Been eying some cheap 4-channel airplanes on E-bay. Theres a Spitfire, P-51, Zero, Tiger Moth and F-16 that all seem to have the same components except for the F-16 is a pusher prop. Has anyone had any experience with these bargain basement fliers? The cheap price on an entire package seems too good to be true, but if they fly decent the price is right. I've flown a 3-channel trainer for several months and am looking for something with 4-channels to add a little fun. Theres also a T-34 that looks pretty neat. Tell me what you think heres a link:

http://search.stores.ebay.com/4-chan...QfromZR10QQfso
oZ1QQfsopZ1QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQsacatZQ2d1QQsaprchiZQ QsaprcloZQQsatitleZ4Q2dchannelQ20rcQ20airplaneQQsb rexpZWD1SQQsifZ1QQsofpZ4QQssPageNameZWD1S



Thanks.

-Doug

I think that the expression "You get what you pay for" comes into play here. If the price is too good to be true, it usually is.


Ken

What is the name of the 'store'? The link is so long it didn't work for me.

I think I found it. The ones I found tack on an extra 40 bucks for shipping. OUCH!

After looking, I definitely agree with Ken. I'd run in the opposite direction.

I didn't find them in one of the stores I just did a search for "4-channel airplane" Try that out.

from the looks of the planes ,save your cash and get a glow trainer that you can use the parts to expand into other models the parts from those are not going to help you in the long run for sure they look really cheap and toy like

Thanks for the advice. I'm new to this hobby and appreciate the help.
-Doug

What trainer and other equipment do you already have? Maybe you can transfer your stuff to a 4 channel plane and add a 4th servo?

Did you happen to notice the $35 shipping cost? Now your $70 plane just became $105. I don't know those exact planes personally but it has been my experience with RTF electrics save a few exceptions, that they are generally very under powered. I couldn't tell from the link weather they were equipped with brushed, or brushless motors. That leads me to believe that they are probably geared brushed motors which would put them in that under powered category. Usually if an RTF is equipped with a brushless power source they want you to know it & therefore it would be in the item description. If it were me I wouldn't expect too much out of one of these planes. JMO.

people look at the high cost of shipping on an inexpensive item on ebay and ask... how can they charge THAT much in shipping?

gotta know how ebay works, if you want to sell something for $100, and shipping actually costs $10, ebay is going to charge thier fee on the $100, and zero on the shipping.

now if you charge say, $20 for the item, and then $90 for the shipping, the seller just saved a wad of cash in ebay fees, and you still paid the same amount.

Sure is a pretty piece of crap. Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say that out loud again.

[X(][X(]

Yes, you did say it out loud!!!

Ken

I have a 4-channel radio, so I'm probably going to just buy another airplane and use the radio stuff I already have in that. I'm not really sure how to do that. Attaching the servos to the reciever isn't tough I know that, but do I have to be careful with using a different speed control and battery with my equipment? I'll have to research that. Theres probably a ton of posts in this forum to help me. Thanks for the previous advice all. Any suggestions on an inexpensive airplane do to the swap to?
-Doug

Are you determined to stay electric? Not pushing, just asking.

I'd like to stick to electric, seems to me its easier and I don't have to worry about fuel leaks and the exhaust gunk on my airplane (cleaner I guess is the word). Run times are shorter though, and you can re-fuel at the field and fly all day with gas. What would you suggest? I'm open...
-Doug

Personally, I'd like to see you in a nitro plane and to keep the cost down (which appears to be an issue with you) I'd say the following would be a good start. It is also a very good trainer that I'd recommend to someone not on a tight budget.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXCAS2&P=ML
and
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXGGV7&P=0
You would also need to purchase a throttle servo. Make sure your other servos are "standard" and not smaller so they will have enough power.
The SIG KADET EP-42 is also a nice little electric plane I've seen lately but it will cost about as mush as the plane above.

I really lean to nitro myself so I am admittedly biased, sorry about that but at least I admit it.

Since it hasn't been addressed in this thread specifically yet, I just thought I'd mention spare parts availability and warranty service. The problem with buying one of these $110 wonders from an E-Bay reseller is you'll eventually need spare parts and/or service to continue flying them. You have no idea who the manufacturer is, much less whether spare parts or warranty repair are available.

Everybody likes to save a buck now and then, but shaving $20 off the cost of your next airplane only to get stuck with a model you can't get replacement parts for isn't a bargain.

Indeed, all EBAY shoppers need to be cautious and especially newbies. What appears to be a bargain may be junk and even if OK you may get skunked by the shipping or lack of service/warranty availability. What gets real bad is when you overpay for a mis-advertised product that takes forever to arrive, then it's damaged, isn't worth the price in the first place and the seller has vanished. No, it hasn't happened to me but I have heard the stories.

Caveat Emptor!! Let the buyer beware, as true today as it was in ancient Rome. Bargains on some shopping sights usually turn out not to be bargains after all. Buy a "name brand" airplane and if you have any problems support is usually a phone call away, not so with the bargain airplanes. Ther is plaenty of advice at this site on which airplane to buy, how to get started, glow over electric, etc.

Last, but not least, join a club and the membership will give you all the support and advice you need plus teach you to fly for free.

Regards,
doubledee

Hey, I just got one of those kind....If you do a search in rc on the bay for ".25 " its a GEE BEE and it did take a month to get it and I dont have a clue who made it..and it was $25 to ship but it was $43 for the plane ...other than a trainer, I've never ordered "parts" for a plane, I guess when I trash one I really trash it!!..its a cool plane though,sturdy, I'm not ready to build or fly it, but it looked like a cool deal to me, every other ARF Ive gotten was $99.99, so its a deal as far as I'm concerned...I did have a small fit when I found out the tail feathers werent in the box,,for some odd reason they were taped to the inside of the top of the box!!!it was completely by accident that I found them the next day.....and the instructs...well there is no nice way to say "suck" now is there...3 pages of pics,the only writing is the standard "dont fly alone" always get help, fly into the wind, kind of stuff....Rog

At least they were in English.