I only say that because the only radios that i have never had a problem with is jr and futaba everthing else "IN MY HUMBLE OPINION" is not good and I have had a few. I had a hightech radio in an dp extra 330 and the outcome was not exactly good. Besides most people have a jr or a futaba so he can just buy a trainer cord and not another radio.

Cantfly,
Right on with the trainer cord deal!
Really right on with the Alpha Trainer!
Could have been a defective radio with my JR as I have never had a prob with the other JR's. Maybe they dropped it at the factory, or the "Brown Truck Guy" stepped on the box! (like that never happened)!
Anyhow the Alpha Trainer is working nicely, as the "kids" have been able to start it no problem- and they seem to fly it without much input from me. It looks nice too.

Jetts

Any brand of radio can have problems, and will if its not set up right. I firmly believe most radio "glitches" are user error. I've owned Airtronics radios as well as JR, and never had a problem with either brand. My friends with Futabas have lost planes because of various control problems. Does that mean Futabas are unreliable, or that my radios are somehow more reliable? Hardly. Personal bias has little to do with good advice.

C5, don't take the advice to get an ARF or RTF trainer. That's not advice that'll serve you and your project well. You're wanting to design and construct a scratch-built model. To do that, you'll need some experience with construction methods and materials. You'll not get that experience with an ARF or RTF. Buy a kit, and pay attention to how it goes together. You'll have the chance to learn a lot during the process of getting it together.

Depending on how complex your design will be, you might want a 6-channel radio. If you do, any of the current 6-channel computer radios would suffice. In my experience of using the Futaba 6XAS, JR 662, and Airtronics RD6000 I'd recommend the RD6000. It's got more features and is easier to use than its competitors.

C5Galaxy,

– Aircraft Design:

With your background (and future) leaning toward aircraft design, I would very much like to change my "angle of attack".

I plan on going to flight school next year (2003), and have already bought my:
• navigational "sectional" charts (SE),
• ASA E6-B Flight Computer,
• ASA FAR/AIM (Federal Aviation Regulations/ Aeronautical Information Manual),
• Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge,
• ASA CP-1LX Course Plotter,
• Piper Cherokee Warrior II Information Manual
• An joined the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association,
• and have been flying "FlyII" flight sims,
in preparation of my schooling, I even attended a ground school class to get a better understanding for my full-time school next year... just for my PPL.

May I suggest that you buy (and study) existing airframe "plans", there are many to choose from online from wonderful modelers of "scale" aircraft.

Check this out:
http://www.aero-sports.com/whplans/decathlon.html and http://www.aero-sports.com/whplans/index.html#plans

These are "rolled" plans and you could study the layout and design terminology, respectfully speaking.

These "scale planes" are real only smaller, and that's why they're called "scale". This may prove to be alot more interesting to you than what you may think!

I appreciate your idea and think you should follow through with it, but still, perhaps you should at least buy a "scale kit" plane - this way you would see what goes in to putting one together as well as having done a plane (on a much smaller scale).

Please reply back.

I got into this on a recommendation from an instructor at a flight school as a way to become better prepared, and soon found a whole world of nice people and good friends.

"MacAir"

Regarding the "advice" to not get an ARF or RTF- Build a kit, yes, but I have a feeling you know a thing or to about engineering and design. Get an ARF or RTF and learn the essential skills of FLYING, that way you can fly while you build your dream project and not just spread it all over the countryside when your done!!
Building a kit won't make you a designer OR a good builder, if you don't know WHY your doing what your doing.
Also regarding radioes- I don't concider the left stick coming out of my JR radio a user error in set up or a "glitch" as MikeL put it.
This was just plain BAD quality control at the factory, or other factor. HOWEVER I still use JR equipment as well as others.
Never had a case of the "I ain't got it's" with ANY of the products I've used- guess I'm lucky there.

Just my thoughts,

Jetts

A person can pick up flying experience with a kit-built trainer just as well as an ARF. If the fellow is going to be designing a plane from scratch, it'll give him good insights into the construction methods and design requirements for an R/C plane. There's also the knowledge of basic building that can't be gained with an ARF.

Is the goal to learn to fly RC, or to successfully design, build, and fly a scratch built model? I'd say it's the latter, wouldn't you? Sometimes we seem to forget that different people have different goals, and our advice should be tailored to their individual goals.

It's very easy to over or under engineer a model airplane if you don't have any experience in how they go together. Valuable insights can be found in the experience of building a kit. That experience can save a lot of heartache and re-doing in the future. There's not much similarity between modern full-scale aircraft design and RC. The materials and methods are quite different.

Jetts
We are fianlly in agreement about something! He definately should get an ARF. As far as radios go you'll hear good and bad about every radio from everybody.

C5, I'm going to go a little against the grain here and suggest you get a set of plans for a proven trainer and build it from scratch. You're obviously interested in designing and building your own future designs. Working from scratch but with a set of proven plans will excercise your wood working skills and establish your tools and building practices much better than merely assembling a kit.

And for what it's worth I've currently got a Futaba, a JR and a Hitec that are all older than 10 years and all are still working just fine. Gone through a few battery packs though......

For that matter my old Controlair galloping ghost rig still works too for those of you old enough to remember them.......

MikeL,

Yes I agree on this point.
I have picked up a kit on occasion over the years to re-aquaint myself with building techniques and such- at one point I just couldn't seem to keep the L/G on the darn things! After a kit I re-learned some things I had gotten away from, and all was well.
I think everyone (myself included) is suggesting the ARF/RTF route as a concurrent thing to get C5 in the air in the mean time.
Also this would aquaint him with the engine/radio aspect of the hobby, and could be used for the "project" down the road. (assuming the eng. was big enough)..
As for modern full size aircraft and models not being similar, I'll have to agree if we're talking Witchita spam cans. HOWEVER with the exception of a few of the "glass slipper" types homebuilt experamentals are VERY SIMILAR- Evans VP-1 and 2, Most of the Fisher designs, most of the TEAM designs, Loehle 5151 ect. are nothing more than LARGE model aircraft, with the only real difference being spruce replacing balsa, and humans replacing radio components.


Jetts

Welcome C5: I have to agree with BMatthews get yourself a set of plans, this sounds to me like it would be a good avenue for you, and your interest in design. By the way are you designing the engine, or any parts, such as carburetor yourself? What ever you do please keep us up-dated. I am in the process of bashing a plane that I don't even know what it was. Kind of resembles a Piper Cherokee, and beleive me I don't have near the mental tools you seem to have acquired already. I am young to and one of those crazies mentioned a while back, 46 going on 11. The one thing you probably will hear a lot of is safety. I plan on myself, and one other being the only ones present for the maiden of my little project. I plan to fly it on a very remote piece of land owned by our club instructor, and he will be the one to take it up for the first time. If this works theeeeen maybe I'll go for the F-16 with a P-120 in it. NOT!!!!!!!!! Anyhow good luck and please keep us posted on your progress. Always glad to help although sometimes it's not much. Happy flying. Garry

C5,

Just get something in the air, because when you get ready to fly your creation, you'll need to know how to fly it so you can eliminate your lack of flying skills as to why it crashed (should it).

If you want to build a plane from scatch, you'll need to know at least how, and buying a "kit", or an "ARC" (Almost Ready to Cover), or an "ARF" or even a "RTF" (you'll be fixing it), you'll at least have some guide to go bye.

That's just my opinion though, I personally wouldn't want to spend the time and money on a project, just to see it go into the ground shortly after take off...

The "scale" planes are real planes, just smaller, which is why I suggested that, that might be a good (long-term) route for your venture.

The weight between aircraft aluminum & spruce, and balsa & ply, is certainly different, but the construction and placement should be exactley the same, excluding rivets, hydraulics, etc...

But get whatever you can get, to get into the air effectively.

My 2¢ (again)

MacAir

You simply HAVE to build a kit first. If someoe designed and built a full sized plane all by themselves, I would tell them the same thing. Considering the relatively minor time investment of a kit (compared to scratch-build) it would be assinine not to learn all you can from experienced RC designers first by BUILDING ONE OF THEIR PLANES.

Also, you need to get your hands on a trainer, or build your scratch plane to be a trainer or slightly hotter second plane. An "ideal" RC design is low drag, medium-high wing loading, and incorporates flaps and retracts. All things that make the model expensive and harder to fly. All things that make for a terrible first or second plane.

I wouldn't say you're a cocky *******. I would just say your grossly ignorant. Not your fault, and no one should hold it against you. You're only a cocky ******* if you completely disregard experienced advice.



- Josh

Did you notice, most of these guys sound like they might be a little,...well, you know....probably all them CA fumes. You might want to think it over and find another field to fly in. lol

One thing is important, however, ie, I'm 74, and probably some of the others are in there 50's or better...."we know what it's like to be young and what's it's like to be old". Oh hell, it won't make any difference.....have fun and good luck with that project!

All you have to do is take some spare time and go see Mr. Max Blose. His operates Waco Hobby Stop and also B&p Associates
that is his battery business. He Stores and changes out the batteries in all the big Air Force jets you see fly into and out of Waco.
Max has a son Todd Blose that has competed at the Tournament of Champions. and either is or has been an officer in the Local club.

These guys are easy to talk to and very knowledgeably about model and full scale aviation.

Max also is a Associate Vice President for the AMA district 8 which Texas is a part.

If they can't answer all your question there are other that hang around the shop that will be glad to help.

Don//