I'm looking to start flying. Been driving hobby grade for about two years I think. My professors fly planes (hobby and full scale) and I think I'd like to take a stab at them. Been playing with flight sims, and I find them to be a piece of cake to fly, I don't crash the plane unless I want to, mostly....

I need something very small to keep in my dorm room (work for the school, get a free room).

I was looking at this..: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXZFK0&P=ML

seems decent for what it is, wish it had ailerons, but they probably aren't needed on this small of scale i guess. Trying to stay under $100.

Thanks for any advice you guys can give!

Hello and welcome!

The airplane from tower hobbies that you are looking at may not be the best "first" airplane. A first airplane is usually a high wing airplane, such as a piper cub or somethin similiar to that.

This looks good in your price range:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXNW26&P=7

Hope this helps!

Jason

I appreciate the post LargeScale88, however that plane is a little more involved than I'd like to get right now. My small dorm room is not conducive to building a kit, so I'm really looking for an RTF. not to mention a wingspan over 4' would be really tough for me to maneuver and store (in the dorms). When I move out, get a house/apartment, and get a good paying job at a respectable engineering firm I'd like to dive in head first, but for now I just want something I can dink around with in the football field/gym.

My professor that I mentioned has a nice nitro high wing trainer, with the slave/master transmitters. just gotta wait a little longer for the snow to go away before we can head out and fly it again.

edit: here's a more classic high wing design, http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&P=9&I=LXXSP8 I'm sure the larger ones are better to learn on though. Maybe I should just hold off till I graduate and stick with the land vehicles for now.

Given your limitations, the mini Super Cub by Hobby Zone is hard to beat. It'll be twitchy and a total cork in any wind, but it is a sound design and powered appropriately.

http://secure.hobbyzone.com/catalog/...f/HBZ4800.html

If you can go a week without eating the standard size Super Cub is a much better flyer, especially outside. It's the smallest and cheapest plane that actually has a decent reputation with beginners.

http://secure.hobbyzone.com/catalog/...f/HBZ4800.html

This is still a standard size super cub right? http://secure.hobbyzone.com/catalog/.../HCAA2528.html

hobbyking for the lipo(s) and radio (have a couple chargers already) and I should be set with that....hmmmm

As park flyers go, yes it's not a mini. I had posted the wrong link. Here's the standard super cub.

http://secure.hobbyzone.com/catalog/...f/HBZ7300.html

You may notice that the plane you linked is receiver ready, not RTF. The RTF version costs a bit more. Both come with throw away radios, but that's the nature of low end products. If it were me, I'd get the receiver ready one and buy a Spektrum DX6i transmitter and receiver (about $160 or so). That radio will transfer into any other plane you decide to fly and will work with any of the "bind and fly" models on the market. But I understand also that takes your budget up considerably from what you're talking about today.

Here's the RTF version of the Flyzone cub.

http://secure.hobbyzone.com/HCAA2527.html

Hobby zone champ...<div>
</div><div>http://secure.hobbyzone.com/HBZ4900.html</div>

If your willing to to over $100, try the Parkzone Vapor or Night Vapor. It flys right out of the box. Charge the lipo in 10min and fly. Fun little plane that will take a beating. http://parkzone.com/Products/Default...ProdID=PKZ3300

RCU owns a site that is dedicated to electric flight http://www.wattflyer.com where you may find a lot more info about the various electric models.

The Hobbyzone Super Cub LP is a highly recommended first electric plane. It is 47.7 inch span, and weighs 25.2 ounces
http://searchrc.horizonhobby.com/ind...d=12D9579A9BB6
The video for the Hobbyzone Champ makes it look like a fun little plane. There's a link to it on
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...900#quickSpecs
It is only 20 inch span, and 1.3 ounces, so it probably should be flown indoors or when there is no wind.

The champ and vapor both look like great rigs along the lines of what I'm looking for. That super cub LP looks great too, maybe I'll just hold off a little and get that shortly after graduation in May.....
decisions decisions, thanks so much for all your help and advice.

I'm in the same boat, looking for a first starter plane.I like the basic 3 channel, no aileron approach to start. The supercub looks just a bit too big for me, looks like maybe it would be a great second plane though or a great first float plane.

Question for those with knowledge and experience, though. The HobbyZone Champ vs the Mini Super Cub. Differences? Opinions?
From what Ican see, the mini cub is a little bigger (30 inches vs 20 inches for the champ) and it comes with a 2 cell, larger battery (which means longer flight times and more power, yes?).
The transmitters APPEARto be the same, but the mini super cub seems to have a longer antena, whichI'm assuming means better range, no?
The mini cub says it comes with a 180 size brushless motor, I can't find anything about the motor for the champ, but I'm assuming it's smaller.

All around, sounds like the mini super cub is the better buy, no?

how about the skyartec cessna 182?

Are you asking or suggesting?
I like the idea of starting very simply with no ailerons. Not to mention for a first plane and no experience other than simulator, I'd rather not spend a larger amount of money on a plane with such detail. It looks like a great plane. Besides,I'm liking the ez foam of the mini super cub. Wish they made floats for it.

I decided to bite the bullet and buy this amazing beast:
http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store...idProduct=9476

I did buy it, but I'll wait till after college to get into planes more I think....after re analyzing my budget I think that it is the best bet right now. Bookmarking this thread for future use in a few months.

asking... planning of getting one or a hobbyzone UM champ...

I hear you. I'm in the air(no pun intended) between the hobby zone champ and the mini super cub. Leaning towards the super cub as it's a LITTLE bit bigger, has a larger battery and is made of the ez foam which is easy to fix. Not to mention it's only ten bucks more

<div><span style="font-size: 9pt">
Hi Matt, me again,

My vote would go with the Champ (but the mini Super cub would also be good).

I started with the Champ and could fly it straight off the bat (started on half rates and it was easy) but it can't take more than a breath of wind otherwise you, and it, will struggle, but it is so easy to fly, and importantly toland, it's ridiculous, you can just let it glide in and hit the ground softly - no damage. On a calm day I couldn&rsquo;t think of a better plane to learn to fly on.

I also have the Skyartec Cessna 182 mentioned earlier and it is a cheap but well made plane, but its way bigger and its FAST, very fast for a first plane so you need tons of space to fly it first up! It also has ailerons so is trickier as well, make it a second or third plane.

The Super cub has the preservation mode (or whatever they call it) built in which stops you from crashing, I haven't got one so I don't know, but I think you would also need some serious space first up as these things do cover the ground quicker than you first imagine.

Another you might consider as a first plane that is docile and can take a bit of a breeze is a Multiplex Mini Mag _ I have one and its great, about the same size , actually probably a bit biggerthan themini Super cub but I think it has more forgiving flight characteristics. Only downside is that it comes as a kit only and although it comes with a build video that takes the German guy about 5 minutes to build it took me the better part of a day.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 9pt">To put it in perspective the Champ is a lot easier to fly than the Blade 120 SR you have.
</span></div>

Hi
As a flight instructor for a long time now I would go with the larger Super Cub as it will allow out door flying on non windy days.
But you can fly one, once your used to it, in quite a bit of wind. They are tough enough to learn on and after it gets beat to death the guts (reciever, servoes, etc. ) can go into any number of scratch built planes.
The little bitty indoor job from HK looks like fun but may be harder to learn on...still for the $ go fly it!

Hmm, you both make good points. My only concern with the supercub is it's size. It seems huge and I'm still trying to find a good park to fly at locally that isn't too far from my house that wont be crowded. I have a VERYlarge, open park across the street from my house, but it always has people there, and I wouldn't want to fly a four foot wingspan plane there with kids running up and asking me if they can try my "toy" (this happened on a regular basis with my heli's, to the point where I no longer fly there as it makes me want to punt kids or chase them with the heli).
The mini supercub, however, seems a more manageable size, but still big enough to fly stably. The champ just seems like it'll get pushed around in the SLIGHTESTbreeze. I like the larger battery the mini supercub has and I like the ez foam is has. I really don't care too much about the ACT (anti crash technology). I've been flying planes in the phoenix flight sim for about three weeks now andI can take off, land and fly figure eights and circuits even with the larger nitro planes in the sim.
I'm thinking the supercub might be the second plane I buy simply because I love the floats they sell for it and I would love to have it to take to the cottage! If I can find a large area near me to fly, the supercub would be what I'd prefer. (larger planes don't get pushed around as much...then again...it's four feet of foam...)

Matt,

Your right, it is a trade off, good luck with whatever you choose.

Just one word of warning, whilst the Phoenix sim is very accurate for helis I dont think it is as accurate for flying planes. Not sure why but I thinkmainly because unless you have set the conditions in the sim to have some breeze (you have to go out of your way to do this) the default is not a breath of air while your flying and this is not real world and gives you an inflated view of your flying abilities.

I can fly the beejeeses out of a Mustang on Phoenix, but I would quickly crash and burn in real life (I've got a 1.2 metre wingspan Mustang that fairly zooms through the rir and haven't been brave enough to fly it yet because I know what will happen in the ball park that I normally fly - there's just not enough room, I'd need something the size of a couple of major league ball parks.

I'd go with the mini supercub then, although the Champ is a whole lot easier to fly, and you could fly it in the park you decribed (cause you couldn't hurt someone with it if you tried) it does get blown about by a slight breeze, which makes it a challenge (but fun) to control.

Hey fiz,
I'm curious, what's your draw to the champ over the mini super cub? Both to me seem to have identical flying characteristics? (I.E. no ailersons, just a simple three channel remote). I just figured the mini cub was a better bet because it's small enough to fly in the park and not worry about people, but bigger than the champ so it wont get blown around as much.

And you raise a VERY good point about the phoenix. I'm going to play around with my wind settings over the next week or so.

Matt,

I think you'll find the Mini Super Cub (MSC) is old technology now, its 27 MHz (with the dangly wires for a receiver) not the2.4GHz transmitter with Spektrum&trade; DSM&reg; technology
thatyour now using. I think you will struggle to find aLHS with parts for it as they are now discontinued. Butit's is a slightly biggerplane than the champ and should be a bit betterin the breeze, but not as stable I don't think.

Googlethe champs and see what some other forums say about it - some people just loveit. If you pick calm dayswith little or no breeze, and set the controls to dualrate for beginner I don't think there'san easier plane to fly. Isaw a guy buy a super cub, who had sim time take his new supercub up, and his first turn quickly turned into a disaster and crashed big time - not enoughaltitude for the ASCto save it. With the cub it would have floated down and landed as you can just let go of the sticks and it lands itself!!

Just my 2 cents, but it will teach you to fly and on full throttle it can fight a bit of breeze, it just gets thrown about is all.

Good luck.

Matt,

A quick follow up the Super Cub replaced the Mini Super Cub. So the SC would be better to learn on IFUHAVETHESPACE - it needs lots!! Trustme on this.

I like you have two convenient parks right near by but not big enough to learn on the SC, hence the Champ.

Matt,

Here is a link to video of The Champ. it will give you a god idea of how it flies and how quick it gets going for a small guy.

<a href="http://www.modelflight.com.au/ProdInfo/Files/HBZ4900_hi.wmv">
<font color="#0e4369">Champ RTF (WMV)</font></a>

Thanks for all the info, Fiz.
I'm really going to look hard around my area for a larger park that's empty that I can fly at on my days off. The supercub seems great.
And I didn't realize the mini was discontinued! I don't like that, as it means parts will be harder to come by. Perhaps the champ is better for me, especially considering the price. How can I go wrong!?
Grab an extra battery or two and I'm good to go. I wish they made ski's for it,I'd go buy it now (we've got 2 feet of snow up here in Toronto) and floats for the summer for the cottage.

Perhaps I'll pick up the supercub with floats specifically for the summer. Both are DSM2 I believe, which means I can bind them to my DX5e. I wish they came in a bind and fly, save a little money.