Well, where should I start? I have been a beginner for about fifteen years now. I recieved my first plane, a Hobbico Flightstar 40, as a christmas gift from my grandparents. I should have been about 12 at the time. For the next several months, my grandparents would take me to the hobby shop they got it from and the shop owner would assemble it for a few hours a week until it was completed. I went out to the field with the shop owner a few times where he trained me on it, but I never flew solo. It would be about eight years later before I got in contact with him again. We started at square one and after a few days of training, I flew solo for a few hours. That was the last time I flew, and all of the experience that I have. I moved out of state, and the plane was left at home with my grandmother. Now, here I am in 2010 seven years later, and once again wanting to get back into the hobby. I recently moved back home and found my plane in pretty bad shape when Ireturned. When I left, the plane was stored in a dry, clean place. But since I have been gone, my grandmother has moved and apparently it was stored in an outdoor shed for a while. The engine is completely siezed up, the vertical stabilizer is snapped at the base (as well as the fusalage where it connected), and the horizontal is missing the caps (not sure what to call them) on the ends.

I think it's time for a new plane. I'm sure the old Flightstar could be fixed up, but for now, I have decided to go a different direction and have made a couple decisions. I want to start out with electric this time, and I want an RTF. After just a little looking around, I've narrowed it down to two planes, though I'm sure there will be more to catch my attention.

FMS Sky Trainer
I know this is a huge step down from my Flightstar, but I'm looking at this solely for the pricetag. Everything needed to fly for less than $150. Money is tight for me at the moment and this would atleast get me up in the air again. I've also heard that it's a decent little plane.

Alpha 450 Sport
From what I understand, there is an RTF version of this that includes the installed reciever and all that's required seperately is a transmitter and battery. It would be a more expensive route for me, so it would be a while before Icould do it. However, from what I read, this trainer is a little more sporty and I would get more fly time out of it before wanting to move onto something more advanced, so I would get a lot more out of it. It would also mean I would be getting a transmitter for any future planes I may aquire, as I would want to get a transmitter for this that could have multiple models programmed.

I would like to ask for any advice that anyone here may have for me, whether it be about these planes, suggestions for other models, or other areas that would help me get started up again. If any of you happen to be instructors in the Salem Oregon area, I wouldn't mind hearing from you as well.

Thank you.

Sig has a small electric version of their Seniorita, which is an excellent first trainer. It is not RTF, but would be very easy to assemble as an ARF.
I'm not sure if it is still available, but go for a balsa model, not foam. Although foam models are easier to repair, they don't last as long and I find they rarely fly as well as a comparable balsa model. Balsa also stands up better to minor abuse.

The Alpha 450 you posted looks great as a first model. I am teaching my little brother on a similar model, a 3 channel PT Electric, built from a kit. We have been doing fast taxies and short, straight line hops, and he has gotten the hang of it after about 30 minutes.

Do get an instructor - in anything but dead calm conditions, a smaller electric trainer will be blown around a bit, and an instructor with a buddy box setup will help immensly.

Good luck and happy flying!

Graeme

Call these dudes and go to next meeting on Dec 6th. Pictures of the field looks great.

http://www.rvrc.org/

Oh ya, if you get hooked up with a instructor, I vote for a Hobbistar 60 for your first trainer. Great first plane. Comes with a computer Futaba controller and is ready to fly in 20 min. You just need to buy a couple of 12x6 props. This is a trainer that you wont grow out of in 30 flights. Scoot

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXGHD4**&P=0

I was kind of looking at starting again with a smaller electric like the Alpha 450 instead of gas for a few reasons, including the lack of oil clean-up and the fact that a smaller plane would suit my current living accomodations better. I'm currently living in an apartmet with little storage space. However, that Hobbistar 60 now has my attention as well, especially with the payment options from Tower Hobbies to ease the pain of the cost a bit. I'm glad I posted here, and I'm open to any more suggestions.

I'm still liking the price of that FMS Sky Trainer RTF, but after reading the reply about foam (thanks, GraemeEllis), I'd like to get even more insight on planes made with this material (and perhaps any info of this plane in particular if anyone has any experience with it). This would be the quickest way to get me in the air again at this time, however now I have serious doubts if it will keep me happy until I can afford something else.

Alot of good suggestions here so I will just suggest a club for you to look into. I started flying about 15 years ago as well and I learned at club Right there in Salem! I grew up in Silverton but I was a member of the Keizer RC Association. They have a beautiful field right there in Salem on a sod farm. They have an agreement with the owner of the Sod farm to use the entire sod field when there is no one doing work on the field. You never have to worry about deadsticks!!

Here is a link to the AMA's info on the club:
http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubdetails.aspx?club=971

There is alot of clubs in the area for you to choose from. Good luck!!

I would recommend going glow as well. I tried a few electrics and they are expensive. The motors, the ESC's and the batteries in particular and then of course the time it takes to re-charge LiPo's unless you have several.........again expense. Do yourself a favor and go with the Hobbistar 60 and you won't be sorry. If you ever get over to Bend let me know and we can go flying at our field Bend Aeromodelers. Welcome back!!

The Hobbistar looks fairly similar to my old Flightstar 40. Do these two planes fly similar?

I wanted electric because I thought it would be easier to start with than gas and also a smaller electric plane would fit my storage situation a little better, but if there's enough advantages of gas over electric I might have to change the way I think.

I remember flying at the Keizer field once or twice. That was the first field I went to fly with my instructor. After that, he took me to the Turner field.

With cold weather comming, I'd also point you towards a glow engine plane. The Lipo batteries we use on most electrics these days do not like freezing cold weather. But if you're sure you want electric, look at some of the electric planes here:

[link]http://www.hobbyzone.com/[/link]

My favorite is the Parkzone T-28, but if you haven't flown in a while, you might consicer the HZ super cub Lp, or the E-flite apprentice.

Hobbistar is a semi-symmetrical airfoil, and I think the Flightstar is a flat bottom wing. Flat bottom does not like to fly inverted, it will, just dont like to. This is one of the reasons I think you wouldn't "outgrow" the Hobbistar as fast as a flat bottom.

You can fit a Hobbistar in ANY apartment!!

(Pic is a Superstar, but you get the point)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDOUcKkc89Q[/youtube]

Just found a video of a 50cc HobbiStar!! If you watch it, fast forward to 4:30 to watch it fly. Looks heavy in the air..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e9PukFGWGM[/youtube]

Well that Hobbistar is just looking better and better. I'll do some running around and check the local hobby shops to see if any of them have one built so I can see it in person