hey all , getting interested in trying out a plane. (had nitro trucks and such for about 3 yrs) was interested on all of your opinions about a trainer. I was looking at a thunder tiger / tiger trainer 60 ARF, would this be a good starter, whats the opinion? Please help me out, thanks in advance.

if your just starting you shold get a rtf ready to fly. My friend jsut started and hast he alpha trainer flys great you could look into that

I really want to choose my own engine and radio, maybe even get a make a package from tower hobbies, i was prob going to get a 6 channel radio for future use ( landing gear and such) if i might need it. I try to get things so if I upgrade or try something like a heli I dont have to have 4 or 5 radios

I believe the Hobbico Avistar (40 size) or Hobbico Hobbistar (60 size) are great to learn with, and will keep you busy for quite some time as they do mild acrobatic functions very well.

Great idea to get a 6 to 8 channel computer radio; too many folks buy an entry level 4 channel and are sorry they did in a year's time.

I recommend a Thunder Tiger GP42 or GP61 if you want to go cheap the first time around on an engine, or get a TT Pro 46, TT Pro 61, OS 46FX, or OS 61FX if you want to move it from your trainer to a second plane...good luck!

Well, I recently got started also, like within the past month. I was going to buy the Avistar .40 ARF w/radio & engine. Got to talking to people, found out the plane was GREAT, but the engine and radio wasn't. Engine to small, and the radio only comes in 6 different freq's from the factory, means that you have a HIGH chance that another new guy will turn on his radio while you are flying, and drop your plane. So I bought the Avistar .40 Kit for $99 from tower hobbies, The OS .46 FX engine $103.95, and the Futaba 6EXA radio w/ S3004 servos $189.95. What I didn't know was you had to cut the plane, and do a few other things a little more advanced than I was. So I went to the local hobby shop, and They helped me put it together. VERY easy! I spent ruffly $400.00, and everybody says that I have the BEST trainer out there. The avistar is a VERY easy plane to land, and VERY easy to start into acrobatics with. I have only made 4 solo flights, but I have yet to crash, or hard land my plane. I sure hope that this helps!

thanks for all the help, keep it coming. I like to study things a while before i buy and learn the hard way(and expensive way) I appreciate all the info. any one have any comments about the palen I mentioned above? The thunder tiger trainer 60 ARF????

...is OK, but you will tire of it's capabilities (actually, the lack thereof) after you have soloed, and you will want to start playing around a little with aerobatics.

If a .60 size is what you want, I still recommend the Hobbico Hobbistar because of it's semi-symettrical airfoil and it's aerobatic possibilities. It is also a plane that you will still enjoy flying 2 or 3 years down the road.

I would bet that as soon as you have learned to fly, the Tiger Trainer will be a bore to you, and you will want a plane with more potential...

I've been flying for about two years now and my first plane was a Hobbico Superstart .40. I still fly it to this day as I have sold the four channel radio that it came with and got a 6 channel. I used the extra channel to mount a disposable camera to the bottom that presses the button with a servo. The plane flies great with no bad habbits and I tought myself how to fly it. The whole package with os .40, futaba four channel radio, and plane (mostly assembled) was 299 bucks at my local hobby shop. The plane will do loops and rolls but won't wow a crowd. It's fun to practice touch and goes and for me, aerial photography.
Hope that helped a bit,
Ryan
P.S. I've moved into water planes now and they are a BLAST! You could add floats to your trainer if you wanted to open up a whole new world of flying.