Aerobird - A great first or second plane
06-12-2003 | 07:46 PM
#1
Aerobird - A great first or second plane
How about a personal review of the Aerobird from a new RCer, me. I looked at
the Firebird II, XL, Fighterbird and the Aerobird. With three channels you
can do a lot more, so I went with the Aerobird.
I was not interested in building. If I spent a month building and then
wrecked it, I would be crushed. I wanted a RTF that could take some
punishment.
I am a first timer. However I am also one of these guys that goes into intense
research when I get interested in something. After several months of research,
talking to people, flyers and non, I bought an Aerobird. It is a super value
but there are other good starters. Here are the plusses and minuses in my mind
of the Aerobird.
Very inexpensive and rugged for a three channel starter - $140-$170
The plane comes complete and fully assembled. Charge the flight battery, put
on the wing, put the batteries in the transmitter and up you go! Even the
batteries for the transmitter are included.
New flyers like me are going to crash, so you don't want something costly to
start with. There is a full line of parts available at reasonable cost. You
can replace the whole main fuselage for $49 including the motor and all the
flight electronics. A wing is $15 and the tail is $7. So, if you crash badly
you can get everything for under $75 and you are back in the with a three
channel plane.
Batteries and charger:
The battery will run for a full 5-6 minutes at full throttle and 12-15
minutes+
at half throttle. Many planes in this class run 4-6
minutes. And unlike many of the 2 channel starters, it comes with a peak
charger that you can use in your car. If you pick up two spare batteries you
can stay in the air all day. A full charge takes about 40 minutes.
Another plane I liked was the Sky Scooter Pro, now the Pro II. You can get it
as a base plane and motor and add your own electronics or get it ready to fly
with a 72 MHZ Hittec 3 channel radio for about $150. This was my second
choice to the Aerobird. I like it a lot!
The Aerobird also has an X-Pak hop up kit available for $30. It includes a 7
cell battery (the basic is 6) and a larger tail. This makes the plane faster
and more maneuverable. So, once you get good you can soup it up! I bought the
X-Pak when I bought mine. I will use the 7 cell as my second battery and save
the tail for later.
WIND
All new flyers should start in winds under 5 MPH so that you are learning to
fly the plane rather than fighting the wind. I didn't do that and crashed a
lot because of the wind. However, now I am very comfortable flying this plane
in 10-12 MPH winds. Handles it very well.
27 MHZ vs 72 MHZ Radio
The Aerobird uses a 27 MHZ radio which is assigned to general use for planes,
cars and boats; mostly low end stuff. There are only 6 available channels. So,
if you have a kid with a RC car in the same area where you are flying, and he
is on the same channel you are on, and he is close enough, when he switches on
his transmitter, you will lose control of the plane and probably crash. Even
with 72 MHZ radio systems, this will happen if you get two flyers on the same
channel, but 72 MHZ is dedicated to airplanes. High end RC cars are on 75 MHZ
so they won't interfere.
The flight control is a single stick radio with rudder and elevator on the
stick. Throttle is on a slide on the left top. It is similar to a Futaba or
Hitec single stick arrangement. I find it very comfortable to use and other
flyers who have tried it say they find it easy as well.
If you are going to join a club, check with them. Some clubs will not admit 27
MHZ based planes because they can't be flown with a buddy box, a training
system, like a dual controlled car, that is used for pilot training. After
long consideration I bought the Aerobird, but these are things I took into
consideration. My club, www.lisf.org has many firebird pilots, so the
Aerobird was welcome The Sky Scooter Pro, mentioned above, is on the 72 MHZ
band set-up so you don't have any of these considerations.
Downed Plane Locator:
If you fly near woods, swamp, tall grass or places where the plane could go
out of sight, get some kind of plane locator. It is amazing how hard it can
be to see a plane in the woods or tall grass that is 10 feet from you.
Here is a review of an Emergency Locator Beacon that illustrates its value
(this site is somewhat unreliable)
http://webhome.idirect.com/~arrowmfg...s/elb-revi.htm
Sounds like a good idea to me. Every plane I ever own will have some kind of
locator.
Here are three examples of locators:
http://www.customelectronics.co.uk/lma.htm
http://www.hobbico.com/accys/hcap0335.html
http://www.rcelectronics.bravepages.com/Locator.html
These won't work on my Aerobird. I am using one of these:
http://www.keyringer.com
They look like a small clicker for your car door locks. They work by sound.
You click one of a pair which sends out a chirp that the second one hears and
answers. I place it on top of the wing under the rubber bands that hold
the wing. Itbalances nicely, and I can easily move it from plane to
plane..
Resources Aerobird, Sky Scooter Pro
Here is an internet site that sells the Aerobird. They also have a
link for a video of the plane flying:
http://www.parkflyers.com/html/aerobird.html
As I said, my alternative plane was the Sky Scooter Pro. It had been about
$260 RTF, but they recently released the Sky Scooter Pro 2 at about $160 so
you might want to give it serious consideration.
http://www.servocity.com/ServoCity/...._airplane.html
Videos
http://www.hitecrcd.com/Funtec/videos.htm
So, that's my evaluation of the Aerobird and why I purchased it. I fly as
often as I can. I have about 20 flights on my plane since the end of March.
I am fully self taught. At this point I am just loving it. My friend has a
Wingo and says he likes flying my Aerobird so much he plans to get one too.
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]
the Firebird II, XL, Fighterbird and the Aerobird. With three channels you
can do a lot more, so I went with the Aerobird.
I was not interested in building. If I spent a month building and then
wrecked it, I would be crushed. I wanted a RTF that could take some
punishment.
I am a first timer. However I am also one of these guys that goes into intense
research when I get interested in something. After several months of research,
talking to people, flyers and non, I bought an Aerobird. It is a super value
but there are other good starters. Here are the plusses and minuses in my mind
of the Aerobird.
Very inexpensive and rugged for a three channel starter - $140-$170
The plane comes complete and fully assembled. Charge the flight battery, put
on the wing, put the batteries in the transmitter and up you go! Even the
batteries for the transmitter are included.
New flyers like me are going to crash, so you don't want something costly to
start with. There is a full line of parts available at reasonable cost. You
can replace the whole main fuselage for $49 including the motor and all the
flight electronics. A wing is $15 and the tail is $7. So, if you crash badly
you can get everything for under $75 and you are back in the with a three
channel plane.
Batteries and charger:
The battery will run for a full 5-6 minutes at full throttle and 12-15
minutes+
at half throttle. Many planes in this class run 4-6
minutes. And unlike many of the 2 channel starters, it comes with a peak
charger that you can use in your car. If you pick up two spare batteries you
can stay in the air all day. A full charge takes about 40 minutes.
Another plane I liked was the Sky Scooter Pro, now the Pro II. You can get it
as a base plane and motor and add your own electronics or get it ready to fly
with a 72 MHZ Hittec 3 channel radio for about $150. This was my second
choice to the Aerobird. I like it a lot!
The Aerobird also has an X-Pak hop up kit available for $30. It includes a 7
cell battery (the basic is 6) and a larger tail. This makes the plane faster
and more maneuverable. So, once you get good you can soup it up! I bought the
X-Pak when I bought mine. I will use the 7 cell as my second battery and save
the tail for later.
WIND
All new flyers should start in winds under 5 MPH so that you are learning to
fly the plane rather than fighting the wind. I didn't do that and crashed a
lot because of the wind. However, now I am very comfortable flying this plane
in 10-12 MPH winds. Handles it very well.
27 MHZ vs 72 MHZ Radio
The Aerobird uses a 27 MHZ radio which is assigned to general use for planes,
cars and boats; mostly low end stuff. There are only 6 available channels. So,
if you have a kid with a RC car in the same area where you are flying, and he
is on the same channel you are on, and he is close enough, when he switches on
his transmitter, you will lose control of the plane and probably crash. Even
with 72 MHZ radio systems, this will happen if you get two flyers on the same
channel, but 72 MHZ is dedicated to airplanes. High end RC cars are on 75 MHZ
so they won't interfere.
The flight control is a single stick radio with rudder and elevator on the
stick. Throttle is on a slide on the left top. It is similar to a Futaba or
Hitec single stick arrangement. I find it very comfortable to use and other
flyers who have tried it say they find it easy as well.
If you are going to join a club, check with them. Some clubs will not admit 27
MHZ based planes because they can't be flown with a buddy box, a training
system, like a dual controlled car, that is used for pilot training. After
long consideration I bought the Aerobird, but these are things I took into
consideration. My club, www.lisf.org has many firebird pilots, so the
Aerobird was welcome The Sky Scooter Pro, mentioned above, is on the 72 MHZ
band set-up so you don't have any of these considerations.
Downed Plane Locator:
If you fly near woods, swamp, tall grass or places where the plane could go
out of sight, get some kind of plane locator. It is amazing how hard it can
be to see a plane in the woods or tall grass that is 10 feet from you.
Here is a review of an Emergency Locator Beacon that illustrates its value
(this site is somewhat unreliable)
http://webhome.idirect.com/~arrowmfg...s/elb-revi.htm
Sounds like a good idea to me. Every plane I ever own will have some kind of
locator.
Here are three examples of locators:
http://www.customelectronics.co.uk/lma.htm
http://www.hobbico.com/accys/hcap0335.html
http://www.rcelectronics.bravepages.com/Locator.html
These won't work on my Aerobird. I am using one of these:
http://www.keyringer.com
They look like a small clicker for your car door locks. They work by sound.
You click one of a pair which sends out a chirp that the second one hears and
answers. I place it on top of the wing under the rubber bands that hold
the wing. Itbalances nicely, and I can easily move it from plane to
plane..
Resources Aerobird, Sky Scooter Pro
Here is an internet site that sells the Aerobird. They also have a
link for a video of the plane flying:
http://www.parkflyers.com/html/aerobird.html
As I said, my alternative plane was the Sky Scooter Pro. It had been about
$260 RTF, but they recently released the Sky Scooter Pro 2 at about $160 so
you might want to give it serious consideration.
http://www.servocity.com/ServoCity/...._airplane.html
Videos
http://www.hitecrcd.com/Funtec/videos.htm
So, that's my evaluation of the Aerobird and why I purchased it. I fly as
often as I can. I have about 20 flights on my plane since the end of March.
I am fully self taught. At this point I am just loving it. My friend has a
Wingo and says he likes flying my Aerobird so much he plans to get one too.
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]
06-12-2003 | 07:47 PM
#2
Aerobird - A great first or second plane
I have been flying my bird for three months now and am just loving it. I have pounded the plane into the ground more times than I care to say. I have destroyed three wings. I have also destroyed the motor mount. I had to build a new motor mount. I also had to put on a new tail. All this, and the plane flies great, but it has taken a real beating. That is what makes it such a great trainer.
Along the way I have had to solve many problems that you might encounter, not because the plane is bad, but because I was so reckless with it while I was learning to fly it. The fact that it flies today is a tribute to what a great trainer it is. So, I pass on what I have learned.
First - RTFM
RTFM means read the friendly manual. It is not very big and it has some great info. If you lost yours, you can download it here:
http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/Produ...uctID=HBZ6000#
Respect Wind
This plane can fly in winds up to about 12 MPH with no problem, but ONLY after you have mastered it. Most of my crashes came from flying in too much wind before I was ready. Also, always fly into the wind. You must launch into the wind and land into the wind. And, with the wind blowing toward you, the wind will not carry your plane away, it will tend to bring it to you. Once you master flying the plane, the wind can be your friend. However at about 15 MPH, if you make a hard turn the wind can cause the wing to fold and cause you to crash. Respect the wind, don't fear it.
Motor Mount
This is the first thing you should do. Before you take a hard nose hit, reinforce the motor mount. I will not elaborate here, visit this thread to find the information. It contains advice from other pilots and what I finally did to reinforce the mount. You should do this before you need it.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...187#post922187
Plane Does Not Fly Straight
Assuming you have not displaced the motor (see above), and you are having problems with the plane turning to one side, check the following:
a) is the wing crooked or too damaged - try a new wing.
b) Check the trim adjustments. They may have been moved from center. Set them to center and make all adjustments assuming you will fly with the trim set in the center.
c) Check the tail. The foam is attached to the center plastic brace by small pieces that punch through the foam. This can loosen up and the tail fin can move slightly away from the plastic brace. On the ground you might not notice it, but in the air the pressure can move this around causing the plane to turn to one side or the other. Using some tape, tape the tail fins to the center plastic brace. I guess you could also glue it in place.
Also, look for creases in the foam. If there is a weak spot, it will cause the tail to flex causing the plane to turn. I checked my plane's tail a dozen times, but finally found the crease. It was right at the meeting point where the plastic support meets the tail so I did not see it. Looked fine on the ground, but it was flexing in the air causing a hard right turn leading to crashes. I replaced the tail.
d) Make sure the moveable surfaces are even with the fixed surfaces on the tail when the stick is centered and the trim levers are centered. You MUST check this with the transmitter on and the battery attached. If they are not even, adjust them with the screws on the control horns. If they are not even when the stick is centered, then the plane will not fly right, ever. The procedure is in the manual. RTFM
Also, if you make enough adjustmetns to the control horn screws, they will loosen up. There is a tiny phillips head screw on the back. Tighten it or the spool could unwind while the plane is in the air, causing a crash. (Guess how I know this!)
e) If none of the above are a problem, then check to see that the boom is solidly attached at the body of the plane. If this comes loose, it can move around while the plane is flying causing all kinds of problems. It can also twist so that the tail is no longer aligned.
The boom should not twist or flop around. It must be solidly attached. If it is not, you must realign it and secure it. Since the body is polypropylene, not much in the way of glue sticks to it. This links shows you how one person secured the boom on their plane using screws.
http://rclibrary.com/viewtopic.php?p=34#34
Be aware that the control line travel insid the boom from the servos to the tail surfaces. Be sure to put the screws FORWARD of where the control lines enter the boom. You have to look into the plane to see where they enter the boom. I have also heard of people drilling holes from the side and putting nylon ties through the holes to secure the boom. Just make sure you are forward of control lines.
The Porpoise
When you apply power the plane starts to climb then noses up, then the nose drops and it does it all over again. The problem is that the tail needs to be trimmed. There are two screws on the tail. The procedure is in your instruction book. RTFM
Center of Gravity
If you are using a 7 cell battery, you will get a faster plane and better climb. However you will also shift the center of gravity forward slightly. Not enough that the plane won't fly, but enough that it will seem to be nose heavy. If you are an aggressive, full throttle flyer, you probably won't notice. If you are more of a half throttle cruiser, like me, you will find the plane needs up trim all the time. Here is how you fix it.
The foam that sits between the battery and the electronics puts the 6 cell exactly where it needs to be to balance the plane, but the 7 cell is heavier. Remove the side pins and pull the foam out. Now, cut it from top to bottom about half way in, just in front of where the pins that hold it in-place enter the foam from the side. Now put the remaining piece back in the plane. When you fly the 6 cell, put the moveable piece behind the battery in its normal place. If you are flying the 7 cell, put the moveable piece forward of the battery. This will shift it back 1/2 inch and put the CG right where it should be. The plane will fly better at all speeds and will launch much better as well.
Want longer flights
Want longer flights, back off on the power. Both the 6 and 7 cell battery will last five to seven minutes at full power. However, if you back off to half power, your flights can last 10-15 minutes depending on the wind. If you like to glide, back off to 1/4 throttle and you can stretch to 20 minutes.
Also, when you charge your batteries, charging at a lower rate gets fuller charges. If you are not at the field, but are charging up after the day is over, or the night before, charge at .6 to .8 amps instead of the full 1.2 amps. It will take longer, but will heat the cells less and will more fully charge the battery. Also, after a flight, let the pack cool for 10 minutes before you start charging. After charging at 1 amp or more, the pack will be warm. Let it cool 10 minutes before you fly. It is better for the battery and the charge will last longer.
Neck Strap for the Control unit.
If you look at the high priced Futaba, Hitec and other radios, they have a place where you can clip a cord so that the radio can hang from it leaving you two hands to make adjustments on the plane. I have messed up the trim taps more than once and crashed on launch because I tucked the radio under my arm.
Take a large paper clip and bend up the center piece in the middle to make a place where you can clip a neck strap to it. Now take some sand paper and sand a spot in the center of the radio to the left of the stick and the right of the throttle slide. Mine is about 1/3 from the bottom of the radio. Mix up some epoxy, I use 5 minute, and epoxy the paperclip to the radio. Use plenty of epoxy so you can really embed the clip in the epoxy. Now, when you are getting ready to fly, you can release the radio without putting it down.
Reinforce the Wing
Got to staples and get some glass reinforced tape. The 3M type that has a cross pattern is best. I think it is called extreme strength tape. Put a piece on either side of trailing edge where the prop wants to bite the wing if a landing is a little rough. Make sure you have a spare prop. Since the prop is less likely to cut the wing, if it hits the wing, it might pop the prop off, or break it. However normally this does not happen.
I also reinforce the front of the wing with the same tape where the rubber bands come across the wing. This will help reduce denting.
Learn to Dead Stick Land
If you run the battery too long, the speed control will cut the power to the battery while preserving power for the control surfaces. If you learn to land with the power off all the time, then if you get caught in the air with no motor, you will have no problem landing. Dead stick is my standard way of landing. If I am 250 feet up and want to land, I just set the plane into a landing direction then cut the power and glide it down. Really works great!
Also, since I fly on a grass field, I never use the landing gear. It just flips the plane forward on the grass field. I just slide it into the grass. Works great and the V tail takes the grass much better than a standard upright tail.
Parts
These planes have a great distribution system. Parts are very readily found in most hobby stores. However if you can't get what you need, look here:
http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/Support/
If you really destroy the plane, you can replace the whole fuselage, including the motor and electroncis for under $50. A wing is about $15, the tail is $9. You can literally shatter the plane and be back in the air for about $75.
HobbyZoneSports Frequently Asked Questions - Couldn't hurt to look!
http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/Support/FAQ.aspx
Summary
So, that is the sum total of what I know about getting a great plane through the phase where we pound it into the ground trying to learn to fly. Don't give up! Avoid the wind, take your time and you will get it! Oh, and RTFM ..... read the friendly manual!!!! :-)
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]
Along the way I have had to solve many problems that you might encounter, not because the plane is bad, but because I was so reckless with it while I was learning to fly it. The fact that it flies today is a tribute to what a great trainer it is. So, I pass on what I have learned.
First - RTFM
RTFM means read the friendly manual. It is not very big and it has some great info. If you lost yours, you can download it here:
http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/Produ...uctID=HBZ6000#
Respect Wind
This plane can fly in winds up to about 12 MPH with no problem, but ONLY after you have mastered it. Most of my crashes came from flying in too much wind before I was ready. Also, always fly into the wind. You must launch into the wind and land into the wind. And, with the wind blowing toward you, the wind will not carry your plane away, it will tend to bring it to you. Once you master flying the plane, the wind can be your friend. However at about 15 MPH, if you make a hard turn the wind can cause the wing to fold and cause you to crash. Respect the wind, don't fear it.
Motor Mount
This is the first thing you should do. Before you take a hard nose hit, reinforce the motor mount. I will not elaborate here, visit this thread to find the information. It contains advice from other pilots and what I finally did to reinforce the mount. You should do this before you need it.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...187#post922187
Plane Does Not Fly Straight
Assuming you have not displaced the motor (see above), and you are having problems with the plane turning to one side, check the following:
a) is the wing crooked or too damaged - try a new wing.
b) Check the trim adjustments. They may have been moved from center. Set them to center and make all adjustments assuming you will fly with the trim set in the center.
c) Check the tail. The foam is attached to the center plastic brace by small pieces that punch through the foam. This can loosen up and the tail fin can move slightly away from the plastic brace. On the ground you might not notice it, but in the air the pressure can move this around causing the plane to turn to one side or the other. Using some tape, tape the tail fins to the center plastic brace. I guess you could also glue it in place.
Also, look for creases in the foam. If there is a weak spot, it will cause the tail to flex causing the plane to turn. I checked my plane's tail a dozen times, but finally found the crease. It was right at the meeting point where the plastic support meets the tail so I did not see it. Looked fine on the ground, but it was flexing in the air causing a hard right turn leading to crashes. I replaced the tail.
d) Make sure the moveable surfaces are even with the fixed surfaces on the tail when the stick is centered and the trim levers are centered. You MUST check this with the transmitter on and the battery attached. If they are not even, adjust them with the screws on the control horns. If they are not even when the stick is centered, then the plane will not fly right, ever. The procedure is in the manual. RTFM
Also, if you make enough adjustmetns to the control horn screws, they will loosen up. There is a tiny phillips head screw on the back. Tighten it or the spool could unwind while the plane is in the air, causing a crash. (Guess how I know this!)
e) If none of the above are a problem, then check to see that the boom is solidly attached at the body of the plane. If this comes loose, it can move around while the plane is flying causing all kinds of problems. It can also twist so that the tail is no longer aligned.
The boom should not twist or flop around. It must be solidly attached. If it is not, you must realign it and secure it. Since the body is polypropylene, not much in the way of glue sticks to it. This links shows you how one person secured the boom on their plane using screws.
http://rclibrary.com/viewtopic.php?p=34#34
Be aware that the control line travel insid the boom from the servos to the tail surfaces. Be sure to put the screws FORWARD of where the control lines enter the boom. You have to look into the plane to see where they enter the boom. I have also heard of people drilling holes from the side and putting nylon ties through the holes to secure the boom. Just make sure you are forward of control lines.
The Porpoise
When you apply power the plane starts to climb then noses up, then the nose drops and it does it all over again. The problem is that the tail needs to be trimmed. There are two screws on the tail. The procedure is in your instruction book. RTFM
Center of Gravity
If you are using a 7 cell battery, you will get a faster plane and better climb. However you will also shift the center of gravity forward slightly. Not enough that the plane won't fly, but enough that it will seem to be nose heavy. If you are an aggressive, full throttle flyer, you probably won't notice. If you are more of a half throttle cruiser, like me, you will find the plane needs up trim all the time. Here is how you fix it.
The foam that sits between the battery and the electronics puts the 6 cell exactly where it needs to be to balance the plane, but the 7 cell is heavier. Remove the side pins and pull the foam out. Now, cut it from top to bottom about half way in, just in front of where the pins that hold it in-place enter the foam from the side. Now put the remaining piece back in the plane. When you fly the 6 cell, put the moveable piece behind the battery in its normal place. If you are flying the 7 cell, put the moveable piece forward of the battery. This will shift it back 1/2 inch and put the CG right where it should be. The plane will fly better at all speeds and will launch much better as well.
Want longer flights
Want longer flights, back off on the power. Both the 6 and 7 cell battery will last five to seven minutes at full power. However, if you back off to half power, your flights can last 10-15 minutes depending on the wind. If you like to glide, back off to 1/4 throttle and you can stretch to 20 minutes.
Also, when you charge your batteries, charging at a lower rate gets fuller charges. If you are not at the field, but are charging up after the day is over, or the night before, charge at .6 to .8 amps instead of the full 1.2 amps. It will take longer, but will heat the cells less and will more fully charge the battery. Also, after a flight, let the pack cool for 10 minutes before you start charging. After charging at 1 amp or more, the pack will be warm. Let it cool 10 minutes before you fly. It is better for the battery and the charge will last longer.
Neck Strap for the Control unit.
If you look at the high priced Futaba, Hitec and other radios, they have a place where you can clip a cord so that the radio can hang from it leaving you two hands to make adjustments on the plane. I have messed up the trim taps more than once and crashed on launch because I tucked the radio under my arm.
Take a large paper clip and bend up the center piece in the middle to make a place where you can clip a neck strap to it. Now take some sand paper and sand a spot in the center of the radio to the left of the stick and the right of the throttle slide. Mine is about 1/3 from the bottom of the radio. Mix up some epoxy, I use 5 minute, and epoxy the paperclip to the radio. Use plenty of epoxy so you can really embed the clip in the epoxy. Now, when you are getting ready to fly, you can release the radio without putting it down.
Reinforce the Wing
Got to staples and get some glass reinforced tape. The 3M type that has a cross pattern is best. I think it is called extreme strength tape. Put a piece on either side of trailing edge where the prop wants to bite the wing if a landing is a little rough. Make sure you have a spare prop. Since the prop is less likely to cut the wing, if it hits the wing, it might pop the prop off, or break it. However normally this does not happen.
I also reinforce the front of the wing with the same tape where the rubber bands come across the wing. This will help reduce denting.
Learn to Dead Stick Land
If you run the battery too long, the speed control will cut the power to the battery while preserving power for the control surfaces. If you learn to land with the power off all the time, then if you get caught in the air with no motor, you will have no problem landing. Dead stick is my standard way of landing. If I am 250 feet up and want to land, I just set the plane into a landing direction then cut the power and glide it down. Really works great!
Also, since I fly on a grass field, I never use the landing gear. It just flips the plane forward on the grass field. I just slide it into the grass. Works great and the V tail takes the grass much better than a standard upright tail.
Parts
These planes have a great distribution system. Parts are very readily found in most hobby stores. However if you can't get what you need, look here:
http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/Support/
If you really destroy the plane, you can replace the whole fuselage, including the motor and electroncis for under $50. A wing is about $15, the tail is $9. You can literally shatter the plane and be back in the air for about $75.
HobbyZoneSports Frequently Asked Questions - Couldn't hurt to look!
http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/Support/FAQ.aspx
Summary
So, that is the sum total of what I know about getting a great plane through the phase where we pound it into the ground trying to learn to fly. Don't give up! Avoid the wind, take your time and you will get it! Oh, and RTFM ..... read the friendly manual!!!! :-)
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