Hello there everyone, this is my first post in this forum.
I got initiated into r/c airplanes world about 5 years ago. A friend of mine helped a lot, found me a good chessna model (gass engine) to build and helped me while i took it to first flights. So i'm not a total newbie, i have 4-5 successfull take offs and landings as an experience. The problem is that later i abandoned the hobby for quite a while due to a lot of moving and job instability, but now i'm back!
I was thinking about buying an electric model to train untill i feel totaly confortable in all aspects of flying, and later start building my own scale model when i find the time.
So if anyone has any experience from this model http://www.hobby-lobby.com/focke-wulf.htm please let me know what you think about it.
Also i was thinking about buying a 9C Futaba radio, which is a one time purchace of course so i want it to be as good for its price as possible. But is 9 channels too much? Which are the cases that i might use all 9 channels?
Thats all for a start, i'm sorry if the same questions have been asked over and over in this forum, and i'd apreciate if you find some time to answer!
Thanks

The Futaba 6exa would be a better radio for you to start on

I agree with Tpierce about the 6EXA....

Also, I might have just missed it in your post but is there a Flying club near you? If there Is i suggest that you skip the electric arf. Get an instructor from the local club<if you have one> and get a glow powered trainer.

You could go for a RTF<ready to fly> but that would only give you basic equip.

My suggestion is get a ARF. Such as this
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi- bin/wti0001p&I=LXPY56&P=0
Then go ahead and buy the Futaba 6EXA radio system and a good strong .46 engine from O.S. or a Supre Tigre .45

Then get a good field box.... Go to www.towerhobbies.com and look for field boxes... Hobbico has one that has everything you'll need for only $120.


Hope this helps.

Animator,
If you have the money to buy the Futaba 9 CAP (or other 9 channel), then go for it. The radio will last you through about all you can think of, and is a good investment.

9 channels.... 2 for ailerons (two separate ailerons, one for each surface, plugged into channels 1 and 6), rudder, elevator and throttle. On larger planes they'll often use two elevator servos, on different channels, mixed as one.

Then there's Flaps, Retracts, Smoke Systems, and Bomb drops (for those warbirds), and a sliding canopy. Some engines allow for servo driven mixture control.

Let's see; 2 for Ailerons, 2 for Elevator, one each for rudder, throttle, Flaps, Retracts, Smoke, Bomb, Canopy and Mixture. Oh oh, that's 12 channels! [:@]

Let's see, that remote glow igniter can be fixed to come on at 1/3rd throttle or lower, so I won't need a servo for that, and I can tie my landing lights into the flaps....

Seriously though, I've been at this for 9 years now, fly with a Futaba 6 XAS, and haven't run out of channels yet. I'f you think you'll get into warbirds, giant warbirds, extreme aerobatics like 3D, high dollar gliders or helicopters, then get the 9 CAP (or whatever version), if you're not likely to get into any of the above, go with the 6 EXA or Futaba 7 CAP.

Get with an instructor for a few flights whatever plane you get (a trainer's not a BAD idea, but depending on how you did last time out a typical "second" plane like a Four Star 40, Tiger 2, or Super Sportster might be alright too.

Here's a link to the AMA website. They have a "Club Locater" page, just plug in your Zip Code and you'll get a list of clubs within an easy drive. (In case you don't have one lined up already.) http://www.modelair.org/

Oh, and if you haven't guessed yet. I'm suggesting that you stay away from small electrics, unless you'd prefer to fly on your own and have the space to do it. In any case, that small electric Focke Wulf is going to be a handful.

Good luck, have fun, and welcome to RCU!
Dennis-

That looks like a nice plane, but I wouldn't recommend it for your experience level. It's going to fly much faster than the Cessna, and low wing models are not nearly as stable as high wing models.
If you truly want an electric plane, may I suggest the PT Electric? It is a trainer based on the Great Planes PT models, regarded as very fine trainers.
You will basically be starting over, so find an instructor.

Hey everyone, thanks all for your great replies!
Although i'm tempted to go simple with the 6 channel Futaba, since i can afford it at the moment, i think i'll get the 9 channel one. Because i'm certain that when i start building my own warplane (can't help it, most of them low wing ones, are just beautifull) i'll put retracts and lights and bombs and even fake tracer bullets if i can!
Okkkay. So my next step would be to go by the local airfield one of these days, get in touch with the local r/c club and see what happens...
Thanks again all, now that i found this great forum you'll see more of that crazy me in the future.

Dennis