I am relatively new to this hobby. I got into it because my son loves, airplanes, cars,trains and boats but then what boy wouldn't,big boys included. I think this is an interesting hobby and would like to ask advice on which plane would be best for my son to handle. He will soon be 8, where has the time gone. He is a very responsible young man and wiser than his almost 8 years. I like a small plane because, to me, it is easier to handle. I don't want something with too much power but with just enough for my son to handle properly.And not too expensive ,just in case of unrepairable accidents,if you know what I mean, small boy and all.

Any help you can give me will be much thanked.If you would rather private message me then feel free to do so.

Thanks,
CandieJean

Okay, I'll be the first to start, and you'll hear this a lot. The best way to learn is with an instructor. The best thing is if there is a club fairly nearby. If you go to the AMA web page, you can search through the clubs in NJ. I looked through them, but didn't see anything in North Middletown, but one of the 40 or so may be in a town right next to you. (Sorry, don't know Jersy) [link=http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx]http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx[/link]

Barring that, buy r/c simulator software and let him practice on that for a good long time. Some trainer planes include this as part of the purchase. I know that the Aerobird series of planes is popular, but I honestly don't know if they make for good trainers.

Kerry

What's your budget? Do you have a preference of nitro or electric? Do you have a place to fly? Is there a club near you?

IMO, eight years old is a little young to be handling an RC plane on your own. Better if there's someone older to launch and land the thing, while the youngster gets his flying time with the plane high in the air. A nearby flying club is an excellent idea, although you may run into a bit of resistance with someone that age. And few clubs will let anyone fly who hasn't joined the AMA.

That said, I've always been partial to powered gliders as the best training planes for small childern. Flying is quite a bit trickier than it looks, and any newcomer needs a lot of time to react to what the plane does in response to control inputs. Gliders are nice and slow, and because they have such a shallow glide path, they almost land themselves. Electric gliders in the two-meter class are probably the best (small planes may be easier to handle, but they're harder to fly). A smaller RTF electric glider may be almost as good. You can certainly expect accidents along the way.

A simulator might be the better way to go in the long run. Not as much fun as flying the real thing, but they're remarkably realistic, and you can crash for free all you want.

I think 8 is too young. Wait til he is 11 or 12. In the mean time get a RC simulator for the computor. He'll have fun. You'll have fun. When the time is right, he ( and you ) will be great !
Goto: www.towerhobbies.com

Hello and welcome,
You are wrong on smaller planes being easier to handle. The truth is larger planes are more stable in flight, can handle more wind and are easier to see in the air.
As has already been mentioned a local club will usually give free instruction for the price of membership.
This is not a hobby for sons only, I just soloed this week at the age of 47 and am working with my daughters now to get them flying. It would be fun for both you and your son to learn together.
There are many options as far as trainer aircraft is concerned and it all depends on your budget.
There are alot of used trainers out there for low cost if you look around. Some clubs maintain their own trainers that they will let you learn on.
Best of luck.

8 is good if the kid wants to learn it. I have seen many learn at that age. Some just are not ready.

Some of the new electrics are pretty good if you want a toy don't feel he will go far in the hobby, but I don't really like most of them. If it is something he will stick with for a long time, then get with a club and get good equipt that will last a long time.

I think you will find that most that young don't fully appreciate it.

Welcome to RCU and the wonderful world of R/C planes. You'll find that there is a wide variety of opinions and each has merit. Some 8 year olds would be difficult to teach, while others will learn quickly and do great. None of us can predict how well your son can do, but I can say that I've seen 8 year olds fly who could put many adults to shame.

For planes, there are many choices. The "standard" that is usually recommended here is a .40 sized glow engine trainer. These provide a good balance of size, cost, and flight capabilities. However, these are not the only planes on which a person can learn. Smaller glow planes can fly just as well as the larger one, and electric planes can be a great choice.

It's already been suggested that you find a local club. This is the best first step. Find the club and go with your son to meet some of the people. Ask who is in charge of training and arrange some time to talk with them about learning. Some instructors insist on training on a certain type of plane, such as the .40 trainer, while others are open to alternatives such as electrics. This is important to determine ahead of time so you don't show up at the field with a plane that nobody wants to help you with. You may find that the club is open to many alternatives. You may also find that you have more than one club in your area.

It will also be a good idea to determine ahead of time how much money you can invest in this hobby. It's easy to spend a small fortune, in fact, many of us have! However, with a little up front planning and some careful selection, it's also possible to get started quite economically.

For a durable, inexpensive electric plane, I often recommend the GWS Slow Stick: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXHCJ1&P=7 . I actually have one of these, even though I've been flying for a long time. I bought it so I could see how it flies, and to use if a beginner shows up without a plane. I've found it to be a fun, durable little plane. In addition to the plane, you would need to buy a radio, speed control, batteries, battery charger, and a few small tools.

First of all welcome to RCU. Personally I think what you are trying to do with your son is a fantastic idea!! These next few years learning to fly planes with his Dad will later be remembered as some of the best times of his childhood. I totally agree with Chuck that it is not the age of the child that is important. If he is a determined young man & it sounds like he is, I believe he will learn faster & become a better pilot than those of us that waited until we became old farts to learn how to fly. The guy that is leading the IMAC curcuit out here in the basics class this year just turned 15 yrs old not too long ago. He had 5 first place wins & 1 second place out of his first 6 competitions as a 14 yr old. So it can be done at an earlier age than some people might think.

I don't live very far from Danville, Ca & our club has no such restrictions on age. Just that they be taught & observe proper safety techniques while at the field.

Find your local club & go talk to them. Ask to meet with the instuctors. I'll bet one or more of them will be willing to take on an 8 yr old if they believe he is sincere about wanting to learn & will stick it out. They would also be able to tell you what type of Trainer they would prefer to teach him with. My guess is that will be a .40-.46 size glow Trainer as Chuck said. That would be the best for the both of you to learn to fly together IMO.

Good luck in this venture, I think it will only bring you & your son even closer than you are now, & you will both have lots of great times to look forward to.

Hello and welcome to the hobby. An alternate you might also consider would be picking up an Air Hogs Aero Ace. These are ~$40.00 electrics that could be a good gateway.....er I mean intro to RC aircraft. The $40.00 is for everything (plane & transmitter) save a handfull of AA batteries. I had my 7 yr old daughter flying one in about 20 minutes. I believe there is a fairly lengthy thread, on the Aero Ace, in the electrics section. If my (sometimes failing) memory serves me, I believe I first found out about them here.

I stripped off my bottom wings and taped a dime to the nose, after that these fly really nice.