I gotta ask. Do you like to work with wood? And how often would you like to work with it? How much money do you want to spend on this hobby? Do you like spending money to fix things?
Do you think that you'll like to fly more than build?
Or build more than fly?
Simple scenario.
You drive to field 15 - 30 minutes
You set up your field box and plane 5 - 10 minutes.
You secure a channel and get ready to fly. 5 - 10 minutes
Yada yada yada
You take off (usuming you have some experiance) And possibly fly for 10 - 15 minutes.
Come around for landing and bounce. Prop strikes BROKEN PROP.
Ok this would not be a big deal. happens to all.
Replace prop 5 minutes
Take off
fly. Do loop and lose some altitude. Butt clenches but it pulls out.
fly more and enjoy the next 5 minutes.
Time to land. you bring the plane around and out of fuel.
DEADSTICK! No big deal just grease her in. Small cross wind.
Plane handles funny for beginner... And you miss the run way. Plane flips smacks tail on ground.
BROKEN prop (maybe) Broken Vertical Stab Probibly.
Pack up go home.
Cut away covering and glue back pieces. Recover tail.
This assumes you have bought the $30 worth of equipment to recover it.
Wait till tomorrow to fly again. Or maybe next weekend.
Tomorrow comes wind is at 15MPH too much to risk your newly repaired plane Maybe next time.
Maybe you decide to risk it like I did once. and Take off!
Wind catches wing and flips plane sideways. plane gets away from you and hits ground wing tip first.
Odds of wing living through this 1,000,000 : 1
Ok busted wing. Feeling of doubt and loss sets in.
Take it home may have the plans and easily take off covering. and make repairs. First time I did this it took 4 days and the wing was built back with a little twist in it. Now plane not so pretty.
That is a tale of a BALSA plane. YOu may like it I did not. I have built one plane from a laser cut kit and covered it. Took me close to a month of afternoons after work and looked really nice when I was done. I actually felt like I had accomplished something. Installed the engine and gear. Looked good felt good. but never saw fuel. It still hangs in my work room. looks real pretty there. Lot better looking than in a trash sack making toothpicks.
To all his own oppinion and this was mine. This is a true tail of my experiances. I built more than I flew. I didn't like that and almost sold all my gear from this. I love to fly I love to question flight characteristics. I love to design but I hate to build with wood. I like spads Maybe you would too. If you happen to live in Cleburne TX or near or would like to drive there. I would love to show you spads. I would even GIVE YOU ONE! Or even show you how to build them. Give you enough supplies to build you first 2 planes. Or more. That's the spad way.
So buy a balsa plane if you can afford it. If not build a spad. Fly that balsa plane and when it crashes cause it will one day and you try to fix it and it looks like crap or takes too long to fix. Ask yourself if you'd rather be flying.
Imagine this. With spads some call open combat. Last plane standing.! They are that cheap. WOuld you ever buzz the runway to knock over milk jugs with your wings with a balsa plane?
lmcruz This is basically the same as the LT-40 FLies the same looks the same just a lot tougher and easier to repair.
But that's ok SPADS look like kids built them.
Sorry this is so long winded just telling my oppinion.
It all in what you like. Don't let people tell you that these planes fly any different. They do not. It's all in the way they are built.
Time all it adds up to.
Maybe all these Balsa flyers are in denial. They just can't believe they spent over $1,000 on all the stuff that they use to build their planes. when a couple pieces of sandpaper, vinyl razors, straight razors, , saws, Screwdrivers, Stickers and glue is all we need.
Hmm $100 for one plane $20 for 5 planes hmm hard choice.