Hi all,
I have 2 questions, 1st is equipment, second is flying..

I want to buy something reasonable but to keep the cost down
here's a list of what I'm looking at, any recomendations/comments
or problems please let me know..

Plane: must be ARF..
Hobbico Superstar 40 60"
Tower Hobbies trainer 62"
Thunder Tiger 40

Engine:
OS 40LA
OS 46LA
Tower 46BB (I've read they have gasket/carb problems)

Remote: (I'd prefer 6 channel since I'd like to Have a camera and flaps in the future)
Futaba 6YG (w/BBservos)
Tower 6FM (6YG watered down clone w/nonBB servos)
Airtronics VG600

now for the planes even though they're "ARF" what else will
I need to build them glues... tubing etc..

Now the second part.. "the rant" learning to Fly..
Everyone says find a club... this part annoys me
I've found local clubs.. but their membership+MAAC usually
adds up to over $200.. in reality I only need to learn I've got
60 acres stateside to play on (which btw happens to quicker to get
to then the "local" clubs airfields).. which also means an AMA membership
on top of the MAAC..

So will the odds on learning to fly on my own cost more than $200
in repairs and spare planes??


Thanks in advance

Take a look at the MAgnum 46 XLS and Thunder Tiger 46 Pro, these are better for a little more. Also for $30US(tower Hobbies) more I'd at least get the 6EXA as it is computerised and has more features. I am not sure about the flying in the US as I live in New Zealand.
Hope this helps
p.s- Listen to DBcherry, he has some great advice

First, welcome to the hobby!

As far as your list of items, it all sounds ok except I would not get the OS .40 LA. It runs well, but it doesn't have much power. And ARF planes tend to come out a little heavier so you will need the extra oomph. You would probably be happier with an OS FX engine, or a Thunder Tiger Pro, or a Magnum engine. They all run well and put out more power than the LA line.

The extra things you will need; I'll probably miss something but here goes: CA glue, 30 min. epoxy, Foam Rubber, Medium fuel tubing, #64 rubber bands, 10 or 15% fuel, fuel pump (manual will do), a couple spare props, a chicken stick (something to flip the prop with), some tools (screwdrivers, pliers, razor knife), Ni-starter (to heat the glow plug), a little piece of brass tubing to connect the fuel line from your pump to the fuel line on your plane, a couple of padded stakes to restrain the plane while you start the engine. Can't think of anything else...

Now, as far as teaching yourself to fly. It can be done; a lot of guys have done it. BUT, a whole lot more have tried it, gotten frustrated, and given up. It's not so much the cost, but the frustration of flying the plane for ten seconds, seeing it crash, taking it home and fixing it, only to do the whole cycle again. That's why everyone here will tell you to get some instruction. So you can have a chance to get used to the controls before you have to get close to the ground. If you are determined to go on your own, at least practice with one of the R/C simulators. I have taught students for many years and the ones who have used a simulator learn twice as fast. You can download the FMS simulator for free, and it works pretty good.

Also, if you join a club, you will get a lot of instant friends who share the same interest. Personally, I enjoy the socialization at the field as much as the flying.

Well, good luck!

If you would like to learn to fly immediately, you could come down to our field and I have the most amazing flight instructor literally in the world, who will GIVE you 2 hours of flight instruction, on our trainer for absolutely free!! No strings, it just that the flying season is much too quickly running out.

I run a small hobby shop and offer free fly before you buy as a customer service.

nascarjoe

Being late in the season (post sept 1), you will find that MAAC is half price. Club membership also often is reduced about now.

So, you can get "legitimate" for less than $100, I bet. Thats MAAC, club subscription and entry fee.

As for the planes, all personal preferences. I fly the 46LA in my trainer, works just fine. If you go BBearing, I am told that the 46FX is worth the premium over the TT46. Then again, it is all opinions.

gus

For a plane most brand name ARF trainers are all about the same.

engines TT42 or 46 for good value, OS46FX if you have the money, GMS47 great power for the $$.

Radio if you want computer with 6 or more chanels HiTec Eclipse7, Futaba 6EXA or JR 378
fuel 10% nitro 20% oil, CA and epoxy glue, glow clip and battery or power panel, chicken stick and or starter, fuel tube, rubber bands, props, spinner.

probably, also if it's like Aus most of that is probably insurance which is a good idea wherever you fly.

I'm going to give you a little different advice because I was in your shoes not to long ago. I too wanted to learn to fly but didn't want to go the club route. So what I did is bought an electric Slow Stick with a good radio and charger. Both you'll use later. The Slow Stick costs 39.95 and includes the engine. You can buy the standard sized servos and receiver for the slow stick which willl also go into your next plane. This plane calls for micro stuff but it can easily carry the bigger stuff. It can even carry a camera later if that tells you anything about this plane. This is the most forgiving plane you will ever fly and it is so slow that you can easily teach yourself if you have it balanced and trimmed correctly. Balance and trim will be the tough parts but you are going to deal with this with the other type of flying as well. I would rather mess up a 40 dollar plane than an expensive arf. But this is just my opinion.

Good luck!

cainebean

Welcome to this hobby, may U not crash

I believe the 40LA is not quite a good choice, sure it has that coooool blue colour, but what's inside is more important right?
I'd suggest you get a 40FX, but that is like twice more expensive. I'd say you'd be luckier with another brand of engine. How about Enya? TT? See what your friends r using... because you'll NEED them to tune it for you!!! If you have a tight budget, have you considered a 25 sized planes? They are smaller and easier to transport.

As for radio, you've made the right choice to get a 6 channel radio. 4 channels like mine are usually shoooort ranged and have crashed many of my planes. The Hitec range is usually cheaper than the Futaba range. Get an Eclipse 7 if you've got the dough, or a Laser 6.

As for a plane, if you are serious about a 40 sized plane, to cut costs have you considered the Arising Star or Classic by Seagull and Phoenix respectively? These Vietnamese planes are cheaper. Get the Arising Star!!!

As for self-learning, try to find a trainer... sometimes there are fliers lurking around the corner that may just give you free training! Anyway if you cannot find a trainer, get a simulator. These simulators are good stuff. FMS is good, but Realflight G2 is better. G2 has a flight instructor which may just be the right thing for you.

CYA

I'm not understanding. It sounds like you're saying you intend to fly at a 60 acre private field in the U.S. If the field is private, why would you need AMA membership? Also, who will you be flying with? If alone, you should know that it's not only lonely, but there are inherent dangers even with a .40 sized plane. If with others, could they teach you how to fly?

On the issue of instructors, if you decide to go alone, I would recommend a "durable" plane, like the U.S. Aircore, Airmadillo trainer, or a Spad. If you do get into the cycle of 10 second flight, crash, repair, with one of these planes you may be back in the air in a few minutes. One hard part for you is going to be getting the plane trimmed, not an easy thing when you're learning. I recommend you take a lot of time to get the controls centered using a straight edge. I have found that if the plane is well designed, and well built, if you take the time to get the neutral positions exactly right, the trim should be close enough to give you a fighting chance.

Any one who has taught beginners knows that you spend almost as much time teaching the engine as you do teaching flying. So, to reduce that learning curve, I'd recommend the Evolution engine, since it purports to reduce the learning curve in this area.

Good luck to you!

Hi oasisplaces:

First things first - I guess you need to start your application with AMA first (I am not sure if it has an authority in Canada, buy you have to have something similar). Most flying clubs require membership primarily because these guys provide liability insurance, and you might want to get just for this reason.

Plane: I’d pick a 60 size airplane. It is bigger, more stable, and better visible and it may give you extra power at “not so good� day. I got myself HobbiStar 60 – very nice ARF and it flies well.
Yes, you will need glues – epoxy 6 and 30 minute, some CA (thin and may be some medium), tubing…

Engine: ball bearing, good quality. I know it is very tempting to go with cheaper engines, but for starter you do need something simpler to deal with. OS is good; Tower (GMS) engines seem to be reasonable. You might check out Engines forum here – great guys, very valuable advices.

Radio: vise choice to go with 6 channels. Spend more money, but get computerized one, e.g. Futaba’s 6EXA or 6XAS.

Flying club… Depends. The one I belong to is very good. Nice people, good advise and support and a good “learn to fly� program. However, I heard other stories too – thus it is your call.

Last word of advise – if you can – get your hands on a good piece of RC flight simulator for your PC. Well worth the money, especially if you are thinking about doing self-education. I use GreatPlanes RealFlight G2 (you can go light to start, it’s about $100. Great for self training (and for “winter flying� ).

Have a good flights!

To answer the question directly, most guys who try to learn on a glow trainer with out help, do in fact, go though more money in broken airplanes and parts than they would have spent if the joined a club.

Not all, just most. Sims help a lot. Doing a lot of reading on how airplanes do what they do helps as well. (ie, ground schooling on your own). I'd suggest a SPAD (www.spadtothebone.com) for an airplane as they are much more durable than a conventional ARF and fly as well. If you want to go the Balsa route, look at the LT-40. Of the .40 size trainers, it's the slowest flying, so it's least likely to get ahead of you. I've found my students seem to have the least problems with the Evo engines. There's nothing wrong with the .40LA, sure it's not as powerful as the other engines, but it will get the job done, and frankly if you are learning on your own, the lower airspeeds that result will be a good thing. I also recommend no higher than a 5 pitch prop, again to keep things moving slowly so you have time to think.

You shouldn't have to join both AMA and MAAC, they have some reciprocity agreements. Since I don't life close to the boarder, you'd have to ask around to see how that actually works in practice though.

One other thing
I don't know what Tx this poster has, but all the 4channel boxes I've used have all had plenty of range, and the same output power as the more expensive transmitters. However, some 4 channel radios come with single conversion RXs and "micro" flight packs that are designed for park fliers. You'll want to avoid those, as the Rx isn't suitable for a .40 sized glow plane. It's not the Tx though.

oasisplaces

I would strongly encourage you to join a local club for several reasons. First, youll have someone to teach you how to fly model planes, and thats a great deal. Second, a large percentage of the fun related to this hobby is being around other people who fly model airplanes, your flying buddies, which you will become very bond with hopefully. Third, your learnig experience will a lot steeper, as you will have experienced people around to explain what this or that happens, how to fix this, how tu tune, adjust, ways to do things and so on.

Regarding your planes, if you decide to join a club Id go with either the superstar or the tower since theyre made out of wood and are easier to fix in case of damage. I believe the Thunder tiger trainer has an APC fuse.

Regarding the engine, go with a bearing 46 such as thunder tiger 46pro. Great and reliable engine, very decent power and will last a long time if you set it right. About the radio, I too would add a few bucks and get a computer radio. you can get some good deals on used stuff here on RCU (well, at least in the old RCU), ebay and such.

Welcome aboard

Oasis,
First, welcome to RCU and the great world of RC flight! There are a lot of terrific people involved in this hobby, and some of them even show up here every once in a while! [sm=biggrin.gif] That is also one of the biggest reasons to join a club. I fly alone sometimes, but really prefer the comraderie of having other guys around; to laugh with, pick on, and just to shoot the breeze between flights. You WILL learn more quickly with others around.

Zimbo,
Thanks for the compliment! [sm=redface.gif]

Oasis,
If you are h3LL bent on learning by youself, I'd recommend a couple things; 1) get a flight simulator. FMS is free and fairly good. It will at least train your fingers to turn whether you're coming or going. You can make, or buy, a cord to interface between your transmitter (Tx) and your PC. (Here's a link for the interface. $22 shipped I think. http://www.mattclement.freeservers.com/fms/fms.html ) 2) as was suggested, start with an electric GWS Slow Stick. With standard size radio gear the overall cost once you transition to glow will be less than other park flyer type electrics.

For a radio, if you're serious about 6 channels, I'd second (or third?) the recommendation for a computer radio. 6 channels, non-computer, is not worth the cost. If you can't afford to go computer, just get 4 channels and save for the computer radio. It will be quite a while before you'll be ready for flaps or camera equipment. (Next spring probably.) Futaba 6EXA or 6 XAS are very good 6 channel computer radios.

If you're still going glow, any of the ARF's you mentioned will be fine. The Sig LT 40 is one of the best, but others are decent too. Go with a 46 size engine. It will serve you better in your next, (low wing?) plane. OS 46 LA is okay in spite of people disliking it, the Magnum and Thunder Tiger (PRO!) are both good. Top of the line is probably the OS 46 FX. It is also the most expensive.

My guess is, that if you try to fly glow on your own, you will spend more than $200 extra while trying to learn. Plus a lot of frustration and anger with yourself. It just ain't worth it to most.

Why not join one of those clubs with the Canadian version of AMA (MAAC is it?), learn to fly, then decide whether the club thing is right for you. It's an initial expense that you may spend on crashes anyway. But if you really enjoy the guys at the field, you may find the added cost well woth it.

What ever you decide, I wish you great success and hours of fun!

Keep us posted,
Dennis-

Hi All,
And thank you ALL for the overwhelming greeting!!

So it looks like,
Stick to a wood built trainer, (or Spad.. I tried, and still trying.. that's why i said arf!)
Go with at least a .46 that's a better quality
and For the radio 6ch is a good choice since I'm there get the computer already.

Ho2zoo, Thanks.. I was never sure if you needed the glues,
and I didn't even think about the rubber bands!!

Nascar, Thanks for the offer! but you're a few hours away!!

monty, dennis, gus,
I've talked to the MAAC, and they said there is a reciprocity
agreement with the AMA, but it only covers flying at events,
and with chartered AMA clubs. They were saying in my situation
using the reverse would make more sense, AMA so I'm insured
where I fly privately, and reciprocity where I train.

I've also been very leaning towards the join a club thing..
just it takes out of the plane budget. I took my dad with me
to a local hobby shop, he's flown many types of birds,
I've also clocked a few hours, many years ago. he took
one look at the remote, and a plane hanging off the ceiling..
and said controls look weird, and you got no feeling flying that..
join a club.. after that I had to stop him from buying a plane..
otherwise he'll be sleeping on the sofa, and I wouldn't get some
of those free meals when I visit! ON the same note, the shopkeep
also gave me a list of items I should buy from tower, and stuff
he stocks that was cheaper, he also gave the address of a local
club, said build the plane, get an maac membership
and go there on a nice weekend, someone will check out the
plane for ya, and give you a little stick time.
I think I'm probably going to go talk to them next weekend b4 I
get the plane to get an idea..
I'll let you guys know how it turns out!

I don't usually reply, but generally ask questions. Your post struck a chord with me, so I'll throw in my opinions. A trainer, is a trainer, is a trainer. I bought the Superstar 40 with the 40 LA and Futaba radio combo at a LHS after deliberating for way too long about what to buy. My engine runs like god and my plane flys the same (even after a number of epoxying jobs). Join a club. As stated in previous posts, you'll make friends and the learning curve is increased (decreased?).

I'm not sure about the $ thing as my AMA and club dues were under $100 (and that seems a lot as I type it). I appreciated opinions when I started (last fall), but remember that some of the opinions are from people that own equipment that they've worked to get to and might be overkill for someone just starting out. Buy the best that you can afford (i.e. the 6exa or better), but a simple 4 channel with a combo deal will last a while. Even though I've moved up in my equipment, I don't regret buying a 4 channel radio. I've written way more than I thought I would, so I'm going to stop and read some more posts.

Have fun in the hobby!

PEACE