i have a golberg hotstick 40, i just got it in a raffle last week, i have never owned a plane with flaps, i have tried it in the sim but i feel like they just make it worse, i know they are for tighter loops and landing, but i really dont see how they help. anyone?

Most RC models don't NEED flaps. The exceptions are probably some warbirds. They will increase lift and allow slower landings. Without them, you may need to land faster than is comfortable for you with a heavily loaded wing.

I took them out of my ultra stick...just plain unnecessary in that plane. Practice using them, even if you never intend to fly a plane that NEEDS flaps.

I simply can't be bothered with them.

Just glue them in place... The less moving parts the better when you are new-

Flaps basically give the wing more lift by changing the shape of the airfoil. This helps slow the plane due to drag and make it float a bit more at low power settings making landing easier. Most planes don't really need them as has been stated above.

a beginner should never use flaps...... but i wouldn't glue them in place either you can use flaps for different aerobatic maneuvers when you become more advanced
good luck

Also, when the flaps are lowered, it effectively gives the wing some "washout" which makes the wing a lot less likely to tip stall during the landing approach, a good thing for a scale warbird with a high wing loading. Super clean planes like sailplanes are almost impossible to spot land without flaps or spoilers to put the "brakes" on during a landing approach. They just float and float and float as you rapidly run out of runway to land on. Most RC planes are aerodynamically dirty enough that they don't need flaps.

Heavy and clean planes need flaps.
Light and dirty planes don't.

Pilots of full scale airplanes use flaps for takeoffs and landings.

They increase the lift for takeoffs. The takeoff settings are often about half what the landing settings are.

They increase the drag and lift for landings. The landing settings are often about twice the takeoff settings. Sometimes the pilot stages the flaps down on the approach as the airplane is slowed from cruise to landing speed. He will pull, say 1/3, flaps first, then another 3rd, than full.

There is a kewl model named the Ultra Stick. The ARF version comes with two different sets of "ailerons". One set is full span ailerons, one for each side. The other set is 4 pieces. Two flaps and two ailerons (which obviously are half-span ones). You can build it with just the aileron set or build it with the set that gives you ailerons and flaps. The flaps turn the airplane into an entirely different THING.

It's interesting to use those flaps for takeoffs. The airplane already has the power to takeoff with a very short roll, but it still departs in a manner most airplanes depart. With the flaps deployed, the sucker sorta levitates.

Using flaps often causes the airplane to pitch. The computer radios can be setup to deal with that flap induced pitching. Otherwise, just hitting "some" flaps can cause the flyer piles of troubles..... or just piles (either piles... piles like in hemorrhoids... or piles like in wood pile).

The use of flaps is sort of an art. It often is tricky. In order to make it simpler and easier, flyers often setup their flaps on a 3 position switch.

Position 1 is up. Being on a switch, it's very comforting to know that with the switch in position 1, the flaps are exactly where they should be for up. It takes no special effort to flip the switch. And you can feel around with your finger without having to look, and tell easily and quickly that the switch is in position 1.

Position 2 is the takeoff setting. It's fairly simple to tune the flap deflection for the best setting for takeoff. And then it's dead simple to hit that exact deflection later on by just flicking the switch. Dials don't work so simply. Since takeoff setting is often halfway to the landing flap deflection, it's good to have an intermediate switch position. On your way down, you hit the switch to 2 and see how things are going on that approach.

Position 3 is the landing setting. It's simple.... etc..... Having just one deflection amount that repeats every time you hit the switch makes practicing landing with flaps a lot more effective. You really know that when the airplane "isn't landing the way it usually does" that it's either the way you're pushing the sticks or it's the wind/atmosphere that day. You know it's not because you didn't get the little knob turned too much or too little. And you know you got an exact amount of flaps (because the control is for a fixed deflection and it's on a switch that's going to give you exactly that deflection).

Flaps really shorten the take off with my Texxan. Once airborn I quickly restore to level.
I use them for landing on non windy days as it slows the airplane down... No need for that when I am landing against strong wind!

I have a DH Beaver which has a tendency to ground loop due to the forward landing gear which places a lot of the weight on the tail; the use of half flaps(30 degrees) reduces this tendency a great amount. Don't know the aerodynamics of this but it works!

I hve the Hotstik, and you absolutely wont need the flaps. This plane lands nice and slow.

On planes like the Hot Stik, the flaps are not needed for landing. They are intended to be used to expand the performance envelope of the plane. You have the option of coupling the flaps with the elevator ala control line stunters for super tight loops or for slowing down to almost a hover. You also have the option of using crow to really put the brakes on the plane as you dive almost vertically to a landing.
Like the CD player in your car, they are an option, not a necessity. People who spend the whole flight boring holes in the sky at full throttle will never miss the flaps.

Competition fun fly airplanes frequntly use coupled flaps. They don't need them to be good sport planes, they need them to be competetive in a fun fly contest.

OK, Flaps are needed when your existing wing profile does not generate enough lift and landing speed to land or at take off speed to fly. They are good for short runways or where the runway is rough and will not do well at high speeds before the plane leaves the ground. Other than for looks, very few models need flaps. If they do, I would make changes to the model so that flaps were not needed.

Flaps do all the things that people have said so far, but there is one thing no one has said. Flaps not only increase lift at slower speeds, they also increase glide slope angle. You can use flaps to make shorter landing approaches at slower speeds than without flaps and this is true for any airplane, model or full scale. Flaps should only be used at low speed. Full size airplanes have a maximum flap usage speed printed right on the airpseed indicator and while modelers don't have that luxury, don't use flaps at high speeds.

Big flaps are fun !!!!

Flaps (and flapperons) can be fun on just about any plane!