Hi all,

I'm new to RCU, as well as to R\C Planes and just wondering if anyone
had any tips to get me started. I have been out with friends and have flown
their plane for about 10 minutes. This was definitely my hook.




PS. I have a Big Stik 40 with a OS .46 AX in it, and a Futuba 6EXA computer transmitter

Well wlecome to this awesome hobby and RCU!


Now that you got the airplane, you need to get your support eqipment if you don't already have it (ie: glow starter, fuel, props, etc). And if your not already you need to become part of AMA, then if your not already you need to actually join a club and get an instructor. I don't really know what you have and don't have so thats about it for now.

Righty,
AMA doesn't cover the Bahamas.

BigK,
Welcome to RCU. It's a terrific place with a lot of great people.

You have the engine plane and radio equipment, that's the big stuff. As Righty mentioned you now need support stuff; like fuel, a fuel pump, extra fuel line (at least 1 metre), a glow plug ignitor and charger, a couple extra props (I'd suggest 11 X 5's), an extra glow plug, and while this isn't "necessary" it's a huge help; get a 12 volt starter and 12 volt battery with charger. You use them to spin over the engine, and they make life MUCH easier.

You said you've been out with friends, so I'm assuming that you have someone lined up to help you fly your plane.

Good luck, and have fun!
Dennis-

Doh![:'(]

Thanks for the info guys,

I do have all the equipment to get started, glow igniter, fuel pump, fuel, etc...,
and also as you have said being in the Bahamas has made getting into this hobby
very hard, and very expensive. It was also hard finding fuel, but finally found a place to get it.

As for parts and other things, we don't have hobby shops over here so everything has to be ordered
form internet and takes between 2 weeks to 1.5 months to get, sometimes longer if it is a big package
that is trouble to process by mail.

Have been trying to get into r\c planes for a while now, and finally getting my own credit card I can now
order stuff from hobby sites on the net!

Thank you for the starting info, and by all means if you have any more tips that come in mind I will be happy to
listen! =)



- Kristen

Kristen- Welcome to the greatest RC site on earth... I would recommend a large cup of coffee or bowl of ice cream, so you can search through this site and read til your heart is content!

You can do searches like "engine tuning", "training methods" etc... you name it and there are about a thousand posts about it-

And please ask questions! That is what we are here for--

Cheers from San Diego, CA.
James

I STRONGLY suggest using a "Buddy Box" to learn on. You have a nice setup, it would be a shame to rekit it.

Campy,

Thanks for the tip on the Buddu Box, I think my friend has one and I should be able to use it. I also did
some checking and found that I had the ailerons set at channels 1 and 6, so I have to order a Y cable to plug
both ailerons to Channel 1, since 6 should be for flaps anyway.

Waiting for my friend to come back, he went on a trip, but should be back this week. I still have yet to put this
plane in the air, so some trimming to do before I can fly it.



I'll let you know how it turns out when he comes back and I get this plane in the air.



- Kristen

Update:

Finally got my Big Stik up in the air today, went out with 2 friends (neither of them has a buddy box), one took
my plane up for its first ever flight and trimmed it out for me. After it was trimmed he passed the TX to me and
I flew it for a bit until it was almost time to land it. I was going to do a slow speed pass over the runway,
but was feeling brave, and confident so i cut the throttle and touched it down. It was a less than perfect landing,
mostly because our runway is less than perfect, but it was also my first landing and my first solo to boot.
After another friend took his new plane up, trimmed it, and then decided to land it because the engine wasn't
sounding right I fueled mine up and took it off myself.

I'm a beginner who soloed my first time with my new plane, landed my first solo, and took off and landed my next
2 flights. The only bad part was after landing my 3rd and final flight of the day, my steering wheel dropped in a little hole
that I didn't see and knicked the prop, but the prop isn't ruined because its so slight, and its nylon, so it can be sanded
out with a piece of sandpaper.


If I wasn't hooked in the hobby before I surely am now.


PS: To anyone out there that is considering trying to fly I encourage them to use a simulator and rack a
few hours "practice flying" on it. I had racked up about 15-20 hours on a sim before I even attempted to
fly my first time.


- Kristen

Be careful with props... the makers recommend you discard props if they have any damage, and for good reason. The tips of the prop are traveling at around Mach0.8... (12"prop at 15Krpm is 861kph.....) (trivia: the prop tips of almost all propellors travel at a maximum speed of about 850kph... regardless of the prop size - including helicopters etc.)

Anyways, an uneven prop can cause serious vibrations, and the forces during flight are substantial. I am not saying that all "blemished" props should be replaced, just that you should very carefully inspect all damaged props, and err on the side of caution. Personally I would throw away any prop that needs to be sanded to fix it.

There is this thing called dynamic balancing with props. Not only does the weight of the prop have to be symmetrical on each blade for the spinning prop to cause no vibration (statically balanced), but the thrust produced by each blade should be the same, and should be symmetrical as well (dynamically balanced)... sanding one side of the prop to be different (even slightly) from the other will cause a dynamic imbalance, and will cause uneven thrust on your prop which in turn causes vibrations, etc.

So, just be warned that props are precision tools and they have the potential to do the most damage in the hobby as well. Thus, props should be treated with appropriate respect.

gus

I meant to add though .... congratulations on your Solo!

gus

Thanks gus,

I may in fact just discard it, I have a few new wood props, but liked that one
because it was nylon and is a little more forgiving on rough landings. I do not
have a prop balancer so it would be hard for me to properly balance, and as you
say props should be evenly balanced as to avoid excessive vibration.

I guess I will order a few extra nylon props, any suggestions? I'm running a OS .46 AX

I would also suggest that you check out "Sport Aviator", a portion of the AMA's website that is geared to beginners. It is at http://www.masportaviator.com. Just because AMA doesn't cover the Bahamas doesn't mean you can't read their material. It has some interesting articles about equipment, landing approaches, etc., that I found quite helpful as a beginner.

-Scott

Kristen,

You can use a "Y" connector and put the ailerons on channel 1 OR you can leave them set up the way they are. Either way the aileron function will work fine.

If you leave them as they are you will have both ailerons and flaps - it is called "Flaperons". They work as ailerons, but if you dial in some flaps, they work as flaps while still being able to be used as ailerons.

I am not certain if the ailerons on your plane are full length strip type or the regular ailerons out near the tips. If they are the full length strip stype, the flaperon setup should work fine. If they are the regular type ailerons, use the "Y" connector or do not dial in any any flaps.

For best/proper control, flaps need to be in toward the fuselage. If you use regular type ailerons as flaperons you MAY (in all probability will ) have some tip stall problems when landing.

Congratulations on your maiden flight.

Kristen,

As for the props, MAS (Master Air Screw ) [the black ones] are a lot more forgiving of prop strikes, but they are not as efficient as an APC prop (the grey ones ).

For a 46, I suggest something in the 11x5 - 11x7 APC range for general sport flying. If you will be using MAS props, go one higher on the pitch for comparable performance - for instance, an 11x6 MAS has ABOUT the same performance as an 11x5 APC prop.

You will also find that the APC props are quieter than the MAS props. If noise is an issue where you fly, keep this in mind. The APC props tend to be a couple of db less noisy.

The largest use for MAS props, IMHO, is for trainers or if you need a plane to slow down more for landing. My SIG Rascal just floats across the field on landing with an APC prop (had to kill the engine to land ). I switched to a MAS and now it lands nicely.

To balance a prop, get a dowel that is a SNUG, NOT TIGHT fit for the REAMED OUT HOLE. Set the dowel on a couple of flat surfaces and see what the prop does.

When it is balanced, it should remain in the position you place it in. If one tip drops, PAINT a small line on the tip of the lighter blade (1/8 - 1/4" wide ) with some dope, let dry, and recheck it. I think you will find that very few APC props require balancing.

I have a hobby shop and would be glad to hand deliver anything you want. The winter time here is a good time for me. Dennis