Hi, I am new to RC model airplanes. I found a Top-Flite P-47 thunderbolt kit in my attic and all of the things needed like a tower hobbies 6 channel radio and an O.S. Enginge. I know it wouldnt be good for me to start on a warbird but I dont want to spend any money on an airplane since I have already everything I need. I started to build it and it coming out pretty good. I was wondering if it would be harder for me handle flaps on it since I am a beginner. I have the option of flaps or no flaps, which im thinking about putting them because i have 2 extra servos. Anyone got any info on how hard/easier they are to use and what do I need on my radio. I have a regular Tower Hobbies 6 ch radio. Any info would help. Thanks

If you attempt to use that plane as a trainer, you will plant it. That's no reflection on your piloting skills, but rather on the type of airplane the P-47 is. Invest a little money in a real trainer suitable for the engine/radio you have and learn on it first. When you're thoroughly bored with the trainer, you can install the engine and radio in the P-47, which should be complete by then.

Also, PLEASE get or find an instructor.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby!

Dr.1

Thanks, I am going to build the p-47 and get it readyl but I am not going to fly it. At a local Rc club here they have flying lessons with an instructor and you use a trainer . I will most likely attend alot of those lessons till I get the hang on flying. My question is about flaps, since I am a beginner should I put them or not. Im not sure If my radio is capable of having flaps or not. Its a six channel and has the two thumb sticks and a switch on top not sure for what and a bunch of other little twisty things. Thanks

Sure, go ahead and put on the flaps. Your radio can probably handle them. If not, it won't matter, because at the rate you are going, the plane may not last long. Sorry for being harsh, but very many of the warbirds that are built by people who have never flown either end up not flying at all, or have a very short life span.

The reasons for this are as follows. Warbird kits are not designed for first time builders. The instructions assume the builder knows what he's doing. Consequently, the first time builder makes many mistakes. These include things like too much glue, but not in the right places, making the plane heavy and weak. They also include warped and misaligned flying surfaces, poorly done control rods, and a host of other problems. Assuming the beginning builder actually manages to build a decent plane the next issue is flying it. Sometimes he heeds the voices of experience and hangs the plane up while he goes off and seeks some time on a trainer. Unfortunately, running through his mind is that cool warbird he's got hanging up. Often, rather than getting in enough time on the trainer and then gradually progressing through several other planes to build the skills needed to ensure success with a warbird, the urge gives in and he decides that since he's soloed on the trainer, he's ready for anything. Net result, scratch one warbird.

So, my advice would be to immediately stop construction on the warbird. Get yourself a good ARF trainer and use your radio and engine in it. While you're learning to fly the ARF, build yourself a good second plane from kit. There's lots of recommendations in here. Once you've graduated to the second plane, begin building your third, or if you are doing really well, perhaps begin work on your warbird again.

This is my advice, do with it as you please.

Oh, and welcome to RCU. Sorry if DR1 and I sound a bit harsh. It may not seem so, but we really are trying to help you.

Oh ok, i know I know but I dont have the money to buy an arf. Anyone got an arf for sale that can fit a .61 engine. Thanks for the info guys.

Hi Joshua11,

Piper Chuck is right on the money. Ignore his advice at your own pearl. If you try to build and fly this plane you will distroy it. Then how much money are you going to have to spend to learn to fly. It's very likely that you will not only distroy the " T-BOLT" but the engine and some of the radio gear. Then how much are you going to have to spend to get into the hobby. The P-47 doesn't even make a good second plane. It's a plane for EXPERIENCED pilot's only. By that I mean someone with 50 - 100 flights on several different types of planes. As Chuck noted sory if this sounds harsh, we just don't want to see you loose the plane and your passion for the hobby with a bad and expensine first experience.

Just my 2 cents.

Good luck

Darren

The best thing you can do is to get in touch with a local club. There's lots of functional second hand planes sitting in people's shops. Modelers tend to be very generous and usually rally to the call to help people get started.

Oops, it doesn't do any good to tell you to get in touch with a local club and then not give you any way to do that. The AMA has a club locator on their web site. It's here: http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx

Another source for contacting local clubs is your local hobby shop.

I agree with the other posters !!! warbirds are no joke to build and build right !!!

Here is a suggestion !! you maybe able to trade that warbird kit, as long as its not already to far along and not wrong, for a trainer !!!

Check it out at the local field ,,talk to the guys there , see what you can do !!

Rick

I also agree with halting construction of the P-47. Not only that you may not enough have sufficent building skills to construct it properly, (i.e. light, strong, and sound with the right equipment) but IF you do finish it and THEN learn to fly on a trianer, I am almost 100% sure you will jump to the P-47 too soon (most likely right after you solo, instead of flying a few planes until the P-47) The temptation to fly the warbird will be too great, and then it will be destroyed way short of it anticipated life-span. Then where will you find yourself? No money, no plane, no flying.....

Let me give you an example: I've been building Guillow's kits for years, learned to fly on a .25 size trainer, have built 2 R/C kits and am working on the 3rd, have 2 foamies (warbird and 3D shockflyer) that I'm using to advance my flying/aerobatic skills, and I will be using a low wing arf, followed by a pattern plane with retracts (which will be my intro to retracts operation alsp) to finally prepare myself enough to build and fly my Top Flite Fw-190. And even then, I hope I'll be ready enough.....

Here are my suggestions:
-get a trainer and learn how to fly WELL
-learn with an INSTRUCTOR
-get help from other experienced R/Cers
-unfortunately, this hobby requires $$, so if you dont have any available at the moment to properly get into the hobby, suggest waiting until you do? You need to be willing to invest in proper material, and a few planes and build up the equipment necessary over a period of time so that you can build up experience in R/C flying in general. You think it sounds hard? Think how hard it is for me as a college student!
-join a AMA sanctioned club

The P-47 is not a 2nd or 3rd plane...probably a 6 or 7, and thats pushing it. Some people will say thats rediculous, you can fly it as a 4th or 5th plane. That may be good an true. However, I dont know about you, but when I build my TF Fw-190, I want it to last a long time. Had I already built it and flown it, it probably would be gone by now.....I want to do it right so I can fly it well, and fly it for a long time.

This hobby requires dedication to get to the point of flying warbirds properly, since you need to invest the time and money to be fully prepared for the kind of planes you want to fly. But, then again, you can learn even more from talking to real people at a club or fun-fly, etc, so go find a club and learn!

I really hope I didnt scare you off, because this hobby is a blast if you get inot it the right way!

I agree with all the above. Take it from me and my experieance I learned on a trainer hobico 40, I soloed in three days, Flew that for two years. Then jumped right into a 40 size spitfire... MISTAKE All I could do with that is tip stall, rebuild, tip stall, rebuild Finally flew that for a year. Decided to buy a tiger 2 for more experieance on a low wing, That was the best investment I made. I flew that every day for a month, now I can fly with confidence my spitfire, my tiger 2, and my most recent a 72"ws corsair which by the way crashed on take off due to a improper needle setting. Don't do what I did do what everybody suggest, and I will be a lot cheaper and more fun!

Thanks guys for all the help. Well now that i know all that information, does anyone want to buy a Midwest AT-6 Texan Kit. It woud help if i sold it that way i could buy a trainer, or if anyone is willing to trade it for a trainer. Its brand new in the box, except the box is open. All the hardware and little wooden pieces are still in their sealed baggies....thanks

Josh

I would suggest that you go to your local club and your local hobby shop and see if anyone has a RTF trainer for sale or trade. A lot of the fellows who have learned to fly and moved on to other planes have one that they will part with cheap. A second hand plane is not a bad buy if you take someone along who has experience in the hobby with you to give you some advice and keep you from getting ripped off. Many of us are moving to electrics and are willing to part with the gas trainers. Cheap electrics are not a good way to start either because they do not teach you proper safety habits.

All great suggestions. The T-Bolt can be a handful for even the very experienced. I would not recommend it to even be worked on until you have about 10 KITS under your belt. Plus, being up an attic will not help the balsa being a great shape. The TF kits take a lot of attention to detail to be built straight and light. You also need to look a the radio and the engine. Go to a local flying field or take it to a hobby shop (that actually knows something about Futaba Radios - Tower Hobbies radios are Futabas) and have them check the batteries and to make sure it is Gold Stickered (if pre-1991). The Hobby Shop or to a flying field should also be able to take a good look at the engine. Please don't let some young kid tell a bunch of BS. Find someone that actually knows what they are talking about. Try to find a good used trainer, or even buy a new kit and build it yourself. Most clubs can find someone that is moving up in and is willing to get rid of the "old, slow" trainer. Good Luck

one surprise about building kits is that nearly every one I've built is just as expensive, or often more so, then the equivilent arf. granted, my cost each time has come down as I have aquired more tools and supplies, but the first couple of kits were probably double the arf cost!