About 15 years ago I made an effort to get into RC planes. I got a basic trainer kit, Airtronics vaguard 6, and a Royal .46 engine. I had a lot of trouble with the final finishing steps of building, particularly the covering, and the plane never made it off of the ground.

I crawled into the attic and retrieved the radio and the engine. The engine was absolutely perfect, showing no rust and still had a light coat of after run oil from when I test fired it. The radio was still in teh foam, although I used a couple of the servos in RC cars.

What I really want to do is build and fly warbirds, maybe even from scratch.

First of all, what's the best trainer kit to develop the most building skills. The local hobby shop is having a pretty big sale next week and has Goldberg Eagle2s and GreatPlanes PT40s, but if another kit would let me develop a better skill set I would go that route.

Second. Is there anything I should be weary of with the older engine and radio? Are new batteries a necessity?

Thanks,
Chris

If the engine runs good, then use it. If the radio is FM (72mhz) and works good, then use it. Just make sure the Radio is not an old AM system. Welcome back to the hobby.

For a 15 year old radio, I'd say yes, new batteries are a necessity.
Get a new pack for the radio and a new 4.8V flight pack for the reciver.

Join AMA, a club and GET AN INSTRUCTOR!!

New batteries YES.

New Radio maybe....does it have a Gold sticker on the back?....(that old radio may be illegal in the US). You can get a new computer radio as cheap as $189 (Look at Hitec).

My first kit was a glider, but I think the SIG Kadet senior or LT-40 might be good starter kits for trainers. About any trainer kit will be a good starter. Your INSTRUCTOR will be able to help with build questions, radio selection and training. Remember to get an instructor.

That engine should run fine...I did the same thing (12 yrs in the attic). But be warned that if it is a bushing type engine, it will die within 3-5 gallons of fuel...which, for the price, ain't that bad.


Enjoy this GREAT hobby...and GET AN INSTRUCTOR!!

It will? Please elaborate.

With the radio only being 15 years old it certainly should be narrow banded and gold stickered. New batteries are a good idea, in fact I would just go ahead and replace them.

I agree Agexpert, get with a local club and see what the instructors there recommend. Stay away from Warbirds for a while, get competent. However, the Hanger 9 PTS P-51 is suppose to be a great basic trainer.

My local club is AMA, has instructors, and the flying season starts in April. I want to enjoy as much success as possible.

Radio is 72MHz with an FCC ID on the back.

Chris

Your local club may be an AMA chartered club, but YOU need to join AMA.

http://www.modelaircraft.org

OH,

And Chuck, I had that happen to 2 old Thunder Tiger .40 engines from 1994. I still thought it was a good deal. I lost partial compression after 3 gallons. They still run, but very unreliably. I did not mean to impune all bushing type engines. I only buy ball-bearing engines now....I like them better.

Ok. I think you'll find that lots of people get way more than 3 gallons on their bushing engines.

The PT-40 would make a great first kit and first plane as would the Sig LT-40 (probably does not matter much as to which one they are very similar) If the engine has been kept clean all these years it should run fine. I would run a couple of take through it on the ground just to make sure all the cob webs are out of it. As for Bushed engines not lasting long I have a OS 40 FP that is about 20 years that has had many many gallons of fuel ran through it and is still running. Whether a engine has bushings or bearings would have nothing to do with a engine loosing compression.

I decided to go with the lasercut shortkit of the Sterling Fledgling that Tom Martin is putting out. I really want to focus on my building and building from shortkits as a lot of the warbird models I want to do come that route. The kit got positive feedback on rcgroups.com and from what I've read a lot of people really liked flying the Fledgling. This gives me the opportunity to hand select a lot of parts that I wouldn't have if I got a fully packed kit. Also, by supporting the small business I hope to see a laser cut Stearman kit one day(he's selling the plans now).

I'm pretty nervous about building from a short kit, but I think that with the amount of support that I can get on the internet these days I can work through any issues I might have with the help of a lot of very good builders, and I really want to develop those building skills.

Chris Jones

Well I believe you have landed in the right place for support with building skills. There are some very detailed build threads in here like the current PIF build of the Sig LT40 that RcKen is doing right now. I personally don't have the building expertise & knowledge that you seek, but there are many here that do. When you run into a problem area or just want some advice about any stage of your build, just come in here & ask. I guarantee ya someone will have the answer for you. Good luck on your new build, enjoy it!

Is your username WillametteFlyer, as in Willamette Valley, & Willamette Pass up in Oregon? Beautiful country, I'd love to live in that valley!

It is indeed. Although for the last couple of months its been solid rain .

Chris

Yea but just think how pretty it's gonna be in the spring after all this rain! It will be ready for your new plane to fly in.

Rain?? what the heck is rain?? It's been so long since it rained here I've forgotten what it is!! Please feel free to send any of that rain you want to down here to us. The whole state here in Oklahoma is dry and ready to burn.

Ken

It's that stuff the we had just enough of to turn the dust blowing up from OK into a mess on my truck .

Know what you mean with the drought - not as bad in Wichita, but not that good either. Although it hasn't been good for fighting or controlling the fires [&o], I have enjoyed this unusually warm winter. When we have the 20+ mph winds (like today), I'd rather it be 65 deg instead of 10 deg.

Where is Lawton in relation to Wichita?

That stuff isn't from Oklahoma. It's just passing through as it blew up from Texas. Blame them!!!

Lawton is in the southwest corner of the state. Around 4 hours drive from here if I remember correctly. Drive down I-35 to Oklahoma City and the southwest on I-44 to Lawton.

Ken