version are the servos in it up to par, for some serious stunts?

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Well it could not hurt. You might be able to lay a little carbon fiber mat in there without adding any weight.. Just thin the epoxy 50/50 with alcohol and put it on lightly. I would do it anywhere I could from the leading to the trailing edge in the saddle.... BUT, with the EVO 36 I really dont think it is necessary unless you just happen to get a 1 off weak fuse.

what do you think about the servos in it?

The 537's?? I love em.. I have used them in a couple of other planes since. They are not real fast but they hold well.. I just would not go really fast with them on a plane with large surfaces and use a lot of deflection. The Tribute is a 3D plane which means you fly SLOOOW.. If yougo too fast and get on the surfaces you are risking flutter with this or any other plane of similar size and design. They worked great on my H9 Spitfie and I am putting them on the ailerons for my new Mojo 60. I am using digitals on the rudder and elevator but that would be overkill on the ailerons.

sounds great! do you know of a small mojo in the 40 size?

How in the world did you get the tribute to hover with the .36 at 4.5 lbs. I put in an OS .40 SF and the airplane won't even climb vertical. Used hs-311 on throttle and S3003 everywhere else. They are lighter than teh JR 537. THe only difference was that i used a 6 volt pack, but using the Ar500 reciever compensated for it. Still with a 10X5 APC prop, the thing won't climb vertically. Even the .40SF is slightly lighter than the Evo .36. Mine came a little heavy from the factory and with fuel weighs 4.8 lbs.

Should i try using an 11X3 APC prop and removing the baffle in the muffler? I might even try 20/20 fuel.

+1 on the foamie and Sim.

For a foamie, I'm not going to link to our "competitors" lol, but I will tell you that one of the best 3D flying and most durable foamies money can buy right now is LeadFeather's 3d EPP Yak 55 on RCGroups. I've ordered and equipped 3 of them for under $200. They will last several hundred flights worth of hard 3D and crashes, and can be flown indoor or out @6oz RTF @ 32" WS. Google 3D EPP Yak 55 for info. My stuff should be in today or tomorrow!!! Yes I know 3D, but I need to work on my rolling harriers for my new giant scale plane first! Plus it allows me to fly indoors for winter. I don't think much will beat this, but there are a lot of foamies out there. My 2nd choice would probably be the "nasty", just google it as well.

I am not an expert however my PA Addiction is the slowest, easiest plane I have ever flown for 3D. I have some other ones that are slower flyers but not good for 3D. The addiction can hover with one hand on the throttle stick if it is trimmed right. I have never tried a foamy but started 3D with the Addiction and could get a 1-2 min hover in the first 8-10 tries. The biggest problem with it is wind. I got a sinulater for Christmas and it is harder to 3D on it than it is with the Addiction.