ORIGINAL: cheezer1222
My father and I are looking to try out control line. He used to fly control line way back when he was a kid, and thought he'd make another go of it. I've been doing a little research and have become intrigued and may try this out myself. I just purchase some cox sure start engines off of ebay and was thinking of putting one of them in an EZ Trainer (little $18 plane). Basically trying to get into this, spending as little money as possible (at first). I guess my question is, is there some sort of beginners guide that goes through the ins and outs of control line? How long the lines should be, starting/adjusting the engine, engine break in, fuel mixes, etc, etc. I have experience with nitro engines in rc cars, but only cars, my planes are all electric. So any advise that you can give, websites or guides would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to trying this out, it looks fun.
Also, I heard that something in the sure start engines needs to be reset or something. Is it highly recommended that I do that, or will it run fine without doing that? If so, is there a tutorial or something showing how to do it?
Cheezer, Control Line flying can be a " ....whole 'nother ball game." Actually, in my CL experience days, the 1/2A,
officially up to .049 cu. ins. engine displacement,
in reality up to a .15 engine, is, IMO, not much fun other than playing with youngster kids and grandkids.
From .19 upwards, there are lots of options to really do something with the machine. For starters, here is a good place to get some background information that will allow you to find usable answers to some of your questions. This is the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) Web Site for Competition Event Rules. If you read the various CL event rules, then you will learn a considerable amount of information concerning the spectrum of CL aeromodeling. Just looking over the event for what is is, rather than details, will provide good background knowledge.
http://www.modelaircraft.org/events/compreg.aspx
As icerinkdad stated, the place to learn what is available in the CL market is Brodak. OTOH SIG,
http://www.sigmfg.com/, also has a fair amount of CL products. Worth a look-see.
The Profile type models that are in the .19-.40 engine size can provide very nice flying times. .29-.35 was always a good choice.
Best of luck and stay far away from electric power lines of any kind. While the AMA Safety Code says "2. I will ensure that my flying area is clear of all utility wires or poles and I will not fly a model aircraft closer than 50 feet to any above-ground electric utility lines." I recommend that you double that distance to 100 ft. Too many folks have made their last flight because of ignoring that simple item.
Best of luck to you and have fun. [8D]