what is the best first plane rtf around $300??? let me know as soon as u know

Get the Hobbico Avistar Select.
For $300 you get everything including the radio and engine.
Just buy fuel and starter and you are on your way!

Tiger trainer has a package for about the same amount. If you look in the planes for sale you will find one or two trainers for sail all the time.

about four years ago I got a thunder tiger40 it came with engine and radio. It flew great.

That avistar is also a good plane however it doesn't have a flat bottom airfoil like most trianers. it listed in tower hobbies as an advanced trianner. You probably heard this already but find an instructor and your selection of good trianner won't matter as much because the instructor will save it the first couple of times for you (hopefully) Also remember that the cost 300.00 does not include the field supplies neccessary to fly and maintain it. you're probably looking at least an additional 50.00 or more for these items. Best advice go to the local club and see if someone will buddy up with you on the first couple of flights so you won't have to buy everything at once. Also find out what radio you're instructor is using so you can get a trianner cord and compatible system

i also want one with a strong body

How strong

Thats a relative point.

If you crashem hard enough they all break

How about a duraplane or strudy birdy

I got on of those and they take a lot of abuse

their also simple to assemble

well if strong enogh not to break if i had realy bumpy landing

Over the years I've had several trianners

1 Goldberg falcon Mk2

8 Goldberg Eaglet 50's (Learning to fly by myself Bulk discount) just kidding about the bulk discount

1 Tiger 40

Landings two classifications

1 bumpy (most damage bent nose wheel cracked firewall broken prop)

2 Semi contlrolled crash (wrinkled wing broken fuse ripped landing grear)

While I'm not an expert it has been my experience that most trianners are designed with the bumpy landing in mind and can usually withstand this type of abuse with minimual repairs

the duraplane and sturdy birdy can take much more abuse.

I saw a video of a duraplane carwheel across a runway and just need a prop

what about the megatech skyliner???

I haven't seen or flown that one but you might want to search out some threads here or on ezonemag,com I saw some posts that really panned megatech products for quality issues

Most of the planes above will with stand a bumpy landing. The Duraplane and sturdy birdy will wit stand more. Spads can stand even more. Do you have an instructor yet?

no

If at all possible find an instructor. This will save you $$$ hundreds of dollars and a lot of frustration. Believe me I tried to go it alone and all I did was break alot (7) really nice planes.

He's another Thought if you can't get an instructor you might want to look at an electric slow flyer like a GWS Tiger Moth I got one this summer and its a great flying little plane top speed 7mph stall 4-5mph only weighs 8-9 ozs can be flown indoors (not for beginners) or outdoors in little (1-2mph) or no wind (better choice) its made of foam and can be repaired easily. its also relatively cheap.

Plane motor Prop 55.00
GWS Flight pack 2 sevros 4 channel receiver ESC/BEC 150Mah Battery 95.00
GWS Battery charger about 40.00

only needs 3 ch radio under 100.00

while this is not a highly areobatic plane its great for just tooling around the backyard or park.

SPAD's can take more abuse than any other type of aircraft.
Visit http://www.spadtothebone.com/

theres no instrctor by me

I'll probably get flamed for this but...

I like the Sturdy Birdy II. I have tips at the following site...

http://home.twcny.rr.com/driscollfamily/RC

..because I learned a few things over the 120 flights or so on the plane.

This plane is crash resistant, and flies "ok". It doesn't fly great, but requires constant flying attention. I've exchanged email with several people who all learned on this plane. The most common comment I heard from experienced pilots was, "I hate this plane, but if you can fly this, you can fly anything". Almost 2 months later and 3 planes later, they were correct. Haven't crashed yet.

My daughter has crashed it and it held up 'very well'. I'm teaching her and my father in law on it (another instructor let her try and take off and it went down...) Now, I'm teaching, and teaching lots of rudder and throttle control among the basics. Once you get this plane, I've learned that "real planes" fly great. Isn't that what a trainer is for? It's cheap to boot.

Please read the web site as I really think the comments in there helped me on this plane. "Out of the box" I would say the plane needs help. Please also make sure you join a local club to have somebody help you. I've never had so much fun in my life at a hobby.

Regards,

Dan

I vote for the Hobbico Avistar Select. I just finished my 5th flight (with instructor) and give it an OK. Out of the box the monokote looked lousy and I had a ding in the side. Couldn't wait to fly so I fixed the ding and ironed out the monokote.

You might want to check out www.towerhobbies.com they sell a couple RTF's, take a look at the Sig Kadet LT-40, a very good trainer, probably one of the best out there, the package deal is $350, comes with everything, engine, radio, CA, everything you'll need to build it. However it's my opinion that the tower engines are not that great. Good luck and welcome to the hobby.

blue angel pilot,

I do not recommend that you start with a Duraplane, Sturdy Birdy, or a SPAD. Start with a real plane that flies well. I started with a Duraplane, thinking I could teach myself to fly without an instructor. It was hard enough trying to learn without an instructor, but the plane was NOT easy to fly, and did NOT tolerate crashes well. Most of the things that happened in crashes could be fixed, but not that day. I eventually build a Goldberg Eagle II, and signed up at a local club. When I built the Eagle, which is pretty sturdy anyway, I left the springy wire landing gear in the box, and screwed on a heavy duty fiberglass landing gear ( I went with a taildragger setup ), with big 3" wheels on it. This gear takes hard landings with no problems ( they have plenty of spring to reduce the shock to the plane ), and the wheels roll well on rough fields. With the heavy gear, hard landings are less traumatic to my Eagle than they were to my Duraplane. Most important, the Eagle truly flies well, and easily.

You don't seem to want to build, which I understand. My advice would be to find an ARF trainer which is nicely built, and consider upgrading the landing gear. My opinion is that the gear included with most kits is too springy and flimsy, whether intended for beginners or not.

If you absolutely don't have a flying club nearby, you may need to go it alone, but it will be much, much tougher. If you have a hobby shop, ask there about a local club, or do a web search for a nearby club. If you can find a club which is a reasonable drive away, consider that instead. Even 4 or 5 sessions with an instructor will give you a huge head start.

Good luck,

banktoturn

only instructors for gas by me

Hello to all. Ive been reading this site for a few weeks now. There's vast knowlage here. I finaly got around to signing up. My son and I flew alot when he was growing up. But its been some time since we flew. Now that he's older, this past year we've both gotten back into flying. I picked the Duraplane 40 with an OS 52 four stroke. He also has one with a OS 40. For me, it was a good plane to get back into flying. Im still "rusty", but its coming back. Not that I was an expert pilot before. I have had some hard landings, and one very hard crash. Even after the hard crash, we had it back in the air within 30 minutes. As for flying, yes, it may not handel as well as my old Sig Kadet. That is a great plane. But, if I crashed my Kadet as hard as I did the DuraPlane, it would of been weeks to piece back together.

f2titan, welcome to the crowd, I to have been out of the hobby for awhile (about 25yrs) & have just got back in, good luck & happy flying.

blueangel pilot,

I agree with Geistware. I built the SPAD trainer call Debonair. I don't know why others say thay don't fly well. Mine flys great.

We all have to buy a radio, motor, wheels, fuel pump, glow starter, etc. Other than that I have $15 in it. How can you go wrong by just checking it out?

When I showed up at the field with it some guys looked down their noses at it. When thay saw it fly thay were impressed. I have now moved up to a SPAD called the Das Plas Stick. After seeing it fly some of the guys that teased me at first wanted to know about them. Four people at our club are flying them now with others being built.

www.spadtothebone.com

If you have any questions you will be wlecomed with open arms.

Mike18

My pic was the Avistar RTF. I got it for around $300 with radio and engine(OS 40 LA). I've now been flying with it for 2-3 months and have been nothing but happy with it.

Good luck.

Welcome Blueangel pilot: A gas guy should be able to help you, chances are they started in glow and the tech. stuff is the same for the most part anyhow. I recommend if you can get an instructor, get a low wing trainer like a 4* or Goldberg Tiger, 40 or 60 size. Also RTF planes usually come with a bushing 40 and a 4 channel radio. It is certain it won't be long until you wan't to move up from a trainer. The fore mentioned planes just fly better, they do not have the self righting characteristics of a trainer but that is what the instructor is for, trainers crash too. As for the radio, I would go with at least a 6 channel in case you should wan't to add flaps, retracts, bomb drop ext. For an engine, a bearing type. I like to go larger than is called for because I live at 6000' altitude and can always use more grunt, you can throttle back. BTW does any body have experience with the US Aircore Colt 40 they are supposed to be a very tough beast. Anyhow just another opinion.