I have never flown an rc plane and would like to start by flying at the central coast of California. Any suggestions regarding the Zagi slope wing? Will it be a good planae to learn on?

no, flying a wing will be tough for your first plane.

My first plane was a zagi-400...and if you ask me its perfect for a trainer. If you set it up for duel rates, it can be as docile a plane as any, and when youre ready, flip it on high have some fun...

Ive been flying mine for at least 4 years and have spent less than $100 to keep it in flying condition...Its extremly durable, and replacment parts are easy to find and easy to install...I recomend this plane 100%

Some people will say its flying wing design is disorienting in the air..however if you keep youre wits about you..its not difficult at all. And chances are...even if you do crash it...all you will have to do is pick it up and throw it again to get it back in the air...

A true zagi fan,
Collin

Zagi as a trainer? No way ... sorry, its not that stable for a beginner and it will show you the spiral of death if you stall her. I got hte Zagi Tazz and a Taiwanese El Cheapo one, both are the same, great fun to fly but not for a beginner, seen to many beginners beat their Zagis to death on launch and when they stall it.

A good electric plane to learn on is the Multiplex Easy Star, no frustrations and its totally easy to fly. Try that ... best to get a 3S lipoly if you can. The plane will thermal too. I had fun with mine, I got it recently to teach some newbie, the newbie could actually fly it.

IMO slope soaring is not the best place to learn on. While Zagi are strong, the conditions for slope soaring are very unpredictable, unless u can find some sort of long gentle slope to fly on.

Slope can be a great learning situation IF and only IF you have some help and have a site that has a very large landing area. Slope soaring conditions can be very tricky, but they give you lots of air time once you get flying. Here the Zagi wings are great!

If you want an electic parkflyer type RTF that will also slope soar, these three will work fine. If you are looking for ARF types where you buy your own radio, let me know and I can make recommendtaions there too.

T-Hawk - RTF - Excellent Value - $170 -
Comes with extra wing, tail and battery
Flies well and stands up to hard landings
Can be flown on 27 MHz or 72 MHz
http://www.toytx.com/thawk3chrtf.html
T-Hawk - Without Radio - add your radio and receiver
http://www.readytoflyfun.com/wittran.html
T-Hawk Discussion Thread
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...ighlight=THawk
Videos
http://www.readytoflyfun.com/thawkvideos.html


Easy Star - RTF - $180 -
Believe this goes easily back in the box to keep in the car
Super tough foam. Comes with 72 MHz radio in the US.
Good parkflyer and a good glider
Radio in RTF package can be used to fly other planes
http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/240025.asp
Easy Star - ARF - Add you own radio gear
http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/240009.asp
Amazing information site for easy star
http://www.mpx-easystar.de/
Videos
http://plawner.org/video/easygo.wmv
http://plawner.org/video/easystar.wmv
Mods, upgrades and more
http://www.mpx-easystar.de/
Adding ailerons
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...8&goto=newpost


Aerobird Challenger - RTF Electric - $150 -
Great keep in the car plane - take off the wing and it goes back in the box!
I started on an Aerobird RTF. I have over 350 flights on my Aerobirds. I
also thermal
and slope soar this plane. Flies well and stands up to hard landings. Their
add on fun accessories for night flying, air to air combat and drop module add
to the fun!
http://horizon.hobbyshopnow.com/prod...p?prod=HBZ3500
Review
http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/Disco...ID=1289#Page01
Discussion Thread
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=147621
Video
http://www.parkflyers.com/html/aerobird_video.html

If it was easy to fly you wouldn't need dual rates . Besides setting up dual rates can be a task for a beginner.

I don't see how setting up dual rates could be hard for anyone, but who knows.

Well technically you could just set it up at a low rate to start, just like any plane. Then you would not need dual rates, but dual rates is what everyone advises. Wings are very pitch responsive. When you are cruising around, wings need very little elevator input because they are so short from stem to stern that a little does a lot.

Now, if you want to loop them and go into some aerobatics you can hit the higher rate and really go to town. But it isn't necessary.

While wings are not my first choice for trainers either, their one big plus is that Zagi wings, and many others, are made of EPP foam which makes them almost indestructable. I have bounced my slope glider wing, a Zagi 3C, 8 feet in the air. Then I brushed it and threw it back off the slope with no ill effects at all. So, what they lack in stability they make up in ruggedness.

One down side is that it can be extremely easy to lose orientation. Without that nose/tail configuration you can easily become confused as to direction and since they are so thin, at the right attitude they can seem to disappear for a moment if you are coming toward yourself near the ground.

However I still recommend high wing planes as first planes. And I usually recommend resiliant foam and plastics over wood, to try and keep the new guy away from the building table and heat guns.

Several questions:

1) do you have an experienced flyer to help you? If so, what does he/she advise?

2) Are you looking to learn to fly or are you looking to learn to slope soar as your means of leaning to fly?

3) How much do you know about slope soaring?

If you want to check out slope soaring, these might be interesting
introductions. There are also photo and video links.

How Slope Soaring Works
http://users.iafrica.com/s/st/stevemac/afc/ssoar.html

Slope Soaring Internet Magazine
http://inlandsloperebels.com/slopeflyer/slopeflyer.html

Photos of an inland slope site with some nice planes
This is atop a closed landfill
http://home.att.net/~charles.french/CASA/JEFindex.html

Introduction to Slope Soaring - part of larger sailplane intro
http://home.att.net/~charles.french/...lopeIntro.html

Slope soaring Tips for Beginners
http://www.shallowsky.com/planes/weasel/slopetips.html

Videos of slope soaring - hope you have high speed line
http://www.combatwings.com/catalog/i...lopecombat.asf
http://www.dream-flight.com/moviefil...aselmaiden.wmv
http://www.windrider.com.hk/image/Ea..._small.mpg.wmv
http://www.windrider.com.hk/image/Easy_Pro_test_9.mpg
http://www.combatwings.com/catalog/i...ompetition.asf
http://www.combatwings.com/catalog/i..._lb_combat.asf

thread of photos of slope planes being launched. Gives a good view of some
slope sites.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=350802

Dynamic Slope Soaring - definately NOT for beginners
Extreme Speed slope soaring
http://www.billpattersonart.com/dszone.swf

If you want to start with a Zagi then by a completely foam wing like I did to teach myself how to maneuver a wing. I bought a EP Mini Bee. I still had to mix the two elevon servos which a beginner would probably go nuts with trying to do this, but who knows.

AEAJR, is this guy still with us ?

Don't know. Maybe he fell off the slope!