Actually it is a LOT of fun and very relaxing. The planes I usually play with run in the $4000-$5000 range so going out and banging the sticks on a $500 arf trainer is just a blast, no pressure whatsoever. I really want to get a couple of nice profile ARF's like the OMP's just to play around with.

How long have you been flying and what plane are you wanting next? Did you come into the hobby with a particular discipline in mind to get into eventually? There are a million directions to go in RC flying.. I basically am trying them all! My favorites are Pattern, 3D, and I would someday like to get a P51 and a Spitfire, big ones in the 1/3 scale range. AS you can see I also like to fly helis but they are a WHOLE different ballgame.

A dive that is rolling is just that, a rolling dive. Look at a flat spin like this. During your training you should have been taught to do a spin. Now add power and full up elevator (read that as looks of full up) and try to get it to stop falling, i.e. flatten out. You can also do this inverted.

Grumpy,

They did start it with her in there, that's when she opens the canopy and wants out. It had to be loud in there. The rest was probably made to look like she flew inside of it. I took it as a bunch of them having fun. An AMA inspector was present at the time and he would have in no way allowed the flight with her inside. It would have been even funnier if she was made to look green in the face

Best example so far. It is amazing that at one time there was no way you would risk a $500 airplane, when you get into the higher dollar stuff, then the $500 you have into a trainer, 4*, tiger etc just seems to not matter much. I'm the same way. I still own a 4*60 that I still fly often. This plane is not the prettiest plane out there, has loads of hangar rash, bit I do things with it that I would have never done when I first got it. As MikeEast said, it's highly relaxing and if I plant it it's no big deal. The plane has so many flights on it I feel it does not owe me a thing

I have no clue where i want to go, so im going to do it all

I have someone that wants to sell me a complete ducted fan mig (with os 91(ish) 2-stroke) for about 800 bucks, which isnt bad cause the arf itself is 750 new...electronics and engine for 750 is a steal, it just needs some lovin in the paint department...so im thinking about that (would buy it late in the summer, work on it over the winter, and bring it out next year)

Im building a venture 60 right now...but im pretty much over it...i've found that the "building" niche isnt mine...

I want a good aerobatic ship (looking at the showtime 4D 90) and a good FAST pattern ship...I want a bipe...and a iwant a corsair. I want planes that are hard to fly and dont give me a chance to get too "comfortable" in the air...

I also want a twin...the new twin ace from seagull is beautiful and ive seen it fly, it flys like a normal sport plane...or i could go a little more scale and pick up a C-160 Transall ... seen one of those fly too...and seen it crash cause a crosswind came out of nowhere on the landing...

All and all, i dont know where i want to go, i dont think it would be fair to myself to chose a path and stick to it without at least trying most things (i dont think i'll even play with jets...but who knows )

Im with you on trying it all...

I will tell you this... Once you get really good, no correctly built airplane is going to be that hard to fly. I have flown just about every style there is including helis, (and except jets) in my short span of 4 years and they are all easy to fly... . Except maybe a GEE BEE and its just hard to land period.

Biggest thing you will run into with Prop planes is stall characteristics on landing.. Planes like the CAP232, Giles, P51 all of these planes and a few more (including jets) will stall on you of you slow them down too much. Other than that if you keep them up to speed they are all easy to knock around with.

If you want a real challenge, sequence precision flying will be your thing. Its called IMAC if you want to fly big scale planes like the Edge, Extra, Yak, Giles, Ultimate Bipe, Cap etc.. Or you can go with pattern which is MORE precise and just a little different. The planes are designed and build to fly pattern but must weigh less than 11 pounds and fit inside of a 2 Meter Square. Its my favorite.

If you want the coolest and arguably the most challenging (technically difficult) 3d is your thing. 3D and precision pilots are usually one and the same. 3D requires you to have extreme flight skills that will allow you to do some really raddical (but beautiful if corectly done) maneuvers,, most of them as close in as as close to the ground as you dare. A lot of older, but not all, guys dislike 3D, typically because 3D does not follow the circuit and disturbs flying in a circle, so if you do it pick your moments and be respectful as they should respect you.. or find a club that is into 3D. It requires a lot of flying in REAL close, real slow and real low. Pattern, IMAC and 3D skills all compliment one another bigtime. If you do 3D, you will probably (and probably should) do one of the others as well.

Pattern ships can be fast, but they arent really intended to be flown fast. If you want a fast pattern plane just to go fast get an older style like the Prophecy, I had one and with a YS 1.4 it was too fast because its so sleek and aerodynamic. The newer widebody designs are built to fly a little slower so that you can maintain a constant speed throughout the pattern and get better knife edge, snap and downline braking performance.

Im definatly going to play with 3d...a twist is in my near future!

I am also going to get something with a pusher-prop before i try the ducted fan route...as i want to be able to get used to something that doesnt have the advantage of the air of the prop to provide low speed control...

3d is one of my favorites to watch, and i can hover and do basic 3d manuevers with a typhoon 3d (that parkzone foamy)

too bad these things cost money though, that really hinders my abilty to satisfy my curiosity!

if i were U i would get this one:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdId=HAN2350

it does any trick in the book, tuns of FUN.... U can't go wrong with this one, check some threads here on RCU

I personally recommend the flight sim for 3D practice. I attempted to hover my Tyhpoon a couple times & lets just say I got to patronize Parkzone after each attempt. I then spent hours upon hours on the G3 Sim & got to where I was pretty good at hovering & torque rolling. When the typhoon parts showed up I held a hover for quite a while & now am able to do pretty good on my Extra. Still newbie at the 3D, but it's more of a touch thing now & I'm not thinking about control movements.

I can 3d in the sim with no problem...have help from alot of real-life 3ders (thanks Ryan "the kid" Archer!!!) and can do almost any of the 3d stuff in the sim easy as cake...i dont even own a typhoon...but my lhs has one for play and ive flown it a couple of times...