I have been looking at the R/C stuff for some time and i want to get into it. I want to cover the helicopter, sailplane, and airplane ends of the sport. I understand the expense and practice needed and i plan on getting a sim long before my first real flight. (looking at AFP or reflex) Do you guys suggest going with the bundled controller or buying a seperate one for beginning? And if a seperate one then should i get some simple controller at first then move up or get the hitec eclipse 7 or futuba 7c/9c as the controller to start and continue on with. Electric would be the desired start since i have a field 5 min from my house as opposed to a half hour drive for gas.

Get the controller that comes bundled with the sim. Do some research find out which aspect of the hobby you are most interested in and start there.. Sounds like to me that you're not sure what you want to do... If that is the case BEFORE spending any money go check out a couple of clubs and see if someone will give you an intro flight!!!

Then start doing some reasearch and find out what part(s) of the hobby/sport interest you most.

Places like RCU are a great help IF you can ask a specific question if you can't then most of the responses may be meaningless to you

Example of a Question that is not specific enough "What is the best trainer?"

zeratul1320 - If you're really interested in all those things and think you will be getting into all of them in the next couple years, then I recommend that you buy a good heli radio. The Futaba heli radios also have airplane modes so they can be used for just about anything. But the airplane modes do not have as many features as the dedicated airplane radios.

I have an 8UHP (out of production) and don't miss what isn't there. I don't have any other brands, so I can't say if they have the same type features or not (airplane and heli in the same tx).

Good luck and welcome to the addiction.

- Paul

Most of the Futaba radios have exactly the same software. For instance I believe that the 6XAS and 6XHS are indentical apart from the ratchet and switch positions.

If you want to fly everything with your transmitter you are better off buying something like the Futaba 7C as a minimum. The heli software on the cheaper transmitters (including the 6XHS) is pretty basic.

I agree with the other comments. Get a sim. Go to a field and find out where you want to start. We can then point you in the right direction.

My recommendation... if you KNOW you plan on going Heli, Fixed wing glow power and sailplanes.....

Start with the Sailplane and an inexpensive 4-channel system. The sailplane s the easiest to learn to fly. The 4 channel radio's RX and servos will be useable a a "fight pack) with your computer radio when you get it later. (you'll end up needing 3 airborne systems because you won't want to be swapping the radio from model to model all the time) A flight pack costs about the same as the 4-channel system... so you basicly get a free charger and TX this way.

Next go to the glow power fixed wing models. A bit harder to fly due to the higher speed. Buy a 2nd 4 channel system for this. (you don't need any computer mixing yet.)

After you have been flying the gliders and fixed wing glw models a while... get the computer radio. (you'll probably have 3 or 4 models redy to fly at any given time by this point...)

Then go to the helis.

***************

As to the simulators... ANY flight sim is better than no flight sim.

RF G2 is the most realistic I have seen that is intended for RC model simulation.

You can use Microsoft Flight Simulator from Tower view. The "FMS" (Flying Model Simulator ... free download) adapter for plugging a transmitter in as a joystick will work with Microsoft Flight Sim. There are litterally thousands of aircraft "profiles" for free download. There WILL be something that closely apprximates how your model flies. MS FS is poor for learning to hover a model heli however (takes forever to learn to take off because there is no automatic gyro stabilization.). Its great for practicing to fly fixed wing models.

Where in Ca.are you? My club offers heli and fixed wing instruction at no cost with club equipment just to get your feet wet, that reminds me, a bunch of us go float flying once a month too.
www.baysidercclub.com (Fremont)

Most of the time I agree with FHHuber, but not this time....If you really understand the exspence involved go ahead and get a good 6 channel or more radio...start of with a GWS parkflyer and one of their pico flight paks for the field near your house...get the crystal to match your Rx..best thing after that is go at least hang out at the field and watch those guys fly,,,better yet go there first and see what kind of radio's they use so they can help you decide which to get, you can often pick up a cheap trainer there too.........as for extra radios/and chargers......well, ONE TIME I grabbed my plane and Tx case and a flight bag,drove to the the field put the plane together and opened the Tx case just to find out ...it was the wrong radio....have never used the transmitter case since...bought a $12 field box ..didnt need that fancy case after all......Rog