Sprintracing82

I am new to planes not to rc. Have nitro cars and trucks and some electric.
question is. Is it easier to fly a pt40 or a new plane with technology?
I found a rtf great planes pt40 in great shape for a deal. Or spend a lot more for a newer plane with the safe tech and all that. I do have a dx4e with a flight simI bought.
is a small plane better like a mini cub, champ, or larger like timber, apprentice styles?

patgene920

You can't go wrong with the PT 40. I just completed the PT20 and have the 40 coming.

Sprintracing82

So the pt40 40 is easy to fly for a newbie. Being balsa is it hard to repair from crashes?

patgene920

Generally no, depends on the damage. Building a kit will teach you all the tricks, plus it's very rewarding. Bigger is usually better for training, and get someone to buddy with while training. The DX4 is perfect for that plane.

Sprintracing82

Oh I'm not building the pt40 it's already built. And not sure of remote or engine it has. I'm buying it off a guy. And I don't know anyone to buddy with. Or anyone that has a rc plane. Like I said completely new to me.

patgene920

I don't know where you live but you need to find a field where they fly and go meet some people. Have somebody check out the plane your looking to buy.

Sprintracing82

not sure what to buy. That's why I'm here. Found a few on Facebook for sale. Looks like a new pt40mk2 already built, crashed once. Needs a prop
.has engine , fuel, starter and remote.
other planes are a timber. And a champ S+. If they habent sold yet. Wanting to stay under 150$ for my first plane. Also look at a sport cub s bnf, but not sure if smaller is better. I know its well in my budget.

For a newbie.
is it easy to fix a balsa plane with the coating? Or glue foam? Are parts still available for pt40? Is bigger easier to fly even with out the tech? Is the little ones easy to fly with or with out tech?

I ask because one video I watched some idiot Josh. Was that warlords, balsa, nitro, and more are not for begginers. But video did seem sponsored by hobbyzone, so might be bias. Other video said smaller planes with turn faster , which is hard for begginers to control, plus the wind whips little planes around more. Says bigger plane , big high wing surface area , almost fly them selves.
so what is best?? A new foam plane to learn with all the tech, and which one small or big. Or a pt40 for a deal of a price.

Sprintracing82

Patgene . Nice plane. Here is the pt40 I might go look at tomorrow

jester_s1

Bigger flies better. They are easier to see, feel slower even though they aren't, and don't get tossed around by wind turbulence as much.

Foam crashes better, balsa flies better. Some Gorilla Glue or foam safe CA and kicker and you can be back flying the next day with foam. Balsa requires considerably more work to repair even with a minor crash. However, because balsa flies better, it crashes less assuming the pilot does his part.

You need an instructor. The simulator helps, but it won't teach you proper piloting technique. It also won't teach you how to do a thorough pre-flight check, how to set up a plane properly, or how to do repairs properly. In the very early days of this hobby people taught themselves, usually transitioning from free flight. But that experience had taught them about proper setup (the precision there puts most of our planes to shame) and most radios were only single channel rudder control. You will likely crash whatever you buy if you try to figure it out on your own. A few people don't, but the vast majority do.

You can put your zip code in at Academy of Model Aeronautics to find a club. Yes, the club will cost money. But it won't cost as much as crashing multiple airplanes due to not having flying skills.

I'd be very thorough about checking out that PT40 before buying it. You said it's been crashed, so were the repairs made properly? Has it flown since being repaired? Is the engine in good shape and reliable? How old is the battery? What radio and receiver does ti come with? It's possible to find bargains on used stuff, but a cheap used plane can also be the most expensive way to get into this hobby. If you have to repair the plane, put new bearings in the engine and clean it out, replace the battery, replace the radio, replace the tank and lines (lines and stopper need to be done every year anyway), and put new wheels on it, you'll wind up very close to the price of a new plane.

I'll also address a common error in thinking I see in new pilots a lot. This hobby isn't about a one time purchase or a purchase here and there. Think of it more as an ongoing investment in yourself. Create a monthly budget for this that you can live with. That lets you buy what you need and improve your collection when you are able. You'll need fuel and parts here and there, so go ahead and plan for it. I allow myself $60 a month. That covers fuel and parts. If I break something or want to upgrade something, I just wait until I can pay for it out of that monthly allowance. Of course, if my wife wants to get me a birthday or Christmas gift some of the bigger items show up then. But the point is that you'll need funds to keep this hobby going.

Stickslammer

Your experience with R/C cars is a definite plus when it comes to engines and electronics. That PT40 would be a good first plane to learn with if it is in good enough shape for the money. And you already have a good transmitter. I think the best advice you can get is to find an experienced pilot to help you out. Good Luck! Keep us posted.

Sprintracing82

Won't let me post a pic yet til 10 post. It needs some love. But I think it will be decent. Has a o.s. engine unsure of size. E-sky remote. Futuba servos. Has a hanger 9 starter, car battery for it. 1/2 gal of probably really old fuel. Glo plug. Hell the car battery is worth more then what I paid for it all.

I'm in Springfield IL if anyone wants to help a newbie.

Sprintracing82

• 25 fx. O.s. engine

jester_s1

I'm not too sure about that engine on that plane. That engine has value to Q25 pylon races, so you may be better off selling it and putting a quality ball bearing .40-.46 in its place. I don't doubt that engine has enough power to fly the plane, but it will do it with a small prop that may not be able to pull you out of stalls or give you good enough vertical performance. Others who have flown this plane may chime in with more experience than me.

Propworn

My Feedback: (3)

Sounds like you bought the PT40 how about a few more posts then post some pictures of what you purchased and in the mean time see if there is a local club and the cost to join as that will be your best chance for success.

Dennis

Sprintracing82

O.s. site says the 25fx has dual ball bearings. I don't know anything about it. If it's worth $ and someone wants it ,ok.

Sprintracing82

A forum on here said 35-46 two stroke. Or 40-52 four stroke.

which is better, two or four stroke?

Sprintracing82

Ok finally my tenth post. Now some pics

jester_s1

The .25 FX is a hot little engine, and would probably fly a .40 size trainer nicely in the hands of a pilot with a little bit of experience. For all I know, it may fly it well for a beginner too. But yes, the recommendation is to go a bit bigger.

There are lots of threads on RCU about the merits of 2 and 4 stroke engines. For your purposes, pretty much the perfect engine is an OS .46 AX. It has more power than you need, will transition to a sportier plan when you are ready, and is very reliable and easy to tune. Alternately, you could go electric with a .40 equivalent brushless motor and appropriate batteries and a charger. That route costs more money, but it's more convenient.

Sprintracing82

You make.me think I should try and sell it, and just buy new foam plane rtf. A new engine isn't cheap. I'm not worried about using it to move up later. As I have a edge 540t brushless foam plane with spare already. It's just to my h to learn on. I did have it fly but way too fast right now. It took a little to get used to the speed of nitro car after I had big engine and 2 speed trans.and I wouldn't start with that. But that's what the 540 is to me. Way to.much at first.

what would I even ask for the whole thing? Or should I just sell engine? What is it worth?
the 540 isn't in bad shape, I do t think. But does need so.e adjustments and love. I do t know if the wrap is old and brittle. I don't know anything about them.

Sprintracing82

Stickslammer

It looks like everything is there. I don`t see any damage. I would replace that old looking battery. A good 1200mah 4 cell NMH is not much money. Does the transmitter take alkalines? If you can find someone with experience, you could get that plane flying in a short time.

Sprintracing82

Yes remote is a E -sky. 8 AA batts.

Hydro Junkie

I'd like to chime in on this one. If you can find someone to help you out, you might want to pull that engine and have them take it apart and give it a thorough going through and cleaning. It's hard to judge what the inside is like just from a picture and, as grimy as that engine is, it's hard to say if it was properly taken care of after being run

Sprintracing82

Well after working in plane a little, I notice center of gravity points as I was looking through book. And it says 4 " . Hum the dots on wing are closer then that. So now I look at specs for pt20.
the plane I purchased isn't a pt40 but a pt20. As the wing is only 52 inch and not 60.
does that make much difference on the engine that is has. Is the os.25fx good for pt20?
is pt20 still good trainer plane?

Hydro Junkie

What you have to remember is the "20" in PT20 NORMALLY gives you the engine class the plane is designed for. A plane I'm working on, a Kadet Jr, is made for a 15 to 25 with a 48" span. A 52" span is not going to be an issue for that 25 to handle