Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
02-24-2012 | 06:56 PM
#26
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From: Galloway,
NJ
RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
I have a blade CX2, and a blade 120SR, both are very pretty forgiving, much more control than the havoc, they are full function Heli's
the CX uses counter rotating blades to keep it stable, and to makee the rudder work the top or bottom blade slows down, it has elevator,
aileron, rudder (bank, and pitch control, yaw.) throttle controls the altitude . The 120SR, is a fixed pitch single set of rotors, with a tail rotor for
rudder control, The 120sr is more maneuverable same 4 channel controls, and I can fly it outside in more wind than the CX. Anytime I can't get a day
at the field i will charge the batteries for the blades and get my flying fix, they can't do aerobatics, or 3d. but both let me enjoy flying from my sofa.
and if want to annoy the dog or cat, you can do it with precision.
the CX uses counter rotating blades to keep it stable, and to makee the rudder work the top or bottom blade slows down, it has elevator,
aileron, rudder (bank, and pitch control, yaw.) throttle controls the altitude . The 120SR, is a fixed pitch single set of rotors, with a tail rotor for
rudder control, The 120sr is more maneuverable same 4 channel controls, and I can fly it outside in more wind than the CX. Anytime I can't get a day
at the field i will charge the batteries for the blades and get my flying fix, they can't do aerobatics, or 3d. but both let me enjoy flying from my sofa.
and if want to annoy the dog or cat, you can do it with precision.
02-24-2012 | 09:21 PM
#28
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From: , ID
RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
haha the Havoc has no controll but its still gun every so often just because it can run flat into the wall and nothing will happen. Ive looked at the blade 120 but I think it may be way to advanced for me. What do you guys think is easier to fly a heli or a plane?
02-25-2012 | 05:46 AM
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From: Reedsburg,
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RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
A plane is sure easier to fly. The helicopter can be flown almost anywhere, does not take much room, but is harder to control.
The toy grade helis are simple to fly, but you'll be bored quickly.
Same with flimsy little planes.
If you look around, you'll find a good deal on a used trainer. I still have a complete Hobbico Superstar, you can find those for less then $ 200 with everything you need to get started. I'd sell it to you for less, but the shipping is very expensive.
I have helicopters - an Helimax indoor, 30 Raptor and a Radikal Gasser - they are all very different and I would highly recommend a simulator before you fly the model. They are lots of fun but need your full attention. One time I had a bunch of mosquitoes sitting on me, one right on the eye and I could not let go of the sticks...got to set priorities.
Also I have a bunch of planes from 1/2 A to a 27% Extra and they are lots of fun, too. I could not really decide what I like better, so I have a little of everything.
Your local club would be the place to go. They can set you up with a buddy cord and you can see if you like it. Even if your space is limited, a 40 size trainer does not take up that much room. There is always some corner where you can put it in. The start box would be more of a problem.
Maybe an electric plane would be a better way to go for you. The term 'bigger flies better' is true for the most part.
Welcome to a great and fun hobby. Just a warning - once you get hooked, you want more. And you will always be thinking - I need just one more plane....
The toy grade helis are simple to fly, but you'll be bored quickly.
Same with flimsy little planes.
If you look around, you'll find a good deal on a used trainer. I still have a complete Hobbico Superstar, you can find those for less then $ 200 with everything you need to get started. I'd sell it to you for less, but the shipping is very expensive.
I have helicopters - an Helimax indoor, 30 Raptor and a Radikal Gasser - they are all very different and I would highly recommend a simulator before you fly the model. They are lots of fun but need your full attention. One time I had a bunch of mosquitoes sitting on me, one right on the eye and I could not let go of the sticks...got to set priorities.
Also I have a bunch of planes from 1/2 A to a 27% Extra and they are lots of fun, too. I could not really decide what I like better, so I have a little of everything.
Your local club would be the place to go. They can set you up with a buddy cord and you can see if you like it. Even if your space is limited, a 40 size trainer does not take up that much room. There is always some corner where you can put it in. The start box would be more of a problem.
Maybe an electric plane would be a better way to go for you. The term 'bigger flies better' is true for the most part.
Welcome to a great and fun hobby. Just a warning - once you get hooked, you want more. And you will always be thinking - I need just one more plane....
02-25-2012 | 06:57 AM
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From: Gardendale, TX
RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
I have found the easiest way to find planes on Craigslist is to look under toys and games. Or look on eBay.
02-25-2012 | 07:03 AM
#32
RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
ORIGINAL: flyfisher117
<div style="padding-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); margin: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding-top: 5px">So I've looked for clubs in my area and found 2 or 3 of them but they dont have any contact info and when I look them up on the forums they seem to have either died off or just quit usuing the forums because the last posts were back in 2004. For the couple of people that said they are still flying they all seem to be about 2 hours away from me in a town that I have no clue how to Navigate. Looks to be that right now Im running solo unless I happen to find a group. Hopefully I can make it to HobbyTown or something and check out the cork board and see if there are any club listings there.
Where im living right now we seriously dont get wind. Im up in the mountains down in a little bowl with pine trees all over the place so what wind we do get is very weak maybe enough to wiggle a hair on your head but thats about it. When it does get windy its not really a wind as much as a breeze. Where im going to school I have no idea but I would imagine they get their share of wind. Its all flat open farm land then the town is right in the middle of it. There is a ton of trees in town so that might help difuse some of it.
Ok makes sense what your saying with the durability. I wish I could get a plane built like the SuperCub but with a wingspan thats about 10" shorter and an overall length thats shorter. But my buddies you could tell has been through a lot, the main wing and elevators had chips and dings that he was able to fix with packing tape. and IMHO the plane seemed to be flying just fine. The wings on the Champ and Mini-SuperCub look to be paper thin and a one time shot deal, they might handle a small bad landing in grass but wont take much of a crash.</div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(255,255,255); margin: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding-top: 5px">So I've looked for clubs in my area and found 2 or 3 of them but they dont have any contact info and when I look them up on the forums they seem to have either died off or just quit usuing the forums because the last posts were back in 2004. For the couple of people that said they are still flying they all seem to be about 2 hours away from me in a town that I have no clue how to Navigate. Looks to be that right now Im running solo unless I happen to find a group. Hopefully I can make it to HobbyTown or something and check out the cork board and see if there are any club listings there.
Where im living right now we seriously dont get wind. Im up in the mountains down in a little bowl with pine trees all over the place so what wind we do get is very weak maybe enough to wiggle a hair on your head but thats about it. When it does get windy its not really a wind as much as a breeze. Where im going to school I have no idea but I would imagine they get their share of wind. Its all flat open farm land then the town is right in the middle of it. There is a ton of trees in town so that might help difuse some of it.
Ok makes sense what your saying with the durability. I wish I could get a plane built like the SuperCub but with a wingspan thats about 10" shorter and an overall length thats shorter. But my buddies you could tell has been through a lot, the main wing and elevators had chips and dings that he was able to fix with packing tape. and IMHO the plane seemed to be flying just fine. The wings on the Champ and Mini-SuperCub look to be paper thin and a one time shot deal, they might handle a small bad landing in grass but wont take much of a crash.</div>
RE plane: I agree that the Champ is much to small for a beginner. $200 may be a bit low for just starting out. I really like the Flyzone Switch for a beginner because it is both a high wing trainer and a low wing sport. But it's around $250 and has a 45 inch wing. I hate to see anyone buy a cheap 30 inch foamie that won't fly if a bug farts and then gets discouraged.
02-25-2012 | 11:24 AM
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RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
I can see where you guys are coming from with recomending the big 50"+ planes and if I didnt have as small of a budget and had somewhere to store it and had someone to buddy box me then I would love to get one of these big trainers but then I would have to leave it at home. Im trying to find a hobby to take to college with me since I cant take my hunting/target rifles. The more I sit around and think, the simulator might be best but I just cant spend $200 to get a "videogame" set up and running on my computer. I have an xbox that is funner and would probably end up being used more. Guess this is one of the biggest drawbacks to Mac.
Helicopters especially the little coaxial ones just get boring to me becuase they have to be flown inside and they dont do much, Im sure a little foam plane would get boring as well but at least with a little plane my options are endless as to where and when I can fly (except for wind)<br type="_moz" />
Helicopters especially the little coaxial ones just get boring to me becuase they have to be flown inside and they dont do much, Im sure a little foam plane would get boring as well but at least with a little plane my options are endless as to where and when I can fly (except for wind)<br type="_moz" />
03-07-2012 | 03:05 PM
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RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
Just as an update my buddy introduced me to a gentleman that lives somewhat close to me, he actually had 5 little Hobby Zone Champs. 3 He modified and played with 1 he left bone stock and let his grandkids play with and another he left stock that he flew. He actually said he would sell me his stock one for $50 becuase he never flew it. I bought it and it looks brand new, he said it has only had an hour or so of fly time. It looks new other than the wheels are a bit dirty.
I hopped online and ordered a couple of batteries and now I have a question.
The stock battery is a 3.7V 150mAh (.5Wh) 12C battery.
The two I bought are 3.7V 150mAh (.5Wh) 25C
I didnt even realize the 12 and 25 was different. can anyone explain what the difference is and if they are safe to use in my plane/charger?
Hopefully I get to fly it tomorrow! =D Just waiting for it to warm up a bit<br type="_moz" />
I hopped online and ordered a couple of batteries and now I have a question.
The stock battery is a 3.7V 150mAh (.5Wh) 12C battery.
The two I bought are 3.7V 150mAh (.5Wh) 25C
I didnt even realize the 12 and 25 was different. can anyone explain what the difference is and if they are safe to use in my plane/charger?
Hopefully I get to fly it tomorrow! =D Just waiting for it to warm up a bit<br type="_moz" />
03-07-2012 | 03:18 PM
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RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
Oh 2 more questions. Im trying to make the box a little more travel friendly so there are two foam things that go over the plane and hold it in place when in the box, these are held down by tape and I want to attach some Velcro so that instead of taping it down each time I just stick it down, I have Woodworking CA glue but im afraid that will melt the foam, will hit glue work without melting too much? or how would be the best way to attach these velcro strips?
Also I want to make the foam on the nose on the plane a bit more crash proof, just so that while in im my crashing and learning stage (specially on landings) I dont destroy the foam too bad,
Would some packing tape help with this?
Also I want to make the foam on the nose on the plane a bit more crash proof, just so that while in im my crashing and learning stage (specially on landings) I dont destroy the foam too bad,
Would some packing tape help with this?
03-07-2012 | 07:58 PM
#37
RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
The batteries are fine. The C rating shows how many amps the batteries can tolerate. You won't be close to the limit on either, so you're good.
The velcro might pull a chunk of foam off with it. If the box closes over the foam pieces, just don't tape them. Woodworkers glue won't hurt the foam though so try it if you want.
A little packing tape will help protect the foam. When you do break it, white Elmer's glue will stick it right back together.
The velcro might pull a chunk of foam off with it. If the box closes over the foam pieces, just don't tape them. Woodworkers glue won't hurt the foam though so try it if you want.
A little packing tape will help protect the foam. When you do break it, white Elmer's glue will stick it right back together.
03-07-2012 | 09:45 PM
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RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
haha so I did a little test with the glue on an un-important section of the foam lining... you would think I put acid on it, the glue just melted right on through it haha.
I cant tell of the box closes ontop of the foam sections so i jerry rigged a system to hold it down with some small screws and rubber bands, probably more complicated that need be but it holds great and is simple to open up.
Off to try and cover the nose with packing tape.<br type="_moz" />
I cant tell of the box closes ontop of the foam sections so i jerry rigged a system to hold it down with some small screws and rubber bands, probably more complicated that need be but it holds great and is simple to open up.
Off to try and cover the nose with packing tape.<br type="_moz" />
03-08-2012 | 06:28 AM
#39
RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
Ah, I just reread your post and saw that it was CA glue you were using. My apologies. There is a foam safe CA on the market that will work with any kind of foam, but regular CA will dissolve it every time.
03-08-2012 | 11:05 AM
#42
RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
A good little plane that is 4 channel and easy to fly is the UM T-28. I love mine, and it looks like it went to way from all the crashes it suffered. Repairs are done with packing tape and gorrilla glue. Good plane for under $100, and you can get packs for it from hobbypartz for cheap. I fly mine with the packs from the mCPX heli.
03-08-2012 | 03:53 PM
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RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
Just got back from my maiden flight with the Champ, all I can say is "Im addicted more!!"
Weve had some very strange weather lately so it was a bit windy but even with the wind I was able to fly it. (maybe its just a breeze but for where I live its considered wind) I was able to put three batteries through it and didnt destroy it. I was able to do a few back flips, take off from the hood of the car, few stalls (not on purpose XD), and almost took my head off when a gust of wind pushed it down at me while doing a fly-by.
Had a couple of oopsies and a couple of moments where the breeze got strong enough I landed the plane like it was a vertical takeoff jet. But other than that the only damge Ive done is to the landing gear (tried my first hard ground landing on concrete tweaked the one wheel) and to the body of the plane right above the landing gear.
The landing gear has little yellow walls/fins? on the supports. Im guessing just for decoration but I had a couple of rough landings so they were pushed up a bit and started cutting into the plane. Can I cut these walls off without harming how the plane flys? Or would it be better to just put packing tape where they hit to help absorb the damage? Its nothing major I would just like to keep all preventative damage to the body at a minimum.
I ordered a set of "tundra" wheels for it and a prop saver system from RC fun lab but I think I will just run the factory wheels untill the summer when I can start taking off from the ground.<br type="_moz" />
Weve had some very strange weather lately so it was a bit windy but even with the wind I was able to fly it. (maybe its just a breeze but for where I live its considered wind) I was able to put three batteries through it and didnt destroy it. I was able to do a few back flips, take off from the hood of the car, few stalls (not on purpose XD), and almost took my head off when a gust of wind pushed it down at me while doing a fly-by.
Had a couple of oopsies and a couple of moments where the breeze got strong enough I landed the plane like it was a vertical takeoff jet. But other than that the only damge Ive done is to the landing gear (tried my first hard ground landing on concrete tweaked the one wheel) and to the body of the plane right above the landing gear.
The landing gear has little yellow walls/fins? on the supports. Im guessing just for decoration but I had a couple of rough landings so they were pushed up a bit and started cutting into the plane. Can I cut these walls off without harming how the plane flys? Or would it be better to just put packing tape where they hit to help absorb the damage? Its nothing major I would just like to keep all preventative damage to the body at a minimum.
I ordered a set of "tundra" wheels for it and a prop saver system from RC fun lab but I think I will just run the factory wheels untill the summer when I can start taking off from the ground.<br type="_moz" />
03-09-2012 | 08:16 AM
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From: Lewisville,
TX
RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
Glad to see you're up and flying! The Champ is a great plane to start with. Once you're comfortable with it, you can start looking at some of the 4-channel micros to have even more fun!
03-09-2012 | 11:22 AM
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RE: Getting started, on a budget, with a size limit
Expect to invest at least $400 USD for a electic or nitro trainer and your on your way. Don't become your own instructor and find another who knows how to fly. This is what I would do. Buy a electic foam glider with rudder and elevator only and this should get you started. Hobby People sells such a machine called the "Radient" I believe.
