Grex

I currently fly electric helis 600/700 size and can comfortably do standard 3d maneuvers (e.g piro flips, hurricanes, funnels, piro tic tocs, rolling circles...etc)...

Im looking to get into planes as I like the modelling side of planes and also the 3d/aerobatics too.. I have flown a plank once before it was a telemaster (not sure of the size) and found it very easy to take off , land, do loops, figure 8's...etc Coming from helis i dont have any orientation issues and prefer to have to "fly" the plane (i.e. less stable) rather than the plane fly itself i.e. "self level" from large dyhedral.

I know if i get a standard trainer i will get bored very very quickly. So what is a good option? i was thinking super sportser or similar type low wing option..

The other query is whether to stick with electric as I have a powerful charger setup already for my electric helis or go nitro.. I also have some experience with nitro has I had a .50 size nitro heli and still have the starter gear too..

I eventually will be doing 3d/aeros and ive noticed that the majority of these type of pilots run nitro.. So are there benefits to nitro engines in the 3d world over the electric ? nitro lighter better power to weight ratio?

Cheers
G

SeamusG

Welcome to (from) the darkside ...

"The modeling side of planes"? Huh? Are you looking to build kits and fly 'em or buy-n-assemble ARFs and fly 'em?

ARF:
Check out the Hanger 9 Pulse XT 40 - configure as either electric or glow.
There's also the Hanger 9 Pulse XT60which is glow only. Bigger is better in the sense that it's less affected by mother nature and twitchy controls.
Ihave a Hanger 9 ShowTime 50 which is a glow 50 size or electric that is a decent entry for 3D as well as pattern
Another popular shoulder wing sport plane is a Big Stik. Several different manufacturers - Great Planes is popular.
SIGhas both a 4Star40 and 4Star60. They are more of a low wing trainer as they have a flat bottom wing with some dihedral.
Great Planes has a Super Sportster - semi-symetrical air foil - different sizes. Decent sport flier.

Check out Tower Hobbies as they have a very large selection of planes. Gives you some ideas and a basis for asking more questions for comparisons.

Grex

I had planned to get a BIY kit or plans and build my first plane to fly with but it was suggested to just get a ARF to get flying.. I can then improve my flying skills whilst i build...

Unlike most, i would rather build and crash (even on the first flight) and rebuild/repair. I have built a couple of acoustic guitars and enjoy woodwork so im going to combine my love of RC with woodwork... Yes im sure it costs more building your own planes but much much more fun.

SeamusG

You have officially migrated to the dark side (so much fun that it should be illegal).

SIG kits are known for their easy of assembly. Excellent instructions - both explanation and sequence. Check out SIGMFG.com.

Great Planes have a number of kits - many by acquisition of other companies - like Goldberg. Goldberg are (were) very good as well. You can still search on Carl Goldberg kits and there's a dedicated site for them.

As with any kit, bashing is fully expected. Bashing is taking the basics and improving on them. There are many build threads on RCU that can give you a flavor. Also, start a thread if you've picked a model and to find popular bashes by the masses. A lot of experienced builders here. Check the "kit building" forum.

Again, if you go to Tower Hobbies website and look for airplanes / kits / display all you'll get a better feel of what is available.

HTH

DenverJayhawk

you're flying big, expensive helis and doing 3D. Don't waste your time with a trainer or the mass produced stuff. You'll master it before it's taken off. I hate to admit it, but heli pilots are generally superior fixed wing pilots. Get yourself a real 3D bird. Since you have a big charger and probably several large 6S packs, I'd get something in the 70" size from 3dhs like a 71 slick or a 74 edge.

jester_s1

I disagree with going straight for the high performance planes. Even if a pilot is good with orientation (which you obviously are) you still have to develop a feel for spotting stalls and setting up planes properly. The above mentioned Pulse along with it's ancestor the Ugly Stick are just all around great flyers. They won't do the various stalled maneuvers so well like snap rolls and spins, but you can work on your precision with them and burn holes through the sky all you want.

On the topic of power systems, most of us have stayed with glow because of two things: 1- it's cheaper, especially at the setup phase. The cost of batteries and the occasional failure of components makes it take a long time to break even vs. buying jugs of glow fuel. 2- it's convenient because you just have to pump fuel and go. Planes don't suffer nearly as many issues with vibrations as helis do, so there aren't as many advantages to going electric with them as there are with helis.

SeamusG

Hey DJ - no doubt about flying skills. How about progressing thru the build sequence, developing best practices and acquiring tools and materials?

Jester - given his experience & inventory of electric field box / charger - why not go electric?

DenverJayhawk

John - i agree. He's likely already got all the money in a nice power setup and larger mAh lipos if he's flying 700 electric helis. Keeping electric and going 3D is a no brainer.

Grex

Thanks everyone for the input so far.. Very helpful..

Charging setup I have 1500W Psu, PL8 and a small gen. (2kwatts).

Im not keen on going to a high performance 3d plane straight off.. The point about stall points..etc is something I need to get used to...

I have both RF5.5 and Phoenix sims and the plane i enjoy flying the most at the moment is the Hanger 9 Toledo Special... It doesnt to spins, snap rolls or knife edge that well (due to dyhedral? high wing?) but its pretty nimble and has plenty of get up and go...

Ill have a poke around and see if there is a BIY kit for it or something similar..

So no really advantage with electric in the plane world like in helis (i.e. more power and smoother). Maybe nitro is the better option as nitro (especial 4stroke) sounds very nice in planes.

I would love to eventually get my building skills and knowledge to a point where i could build a biplane - Pitts Special or similar...

SeamusG

SIG has a couple of kits that are similar to the Toledo Special. One is the Citabria (backwards - AirBatic). It is a scale model of a full size aerobatic trainer. Another might be the Clipped Wing Cub.

Of course - there's a favorite of mine - the SIG Somethin' Extra (SSE). It's a 40 sized mid wing that is easily managed on low rates - on high rates - an axial roll rate of 720 degrees per second is easily doable. The SSE is one of the most popular builds on RCU. Plenty of threads. Plenty of bashes. And plenty of interest by the members. Oh, and some guys have figured out how to put a 115 Saito 4-stroke on one - unlimited vertical.

kiwibob72

I am in the same boat in that I fly a 50 nitro heli as a main aircraft (sport only flying), and are now starting on planes. While I did have a trainer until it got squashed by a bookshelf with our Dec 23rd earthquakes, I agreed that after only 2 flight I was going to get bored. So don't go there.
I've just finished a little 56" Yak54, and while a fully bonkers 3D aircraft, with lots of expo and the rates at only 35%, it's actually a real puppy dog to fly, yet the beast within is only a dual rate switch away for when I get better.
Best bet IMO, get what you want, set it up to be docile in flight, and max Phoenix as I find that a great tool, then spend a few flight with an instructor on you plane till your up to speed and happy.
Best of luck.

Grex

I really like the look of the Citabria and the SSE... I just wish the SSE was slightly larger as it appears to have 1300mm wing. I notice there is a GP Extra with 58" wing which is the size i was looking for i.e. 1500-1600mm wing for a little more stability in wind?..

Definitely going to build now.. Just have to find a suitable kit... GP Extra is looking like a winner..

kiwibob72

Will this suit? [link]http://www.greatplanes.com/airplanes/gpma0236.html[/link]

Grex

KiwiBob,

Thats the very one i was looking at... Though it looks like it need a monster size engine .91/120 FS.

Perhaps the SIG Extra would be better first up... Found a build thread which shows that its very easy to convert the SIG to electric too..

Need to do a bit more reading...

kiwibob72

The good thing with planes is most of them can be converted to electric as long as you can get at the battery area without to much bother, motor just comes down to using the right mount (vs helis where you used to need an engineering degree to do a conversion)

GerKonig

Get a Telemaster kit. They are a lot of fun to fly (electric), and easy to build. Mine is about 70" wingspan. It must have like 6 years... Never get tired of vertical take offs (4 cells) and lumnering around the sky, or going backwards if there is a breeze. I fly this thing with 2 digit winds w/o problem.

Link: http://www.hobby-lobby.com/telemaste...36879_prd1.htm

Gerry

ATVAlliance

Im still pretty new (3rd season in) and fly planes & helis both.  Better plane flyer than heli at this point.  BUT, since the Extra and Yak54 have both been mentioned and I have both of them (maybe not exactly the same plane) I feel that the Yak has MUCH better flying traits than the Extra.

My 330L WILL stall and drop a wing...so will the Yak...but at a MUCH MUCH slower airspeed.  So, IF I were to make a choice between the 2...id go with the Yak.

PS...I actually like the look of the Extra over the Yak...its just the Yak flies so much nicer and will land nice and slow.  I pretty much have to fly my Extra down...not quite like a warbird would be...but definitely faster landing speed than the Yak.

I think landings are the hardest thing.  Just about anyone can take off...most can fly the circuit.  Setting up for landing and actually landing the thing is the biggest thing.

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

+1

I would suggest a Mojo 60 with a Saito 80 or YS 70. Worried about stalls?  You've already taken off and landed, so once airborne you simply get 100' or more altitude and explore slow flight. The Mojo lands at a walk, like a lot of profile/3D planes. Reduce the rates and throws, you've got a great trainer. The Big Stick and 4 Star 60 are great birds also.

There's no performance advantage to nitro vs. electric, but the sound makes all the difference. Can't beat the muted rumble of a 4-stroke!

600Bob

Super Chipmunk, aerobatic but not full on 3D, slow stall and landing speed. Not a trainer but still easy to fly.  Available from different makers in kit or ARF.

Burc

My Feedback: (1)

If you already are flying 700 electrics you have the 6S5000mAh packs which are perfect for the 70" electrics like the 3DHS slick which wont disappoint...

kenh3497

Check out the Sig, Smith Mini Plane. A very nice flyer and a relatively easy build.

Ken

OliverJacob

My Feedback: (12)

There is a ton of planes out there. Now the best way to start is still a high wing trainer to learn the physics.
I too started with helicopters and had maybe 20 minutes total on the buddy box until I flew my plane solo. But the trainer
helped to get started. I outgrew it very quick.
Soon I got a 4Star, very easy to fly and capable of mild aerobatics. I think this makes a great trainer also.
The plane I enjoy a lot is a Tower Uproar, little 3D plane, almost impossible to stall and tons of fun.
It is a little quirky, but with low rates and some expo I find this very easy to fly, it's small and sturdy and can take a hard landing.
You can slow it down or fly it hot and you can take it anywhere.

acdii

Could go with something like the Eflite T-34 PTS. It's pretty nimble in the sky, and with larger motor esc and packs would be able to perform pretty good, especially once the droops are removed. 

If you want a kit, SIG makes really good kits, the Kadet LT40 went together in about a week, and flies great, but would probably bore you after a while even with a larger motor in it. I have an OS 52 in mine and it will go vertical on takeoff. Thankfully it does, or it would be missing a wing! LOL

opjose

Go for a Stik...

- Rugged
- Easy to repair
- Will Do 3D
- Easy to land
- Handles wind VERY well
- You'll NEVER tire of it.
- Suitable as a platform for engine break in, etc.
- Great for Fun Flys
- Inexpensive
- Everyone NEEDS a Stik!

I've trained Heli pilots on Pulses, etc... all I had to do was to buddy box with them for ONE flight and then get them to lay OFF the rudder.

The latter was the hardest thing for them.

Most of their first landings were hard... in retrospect the Stik was/is a much better choice than what has been suggested.

SEARCHINGFORPARTS

My Feedback: (1)

Guys... It's HANGAR.... not Hanger.
Sorry, I could not resist!
Happy and Safe Landings!