Hello everybody! let me explain my situation and see if you can help at all. although you have probably answered these ?'s scores of times , I'm not have any luck with the search window.
I went and purchased a used prebuilt never flown or fueled hobbystar superstar trainer with an O.S. 40 LA engine. as I read the manual I noticed that it's NOT ready to fly. it needs engine break-in & probably balancing. I've read where most of you balance with your finger tips,(seems a little challenging) is there anything I can slap together with household items? I seen the C.G. machine by greatplanes but was not available at my LHS. (speaking of the guy at the LHS he really wasn't interested in my ?'s -I dont know anything I just work here type) also should a beginner be balancing his or her own Plane? or should it be left to a professional. If I do try to balance C.G. do I use a level on the plane itself? or just what my eye's are seeing? The nice man at the LHS sold me lead weights made for wooden car models and told me glue them wherever needed on outside of plane, is this correct? Here is another kicker and please don't laugh, the person I bought the plane from included a CHICKEN STICK, will I get laughed out of the club if I show up with this thing? I'm currently trying to track down a local flying club and someone willing to train me. question is what would an instructor expect me to bring? do I bring a buddy cord for a futaba and hope that someone is compatible, should I have to purchase and bring along the whole 9 yards, elec starter, fuel pump, and all that other good stuff. all I have right now is a chicken stick a glow starter, and nitro fuel. I understand that I will need a field box for the long haul, but some people suggest that you don't invest in all that because they say that this sport may not be for you afterall. i.e crashes and frustration.

Go find yourself a club with some helpful experienced pilots and take all the stuff you have bought. Let them check your plane over for you. You may not need any weight just move the battery around. They'll tell you what you need to bring and will probably offer to loan you some stuff. They'll answer all your questions and give you good advice.

Yes take the chicken stick...no one will laugh. Every pilot that still has all his fingers probably will also have one.

Good luck!

WCB

4005,
First of all, welcome to the addiction.... uh, I mean the hobby!!!!

First things first.... You will not, I repeat NOT, be laughed at when you show up at the field. We have all been beginners and we remember what it's like. So put those thoughts out of your head and concentrate on learning the greatest hobby in the world.

The biggest thing is finding an instructor. If you can tell us what part of PA you're in we can go a lot further in hooking up with an instructor. Another great resource to use is the [link=http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx]AMA Charted club locator[/link] . It will help you find clubs in your area, and you can search by zip code as well as by city name. Before you even find a club you'll want to set aside the money to join the AMA, as any club you learn at is more than likely going to require that you have it. It gives you liability insurance in case you damage any property or injure someone with your plane. And besides, you get a pretty good magazine every month too. I don't know what part of PA you are in you might PM RCU member [link=http://bubbagates.rcuniverse.com]Bubbagates[/link] and see if he can help you out, he lives in PA too.

Your instructor will be able to tell you what you are going to need as far as the buddy box and cord, but more than likely they will have what you need. Most instructors/clubs are set up with those items.

Don't laugh at the chicken stick. Those are lot more durable than fingers!!!! I've been flying for almost 10 years and I prefer to start my plane with the chicken stick!!!!! As far as breaking in your motor, follow the instructions that are in the engines manual and you can't go wrong. As you're getting started in the hobby you're going to have a lot of costs that you'll need to get started, so you'll want to hold off buying some things right now. A CG balancing machine and a prop balancer are things that you can hold off on until later. You can balance your place with the help of a buddy and two fingers. As far as the prop balancer, most props are pretty close to balanced anyway so you'll be fine for now. And besides, a prop gets out of balance when it hits the runway and a beginner is going to hit the runway with a prop quite a bit. The little bit of out of balance you have won't hurt anything. I'm not saying you won't need these things if you stay in the hobby, but you can get by for now. As I said above, everybody was a beginner at some point and we remember what it was like. Don't worry, you'll find lots of people at the clubs that are more than willing to help you out in these areas.

RCU is here to help, so please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

Once again, welcome to the addiction.

Ken

Chicken sticks are for sissies!

Signed, Lefty

Ken

4005, I am rather new to rc planes also. However with this sport/hobby what you will find out real quick is if you ask someone with experience they are more than happy to help you. Also at first it sounds like to much info. all at once, but as you start to see how some of the stuff is done, and why, you will really start to love it.
Find a flying club and you will love how they treat you. Also if someone does laugh at you and you stick around the club long enough, trust me, you will get your chance to laugh back at them (this will be all in fun).

Basin --- Your sign off wasn't complete!!! It should have been " Fingerless Lefty "" Enjoy !!! RED

Thank you for the great advise. I live in Scranton Pa 18508, I searched the ama site, it had a lot of listings, although alot of them have a check mark stating no beginners? I have heard of Abington club -nearby- but haven't been up there yet, they do accept beginner pilots. How do I know when people will be there? we are still in the cold temps in the northeast, but no snow on the ground. also when refering to prop rotation, is it from flyer point or looking at front of plane at the prop? and which direction will I spin the prop to start, cw or ccw. it's a LT O.S. 40, I am fairly familiar with nitro engines as far as my nitro trucks, I understand the importance of break-in and so on, just not familiar aircraft just yet.

You said that you had "the manual". I'm not sure if you meant for the plane or engine or both so just in case here is the engine manual:
http://www.osengines.com/manuals/40-46-65la-manual.pdf

Definitely find a club and instructor who will help answer many/all of your questions. We'll always be here too. Wait on purchases until you get to the field as you may find that someone there may have good used or maybe almost new stuff for sale at a great price. They will certainly know where to get the best prices and know the best (in their opinion) equipment. Ask the various members what they have in their field boxes and why. From there you will be in a better position to make your purchases wisely.

Welcome to the hobby and to RCU.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3906107/tm.htm

4005, Welcome to our desease. That is a link to another thread here in the forums where you will find some ideas of how to make a CG machine @ home. If it is not clear enough pm the guy & I'm sure he'll be more than happy to give you more details.

In RcKen's PIF build thread of the LT 40 you will also find a simple method of lateral balancing by using a string cradle.
I'll let Ken expand on that for you because after all he is our resident building guru, even FRIDAY! [sm=eek.gif][sm=lol.gif]

You're about 140 miles away from Bubbagates. That may be a bit far, but he may know of clubs in the area. I'm sure he'll see this thread in a bit and chime in.

Ken

EDWARD TREAT RR 2 BOX 385
DALTON PA 18414-9058
Phone: 570-378-2740
Email: Email
Url: WWW.SIMODELS.COM/ARCSF

This is the Abbington information. Give Edward a call and ask him your questions. That is why he was listed as a "contact" person.
If in your search you thought the reference to an "Intro Pilot" program meant no beginners, this is NOT true. This refers to a special AMA program and doesn't mean that at all. Very few clubs that I know of don't accept beginners and those are due to tight locations or "grouchy old men" you wouldn't want to be around anyway.

Thanks to all of you with priceless info, you are the only lead I have until I find a club and instructor, I keep hearing the same thing everywhere, that the people at the clubs are more than willing to assist and advise, really sounds like a good group of people, but these forums are escpecially helpful for novice as well as the pro. hopefully I'll be writing to some of you in the more advanced forums if things work out well.

Oh Boy! Let's not get started with the "Intro Pilot" program again. You remember where that took us last time. LOL

Everyone started out as a beginner pilot. Learning all the new things you have to learn is half the fun. I started in april of 2005 at a local field in canton oh . Everyone in our club has been great, and very helpfull. I think most good instructors enjoy teaching people as much as you enjoy being taught. Dont be afraid to ask questions here and at the field you pick.

It doesn't matter which way you turn your engine to start it, but just remember if you choke your engine just remember not to have your glow ignitor or you'll be going for a ride in an ambulence.

Since I'm a newby to airplanes I have no idea about balancing an airplane. What I can add is; golfers use a lead tape to add swing weight to the exact spot they want on the club face. I also used this tape to bring my RC car(s) up to weight and place that weight exactly where I wanted it and would place it under the car to lower the CG even more. I would guess this tape could be a benefit in airplane use too.

Just a thought...

Steve

I know what you are saying, but that is just a bit confusing to a beginner -- he wouldn't understand "back-flipping".

Flip the engine sharply counter-clockwise (looking from the front). The slipstream should blow toward the tail of the aircraft. If it starts backward, the slipstream will blow toward you rather than toward the tail of the model.

If it keeps starting backward ---THEN try flipping it clockwise.

If you have a local hobby shop I would contact them. They know where the closest clubs are and can provde you club information and phone nmbers of contact persons. Also I would not be in a rush to "start the engine". If the throttle cable and servo aren't adjusted properly you might not be able to adjust control the engine with throttle or shut it down if you need to. Please let an experienced flyer check the plane over before you do anything else! [8D]

I have a greatplanes cg machine i aquired thru a trade but dont know exactly how to use it could someone tell me how to use it or where i can get some directions.thanks

Billy,
Not sure why you posted here,you could have started a new topic. Any how, here's a link to the Manual I found on Tower Hobbies site.
[link=http://manuals.hobbico.com/gpm/gpmr2400-manual-v1_1.pdf]GP CG Machine[/link]

~Noah

Balancing on fingertips is fine for the initial setup on a trainer. Just mark the spot where it should be on both wings, and get a helper to lend a finger to the effort. Just eyeball it level and you're good. I'll offer some experience on the topic of engine starting. The electric starter is arguably the best investment you'll ever make in the hobby. It will save you time messing with your engine that you can spend flying and it will save your props from damage by the chicken stick (I chipped enough trailing edges to pay for a starter when I was a beginner). You don't have to buy a new one. There are plenty on Ebay and the classifieds here and on RCGroups for $20 and less that will work just fine. I'm a fan of going wireless with a NiCd pack but if you already have a 12v battery to use then that's not necessary at this point.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=...+tarter&_rdc=1 lots of good deals




i took johnbuckners idea and bought a drill pack from harbor freight... and ilove it for my glow motors

I made a CG tool out of a scrap piece of wood and some dowel. It works just fine.

i was a beginner way back in 1975. I struggled for a couple of years and one day it was like somebody turned on a light switch. After about a 10 year layoff, I'm back beginning again and "struggling" a bit. Don't be discouraged. The hobby is a blast and the people are great!!

Ken