I would like to get into rc flying, I will not use an instructor. which one of these plane do you recommend for a first time user without instructor.

1- HobbyZone Aerobird Xtreme 3ch.
2- HobbyZone commander 2ch.
3- Shun Da ACCIPITER BADIUS 3ch. http://www.egrandbuy.com/rarecoplrcai.html
4- Shun Da J3 cub 3ch http://www.egrandbuy.com/3j3cubpirare.html
5- Shun Da SKY HAWK 3ch http://www.egrandbuy.com/skyha3rareco.html

if you recommend another plane please let me know.

I have no knowledge about these planes, however I WOULD recommend an instructor to protect you investment. JMHO

I would like my first plane to be RTF and under $150.
also do you think i should start with 2ch or 3ch plane.

thank you

Buy the one for which spare parts are most available, and economical, you'll need them. Most people who try to learn without an instructor go through many rounds of crash and repair/replace before one of the following outcomes:
1) Give up
2) See the light and seek help from someone who knows what they are doing.

A small number actually make it on their own, but many more are in one of the 2 groups above.

Stay away from the cub. I bought a cub foamie and tried last fall before I got an istructor and a nitro plane. Tore the heck out of the foamie. ie. 2 wings a new fuse and ALOT of packing tape before I made the decision to do it the right way. Many have learned on their own and been successful at it. I have to believe many have tried on their own and have not been successful and left a wonderful hobby before they learned how much enjoyment they could have had. if they would have invested a little more money and got a nitro plane or a 4 chnnel elec and had an instructor to teach them AND protect their investment. The foamies can't fly in winds above 5 or so MPH so that makes it difficult to learn. The wind just throws them all over the palce and makes it very difficult. Good luck whichever way you choose to go.

EDIT: WELL SAID CHUCK you beat me to the punch while I was slowly typing

i bought a cheap electric 2 ch. and flew on my own. and with not much success. eventually i found an instuctor and bought me a glow plane and learned to fly. if $$$ and availability of an instructor is a big issue. i would at least go for a 3ch. plane. that will give you the best learning curve. 2 channel planes really dont teach you all that much. and you may wish to check on some flight sims to help you learn. also 2 and 3 ch. plane useually fly on 27 megahurts. so if you do convert into glow planes you will have to buy another rtf with a new transmitter wich runs on 72 megahurtz.

Okay here's my 2¢. I was in the hobby years ago and flew a .25 size gas plane. I crashed two planes in short order. (One due to a glitch one actually with an instructor). So I deemed the hobby too expensive and got out.

I recently got the itch to fly again. I convinced myself the best way was to buy one of the Aerobird style planes, a Scout to be exact. Well, they are durable and take a beating. Even helping you learn W/O an instructor.

Now for the negatives. The Aerobirds are fine for general park flying and spur of the moment fun. However they don't handle wind well at all due to both weight and design. This style of plane doesn't fly at all like a traditional airplane. You gain altitude by increasing the throttle, there are no elevators. The v-tail works like a combination of rudder and elevator as far as turning.

That being said, if you want to move on to traditional style planes later on, you really don't gain any perspective outside of speed and orientation. The minute skills of flying are missed.

As far as the other planes above, well again it is a size/weight versus the wind issue. So be prepared to wait for perfect weather.

If you only want the basic fly on a whim (wind permitting) the aerobirds would be my advice.

If you want to fly traditional aileron, elevator and rudder planes, save some more cash and try to get into a better setup. Don't forget if you know the plane you want you can always buy the elements as you can afford them. Heck, I'm going to have to save for four months to get the setup I want. (Oddly that means I could have the plane under my Christmas tree!)

Further on training; I know a lot of clubs have prices that range from $60-125 a year, plus a one-time initiation fee. Ouch for the budget flyer. However most clubs will let you pro-rate your fees. If that plan doesn't work out you can often find someone who will help teach you for free.

Thanks. I'm trying to keep the message short and polite, while staying informative.

hi i wouldnt suggest any of those cubs are a handfull for a start !!if i were you id look at the gws e starter its a loveley plane and easy to fly it has aelerons so it does rolls too .its very stable at slow speeds and easy to repair if need be.the v tail style planes are easy to fly but theyre not a bit like a plane with rudder and aeleron controll.get the e starter its great even in a bit of wind!!.also the advantage of the gws birds is you can put all the electrics into a second plane even the motor too.take a look at theyre website and see they have loads of great planes!!!.i would say you could learn to fly yourself with this plane as long as you understand the basics !!
good luck

thanks, i will look into that

hi just saw you were looking at the accipiter baddius im not familiar with this plane but it looks like a powered glider to me so that would be a good plane to learn on !!gliders are probably the best way to learn anyway!!!.

i like the way accipiter baddius looks "real plane" and the parts are cheap, but every one is recomending the v-tail planes "which look odd".
i do not know what to do. i am going crazy trying to figure out what to get.

I keep hearing that this plane is nice for beginners or to just toss in the car for a flight anytime - Sky Scooter Pro RTF, on sale for $99.00 - http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/758004.asp Its all EPP foam which will take a beating and comes with real electronics that you can use on the next plane.

I personally learned on a Slo-V. Great plane but hates wind and parts are hard to come by locally. I have to keep ordering or coming up with ways to fix/upgrade on my own. Still love it and its fun and relaxing to fly on the calm day.

If you want to get a taste of it, download the FMS free simulator and the Slo-V model. Not quite the real deal, but will give you a chance to fly around, figure out orientation, etc without risking your new plane!

wow the Sky Scooter looks good, thanks for the link

its funny i was reading this post and there was a banner ad for begin-air. its boasting a 4ch rtf for $180. i dont know anything about this plane. maybee some of the members do. looks like its what your looking for BUT. i dont know if its any good. heres the link
http://www.parkflyers.com/html/body_begin-air.html

id say the aerobird x would be a good choice. I have one of those 3 ch. electric park flyers and it was a neat little plane. easily fixed but can be crashed many times with min. dammage (on dirt and low throttle) so go with that one. instructors are there to teach you how to fly. Im starting to want to get away from but thats another story. you might want to look into a simulator, they have been to expensive for me (200 bux ballpark) but they are good aslong as you get a brand name one. think about it.

You'll have a better chance of sucess with some kind of powered glider, the slower the better. Even the slowest trainers can get you in trouble very quickly, and their self-recovery characteristics tend to be oversold. When the plane starts to get out of control, your last instinct is to let go of the sticks.

thanks every one for your help, it looks like i am going to get HobbyZone commander 2 as my first plane then i will move up to the ones i really like later on. thanks again

I just recently purchased my first plane 4 days ago. I went with the new P-51D PTS from Hangar9. I have been researching every possabililty before I decided. A buddy of mine has been flying for about 5 yrs. and he really helped me decide how to go after he showed me all the park flieres he has in a pile collecting dust. What everyone hear said is true in one form or another as far as what to try and why.

I think the biggest thing to consider when deciding is what you want to do later on. The P-51D PTS starts off as a trainer with set flaps, airbrakes installed, and droops on the wings which can all be removed within a few mins. and is fully sport capable as is. It also comes with a flight simulator that is very close to real flight with this plane, and a buddy cord. It comes with a cord as well to use the supplied radio on the simulator. Actually can't use simulator any other way.

I've only had it out for one flight due to time, but it would've been the last without my instructor. This plane flies very well in moderate winds and man is it agile. Best of all, I won't have to go out and buy another once I get more experience. (pile of trainers above)

Just another option. Best of luck..

Been there and have done all of that. For what it is worth the best plane to start with is the Great Planes Big Stick 40. You can land it very slow without stalling. I think it is easier to fly than the so called trainers. It responds well and the controls are not mushy. You will also not outgrow or get bored with it like you would your normal trainers. If you don't have someone to train you or use a buddy box put your money into the G3 flight simulation software. Then you will be fine with the stick. The plane runs around $120.00. Good luck!

the sky scooter is most deffinateley not a beginers plane it wont glide and its fast its more a second or third plane trust me!!.

elmissir if you want something easy to fly and just that then yea get a v tail mostly any will fly good BUT they are not good at learning how to fly a real plane the controlls are much the same as a car!!!.id say get a 4 channel plane with ailerons i mentioned the e starter a great plane!!,also someone mentioned the begin air also known as the wing draggon over here also an exellent flying plane with a massive wing ,very big wing area which makes this plane glide very well.something which as ive said is a big pluss hence why most of the older guys learnt on gliders as youngsters!!!.i have a v tail and it didnt learn me anything trust me when i 1st flew my trainer i nearly crashed it allthough i managed to get her down in one piece pure luck i might add!!.if you intend going onto bigger and better planes get a 4 channel plane !!.

You will want to get the one with the cheapest price for both the plane and the engine because without an instructor, you will be replacing the thing in short order.

here come the doom and gloom merchants lol !!!,its not a formality you will crash without an instructor i taught myself to fly and i soloed 1st time with my glow trainer and trimmed it too so it is possible!!.yes i have crashed and rebuilt and now im back flying!![img][/img]

[img][/img]forgot the pics of my newly rebuilt trainer!!!rather than put him off im trying to help the guy!!!.i was told numerous times id fail but i stuck at it maybe im stubborn but im glad i did!!