ORIGINAL: blacktails
I'm going to give RC planes a try (at age 53), and will soon be shopping for a good ARF trainer. I have a few questions about some things that I hope you guys can help me with.
1st: Should I be looking for a 40 or 60 sized plane, and what are the advantages of one over the other?
I would opt for a .60size ARF. its bigger so its' easier to see and it's a little more stable. At age 53 I'm not sure if your eyes are as good as they used to be but chances are they are not so bigger helps here.
A .40 size trainer is not much smaller but they do fit into cars a little easier; the 100mm less on wingspan and length helps.I chose a .40 size trainer for this reason. I had 1.55m space and a Green Model Tempo just fit.It was also the largest 40 size trainerI could find. It's about 10cm larger in spoand and length than a Primary 40 but just as lightand not as strong.
I powered it with a GMS2000 0.47 engine and its a screamer,. good throttle response, excellent power, responds well to tuning needles and its easy and cheap to run. Can't recommend it more.
Trainers tends to be larger than regular .40 or .60 size planes
2nd: I have a pickup with a 5 1/2 ft. bed, which will possibly limit me on the wingspan of whatever I buy. Are the wings for trainers transportable in 2 halves, or are all trainer wing halves glued together into one long wing? This really is the key factor in whatever plane I end up buying.
Wings for trainers don;t have to be permanently joined but they do have to be temporarily joined via a strap tp preventthey coming apart in flight. both a .40 size and .60 size will fit into a 5 1/2 foot load bed.
3rd: I'd prefer a plane that uses wing bolts, unless they really aren't recommended for beginners. The rubber bands look bad to me and look like an alignment hassle. Are there any recommended trainers that use wing bolts, or should I stick to rubber bands?
stick to rubber bands. When you crash they allow the wing to move , limiting damage. They also make alignment easier believe it or not. Often with ARF's youhave alignment issues with factory fitted blind nuts and other parts so often you will have to re-work the airframe. Rubber bands are quick and easy and if you fitted rubber strip between on the Fuselage where the wing rests they won't slip in flight. Stick with rubber bands here.
4th: As for the engine, I'll buy whatever size is recommended for whatever size plane I get. However, I happen to have a VERY, VERY old (25+ years) K&B 40 that is basically new, with probably only a couple of hours on it, if that. It has been properly stored, so it should run fine. If I end up buying a 40 sized plane, would this be okay to use, or should I just buy a modern .46 engine instead?
Chances are that K&Bis going to be down on power compared to a modern chinese made .4 through to .47 engine. You don;t want under powered because it makes take off and landing a hassle. If you learning to land youoften need to go around to get your approach right. An under powered aircraft will make it stressful. With power you can fly out of a stall and go around to try again. Save the K&Bfor a .40 size Piper cub or similar once you have more experience.
5th: I do have a NIB Saito FA62a that I bought along with a Pulse XT 40 ARF. I was going to start off learning with these until I was later advised I'd be much better off to learn on a high wing trainer first. Should I run the Saito in my first trainer, or should I save it until I am skilled enough to fly the Pulse XT?
Four Strokes can bedifficult to tune and set up for beginners. However, they are not difficult to understand and if you have an instructor he/she should be able to educate you on tuning and seting up the 4 stroke. Two Strokes are more forgiving to accidents and cheaper to replace inthe event of a bad accident. My head would say get a two stroke with your trainer and keep the Pulse XT as is with motor till you are ready for your second plane. Your trainer will have taught you everything you need to know to get the max out of the Pulse XT by then.
Your trainer will be the plane you will spend the most amount of time with. Get to know it intimately. but always, always, apply "Keep It Simple Stupid"
Worked for me. the result is I ent from complete novice to Intermediate flyer in less than 3 months.
Focus on one plane, lear everything you can about trimming, engine set up, altering CG nd the impact on flight characterisics, etc etc on this one plane. If you get a good education you can aply it to any other aircraft thereafter.