I respectfully disagree with ES CONTROL. The advice to learn on a simulator and skip the trainer is bad advice. A novice who has simulator time will have a step up on one who does not, but actual flying is a whole different ball game. And there is nothing wrong with a trainer. The best pilots often keep a trainer in their arsenal just to slow the pace and have fun with ocasinally.

As said before learning to fly a model and learning to drive/manuver a model are two completely different things. Too many in this hobby are learning from buddies that show them what the controls make the plane do and maybe help them get it up and down until they can do it for themselves. They never really learn how an airplane flies or why they do strange things occasionally. When things don't happen like they wanted they blame the wind, plane, engine, radio etc... When in reality they flew outside the airplanes envelope. Do yourself a favor and learn to fly from a competent instructor and read some actual books on aerodynamics, not just the forums or wiki "facts".

Welcome bassick to RCU and to a really fun hobby.
All the planes you have listed are good airframes and no matter what one you end up with , theyare good planes to learn on. For your first glow engine, I recommend a OS.46 ax, they are very user freindly and produce good power. You want to be able to concentrate on your flying and not get into a engine tuning mess. Try to keep it simple and easy.
I highly reccomend a Sim, you'll solo faster and your instructor well love you for. Like anything else, there is a learning curve and it just takes time and practice.
Enjoy and have fun,

No truer words have ever been posted here on RCU. There is a vast difference between working with a sim and flying the actual plane. True, you do get the idea of controls, when right turn means the plane turns right, not to the pilot's right, and so on. Many that do RC Trucks and Cars get the idea quicker for planes because they are already coordinated with the differences between the aircraft movement and the pilot's interpretation of that.

And, what is also a great idea is keeping that trainer ready to fly even after solo. I don't know how many times I've shown up at the field with my advanced planes, flew them for a while, then got the trainer airborne for a relaxing few flights with that plane. It also brings you back to the reality of restricted flight capabilities after flying those high performance or aerobatic aircraft.

So, pick any one of those you are looking at, and get that thing airborne.. with an instructor!!! You won't regret it.

CGr.

I recently purchased a Hobbistar 60 ARF as my first trainer, powered by an OS 75 AX, using a Futaba 7C. I'm using the "From the Ground Up" articles as a guide topre-construction modifications. The RTF version of this plane has a "bolt-on" horizontal/vertical stabilizer. My ARF version is glue-on, but the horizontal stab is drilled for the 1/4-20 nylon bolts like the RTF version. If I glue the stabs on, should I fill those holes with something for strength? Bolt-on seems an RTF convenience. Any ideas?
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I do not know what those articles are but the Hobbistar really does not need to be modified to be a good trainer.

I'm not a fan of bolting the fin and stabilizer on. Seems like a possibility of getting loose or out of alignment over time; especially if they are removed and reinstalled multiple times. If you glue them with 30 minute epoxy it should be plenty strong without trying to fill the holes.

I know the OP has already purchased an Avistar but I won't pass up the opportunity to recommend the Hobbistar - again! I learned on it this year and it was a great trainer.

When you join a club, be prepared for the possibility of a long and drawn out learning process. This is something that you won't realize until after you've been there for a while. Flying rc airplanes looks easy when an experienced pilot is flying, but it's worth all of hours you will put in on the sim and flight line.

I hope some day someone will come up with an easier way to learn. Once you learn and even in the learning process, you will be hooked for life. What a great hobby/sport.

See: http://www.rc-float-flying.rchomepag...instructor.htm

fliers1

I learned using the sim and ultra micro T-28 along with the tiny micro helicopters. Went from flying those to soloing an Apprentice. The only mishap I have had out of 20+ flights was me being dumb and flying too close to a barn while trying to learn opposite coordination, flew the bugger right into the barn when trying to go right and went left instead. <div>
</div><div>
</div><div>The T-28, for $100 with radio is a good little trainer, it takes a beating and still flies well.  The only drawback is you need calm days to fly it, anything over 5 MPH gets hairy.  It is so light that even full throttle into the ground you just pick it up, dust it off and toss it back up in the air.  It makes a great transition tool to go from sim to actual plane too.  </div>

If you watch this video, from about 3:30, you will see a chap's first "actual" landing. He had 3 weeks of evening' practise, on a sim and 2 "dual" flights, prior to this one. This, then, was the culmination of his first solo flight.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGQ7t..._order&list=UL


Pretty impressive, I think you'll agree.




However, his sim time was "directed" by an experienced flyer; that makes a big difference, I think.

AFAIAC, make use of every advantage that you possibly can... sim, buddy-box, calm weather, instructor, a tame aeroplane, books, videos and who-knows-what-else?

I started with a AM radio and  A Peace O Cake, back in 1985. <div> Even with an instructor, I crashed and crashed and crashed . After 4 planes were totaled . I still felt lucky to just get a trainer back on the ground.</div><div>   Now young guys are self training with a foamy / Simulator, and joining a club and flying better than most instructors !  In just a few months .</div><div>
</div><div>WHY????     ARFs !    and       SIMULATORS!!!   </div><div>
</div><div>I Know this change is hard for us guys who worked so hard and spent all that time and money.  But we need to forget some of our old ways and accept the change.</div><div>
</div><div> example:  Eddie Rickenbacher  Invented front brakes for a car, and went broke. Because no one could handle the change. till 30 years later.</div>

I'm not the most sociable guy, so the simulator was one of the biggest tools that helped me learn to fly RC. I did have to cold approach someone to take my Sig Kadet Senior up, got an honest review of my build, and had a pretty good plane to learn on. I did have 40 years of model airplane building experience in CL, FF before the Kadet, so I knew how to build. I wasn't going to use a simulator but if you know what a Sig Kadet Seniour is, with all that work, it just makes sense to use all the training possibilities as possible. I flew the Kadet Seniour (still have it intact and flyable) and moved on to an Avistar. Had no trouble going from the Kadet to the Avistar. So I feel simulators are valuable.

Certainly, in the full-sized world, sims are recognised as invaluable tools ... and they are by no means all hi-tech multiaxis devices.

The evidence that I've seen, suggests that sims can be equally valuable in the world of model flying. I've most certainly not seen anything to contradict that view. If you can get "directed" sim time, you will have the best of both worlds, I reckon.

And it handles the wind better in my opinion thus giving you more stick time.