Hey everyone!

My father in-law asked me last Sunday if I would like to fly planes. Of course, being an rc enthusiast already (off road cars) I decided to take him up on it! To say the least, I am soooo hooked on flying that it's about all I think about! Right now, I'm flying HIS Avistar and want to get my own. He swears by this particular trainer (He's been flying for about 20 years and has taught 5 or six other people how to fly with this plane) and says I should get this one as my 1st plane. I've only flown it twice @ higher altitudes and am quite comfortable with it. I hope to practice touch and goes for my next lesson if he thinks I'm ready. Is there another plane that any of you would recommend? I know planes are like the cars, everybody has there own preference, but is there another plane out there that is better for a 1st plane? My inclanation is to go with his advice due to his experience and the fact that he has taught so many people to fly with it. Any advice would be appreciated.

I like my HobbiStar 60 MK III. It is .60 size plane, 71" wingspan. Fairly easy to put together and because of the size it is very easy to spot when it is "up there".

No matter what you choose, good luck and have fun flying!!!

Hi samsDad,

Gald to have you in the hobby. It can bite, but it's sooo goood.[sm=lol.gif]

I own 2 LT-40 Kadet's and both were ARF's. One is converted to a taildragger and the other is a normal tri-gear. I have flown the plane you are training with once and enjoyed it but I would suggest that you stay with it until you solo. Sometimes it is not good to stop in mid training to go to another plane that may handle differently although most will agree that trainers are usually pretty much the same. But then if you feel that it is not the best plane for you then by all means do what you are doing now and ask.

In my experience I went with almost all of the advice my instructor gave me and within a few short weeks, I had soloed on the Xtra Easy 2 then immediatley changed to the Kadet and also madiened it on my own.

Just my $.02 worth, hope it helps

I have an LT-40 ARF (converted to taildragger, which is great) and it's a great plane. It's been very forgiving on deadsticks and moves around fairly well. It's also been a lot of fun to throw it around the sky.

-Jeff

I also have an LT-40 arf with a Thunder Tiger .46 Pro engine, converted to a taildragger, and absolutely love the way it flys.

SPECS: Wingspan: 70"
Wing Area: 900 sq in
Wing Loading: 14-15 oz/sq ft
Weight: 5.5 to 6 lb
Length: 56"

Like you said, everyone has their own pref.

It seems the one most people like the best is the one they bought... Go figure.

Get the Avistar. You're already familliar with it, and so is your coach! (That's important too)

Mike:

I wasn't saying it was the best, just reporting my satisfaction with it. I think it's the Avistar that is the more acrobatic of the trainers. That would have been better for me given how good my instruction was and how quickly I learned. But I'm glad I have the LT-40 in case it's still in one piece for my kids to learn with.

-Jeff

I wasn't singling you out Jeff, I was just speaking in general.

And I agree with Mike. Get the plane you and your Father-In-Law are familiar with.

Good Luck, Have Fun, and welcome to RCU!
Dennis-

I also agree. Get the same set up as your Father-in-law. You are familiar with it and it is a good plane. The comfort of this will help your learning to fly. Good luck and welcome to the hobby.

Mark Shuman

The Avistar is a good plane, if you like it go with it. The LT 40 is a really REALLY popular plane too. The arfs are really well built and they fly incredibly well. Everyone except me at the club has one and they all fly the OS .52 4 stroke in it. I know both planes as I have taught guys to fly with both. The avistar seems to want to land a little faster than the LT 40 does but both are pretty nice in the air. The LT40 is an aerobat. I have seen guys do rolling circles, rollling loops and everything else but allout 3D with them. They will really tear up the sky. Id bet the Avistar will do the same with the right engine. But they are both also extremely docile trainers. Only thing more docile is a Kadet Senior but they get boring in a hurry if you are a fast learner and want to do more than just float around. I would have to say for a pure trainer the Kadet Senior is the absolute ultimate.

The Avistar is an excellent plane. It's semi symetrical airfoil will help you with aerobatics. I would suggest staying with the Avistar as you are already familiar with it.

In case your father-in-law has not mentioned it, I would suggest NOT GETTING AN RTF (Ready To Fly).

The engines in the MAJORITY of RTFs are bushed bearing 40s. While theyare adequate for a trainer flying off of pavement , in grass (especially if it is a little long) the power will be marginal. In addition, the bushed bearing engines are ALMOST NEVER SUITABLE for use in a second plane.

Again, MOST RTFs come packaged with BASE LEVEL 4 channel radio. The radio is frequently on one of the more heavily used channels and may or may not be compatible with the brand of radios commonly in use in your area.

I suggest the following:

Get the Avistar plane.

Get a decent 46 ball bearing engine. OS FX/AX series, Thunder Tiger PRO series, Evolution brand engines are quite good and VERY user friendly (99.9% will run fine right out of the box).
Use and 11x5, 11x6 or 11x7 prop with the 46 engines. Any of these engine will have pleanty of power for your trainer AND for your 2nd, 3rd, etc planes also. There are othe very good engines out there, but these brands I have experience with and can recommend. If you are considering a MegaTech (made by MDS) or MDS brand of engine, do a search on MDS and form your own opinions.

Get the brand of radio MOST COMMONLY used in your area. Also find out which channels are the LEAST USED channels at your flying site and get the radio on one of the least used channels. This will maximize your flying time and minimize your chances of being accidently "shot down". If your budget can afford it, I highly suggest a 6 channel (or more) COMPUTER radio. Just starting out, you will be using very few of the additional functions/channels. By the time you get to your 3rd or 4th plane you will most likely be wanting items like flaps or retracts, plus many of the additional you will also find handy.

Don't be in a rush to get to your next plane. When you can fly the Avistar well, convert it to a tail dragger and learn to fly it again. When the plane can no longer teach you anything, THEN it is time to go to your next plane (usually a low wing, something like a SIG 4*, World Models Rambler or GP Sportster). At that point all you will need to learn is the new things that plane can teach you. Many people move to a new plane too soon and get in trouble because thay have not learned enough from the trainer.

Chances are your father-in-law has already covered these things, but in case he hasn't.

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I will end up going with the Avistar. In fact, I think I'll get it today. By the way, the touch and goes went very well yesterday, and I hope to solo in the next flight or two!

I just dig my avistar , It's always ready to go, My hobbistar is a kick too easy to see, but it's funny I still have a sig lt-40 I built in 1997 and it still goes good luck all these are great planes. don't be afraid to build the sig lt-40 it's easy to build and a great since of accomplishment first time you fly something you've built.

Randy

Get the Avistar -- it will take you much farther along in your training than an LT-40. Put a TT.46 Pro in it as well -- it makes a killer combination -- just watch the throttle until you can deal with serious performance!!