I have been in this for a while now. I have built one kit, a Goldberg Tiger 2. I have bought 3 RTF planes, A Megatech nitro airstrike that I crashed because I had no help and made a stupid error.I left the antenna somewhere not in the radio. $450 dollar oops. I have a hobbistar 60 mkIII great plane, would not really call it a great trainer however. It needs a faster touchdown then an avistar or tower trainer, it looks a bit scary to a first timer. It freaked me out compared to the megatech. I also have the hanger 9 P-51 PTS. I have assembled several ARF planes. I like these better then the RTF myself.

Let me get to the point here, none of these planes were really ready to fly. All of them needed a going over by someone that knew what to look for. All of them had things that should likely be addressed. I handled the last one on my own. All of them had wood and glue joints that needed hardened at the least. All of them needed a good deal of fuel proofing.

Some of them needed structure additions to make them a bit stronger, one a phoenix models strega, could have used entirely new landing gear blocks before it ever rolled down the runway. Absolutely all of them required a little knowledge of covering.

The Megatech was not a good plane, I should have found help before I ever made the purchase and would strongly suggest anyone do the same. I love my Hobbistar, I can fly it in wind like no other in my hanger. It amazes me just what it will do every time I fly it. It however punched the control rods through an aileron on the 4th flight. Since, I and some help have modded in another aileron servo and it uses control horns instead of the rod inside the aileron.Something I would have had no clue about without help from the club.

My Tiger 2, best overall plane in my hanger bar none. I built it, I covered it, I flew its maiden. I HAD TO HAVE SO MUCH HELP FOR THAT PILE OF STICKS I COULD HAVE PULLED MY HAIR OUT !!!! (mostly covering, glue was easy)
The best thing I could have done was build this kit.

I understand so much more about the structure of the planes I love to fly that I now go over every joint and piece of wood in my ARF planes as I build them. They all have something that could be better. EVERYONE should build at least one kit. It will help, and when that thing leaves the runway the first time and actually flies and flies well, what you feel is something everyone flying should feel at least once. When she comes in and the oldtimers come and pat you on the back and you are really in the club, well that is another great feeling. I am the only one in my club that actually likes ARF planes. They all have them but they love kits, plain and simple.

All of this rant of mine has some simple points. Everyone will do better in this "hobby" with help.
No plane is ready to fly until someone that knows what these planes need says its ready. If it is your first plane you are not that somebody.

I guess I am posting this because I do not feel like a beginning pilot anymore, I just want to post the most important things I have learned for someone that needs to know.

Find a club. Ask questions. Learn to fly on a buddy box.Let someone else check your plane out we all have our own way of seeing good and bad in a build.
Do this right. It don't get much better.



Phoenix.