Chikokishi

Hi there!

im looking for a really cheap and simple airplane for my first. I have basic flying skills (thanks to R/C simulators and one flight with a copilot ) but i dont trust my landing skills enough to actually get a "real" plane. Anyhow i found these planes:
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFMK0&P=M
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXDGU8&P=0
and they are really cheap. But im wondering about their quality. If anyone knows anything about these, and can help me decide if they are worth my money can you help me? Or refer me to a *whole* package (with radio and every thing) for about $100 or less?
thanks ^.^

Fox

TPierce

I wouldnt get either one of those you listed. Get one of the aerobirds from www.horizonhobby.com heres a good one http://horizon.hobbyshopnow.com/prod...p?prod=HBZ6500 I would recommend a nice glow trainer like the alpha. Everything you need for about $400

RVator

My Feedback: (1)

I think the best way to start in r/c is a .40 size glow powered trainer. They fly better are big enough to see and are repairable after most crashes. My cousin bought a Gobal Wattage electric J3 cub from Tower , what a POS. The only thing that airplane taught him was how easy it was to loose $150. Everyone will tell you to find a local club and visit it. The members will help you get started. I had to drive 70 miles to a club but it was worth it. The help, instruction,friendship and used engines I bought have been the bonus.

Trombe

My Feedback: (1)

Get .40 size trainer if you are seriouse about getting into R/C. And get an instructor.

The best: (in my opinion) http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXFG19&P=ML

Although I do recomend the kit version, as you will gain much needed knowledge by building it.

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

its fine to start off with a park flyer instead of the .40 size trainer you will be bombarded with here, but not either of the 2 you listed...check the GWS line,, look at the parkflyer forum under electrics..if thats the route you want to go............you most definately DON'T need to start with a .40..its just a common misnomer that is argued here..........Rog

Chikokishi

so buying one of these little models (considering i only have about $125 to spend) to give myself a little flight time untill i have enough money to get something better is a bad idea? We are severly pressed for money in my house hold....severly. and i dont really feel like buying a $150 plane and having a little mistake whipe it out. Cause it might be a couple years befor i can get another one O.o;;. Thats the only reason im looking for something so cheap. If i had my way i would be getting a little Electric Mustang or park flyer. But what cha going to do, huh? Heh.

Fox

Chikokishi

Electric parkflyers are considerably cheaper then the Glow planes. And if they wreck they generally fly a little slower too do they not? Im not really looking for performance right now. Just something to fly in circles at a football field. Anyone else have any suggestions?

Fox

FlyerBry

My Feedback: (8)

If you truly have aspirations to get a glow powered plane in the future why not check with your local club and see if they can help you get started with a used plane and equipment? There isn't anything wrong with park flyers but their light weight will limit how often you can fly. Not to mention the club will have instructors to help you get started. Once you have learned to fly a glow trainer you will even find that flying in a little wind can be fun. Typically, most glow trainers are involved in a crash or two while their owner is learning only to be patched up to fly again with little to no effect on performance. Park flyers (depending on the model) are also often harder to repair. Buying used now would save you money in the long run. You could check out the used equipment here on RCU while making your decision.

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

Fox,
If money is that tight for you, then a 40 glow trainer and club, even with used equipment will be a bit too expensive. (Almost every club requires AMA membership for the insurance, and that alone is $58 per year.)

The reason folks (myself inculded) are recommending that you stay away from the real cheap planes like the ones in your links, is that they seldom fly, and IF they fly, they usually fly like crap.

Something like an Aerobird at $150 complete (everything you need to fly) might seem expensive, but it's a tried and true RC electric that people know flys pretty well. There may be a couple that are a bit less expensive ($125 range) but I don't know them well enough to recommend them. Do not under any circumstance, buy a plane with less than 3 channels. You'll be throwing your money away.

There's a site dedicated to electrics called EZone. They have forums for Park Flyers, and build them yourself "Foamies" that are quite inexpensive to make, and fly very well. This may be an option where you could get a decent flying RC plane in the air for between $100 and $150, AND build additional planes later for less than $20 each that you could move the RC equipment into. Her's a link: http://www.ezonemag.com/

Good luck with whatever you decide, and welcome to RCU!
Dennis-

Chikokishi

Iv done some more searching! I found a airplane thats out of my budget at the moment, but i could save for it in a month or two.
http://www.shopnbu.com/rctoys/megate...ark-flyer.html
i suppose its one of those 5mph airplanes. And at that speed id have to try really hard to wreck it. And it seems like its a good package. Anyone have any comments or arguements about this plane? Thanks for helpin me!

Fox

Chikokishi

http://www.raidentech.com/ccj3grscrc3p.html
I read in another forum that this is a decent airplane. Has anyone here flown it or could tell me what they think of it? I think this might be the one i buy. I think...

Fox

Righty

You might try asking about an electric trainer in the electric trainer forum.

Rebellion

My Feedback: (2)

Fox, the Megatec Merlin is a good flying plane and very durable. I taught myself to fly RC on one a few years back. Has good power for what it is and easy to fly. As with most park flyers it doesn't care for wind very much. Easy to repair and parts are readily available. The weak link as far as durability is concerned is the prop shaft. If the prop takes a good hit, it usually bends the shaft but they are reasonably cheap ( around $ 3.00 if memory serves ). I can't comment on the factory radio as I bought mine without it and put my on gear in. You might be able to save a few bucks by buying the plane without radio as I did and looking around on E-Bay for a used 3 channel. Mine has since survived teaching a friend to fly and is now back in my hangar. Have had to replace a few parts along the way though.

David E.

Chikokishi

I like that idea Dave. Also..if anyone out there has a decently good airplane they would like to sell me for $100 or less id like to hear about it. I dont have any equip. at all so id have to check into buying a radio and such, less you could sell me that too. Im still looking for a good first plane. One that is easy to fly but also a good flyer for when i get better. Thanks to everyone for their posts!

Fox

EL TEMUCANO

Fighting fox

I think first go to web and take free fms simulator then buy a tower treiner with os 46

Sergio

britbrat

Hobbico Nexstar, Hobbico Superstar, or Hobbico Avistar -- in that order. The Avistar is the best plane, by far, but the other two are better trainers. My Students do best on the Nexstar & Superstar.

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

Sergio and britbrat,
The guy has said that he has virtually no money, why keep pushing equipment that will end up costing him at least $350 to $500?

Fox,
Sorry, but I really think either of those you recently posted links to will be disappointing. Do a search for Megatech here on RCU and you'll find mostly rants about how lousy their stuff is, and the other plane comes with 27 mHz equipment. Not something you can grow with later.

I seriously suggest that you do some research in the "Park Flyer" and "Foamie" forums on EZone.

Of course, these are my opinions....
Dennis-

Chikokishi

Does anyone know where the "For sale/wanted" thread is? I was told to go there but i cant find it. Im thinking about buying a cheap plane, and getting a used set of radios and stuff. Anyone think thatll be a good idea?

Fox

britbrat

You're right -- I just didn't see the $$$ thing.

JDBuddy

My Feedback: (13)

Stay away from Megatech. I tried to start with a Megatech Air Strike EP. The first one I was sent had to be replaced by Megatech (not easy but they did replace it for $12.99 shipping). The new plane never really flew and I sold it to someone who had a larger electiric motor to put into it. The tech department at Megatech was terrible and didn't even return several of my phone calls or emails.

EL TEMUCANO

Sorry,

I don`t translate verry good...[&:]

but free FMS is a good idea to practice...

Sergio

GadgetMann

Fox,
I flew an Aerobird Challenger for a couple months at parks and fields near work and home before I joined a club. The Aerobirds (Xtreme and Challenger) are great for starters. The lesser hobby zone models don't have elevator, they rely on throttle changes to change pitch/altitude. The Aerobirds allow you to get started with the sport mode (elevator is mixed into rudder to help keep the nose up) and then move on to pro mode (elevator and rudder completely separate).

My next plane was a Midwest Aerobat. Even through it was an ARF kit, it was quite an experience building it up. I wanted to steer clear of the RTFs (e.g. NextStar) because I thought I would get bored too quickly with their lack of performance. That may still be true, but once you move up to the larger/balsa based models, the stakes become much higher.
I did things to my Aerobird that would have annihilated a larger balsa model. All it needed was a new wing ($16) and I could be out flying the next day. The toughest thing about flying the bigger planes is how you feel when you crash hard enough to need to repair something. I had three crashes like that and was just starting to get used to it when I finally had a serious crash. I stalled turning out of tail wind while trying to land and nosed in from about 20 feet. The wing survived, but the fuse was totaled. In addition to installing everything in a new fuse, I have the added fun of worrying about how much dirt might have been ingested through the carb. I suppose I did pretty well all things considered. I got about 30 flights out of it.

The stress and confusion of building up your first ARF, learning the subtleties of glow engines, etc. is something you just have to go through. That being said, I would adivse the following.
(1) Fly an Aerobird challenger until your almost bored. That is to say, you don't get nervous/butterflies whenever you fly.
(2) Get Realfight G2 or some other sim and practice landing, A LOT.
(3) Check out a club, and join it. I received a lot of help and good advice for my glow plane.

Chikokishi

Iv already downloaded FMS, and Preflight (the only two free flight simulators i could find) but im using a joystick instead of a plug-in remote. I goten to where i can do about anything i want to with elevator-rudder planes, ailer. ele. and rudder planes, and iv ever goten fairly good at flying jets on it. and i did get ahold of the local club (about 7 old guys who have those planes that have 7ft wingspans) iv only went flying with two of them, and i havent met the rest. But as far as i know none of them have little planes i could try or anything. Im a very quick learner, so i assume if i got a plane into the air withen a few seconds or so id pretty much figure out how to fly. and after a couple crash landings id figure those out too... But i can tell im scared to fly one because the guy i went flying with today let me see his controller and control the ailerons and stuff...while the plane wasent flying..(the engine wasent even on) and i started to shake a little. But then again the airplane was bigger then me and it kinda creeped me out a little. I just found the Slow-V from parkzone ( http://www.parkzone.com ) And im really considering buying it. Iv had lots of refferals to the f-27 styker i think it is, and its from the same company so i assume the slow-v would be great too? Most of my flying will be at a football field that has a running track around it (made out of rubber ...stuff.. it makes a good take off for my control line (whos engine has like died..dont know whats wrong with it)) so i thought it would be a perfect place for a little plane to fly. Could someone check out the Slow-v and tell me if its worth it? I seriously want to stay to something simular to the slowv or that megatech plane mentioned above. Speed right now kinda scares me cause itll hurt worse if it hits the ground [&:]

Fox

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

Welcome aboard, Fox.

Your situation right now is ideal. You have a free simulator or two, you have $100 in your pocket, and no equipment, nothing to wreck. I suggest you stick with it! Put that $100 in a S&P 500 index mutual fund, and contribute your spare change until it doubles. You'll still have your money, you'll still have your free simulator, and you won't be spending bucks on fuel or battery chargers or spare servos...

Or, you can buy a plane, and have no money in your pocket... Hey, ask us how much time we spend on flight sims. Some of us put in as much time on the sim as at the field! It's all good practice, and we never have expensive crashes on the sim! And, when we crash at the field... well, there's always the simulator!

Just my opinion,
Dave Olson

Zombie

FightingFox,

Come to Great Falls on Saturday - 7/17. The Big Sky R/C Modelers are having an open house at the Black Horse Lake flying field. You'll get a chance to see many planes. I'm sure you can get on a buddy box for some flying, also. It'll give you a chance to see how your sim skills stack up with the real deal.

Startup time is 9:00 AM. Come get some real stick time!