Hi, I've read a lot in the last two months on this forum but I'm still waiting to buy my frist plane because I'm not sure of my choice. I'd like to get a first plane that I could use to install a camera on it. Since many trainer are not suitable for this ( like the LT-40 because it doesn't have any clear canopy or some others because it doesn't have enough room to intall extra components ), I was thinking about a larger size airplane with ideally a clear canopy. So, I have three models that looks interesting but two are not really trainer and I don't know if I could start with them. Please let me know what you think of them :

1) Sig Kadet Senior

2) Sig Four Star 40 ou 60

3) H9 J-3 Piper Cub


All of theses would be in ARF type.

Seb I learned to fly on the sig senior. I would have to say it is the most well mannered plane going. I had an OS.46 on it and the plane had no bad habits and was unbelievably steady in the air and a pure joy to fly. I think with a little more power it would be more maneuverable in the air but it is a great trainer and would make a great aerial photography platform. with a very large wing and very low wing loading, with enough engine it will have no problem carrying a little extra weight around and still be an all around stable flyer
and a breeze to land.

Another vote here for the Kadet Senior

Seb,
I agree with Chris. I also learned on a Sig Kadet Senior with an OS 46. Very gentle in the air and a great floater. Have you taken lessons from an instructor yet? Word to the wise...don't skip that step.
Bev

I too recomend the Kadet Sr.; but also recomend you do not mount the camera as though you were "sitting in the cockpit" as it will result in really boring video of a lot of sky and some weird lines from the prop spinning. A modified pod on the belly between the main gear pointing the lens forward and slightly down will let you see more terain.

The Senior by all means. If you want to build the kit be sure to use ailerons and flatten the wing out. The ARF already is set up that way.
For a camera platform the Bob Tharp "Flying King" is a great choice, much like the Senior Kadet with some refinement........
I learned on the Sr. and am building a much refined version.........

BOTH PLANES ARE GREAT, a matter of choice.

[quote]ORIGINAL: Mr67Stang

but also recomend you do not mount the camera as though you were "sitting in the cockpit" as it will result in really boring video of a lot of sky and some weird lines from the prop spinning.
/quote]

Gee Whizz!!! You're taking all the fun out of forcing your friends to sit through the video while you explain RPM's!!!!!
Bev

And yet another vote for the Kadet Sr. ! I absolutely love mine and didn't get it until about two years into the hobby. Set mine up with a Saito 72 at first and now have a Saito 56 in it and it powers it on wheels as well as floats equally well. That plane has lifted (not by me) a documented 12 lbs of ballast if I remember right. At any rate take a look at this site for an amazing amount of information on the plane and camera mounting. http://www.angelfire.com/indie/aerostuff/
It is an amazing trainer and will teach you and allow you to do great touch and go's, crosswind landings, etc. Mine is a taildragger and am curently having fun going down the runway on one main tire only!

You might consider electrifying it if you want to use it as a camera platform, no vibration blur, no goo on your camera lens.

I have a kadet senior.....its been built for 6 years but never flown. I have heard nothing but good things about this plane. Ive heard that this thing will fly in winds that ground nearly every other plane out there. Like I said, I cant speak from experience, cuz Ive never flown mine, but those are the reasons I bought it and will be flying it very soon. Big, slow, super low wing loading, heavy lifting flyer. the perfect trainer.

My vote is for a Senior, but I mabey partial because I have one . Have a 61 on it swinging a 12x6.

flynte

That is interesting comments about the position of the camera. I never though about that. I wanted to install it into the cockpit to have the same view as the pilot. The reason is I'd like in the future to pilot it with the view of the camera, the position is important for this matter. If you want to have an idea of what I'd like to setup take a look at this video : http://video.google.fr/videoplay?doc...94150645963232 I just saw a closer picture of the Senior and the motor is right in front of the cockpit so effectively the view from the camera would be compromise. That's what I liked a lot about the H9 Cub, the cockpit is very big and clear with only the prop in the view which is not really a problem. Now it bring me one more question :

If I can install the camera on the belly ( considering it could work to pilot with this view ) and if I don't really need anymore a plane with a clear cockpit ( I said canopy in my first post but it look like an error from my poor english ) what about getting the LT-40 ARF ? It's more than $100 less. Is the Senior really better ?

Thanks everyone for the response. I'm surprise that nobody mention the others two planes

If I look at this picture ( from Flynte here above ) it seem that the motor is right in front of the view : http://image.rcuniverse.com/forum/up...48/Xu62632.jpg


But not on this one : http://www.ncn.net/~chasnoble/rc/kadet.html

Is it just an illusion from a different angle of the picture ?

I think the Senior is a bit more versatile as a platform than the LT-40. Bigger fuse, more room inside. What kind of camera do you plan to use? I have a Senior kit with the same thing in mind. I plan to stretch the wings another bay or so each side, and add struts, not necessarily for strength, but to make a hardpoint on each wing. I plan to use a small CCD camera mounted out at mid-span, counterweighted (if necessary) on the other wing, with the camera transmitter and batteries in the fuse. This will get the camera lens far out of the way of possible exhaust blowing on the lens. If you have the camera pointed forward under the fuse, you also have the nose wheel to contend with, unless you convert it to a tail dragger. Putting the camera behind the clear canopy of most of these planes will distort the image somewhat, as the canopies aren't without warps, bubbles, streaks, etc.

It was suggested to me by a club member to mount the CCD in a pod, mounted facing slightly down, with a linkage to a servo that could swing the pod side to side using a transmitter control. You could really expand your view that way.

I too learned on a Senior. A great airplane and handles wind surprisingly well for such a large wingspan. Carefull with ground handling in high wind, it does like to tip over.

Finally finished my scratch built Sr.. As you can see it's a taildragger, closed in windows. hand carved engine cowel and a Mag. 91 fs. I shortened the wing bay and put the balsa wing ends on instead of the funky ends that are so easy to damage. As you see, the wing is simi-symetrical and has ails. and flaps. It is "D" tubed both leading and on the rear with shear webbing front and rear.
Weather has held me back a bit but I have test flown it and found I need to balance it better as it's a little tail heavy(expected).
It is quite fast for a Kadet and very smooth in tracking, I can't wait until I get it flying at it's best.

Maybe this will wet your whistle. You cant beat a Kadet....period!

Sig Senior Kadet, get one, you'll thank me later.

Sig Kadet and O.S .46 vote here

I bought a SIG Kadet senior for a project I was doing for work. It's perhaps the most docile plane I have ever flown.

It goes like this: take-off, turn, coffee, donut, turn, massage, turn, pedicure, turn, cat nap, turn, do some aerobatics, (this thing is very capable), turn, more coffee and perhaps a brief conversation, turn for final and land.

I have a magnum .91 in mine and I have to kill it on final or push it down. I haven't flown it in over a year and it deserves a good student. I will likely sell it to someone who is looking for the finest trainer available. (I really think it is the finest available).

SIG makes good planes. They make mostly heavy planes, but the quality is very good. If you are in the market for a trainer, get a SIG trainer.

A bit late but the other 2 planes you mentioned are not beginner planes and will likely not survive long unless you get good with a trainer plane first.