Thanks to all the helpful feed back from you all I have decided to choose the SIG LT 40 as my first glow engine trainer plane. I just have a few questions that I hope you guys will be kind enough to answer.

1. Does the SIG LT 40 have ailerons?

2. How can I get it where it has a tail wheel where I can attach a servo to guide during take off and landing. The one on tower hobbies site is a tripod type.

3. When setting up the servos, does it matter wich stick controls the aileron and which controls the the elevator. Reason I ask is that I saw a diagram that shows the up/down(elevator) and left/right (aileron) on the right stick and the rudder on the left stick. I have been flying a 3 channel electric plane (aerobird) and this would not be what I am used to. Seems to me I'd want the rudder and elevator on the right and the ailerons on the left.

4. How is the engine started? Will I need to buy a starter?

5. Will I need any thing else besides TX, RX and engine other than the following?
. A. LXK129 Great Planes Silicone Fuel Tubing Standard 3'
. B. LXL434 Hobbico #64 Rubber Bands 1/4lb.
. C. LXHY24 Top Flite 10x6 Power Point Propeller
. D. LXA298 Wildcat Premium 10% Extra Quart

6. How long does a quart of fuel typically last? Should I buy more?

7. Do I need to buy glow plugs?

8. Is it safe to say that I can throttle the plane back to a speed I am confortable with at first and still stay in the air. Maybe just a little faster than 15 - 20 mph air speed at first? What is the maximum air speed with a .46 engine?

I want to place an order soon, but I want to make sure I have absolutely everything I need. I am buying the ARF not the Kit. I am getting the 6YG FM R127DF 4 S3004 57 72930 with an O.S .46 LA engine.

If there is any other information you think I may be missing, please tell me. I appreciate all your help.


Thanks,


Wings

Hey, wings:
First of all, I would recommend you find a local club and instructor, because the glow planes are quite a bit different from the small electric planes.

1. Yes
2. You can do this, however it will take some modifications and unless you have a really good reason, I would leave the tricycle set up, as it works fine.
3. It doesn't really matter how you hook up your controls, but keep in mind most instructors will be flying mode 1 (ailerons and elevator on right stick) and may be uncomfortable or unable to help with flying.
4. The 46la comes with general instructions for starting and tuning. You will probably need a starter, as starting by chicken stick is tedious (especially when not familiar with glow engines)
5. That looks about right (except for starting equip), probably need a fuel pump[LXMA93 ] if you don't have one, and some fuel fittings for your fuel jug[LXD708] as well, and a glow plug starter[LXJ800]. Also, I would trade the 10x6 prop in for an 11x5 master airscrew(more durable) or APC(more efficient).
6. A quart will go pretty quickly if you're flying every weekend. I would buy by the gallon, and try to get this at your LHS if at all possible.
7. Yes, OS #8[ LXCB27] will work fine on the 46la
8. You can, however without an instructor you may not get the time to do this after takeoff.

Again, I am not trying to discourage you, but you would do well to find a local club and instructor. If it's quite a ways still go. It's invaluable for the intangible things, like tuning a glow engine, and learning to fly without destroying your investment and possibly injuring someone.

Have fun, be safe and let me know if you have any other questions.

Joe

Just to add a little bit to the solid answers above:

2) It's a common mod, but I also suggest you leave it as a "trike" for now, and do the mod later, after you've flown a bit.

3) Ailerons on the left is an unusual configuration, but not unheard of. It's sometimes called "mode 3". However, it is very very rare, so I also suggest you keep the ailerons and elevator on the right stick. You'll adapt a lot faster than you think.

6) It's not uncommon to burn a quart in a weekend. Heck, I've burnt a gallon in a weekend of soild flying. And the cost by the quart is unreasonable.

7) Yes, get at least 2 spares. Same with props, min of 2 spare to start with.

8) Sort of. There is a lower limit to your airspeed (as you know), and it is noticeably higher than the max speed of your Aerobird. Also, new engines don't always run well at low speeds until they've fully "broken in". To make it easier to fly slow, you'll want a prop with a 4 or 5 pitch, max. Maximum speed depends on a lot of things. With an LT-40, and the LA .46 and a prop like a 10x7 or 9x9, you might hit 60-70mph in a dive. You'd have to work at it though, the LT-40 is a high-drag airframe. (which is good for a beginner). More realisitcly, 50mph is about tops in level flight for that plane and engine. These speeds are mostly guesswork though, it's hard to guage it well.

wings,
flynboy gave you some great answers, I'd just like to add a few things...

#2) The tricycle gear setup that comes with the p[lane not only won't require any modification, it is also a mush easier system to use. Save the taildragger until you have a little more experience.

3) 99% of fliers in the US fly mode 2 (Aileron/Elevator on the right) I suggest you go this route. It won't be hard, because even if you make a mistake and use your left hand, the plane will still turn with the rudder (it's not like you will go into a radical dive or something equally as scary). This way, once you learn, you will eventually be able to teach others.

8) gennerally speaking, you will probably be flying at 1/2 to 1/4 throttle. With the high lift wing that most trainers have, more power will result mostly in more altitude as opposed to much more speed.

And finally, on your engine choice...

The 46LA costs about $63 Plus, you need a Glow Plug which brings you to about $73

For $79 you can get the Evolution engine which is MUCH better than the LA series. I recently did a review of this engine, and I can tell you first hand that it is VERY good. Here's a link to it:

http://horizon.hobbyshopnow.com/serv...InCategory=EAA

8. One thing that nobody has mentioned is the fact that the LT40 is BIG. The 70" wing span means that you don't have to fly it so close to yourself to be able to see it. So the "apparent" speed may not seem too high.

I learned to fly on this plane. Don't know what the landing speed is, but it sure doesn't need to be very fast. This plane really floats.


Kerry

Most of the bases have been covered..

1. Don't try to fly it in a small park or schoolyard. It's NOT a park flyer and will require more room (especially your first landing approaches)

2. Can't say this enough get an instructor and some hands on help. These forums can be a great help but nothing beats one-on-one instruction.

3. A Sim can be a great help in overcoming the control configuration issues you mentioned. (it's one of the reasons I'm so critical of the 'bird series of planes but thats a topic for another thread)

Kerry,
You are right, the plane will be higher and farther away than the small electric Wings is used to. I have no doubt Wings will be able to fly it around.

That's one thing that might have gotten lost in some of the recent threads about glow vs electric. Flying the glow powered trainer around isn't hard at all, and I don't see any problems there.

Taking off and landing, however, are a different story all together. As is the inital trimming and tuning of the engine and controls. Things happen close in and low on take off and during landing. The LT40 is a floater by glow standards, but still comes in much faster than a park flyer on landing. And during takeoff, the plane is at full power and trying to accelerate to flying speed. Some guys manage to take off on their own with out help, but many rotate too soon and stall, or drop a wing and carwheel. If they are lucky the plane is close to being in trim. If it's not, the first few turns can be a wild ride as the engine is still pulling hard as the pilot is trying to get altitude in a hurry, but the airspeed is still on the low side due to the rate of climb. Most beginners climb out way too steeply, making some of this worse.

All that said, I'm not saying it's impossible to learn to fly on a glow trainer with out help, just that it's hard. Flight time on an Aerobird will help, quite a lot actually. But an LT40 or any other trainer is different, and things do happen faster, so you have to be ready for that.

Life is just a lot easier if you get someone to make the first flight on the plane for you, help get the engine running right, and allow you to get used to flying it with out the pressure of taking off and landing right from the start. Someone who has a lot of time on park fliers might find themselves soloing on a glow trainer in a day or two if things go well. But why risk a bad crash if help is available?

I agree with the above posts. As for flying Mode II, don't worry about this. I assume the Aerobird had the rudder on the right stick. In any case you want the primary rolling or turning control there, in this case the ailerons. So if you are used to turning with the right stick it will be natural to transition to the ailerons.

This may be a stupid question. I guess this question proves I do need someone to help at first.

The question is, if the ailerons are the primary turning means, then when would you use the rudder? Is this for sharper turns? Aerobatics?

Is there any FREE sites that goes over these kind of basic functions?

I appreciate everyone's responses, it has helped a lot. My confidence has came down considerably, but thats a good thing. Less money. Since I live over an hour to the closest club, I would only be able to go on the weekends. So I really don't want to invest the money. I checked out this club's flying site and I was not impressed. It had an awsome runway, but not much clear space. Many trees. The field I am flying in is much more open, but....... no runway. Actually the owner of the field I use is a real pilot and has a grass runway he said I coud use. But I am not sure I will be able to take off. I dont know how large the wheels are on the LT 40 but the AEROBIRD (don't laugh, I'm moving on) just gets caught in the grass, won't move an inch. He keeps the grass mowed but it catches the wheels.

My plan is to go to the club (you dont have to be a member unless you fly) and just observe. Maybe ask a few questions. If I go a couple times I am bound to learn quite a bit even if I dont fly. Does that sound like a decent plan?



Thanks guys,

Wings

Wings, Hi this is 747 from PA. I ve been reading this for 2 days and I am exactly in the same position as you. Started off in summer with outlaw then to Aerobird. Now bored, I do goto a nice club nearby with wide open space. I am gonna become a member asap. I have also sorta decided o n my trainer - A sig rascal 40 size...It s a trainer and looks great to keep. Yes this is not a very expensive hobby but we need to be careful to buy the right thing. But joiing a club is the best idea you'll get lots of ideas...I enjoy just watching all diff planes there in action. I feel that this hobby is wonderful in that I enjoy even watching others fly, listen people talk etc...and this!

Check Tower Trainer .40 MKII ARF is only $80 ($50 Less Than LT 40).

Good question, I had the same thing in mind. I believe aileron is more for banking the plane , loose altitude and will in effect make it to turn with rudder input.

I forgot, I heard if you (we) put bigger but light wheels, the boring aerobird will lift off from grass....

Wings,
That's a good idea, and you may end up coming back for some training. I belong to 2 clubs and both are approx 1 hr drive from me. I could fly closer, but it's just more fun with other like-minded folk. Also, you can sit around and swap stories, if you forget your glow driver, borrow someone elses, etc...

The LT-40 comes with pretty decent sized wheels, and the grass should be no problem unless it's more than 1-1 1/2 inch or so high.

As to the rudder question, that's been worked over before in this forum (do a search for use of rudder, et al). But in nutshell, when you're beginning it's for steering on the ground. To turn, you set your bank angle with the ailerons, which will cause the plane to turn, then keep altitude with the elevator (to compensate for lost lift into the bank). Now, when doing aerobatics, the rudder is used all the time for various reasons.

Hope this helps,

Joe

I have a little time, so I'll go into a little detail. flynboy is again correct about the use of ailerons. This, if you study your aviation history, is what put the Wright Bros. ahead of their competition. Everyone else was trying to turn with a rudder, buy they realized thet you needed to control the angle of bank. As far as combining elevator, think about this: If you bank the wings to a 90* angle, you would now give UP Elevator to turn. So "UP" is a relative term, which is why we say that the elevator controls "Pitch" and not "UP and DOWN".

Look at the picture below. Gravity wants to pull the aircraft down, But with the wing banked the way it is, the plane will slide in the direction of Arrow "A". Applying Elevator will control Direction "B". Using the proper amount of both Aileron and Elevator will produce a travel in direction "C".

Too much Elevator, and the plane will climb in the turn, not enough, and it will lose altitude, so it is really a balancing act. The Rudder can be used to control Adverse Yaw, but that's another lesson (and it really doesn't NEED to be used for most model airplanes).

So why not turn with the Rudder?

First, remember that the Rudder doesn't control "Right and Left" it controls "Yaw" (Or Right and Left in relation to the plane). So when you apply, let's say Right Rudder, the Left wing starts to travel faster than the right wing. This generates more lift, and causes the plane to bank. But NOW, as the rudder is held, it is causing the plane to TURN in the direction of Arrow "A" (as opposed to "Slide" in that direction). So when the time comes to level off, Opposite Rudder is applied, but since the plane is banked, applying opposit Rudder will cause the plane to TURN in the opposite direction as Arrow "A". This will cause the plane to start rising. Then, the wings will level, and since the Rudder has put the plane in a "Nose Up" attitude, the plane will "Balloon" or rise quickly.

All in all, it makes for a sloppy turn. You can get away with it on a small park flyer, but once you start getting bigger and faster, rudder turns just won't do.

The good news is, it's not nearly as hard as it sounds, and most people pick it up right away.

morn wings, boy you sure got some quality help and answers, esp. from monty and minnflyer. the only thing i can add is to run a few tanks of fuel in prep 4 that 1st. flight. that way youll get your low throttle response w\out it getting cranky on ya. that sig is one sweet looking plane, dont know bout the ailerons thou, someone out there w\one should let you know soon . im going toget that hanger 9 alpha trainer for my 1st glow, that evo engine and jr quatro radio just hit me as my best bet. ordered it yesterday from the shop and should be here b\4 the weekend. im practicing take ofs and landings with my aerobrd in prep 4 the alpha, went and got some oversized wheels on it now and takeoffs and landings from the grass are no sweat. keep me posted and ill do the same, Ted , aka flip-flop-fly

Thanks for taking the time for that excellent reply MinnFlyer. I have one more question. When using the ailerons, do they actuate simultaneously in opposite directions. Or, do they work one at a time depending on which way you want to bank.


Also, about how long will the LT 40 stay in the air with a tank of fuel? I realize it depends on engine speed, but just a rough estimate.

Thanks,

Matt

Hey wings,
About the airelons they activate simultaneously with differential in there movement so the one going down moves more then the one going up.
The amount of time a plane will stay in the air is not the engine speed but the capacity of the fuel tank. With an 8 oz. OS .40 LA i usually got about 12-15 minutes of flight time however id come down a bit early just to make sure i dont run out. If you think thats a short time its not and all you have to do to go up again is just refuel and start it up again.
Good luck,

Papa

Ya, 15 min sounds great. I am used to my electric plane. Its a royal pain in the butt, takes 35 minutes to charge for about 6-7 minutes of flight. Kinda takes the fun out of it. I have three batteries, but still, it will be 1000 times faster just to refuel the tank.

About the ailerons. You say there is a differential in speed. How is this differential accomplished? Is there settings on the servos? Just curious.

Hey, this is an off the wall question. Any one ever experience their wife or fiance getting a bit piturbed because of too much time spent on flying, working on planes, looking at webpages (pretty much getting addicted)? Just wondering if I am the only one experiencing this.



Thanks,


Wings

Hello Wings:
Tou have gotten fantastic advise. I would only make 1 suggestion. The radio you plan to purchase is a good one. But for a few dollars more you can buy a Futaba computer radio. They offer a new inexpensive 6 channel computer, The model number escapes me now. But you will love it. Setting up the controll surfaces will be so much easier. And you can use a function calles exponential. This makes the control throws less sensative around neutral. It makes it easier for low time pilots to not over control the plane. It also allows you to buy a 100 dollar flight pack and fly another plane with the same radio. It will also offer more features you will use on future airplanes. The initial cost is well worth it. Sorry for the long post. If you have questions look on the radio threads. Most any question you have has already been asked. Best of luck to you.

Hey wings,
The Kadet has instructions on this that should explain it quite well. Id explain it but its a bit hard to do so, so ill wait for minnflyer to give one of his great diagrams. Ill give it a try but i apologize if it doesnt make sense. The pushrod form the servo is connected by a nylon piece to another metal part that attachs to the airelon. The metal part is put on an angle so that when the servo pulls it will only pull the metal piece a bit, but when it pushes it will move the metal part alot more.
About wives im not sure as im only 16 but you guys want a pet peeve how about not being able to drive (almost there though).

About the radio i would also recommend the new 6EXA but if you dont wanna go with a computer radio go with the 6YG thats a quality one too. Check the classifieds on RCU theres a cheap one for sale with a flight pack out i think.

Papa

Wings,
As you can see, there is a wealth of good info on this forum and no matter what question you ask there will be help. Let me say this, the LT-40 is an excellent plane with excellent instructions. It is also a simple RC project. No need to make it complicated, just follow the instruction manual and you will have a nice flying plane. I speak from experience, they are hard to scew up and if you do it's no big deal if you have help.

I don't blame you for trying to get every ounce of info. That's how it is when you start into something like this, hungry hungry. One thing I would suggest about your new addiction is to get addicted with the flying and fellow fliers at the field as opposed to this forum, which is also addicting."Not that that's a bad thing" but I could have had all my projects done with the time I've spent here. If your significant other is giving you grief it's better to be given grief for flying than sitting in front of the computer Just a thought

Wings,

I am just a beginner. I had 2 flights with an instructor recently. I fought against the advice to get an instructor, but I found out that flying with one is very enjoyable. If the instructor you get is like the one I have he'll leave control of the plane alone as long as you're doing well and take control only after you see beyond a shadow of a doubt that you need help, if you ever do need it. Either way it happens for you, it's a great confidence builder

You're getting very good recommendations from the old timers here.

I tried flying a foam Mini Piper enough times to get accustomed to using the rudder and elevator. If you're like me it won't take but a few minutes to make the transition to aleron controls. I can almost promise you that you'll like aleron control much better than rudder/elevator control. The biggest difference is that the plane will respond quicker than with the r/e controls.

Sometimes saving a few dollars just doesn't really make good cents. --- elad

Only one other comment. The question you asked about wives and girlfriends getting miffed about your hobby time. Keep just a few things in mind. First, a wife or a girlfriend is a woman. They are just made that way in the head. In the long run, if you find one that doesn't think that way, you'll probably find out eventually that you really didn't want her anyway. They can't help being that way any more than you can help wondering why the heck they are that way. The best you can do is, while you're with her let her know that she is your "main thang" and that everything else is just a hobby. I just wish I had learned to do that sooner.

elad

Keep your planes areobatic, not acrobatic. ---------- elad

You just need the right woman. Last night, my wife was saying to me "you know, you really should go downstairs and work on your airplanes for a while". Really.

Don't get me wrong. She goes flying with me most every time. She does not really enjoy it that much, but she comes. I think she just gets tired of hearing about it. I am sure after a while, (well not completely sure) that I won't be as excited about it as I am now. I guess I talk about it too much.

Anyway,

phread59 recommended the computer radio. I was leaning the direction to begin with, but that's not one of the options on the build you own combo option on tower hobbies. So, if I get the computer radio I wont be able to get the combo which comes with more of the things I need. So it will wind up costing me more then just the difference in the price of the radios. Unless someone knows how to include that particular radio with the combo.

Thanks,

Wings

Re: Wife

I told my wife that when I met her, I had 1 airplane and lots of women. Now I have 1 Woman and lots of airplanes. I can go back anytime she likes.

I think you'll love the Kadet. I started on an Avistar, which is smaller, quicker, and therefore harder to learn on. After the fourth major crash, I bought my Kadet and moved the radio and engine to it. Much better trainer. My Kadet has trained (and is training) four beginners.
One thing that I was surprised that no one has mentioned, regarding setting up servos to reverse the sticks, is that the throw on the throttle stick is such that it doesn't return to neutral when you let up on it. You would have to physically remove the sticks and place them into the opposite slots. The only person that I know that has done this, did it because he is left-handed, and wanted to operate the aileron/elevator stick with his dominant hand.