HI Everyone

Im brand new to this hobby, I have a couple questions for you guys, if you have the time.

1.) I am planning on buying one of the Hobbico 60" or 70" or the (Thunder Tiger version) ARF trainers. Any one have any bad experiences with these??? Bigger is better??? I would like a semi-symetrical wing if possible but really I have no idea how different they are flying(never flown R/C), most likely getting ahead of myself.

2.) I hear that the 4 stroke is more realistic sounding. A plane that sounds like a weedwacker will REALLY REALLY REALLY bother me.

3.) Should I get a 6 channel Fubata? 6 channel because I'd like something later on with flaps and/or retracts.


Am I getting ahead of myself?? Should I get the cheapest stuff and see if I will actually spend time with this hobby?

I will most likely NOT have an instructor (isolated in Upstate NY), any advice other than "get an instructor"?

I am a pilot so I have a love for aviation and a fundamental knowledge of the subject but I think I have the idea that I can fly a real plane so I should be able to fly a RC one, I dont think thats a good idea. But I can't imagine its too hard for some taxing and takeoff and landings straight ahead (again I have no idea what Im talking about)

Thanks for reading my post, I appreciate it and hope to hear from you!

Blow allthat off and get one of those package deals where you get a good plane, engine and radio, darn near all ready to go and cost less than buying it all separately.

I was planning on one of the Tower Hobby Trainer Combos but I am not sure If I want the 4 stroke vs 2 stroke and the 6 channel vs 4 channel .................... more expensive vs less expensive

I've got to agree with Snoop Doggy Bag. I'm an instructor at my field and the last 4 I have trained had the Hobbico Superstar package. It comes in three different trim schemes and you can be ready to fly in 16 hours. You could be ready than that sooner, but it's going to take 16 hours to charge your batteries. This is a VERY good flying trainer and you can't go wrong.

I know you say this coming, but here it goes, please get an instructor. I'm sure you can find one here on RCU, so please do try. As a full scale pilot you have a great understanding of how airplanes work, but you have a HUGE handicap also. You're a full scale pilot. I've trained a few and this the problem they have. Sitting in a plane you move the stick/rudder to the right and your plane goes to the right, your right. With a R/C plane headed towards you and you move the stick/rudder to the right and your plane goes to it's right, YOUR LEFT!. This called stick reversal and full scale pilots have it bad, it's from years of sitting in the cockpit. For this reason alone, please get an instructor. An instructor on a buddy box and save a lot of heartache.

That's my .02 cents worth.

These same questions come daily and there are as many different approaches as there are questions.

Equipment wise -- satisfy yourself. I keep a Tower Trainer 40 ARF with a Super Tigre 40 and Airtronics 6 channel radio that is just fine to help newbies. The Avistar, if not overpowered, makes for a great trainer if you want a semi sym. wing. Great little flier. I have trained using about everything advertised as the newbies come and go. They're all good.

Quote:

I will most likely NOT have an instructor (isolated in Upstate NY), any advice other than "get an instructor"?

I am a pilot so I have a love for aviation and a fundamental knowledge of the subject but I think I have the idea that I can fly a real plane so I should be able to fly a RC one, I dont think thats a good idea. But I can't imagine its too hard for some taxing and takeoff and landings straight ahead (again I have no idea what Im talking about)

Quote:

Thanks for reading my post, I appreciate it and hope to hear from you!

As one that was also a pilot when I learned RC, I do advise "Get an instructor".

When I built my first RC, I had years of heavy CL and FF experience. I knew models, engine, and was well versed in modeling.
I went out and taxied and played around, being an airline pilot I had weekdays off. At one of those "outlaw' fields, no one around, I rationalized as you even though I knew better. Heck as an AF jock I had been supersonic straight down and straight up. I could fly that thing.
Well when I got it all rebuilt, I went to an active field, no buddy boxes back then (1971) and with some help for a couple flights I was on my own forever more. I still used instructors or other fliers for advice for some time to come.

Pilots have a GREAT advantage in RC. A pilot should know pitch, power, and bank. Armed with that info. a pilot is eons ahead of the newbie off the street. Still a pilot needs to reach up and get that chip off EACH shoulder () and he is on his way to a great time. Enjoy.

As an instructor for my club, I'll throw my hat in too.

I can't add anything about the plane so I won't. As far as engines go, I advise you to start out with a two-stroke for these reasons. They are easier to start, tune and maintain. They (in my opinion) are also more crash resistant which is important if you don't use an instructor because you will crash. I'm sorry if this sounds discouraging or elitist. I don't mean it to be either. I'm just being realistic. Once you learn the fundamentals and can fly then you can get a 4-stroke for a more realistic sound.

Second, you do need an instructor and I'm sure you could find one so try. If you still insist on self-teaching then I highly recommend you get a simulator package and spend a lot of time with it. I trained a student last summer with no R/C experience, but he had spent a lot of time on a simulator. He could fly pretty well right out of the gate and in 2 or 3 sessions he was landing his own plane. So a Sim will greatly increase your chances of success.

If weed eater engine sounds really, really, really bother you, then you're getting into the wrong hobby.

I hope this has been of some help.

I myself have flown many small planes mostly Ultralights and " Cessna " Cherokee " Mooney and so on ,I caught on to the RC flying real fast , I started to fly Electric with no sim at all and did fine , BUT as I moved into the $ planes I used a simulator for a week and sold it . Some spend a day on it, some spend months. I started with the NexSTAR but make sure if you get that plane don’t expect it to do all types of fancy tricks! It’s a TANK in the air.

http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx

That link will allow you to find out if there are any clubs near you. When you find one, you'll find someone to instruct you.

Just thought that might help since everyone is recommending you find an instructor. It's what I did, and it's working fine for me.

Thanks everyone. Any of you from the Hudson NY area?? There is an AMA club in Albany but thats too far. Anyone know of websites with videos of trainers? I am suprised at how helpful this board is. I got 9 responses over night and I'm sure you guys get the same questions every other day. Its alot more helpful than reading the self help tutorial things.

How durable are these trainers? If I put one into a tree or nose it into the ground can I rebuild??

Thanks again.

I solo'ed last August using a Hobbico NexSTAR Select. It comes RTF (ready to fly) (takes 20 minutes to an hour to build but as someone else said, overnight to charge the batteries). It comes with the radio, a basic Futaba four channel and of course a receiver, a good OS 46 engine, and the Great Planes RealFlight simulator for the NexSTAR. It flew pretty much right out of the box and flew well. I had a buddy box and worked with my instructor. He pointed out many things that I would have never learned without an instructor.

I managed to survive the entire training period with only minor mishaps, broken props, and managed to push the left side main landing gear back to the rear former, but fiberglass and epoxy fixed that and I was up and flying the next day. Mainly, though, the instructor will drill you on 'emergency procedures' and proper approach for landing. Emergency procedures such as dead stick and loss of orientation are the two major items that he should cover that you will not get unless you have an instructor.

The AMA has a club locator and can probably find that there is one much closer to you than Albany.

Best of luck.

Dick.

There aren't any bad trainers out there -- any complete trainer package will do the job for you. Having said that -- if you really are going to teach yourself, your best chance of survival will be with the Nexstar -- it can be configured to virtually fly itself & it comes with an excellent engine and a flight SIM. Fly the SIM until you go blind, before touching the plane.

I you really have to train yourself then I suggest a plane called an Aircore 40 trainer. Its made of what looks like cardboard dipped in wax. It isn't a great flyer but its tough as nails. I have seen these nosed into the ground. Only thing needed replacing was the prop and the nose cone! I have included a pic of one below. [8D]

To locate a nearby flying club, go to this link, add your zip code or city and there they are.

http://www.ama-dist-8.org/Clubs/Locator.php

To locate a nearby flying club, go to this link, add your zip code or city and there they are.

(I found 20 clubs within a 50 mile radius of Albany, NY)

http://www.ama-dist-8.org/Clubs/Locator.php

Hi pnc024,

If you haven't flowen full scale for some time would you fly without a check ride?

If you are changing from one aircraft to another you have to be endorsed on the new type don't you?

Being a full scale pilot you have air sense. Orientation when flying a model (unless you have heaps of SIM time) is much more difficult than full scale.

Cheers,

Colin

I used to fly Grumman Cheetahs and Tigers. Cherokees were too laid back response wise and I hated the high wing Cessnas. When I switched to RC my previous flying experience didn't help me at all until After I passed my solo test. By then I could try things based on theory learned from full sized planes and convert the differences over to RC planes! Then I really started to have fun! [8D]

If i were you, I would get everything seperate. As for radio I would get a Futaba 6exa or any other computerized model. As for engine, Anything BUT a OS 40 la. I have one and it is horrible. I havent got it tuned good yet.

If i were you, I would get everything seperate. As for radio I would get a Futaba 6exa or any other computerized model. As for engine, Anything BUT a OS 40 la. I have one and it is horrible. I havent got it tuned good yet.

If your objective is to achieve self-taught status, you don't need us.

Dave Olson
(Instructor)

Then why are you posting, Mr. Instructor?

Its not my objective to achieve "self-taught status". I ordered my plane--59" Avistar with .46 O.S. the blue one, and a 4 channel radio. I got the 4 channel because I'd like my next plane to be a Cub maybe on floats, so I figure I won't need a 6 channel for at least 2 years, after the Cub. I still haven't found one of those AMA clubs close by, Albany seems to be closest and that's too far. I doubt I will be able to wait to find someone before I start playing around with the thing.

All your posts, except the last one, have been very helpful. Thanks

Sounds like you found yourself a real nice combo there. The Avistar is a nice flying Plane that should serve you well unless of course the worst happens before you get the hang of flying it. The O.S .46 LA you have chosen will also serve you well for quite some time. The LA series of engines are a bushing engine, and will wear faster than a bearing engine, but you should get several years of good service from it if you take care to break it in right, and be sure not to run to lean. The LA is a pretty simple/tough little motor that is a little lacking in power compared to some of the more expensive bearing engines its size, but they seem to hold up pretty well when the worst happens. I 've seen them picked 6" out of the ground with a screwdriver, taken home, cleaned up, and right back to flying the next fly day. Usually the Planes they are on don't fair as well. I really do hope that you decide that your Plane is just to nice to go out an destroy on the first flight, and that you decide to search long and hard for an instructor. I don't mean to sound like an *****, but the odds are highly stacked against you having a succesful first flight without any kind of training. I'm sure there are those who have done it this way, and were successful right from the very first flight, but this would be a very small minority of people. I Have had a few friends tell me how easy it looks, and have let them try there hand at flying my Plane on a buddy box. With no previous experience they were in a death spiral in the matter of seconds, and if I wouldn't have been on the master radio with my finger on the Trainer Switch, the Plane would have been splinters both times.

I really am not trying to discourage you. I just know that going out and picking up a crashed model on the first attempt would probally put an end to most peoples idea of getting into this hobby, and even though I don't know you, I really would like to see you succeed and to be able to enjoy the hobby for many years like most of us here at RCU do. If you absolutely can not find an instructor then you should at least spend the money for a Flight Sim like AeroFly, Great Planes G2 or G3, or buy you an interface cable that works for the Freeware Simulator FMS. Any of these will help you get the basic concept of R/C Flight. Also do some extensive research here on RCU or on the AMA website for much needed safety tips. Find out how other people have setup Planes just like yours. Learn what you can about maintaining your batteries, doing range checks, crosswinds, headwinds, tailwinds, throws, C.G, having a spotter, proper engine adjustment, general Plane Maintenence like cleaning, using afterrun oil, etc. etc. etc. Basically what I am saying is be sure to read and learn as much about your Plane, and setup as you can before you attempt to fly it. Good Luck

Re: "I got the 4 channel because I won't need a 6 channel for at least 2 years" < I agree with you. Another thing I have noticed recently is that radios are getting like computers, there is a newer, fancier, better, cheaper model every 6 months. By the time you need a fancy radio, the 8 channels will probably be cheaper than todays 6 channels. [8D]

I purchased and began with a Thunder Tiger 60 trainer last fall. I couldn't be more pleased with it. The TT 60 engine is more than strong enough and the plane flys like a dream and is very forgiving.