fastang96

First off, hello everyone. This is my first post on rcuniverse. It is great to know that there is a site like this out there. My girlfriend bought me a Hobbico Speed Pilot for Christmas. I have always wanted to learn how to fly but I just never bought a plane. Well, she took care of that and bought me this one. My problem is I have attempted to fly it three different times and all three times it has traveled about twenty feet and does a nose dive into the ground. I thought it might be out of balance but I checked it before each flight and it was OK. It has broken it into all three times and I am know waiting on replacement parts due Monday . What am I doing wrong? I am throwing the plane inorder to take off (like it says in the instructions). Should I try taking off with a runway? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

TerrellFlyer

Hi fastang96,very nice girlfriend. My advice would be to find a flying club and join.There will probably be pilots and instructors to get you flying and save your new plane,learning by one's self is a tough row to hoe,and crashing to learn is no fun and can be very expensive

AQ500

Look up a local club and see if anyone will help. It is almost impossible for someone to fly an RC plane succesfully without help. Even somenone that flies full scale planes will usually crash if he tries to fly a model. I've witnessed it twice. It is called full scale pilot syndrome. (They will not ask for help and think they can do it, nothing against pilots, just a fact)

From what you have said it sounds like you are stalling the plane after launching it. I have seen a lot of people buy the cheaper RC planes that are marketed to beginners that have never flown before. The instructions "tell" you how to fly it. The crash and crash until they give up. Flying need to be learned hands on.

Get some help and you will be able to learn how to fly and the frustation will go away.

---For the record, I bought an RC plane and tried to fly it. I flew it right into my neighbor's house that was under contruction. It went through the roof trusses and broke into a billion pieces. I realized I was in over my head. The plane was a simple rudder and elevator plane and it lasted about 10 seconds. Luckily my Neighbor had a nephew that taught me how to fly (10 years ago). From personal experience I know what you are going through and know that your best chance for success is to get some help.

EXCAP232

My Feedback: (12)

You can find the local club through the AMA website:
http://modelaircraft.org/templates/ama/

EXCAP232

fliers1

Also check out this site: http://www.ama-dist-8.org/Clubs/

Take care,
CCR
http://www.kites.org/rc_instructors

mnc

If there are no local flyer's you could try a flight simulator it might help

pinball-RCU

I've never flown a Speed Pilot (or a plane like it), but none of the responses so far have really answered your question, so here goes... I would definitely try taking off from a paved runway. That would give you more time to see what the plane is going to do, plus give you some practice with the controls while you're still safely on the ground. Second, when you hand launch, don't throw the plane upwards. The plane does not have enough power to climb immediately, and will stall and crash. Throw it nice and level. Actually, "throw" is not the right word. Have someone run with the plane, and gently launch it level. If there's any wind, make sure you launch into the wind. The perfect place to learn to fly this plane would be a nice hill with really long weeds growing. If you launch at the top, it will give you more time to recover if the plane dives at first. The long weeds obviously cushion the crash.

Like AQ500 I have seen folks crash and crash these planes. But I have also seen some finally succeed, so it is possible. The following advice applies to any new skill: "Do something different." Don't just crash and crash without learning. See what happens if you hold a little up elevator as you launch. If the plane is turning before crashing, maybe hold a little opposite rudder. Realize the plane is underpowered (compared to glow-powered trainers anyway), and will only climb very slowly.

The suggestion that you join a club, etc., is a good one, but may not be financially feasible. The club initiation, club dues, and AMA dues for one year will almost certainly exceed the entire price of your Speed Pilot, plus a bunch of replacement parts. However, you may be able to find someone at the club flying site who will test fly your plane, so at least you'll know if it's flight worthy.

Good luck!

Cactus.

My Feedback: (1)

type FMS into the search box, or goto the flight sim pages and look for the link, its a free download sim, and while you wont have the transmitter to PC link the joystick will do for now... it will teach you one thing and one thing only.. ORIENTATION. so far you've not had to come back towards your self. thats when the fun starts

phayd

While I agree that you should contact a club, I also am looking at the web page for the "zoom pilot" which is the closest thing at hobbico's website.

What does those 20 feet look like? Are they smooth, then a drop? Is the plane climbing steeply, then dropping?

If it is the first, I would try is a little up elevator. Since they only provide two channels (throttle and rudder) you are limited to setting the elevator before takeoff.

If it is the second, I would center the elevator and then slightly rise it. You should barely see a change between the stabilizer and the elevator.

In fact, you want it to glide slightly downward when you don't have power, and climb when you do.

pinball-RCU

http://www.hobbico.com/airplanes/hcaa2012.html

Looks like rudder and elevator.

fastang96

Thanks to everyone for all the replies. I had no idea that I would get this much help. I looked up a local club last night but they want you to join the club then take lessons. This would run me a lot more than the plane cost (as stated above) plus I really wouldn't have the free time to do events with a club because of work. The plane will travel about twenty feet loosing altitude the whole way and then it usually rolls on its side and does a nose dive. It is never over eight feet off the ground but I have broken the nose off the plane three times. It acts like it just doesn't have enough power to climb. I have not been running with it and then letting go. I just throw it, wings level and it drops like a rock.

phayd

I assume you are throwing it INTO the wind. Also, if it is rolling, you need to turn the rudder to compensate. If you can adjust the trims, do so.

I think that you'll find that learning by yourself will be more expensive than the club, because of parts required from crashes.

lookinup

I am not sure about the particular plane you are flying but I tried and tried and tried to get a hobbico sky runner to fly and it absolutely would not fly from a hand launch. I am a pretty good pilot and I don't think it is possible for the sky runner to fly. Maybe that is why Tower hobbies discontinued it. If you get frustrated don't give up. You may want to try a Firebird they seem to fly very well and are about a hundred bucks.

Live Wire

Flyzone Electric RTF elevator rudder , third channel option throttle, It is going to be hard for an experienced flier to fly . Need elevator adjusted and more speed to fly.

trailingedge

My Feedback: (1)

HHHHMMMMM Won't fly eh? Sounds like a challenge to me. Here's what I would do. Have someone hold the plane and start it up at full throttle just before they throw it (tell them to throw it pretty hard). Make sure they throw it completely level if not slightly (and I mean ever so slightly down) the idea is to try and gain as much airspeed as possible. Level the plane and don't try to climb (keep the nose of the plane level) for 100 feet or so. Then try to gain a few feet (say maybe two) of altitude. If that goes well try for two more just remember slowly and gently. A slow, gentle turn (lets say to the left) is in order before it gets out of sight. A little rudder to turn and enough elevator to keep the nose level. No more no less. Keep the turn up until the plane is heading to your left. Then straighten out and try to gain a foot. Then slowly turn until the plane is coming back at you. Remember that your direction controls are now reversed. Left on the stick will send the plane to your right. Adjust your heading until the plane passes in front of you (say 25 feet in front of you). Keep doing this until you reach a 2 mistake high altitude or high enough for you to recover from a stall. I'd shoot for at least 50 feet up before I stopped trying to climb. If the plane tries to nose down, don't panic. In fact let the nose stay down a second or so to gain air speed. Pull the nose up level before you hit the ground and go back to the section above... I know this is long and there are a lot of people who would try something different, but this is the way I would do it.... Also if the plane tries to roll, turn the opposite direction. I.E. If the right wing falls, turn left some. Now if it's coming toward you, face the plane and push the stick toward the low wing. Don't let this plane fall out of the sky. Fly it all the way in. It sounds to me like this plane is somewhat out of trim and is trying to stall. The best of luck to you and by all means have fun!!!!!

Just my $.02

aircowboy

My Feedback: (10)

I feel your pain!!! I am a new pilot also and have not had a really successful flight yet! I must have crashed my Sig Kadet 10 times! My last flight was my best, but I didnt have enough power applied while making a turn and it drove into the trees and almost destroyed the plane! I have rebuilt my Kadet and now have 4 planes, all of which I have not flown yet! I figure I have a better chance of a successful flight if I have another plane to fly after I destroy one! LMAO!! I think that a ground takeoff is definitely better! I dont seem to have any problems with takeoffs. But I make movements too fast while flying and lose control because I cant tell what the plane is doing! Then,...CRASH! I built a SPAD plane which is very durable and cost me very little money, so I will not be afraid to experiment or crash it. You should find out if there is anyone in your area that flies and would be willing to give you a few pointers without joining a club. I think joining a club is the way to go though, if you have the time and the money.

fastang96

Again, thanks for all the input. I have talked to a few people and listened to the replied here in the forum. The answer I keep getting is...stall. I seem to not have enough air speed and then I make BIG correction in an attempt to keep from crashing. All of this leads to the plane stalling and falling. Keep the help coming.

Mfunkhouser

fastang96,

As posted above you might try the Firebird. I have crashed and ruined 3 planes trying to learn on my own. Every couple of years I'll try to learn again. Last Friday I tried flying my Aces High Glider ( I actually kept this one in the air for awhile) and crahed it to. So I went to the Hobby shop and picked up a Firebird. I comes assembled with everything you need for under 100 bucks. I went home charged the Batteries for 2 hours and took it to a park. My first flight was successfull. I still had the same problems learning the controls but I had alot more time to react before it would get close to the ground. I can fly this real well after only 3 days flying. And hopefully this will help me out on my next attempt with my Duraplane (they are not indistructable, Just ask me).

fastang96

I'm thinking I might try the speed pilot a few more times (at least until I go through all the new parts I ordered) until I give up on it. If that thing refuses to fly then I'm off to my local hobby shop for a firebird. Thanks again.

Crashem

don't bother wasting your money on a firebird they are junk!!!

raderrustler

Well I am new and I just purchased a new arf to replace the Alpha I just turned into kindling. I flew years ago and thought I could just go right back into it again...Wrong! I have a Firebird xl and find it useful to orient myself with direction, stall speeds and general physics of flight. It is in no way comparable to a rtf glo-plug 4 channell, but it is useful for training....And by the way they might be junk..but it flies, and flies, and flies, and even lands and the replacement parts are down right cheap..$ wise. just my .02 from a newbie.
Randy

Cactus.

My Feedback: (1)

to seasoned fliers junk they maybe, but to someone trying to teach them selves they are little foam gems. A friend at work got one and self taught, even building a longer wing to change how it flew, so yes it taught him, hes now moved on to a sports glider and a Gamberler with a over sized engine which he flys alone in a school field, despite my words he just wont drive to our field wheres its safer.
Firebirds teach you how to fly, not how to be safe it seams

Crashem

And once you learn how to fly using a firebird or similar type of plane and want to move on to another model be it either electric or glow YOU will have to relearn to fly because the firebirds do not fly or respond the same that "normal" model planes do.

You think because its only 100.00 bucks that its worth it but if you took that 100 and put it towards a "real" model you will have more "fun" and prepare yourself for your next model.


Alot of questions come up about your second plane, the answers here usually go something like this Sig 4 *, Tiger II, etc.. I can tell you that if your first plane is FIREBIRD then your second better be a trainer!!

If cost is an issue try to buy used.

fastang96

I finally got the speed pilot up and flying today. It ended up crashing but it is repairable and it flew so I am happy. I have talked to a lot of people and most advised me to get the firebird xl. So, I just ordered one today. I realize that it might not fly like a trainer but I believe this speed pilot does. They both are electric so they are slow but easy to control. Crashem, I appreciate the help and I will take your advise when it comes time for plane number three. I actually plane on buying a 2 cycle trainer a little later. My goal is to be able to build and fly a p51 mustang. I have always loved Mustang, the car ( I have two) and the plane. So to all that have helped THANKS. The way I got it up was by haveing a friend run and launch it by hand.