Hi i was just wondering what i should purchase along with a nexstar Rtf

fuel... glow starter.....

and thats about it until you go out to your club and see what the instructors say....

there is a looooong list of things you COULD buy... but very few you NEED when you first start...
maybe a starter (or a chicken stick)
probably a fuel pump to get the fuel from the can into your plane....
but really that is about all you NEED to get going...

Enjoy

Thanks

Another trainer for when you realize what a DOG the Nextstar is.

Dr.1

Gotta agree with Dr1, the Nexstar is a dog, no wait, that's
an insult to dogs!
There are much better trainers out there that will actually
go where directed.

Jerry

I learned with my nextstar as my first Flying experience, and I had no problems at all. not sure why people have a bad vibe on them but I for one find it to be a solid trainer =)

I also re-learned with this plane have had a great time with it with no complaints its a floaty easy to fly plane .
its been a while since I have flown it as I have moved on to more challenging planes, thinking I might put some floats on it and a larger engine just for kicks.
the big knock is all the gadgets and gimmicks that are not really needed other than the basic sim. a great starter tool ,the plane is IMO the best looking trainer on the market the rest are boxes with wings. if I wanted a box I would have gotten a ugly stick .

There is nothing wrong with a NextStar, and the same could be said of other trainers also. The NextStar is a good flying plane. I still enjoy taking my son's out and just having fun with some relaxing flights.

Hogflyer

ADC,

Hook up with a local club and an instructor. If you ask several people you'll get several opinions. As you have already read, some think the NexStar is a 'dog' whereas others disagree. Speaking from experience, I love my NexStar. It was my trainer of choice. I know now that I spent more for it than if I had bought a cheaper plane, bought the other parts (radio, receiver, battery, etc) seperately, but I did not want to shop around. When I bought the package, I was ok with it. I flew the simulator for a long time and it was very helpful.
You'll have people tell you to leave the AFS system disabled and I agree. I used the other trainer pieces on like the wing droops, speed brakes, etc but for only a few flights. Afterwards I was flying ok without them. I am now flying my 2nd and 3rd plane and still love to fly the NexStar occasionally. She was a great trainer but now without the training stuff, if flies great.
Your best advice would be to get an instructor before you buy anything.
Good luck!

It may be a dog, and it may drive like a school bus. But it WILL out-pull a mule and runs like a good old Chevy pickup truck. My Nexstar works just fine for the job I plan to do with it, why should I fix it?

NorfolkSouthern

runs like a good ol chevy pick up??? 90% of chevy pickups are on the road the other 10% made it home anyway i was gunna get a nexstar but i wanted to build a kit so i got a great planes pt-40.


P.S. get a Dodge

Well I won't get into the vehicle debate here as you can see by my screen name and avatar a 3rd opinion would arise to the top a smash the weeker American auto makers... okay, one shot. I have a Nexstar and when I was learning on it I thought it was great! But you asked what else you should buy. Get a philips head screw driver and a hammer, then remove the AFS and smash it with the hammer so you are never tempted to use it. After having flown several sport planes and a few scale planes now I have recently put my Nexstar back in the air and found it to be awkward. Having to fight with it to go where I want it to. I imagine some of that is the natural self righting tendency of a trainer exagerated by the ample 6.5 lb weight of the Nexstar. There are less expensive and even better choices out there but the Nexstar will get the job done if that is what apeals to you.

You'll have people tell you to leave the AFS system disabled and I agree. I used the other trainer pieces on like the wing droops, speed brakes, etc but for only a few flights. Afterwards I was flying ok without them.

And thus you make my point for me. If the plane doesn't need all these "training aids", then why buy, and pay for, a plane that has them? A simple tower Trainer .40, a Kadet, or one of the other great, TIME-PROVEN trainers that are out there will serve just as well, if not better.

Dr.1

I assume this is a new flying experience for you. Find an instructor at your local flying club and when you find one, buy a trainer cable to connnect your transmitter (as a buddy box) to his. He will be able to transfer control back and forth between your radio and his until you are able to fly by yourself. Please don't try it alone.

I had a Goldberg Eagle quite a few years back. I got the kit fully complete, up to the covering but I never finished it. Instead, it got consigned because of an eviction and I had to move to another state. But, the ones I saw flew great. The PT-40 is among those which are similar to the Eagle, so I'm sure it will perform very well. Kit building has the advantage of oversight, you get to check every joint and part as it's assembled.

And on with the subject: It's good to have a prop wrench, that way you can check to make sure the prop is tight enough before first starting the engine. Besides that, I purchased a glow stick, fuel, a fuel pump, a volt meter, and a field charger.

NorfolkSouthern

I have found the NEXSTAR to be a terrible trainer.
Compaired to the other trainers out there the Nexstar doesn't handle well, is terrible out of the box. Take offs are a chore, all of these things make it a bad choice for a beginner.
I tell my students anything anything but a nexstar.

Dr.1
Glad I could help get your point across, however if you're re-read my post I did say that "I used the trainer pieces" (except the AFS). I found them helpful for my first few initial flights. Then, when I felt comfortable flying with them on, I removed them. So, the bottom line is that they were helpful for me.

ADC,
As I mentioned, you'll get a lot of opinions here. As Dr.1 wrote, there are cheaper and 'TIME-PROVEN' trainers. He also said they are 'simple', which may be what you are looking for. I chose the NexStar not only because it is a great trainer, but it has also proven to be fun. It can fly fast and is good with loops, rolls, etc. I do not have any experience with the Tower Trainer .40, the Kadet, or one of the other great, TIME-PROVEN trainers (whatever those are), so I cannot comment on them. I shared with you what I have experience with - the NexStar.

Get with an instructor and get what you both agree would be best for you.

Good luck, and welcome to the wonderful world of RC planes!

As an instructor, I've flown alot of trainers. the Kadet is what i learned on.
But i stand by what i said earlier the Nexstar is horrible Anything but a Nexstar

I've been training students for quite some time now so I've had experience with pretty much all of the trainers out there, including the Nexstar. If asked I will steer students away from the Nexstar simply because of the price. A lot of instructors, including myself, will strip all of the "gadgets" (AFS, speed brakes/flaps, and wing droops) off the Nexstar when it comes time to train the student. Now when you compare the "stripped" Nexstar to the other trainers out there I would say it flies pretty much the same as the rest of them do. It will get the job done of training the student done with no problems. So in my opinion why would somebody want to pay more for a plane that is going to perform the same as the rest of others on the market. In my opinion one of the best out there is the Tower Trainer 40. In an RTF configuration it goes out the door at $259 from Tower while the Nexstar RTF runs $369, that's a $110 difference. That $110 goes a long way to buy field equipment and fuel for most people. As I said, my choice it based on money here.

I learned on a Tower Trainer 40 myself 10 years ago and I still have it, and it's in flying condition. I still take it to the field every now and then and fly it around. It's a total blast to fly a trainer like this and perform aerobatics that a lot of people would say a trainer can't do!!!

Hope this helps

Ken

Given that there have been several responses here from others that have flown different trainers, then I think I may have chosen a different trainer. It looks like there are several trainers available that fly just as good, don't have the 'bells and whistles' so therefore are cheaper.
What I liked about the NexStar "system" is that I was able to get everything needed (except for the field kit, etc) in one package. When I bought my NexStar from my LHS I got:

The plane ARF - all I had to do was connect landing gear, and tail section.
Engine - installed, broken in, tuned (according to mfg docs)
Fuel tank, installed, connected
Servos, receiver, battery - installed, connected
Transmitter and charger
RealFlight flying simulator software (NexStar version only tho), USB radio connector cable

If you got the above for a different trainer, what would it cost? I don't know what the price difference is (I think I paid $350ish for the above) but each individual will have to see if the difference is worth it. For example, if I could get the Kadet with all of the above and it is cheaper, then why not get the Kadet?

I guess what I am saying is that I liked the trainer and accessories in 1 box.

Can anyone recommend a twin engine jet trainer?

Just kidding...

the big knock seems to be the cost for this plane. whenever this topic comes up, what more do I need for my NEXTAR it turns into a bash the plane to bits and allot of the comments come from people who don't even own the plane. the comment its a dog what trainer isnt.

to many gadgets, the tips well I couldn't tell the difference, the flaps do slow the plane down and I used them till I felt comfortable with my landings, the sim although a single plane version did work and helped me, and other than the mustang PTS what trainer comes with one.

the components futaba radio arguably one of the best brands out there ,OS 46 a awesome engine and can go in any intermediate second or third plane allong with the radio without AFS, the airframe sturdy and reliable built for abuse easy to repair and looks like a real plane in the air.

cost is, you get what you pay for biased as I may be for OS and futaba the tower line of trainers will fly just as well as any other but sorry the engine tower 40 where is that going other than sitting in the garage the 46 is the smallest engine I have and there are a large # of second level planes that need that size to fly well.
I have also helped club members epoxy trainers back together after hard landings/crashes that the NEXTAR handled without a problem the question was what do I need for my NEXTAR not what do you think of my NEXTAR our poster bailed out after post #3 how about a elec.starter with battery, field box for tools, glow starter,4 way wrench, misc. screwdrivers , allen wrench set, . wake up people the guy sounded like he already had the plane why knock his choice in purchase

actally, the nextar isnt a bad plane at all. Price maybe...but who else beats the "crash it in 90 days and we'll replace it" deal? Even with a trainer on a buddy box, these things can crash...

I still fly mine, though i am way past it. when it comes down to it...its a good plane. Its predictable, take-offs are easy (who said they were a chore? maybe shouldnt be flying?) bump the throttle, a little elevator, and its climbing out. its so predictable, i have on multiple occasions went through a tank of gas inverted and clipping the grass with the vertical stabilizer...

Other than price, its not bad...i know when i was learning, i hit hard enough on a landing that the wings should have folded (i almost made the landing gear stick out sideways) , my first attempt at a landing...bent the gear back (a chore in itself) and took off again. Its tough as nails.

ok thanks a lot guys

I am a self taught flyer.I am also now teaching flight.Guess what I learned on?Nexstar Select RTF.I taught my first student on my Nexstar too.This is a good plane,pay no attention to the naysayers.[X(]

If you think about it(nexstar)They do way a lil more than most trainers, they may not turn as well, they may not do the arobatics most will..But are you really looking for all of that in a trainer? Hints learning to fly. They are built rock solid, an they handle like a bigger plane would. an they don't look like an oak 4x4 with covering on it. Those things(nexstars) will take off with two diffrent drop doors on the bottom loaded with almost 5 pounds of jolly ranchers. An the way they fly don't change with a 70 4 stroke. They are a good looking, an a good ridgied model