I have flown a Nexstar for a full season last year, with no incidents. The plane was sold last December, to help cover the cost of car repairs. I brought part of a new plane to a local field, to determine how to glue up a few joints. The instructor was helpful in illustrating the proper technique, and showing me his model for reference. Mind you, this is a field that I would visit frequently, from time to time, to watch the RC planes in action. They just seem more interesting than anything full-scale. Besides, watching airplanes at the local airport has become an illegal act of terrorism these days, literally.

After showing me the good fastening technique he used, he seemed rather surprised: "Is that the wing to a Nexstar?". "No", I responded, "It's the wing to a Cessna". The guy looked puzzled, and said "I have no clue as to who you are, and I have never seen you fly here before". Then: "And then all of a sudden, you bring a Cessna!?" I emphatically stated that I soloed last year, and that I was certified at another club, and have the papers to prove it. I even had my AMA card in hand. I then stated: "I was not intending this for a trainer, but as a second plane, for its docile flying characteristics, and its affordable price." Another club member verified that Cessna's fly very much like trainers, except land slightly faster and handle better in wind. The Cessna on RealFlight compares favorably to the Nexstar, and is among the easiest planes for me to fly, on that simulator. In fact, the Cessna was easier for me than the PT-40.

I have read other postings, where a model Cessna seems to be the villain of scale models, ranking right up there with Cubs and war birds, maybe even scarier! I often wonder if they're feared as much as jets? OK, so the Cessna will look nice in my living room (I'll need to find some place to display it properly, it won't fit on top of my fridge). Meanwhile, I guess I'm off to get another trainer, as per his recommendation: "I think you're biting off a bit more than you can chew, but you do your own thing, I'm not to blame if you won't listen to my advice". Again, I am fine with getting another trainer, no problem. Besides, I need something to knock around with should I decide to have the Cessna stuffed and mounted as a hangar queen.

Back to the villain: Well, are they really that bad? Are people really afraid of them? Do they bite? I once tried to get a rattlesnake, to keep as a speciman, but decided against it for liability reasons. Maybe the Cessna would make a good substitute! But honestly, folks. I have read more crash reports on Nexstars than I have on Cessnas. What gives? Are 4-Stars and Tiger-2s an unspoken AMA rule that should never be broken? Could there be suspician among people in a club when ever someone brings something that they might consider as too "different"? Is there a possibility that clubs may be reluctant to let some people fly there, even if it's a public field and club membership is not required? Could situations like this be a contributing factor to the decline of AMA memberships, and the rapid growth of small electrics and helis?

NorfolkSouthern

Essentially...Yes.

FWIW a very scale Cessna was my second R/C plane. I had actually bought a hot biplane second but realized after a few flights, successful I might add, I should buy something a little less aerobatic. I was totally self taught but continued to fly the Cessna for years. Actually, the Cessna was one of the few planes that I truly wore out, engine and all. My very first plane was a glider, which I still have.

Sometimes I think I was fortunate not to have some of the help commonly offered. I had zero erroneous precepts imposed upon me.

My thought process is if you have qualms then maybe it is not right for you now but if you feel comfortable with it by all means carry on.

NorfolkSouthern,I'm not quite sure what to say about the attitude of the instructor you mention, but why should he care if you brought a wing for a DC-3? As for the Cessna, you didn't mention what size, etc., but I have a 1/5th scale 182 and it flies like it has eyeballs. A very nice flier, and I think the Cessna would be a good choice for a second plane. You mention that it's a public field that you were at, my suspicions are that if there is a club using that facility, they'll be reluctant to have someone unknown to them possibly get their activities stopped. I'm also wondering how he knew you were biting off more than you could chew if he stated before that he didn't even know you? Hmm, how could he have known your flying abilities? They have to also remember that it is a public place, it's a sticky wicket, our club had just this problem many years ago. The Cessna is my favorite airplane, so I can't say anything bad about it. My Cessna flies like a big trainer only it looks a lot better and is easier to fly.

Norfolk Southern, Kind of hard to discern what is your persceptions and what was reality! Anyone who has been around the hobby for a while would understand a high wing Cessna is a great and docile airplane, only a step up from a trainer. If your comfortable with a trainer, this is a logical next step. Always remember, Although a single R/Cer might be a member of the AMA, they may not be doing a good job of representing the AMA. The same holds true for a local club.

There are plenty of knot heads in R/C, just as there are plenty in every day life. Find a club that seems more friendly if you can! I'm a member of one, so I know they exist!

Obviously you are building a kit. I say right on!

Were you a model railroader at one time?

I'm thinking that maybe he's afraid of that nice, wide fuselage and perhaps what could be stuffed in it. For all I know, he might think I'm planning to fly it into a stadium or something. The plane is a .40 size. Lately, I've been playing with a 1/4 scale Piper Cub on RealFlight. It's a tough one to handle, and if you don't know how to use the rudder, it can and will tip stall, even when making a turn (no bank and yank!). If you land too hard, the landing gear will break. Use too much elevator during takeoff, and it'll do a somersault and land on its back, or it will dip a wing and cartwheel. Use too much elevator in turns, and it'll capsize like an overloaded canoe. You can't do rolls with it. I got to where I can actually takeoff, fly the thing, and then and then land it without any trouble most of the time. It's my favorite plane on the simulator because it's so unforgiving!

Download it and try it if you have RealFlight 3.5:

http://www.knifeedge.com/forums/down...do=file&id=868

And yes, DelRay. It makes the Cessna fly like it's got eyeballs.

NorfolkSouthern

Cessnas are great second planes.


50%

Thanks, 50% and Mode_One. I am, absolutely, sticking with my Cessna. The Cessna's not a kit, it's an ARF. I decided on that, because I want to make sure I can do the final assembly before going with another kit. I built an Eagle before, all the way up to the covering only to end up selling it many years ago. It would have been a nice plane, it went together very well. Whoever has it now I'm sure has probably put more than 100 flights on it.

As for the nick: I'm not a model railroader, and I don't work for the Norfolk Southern. It actually comes from a horn that was commonly used on that Railroad, one of my favorites: The Nathan 3rd Generation P5. People say it has an awful sound, a cross between that of a table saw and a bench grinder. With a bit of marching band mixed in! Here's a video of one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7OqvOVivHI

NorfolkSouthern

"An awful sound,a cross between a table saw and a bench grinder, with a little marching band mixed in". That's funny, good luck with the new Cessna.

Then you have done better than most students. Lots of veterans would like to get though a whole season without scratching a plane.

Believe me, the Cessna will be easy for you. Just get an experienced guy to trim it out and stay with you until you are comfortable flying it. As long as the plane is balanced right and kept reasonably light, it should be a very sweet and forgiving airplane.

And
All the paranoia about scale planes is from the left over wive's tales from the 70s and early 80s.

Today's R/C warbirds and scale planes fly much better than the ones we had in the 70s and 80s. Today, manufacturers are making the planes less exact to scale and more flyable instead. In the past, something like a Corsair or Mustang was just an accident waiting to happen. Back then, we built all our own planes, and the scale guys took more pride in their workmanship than anything else. It wasn't important whether or not the plane actually flew decent. Lots of scale planes had very nasty stall characteristics, especially the WWII warbirds, and very few of them flew well. It didn't help things that the scale airplanes came out not only heavy, but tailheavy as well. By the time balance problems were addresseed, the planes were flying (barely) sleds. Add to that the fact that yesterday's motors, and (especially) radios weren't nearly as good as what we have today and you can see that the scale guys really had their hands full.

If you compare that to today, something like a Hangar 9 Corsair is lighter and straighter than what we were building back then. The Hangar 9 is also less perfect as far as being an exact replica, but it's designed to fly. I recently tested one for a friend, and it was a very nice airplane. You won't win any pattern contests with it, but as long as you use a little restraint it will make a great sport plane.

And.......I have extensive experience with the Hangar 9 PTS Mustang. Very smooth plane. It's advertised as a trainer, but I think there are better basic trainers. However, as a second plane it's pretty nice, and it allows you to progress by removing the training aids as you become better. Oh, but more in the context of what I'm talking about, Hangar 9 made docile, flyable Mustangs and Corsairs. Anyone who hasn't been on the scene for a few years would be shocked at how good these airplanes have become.

If I hadn't seen and flown these planes, I would have never believed it possible because scale planes had such a horrible rap in the past. I badmouthed the PTS Mustang until I flew one, and then I became a believer. You may have run into someone that was just as misinformed as I was.


Since you had a solid year with the Nextar, you don't need another trainer. You're ready to move on to something that's hotter and capable of more. However, if you want to keep flying a trainer because that's what you like, there is nothing wrong with that either. But........The most logical progression would be something like a Hangar 9 Arrow. It's a high wing plane (which looks startlingly similar to a cessna-type plane) with a semi symetrical airfoil. The plane is full aerobatic, but it's still docile enough that I recommend my studentws start with one of these.

If you are ready for something more exciting, there is a big list of really nice planes that are just a step hotter than your Nextar. Personally, I like to move my students from the Arrow into a Hangar Pulse XT because they share the same wing, only the Pulse is a low wing airplane. It's a very small step in difficulty, but the plane looks so different, and looks so stinking hot that it is a real confidence boost for them, which is what a lot of them need when they leave the security of their first plane.

I have a Pulse myself, and it's a very nice airplane. The Pulse has my unconditional endorsement as a second plane.

There are other choices as well, like the Goldberg Sky Tiger, or Great Planes Super Sportster. You've got a pretty big field to pick from. It's never been this good.

Both of those are very solid airplanes, which is fly instructors like for their students to progress into them. There are other solid choices, but those are the ones that have been around the longest and have the biggest following. Personally I think the Pulse will smoke any of them all the way around, but that's just IMHO, of course, and any of these planes would make a fine choice.


It happens with electric planes every day.

I am safety coordinator at my club, and I am very careful when it comes to new people that I don't know. Our rules say anyone new has to be checked off by an instructor or club officer. We haven't had a real problem yet, but there are a lot of yahoos out there. So you can't really blame people for being cautious with someone they don't know.

Absolutely, but I think the major overriding factor is that electrics and park flying is so much more convient than dealing with all the backstabbing and petty, stupid BS politics that goes on in clubs.

Hmmm...I would have bet heavily that you would have taken a counter position to the above statement if made by myself or someone else... Just for fun I’ll give it a whirl and see if you are anyone else can feel a switch being thrown…

A major reason for the growth of Parkflyers is they do not have to endure all the backstabbing and petty, stupid BS politics that goes on in clubs…

How’s that guys? Did you feel the click of the little switch?

Anyway, I guess the odds have been good to me since I belong to two clubs without those problems. Yes, I am lucky!

That's actually very close to what I said, so I don't how you come up with that being a switch. Some guys go park flying just so they can avoid all the BS that goes along with clubs. ]