Hey everybody, I just joined and thought I'd say hello and ask a few questions. I have never flown rc planes before but have always found the hobby incredibly interesting and exciting. I'm not even up with all the lingo. My first question for everyone is what would be a good plane to start off with? My dilema is I am a little bit of a speed junky. I have a fast car that I love to drive through the local twists and turns and to occasionally exceed the speed limit on the straight-a-ways . I love the faster planes like the jets and wings but I'm not sure if they are the best starter planes. On the other hand, I'm afraid if I get a slower flying plane that is a good beginner plane, I'll get bored fairly quick. I've been surfing quite a bit and found 2 planes that I think would be really fun to fly. The first is the projeti and the second is the F-27C Stryker RTF Electric. So what do you think? Any suggestions? Thanks alot and I'm looking forward to talking to everyone on the boards.

I don't know about the Projecti, but the F-27C Stryker RTF is an advanced park flyer. I doubt you would be able to keep it in the air for more than a few seconds.

Buy a simple trainer kit, spend 40 - 60 hours building it, when ever it flys your heart will leap, you dont need speed to give you a thrill.

I still glow with pride every time a plane I built takes off, and I am always nervous when I take them down to land.

Start with something slow and risk getting bored. Better than repeatedly crashing and getting discouraged. There will be plenty of time for speed later, get a handle on the basics first.

Learn to crawl, then to walk, then to run.

Hi 80 Welcome to the Hobby or Addiction

Bout your first plane as other mentioned they don't, so do I, I dont know, stryker is advanced park flyer yes its very fast, manks7477 is absolutely right. Buy a high wing 40 size trainer, Hangar9 http://www.hangar-9.com they have some good trainer's combos, Im sure you would like those. Start with high wing trainer, then upon perfection get second plane. Important thing most, is you have to have an instructor in order to teach you, and naturally if you join a club, a lot of members would be ready to help you out. Last thing about this Hobby needs is Perseverance and Patience, if you have these 2 things. you'd be successful, to be hasty in this hobby won't work well, Im sure once you start flying high wing and get mastered in it, you would never get bored of it.

Safe flying always

Mody

Hi

As the last post suggested get trainer type plane to learn on. Even that will be capable of flying faster than you can really cope with at first.



Simon

Almost any Glow power trainer in the .46 to .60 size engine will cruise at a very nice speed. Usually above 60 mph. [8D]

I've put together a list of planes that make good trainers. All of them on the list are proven planes that are well suited for successfully letting studends learn to fly. Check out the list here
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4537845/tm.htm] Looking for a trainer- what's available. (Updated 1-19-07) [/link]

Hope this helps

Ken

Hey 80, it's pretty tough to see all of the cool new choices available to R/C pilots and not be tempted to bite of more than we can chew. Trust me, even experienced pilots face this dilemma.

You need to decide if you want to learn this hobby the smart way, or the exciting and expensive way.

The exciting and expensive way involves you buying some Ready-to-Fly (RTF) models and smashing them into things until you figure out how to fly. Trust me, this method is more difficult than you can imagine. If you simply want to try your hand at the hobby without investing a lot of time or having to hook up with an AMA chartered flying club, you certainly can.

I'd recommend you try the Hobbyzone Super Cub RTF electric airplane to start out on your own:

http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/Produ...ProdID=HBZ7100

If this is too boring for your tastes, or you simply want to try your hand on something higher performance, check out the Phase 3 Swoop RTF package:

http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/107116.asp

These are reasonably priced electric planes with good performance. You'll destroy your first Swoop pretty quickly if you choose to start out with it as your first plane, but at $99 each you could probably just buy two to start with.

The smart thing to do is to find an AMA chartered flying club in your area and work with a flight instructor. There are 30 AMA chartered clubs in Maryland. You can search through the list here:

http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx

A typical .40-sized glow trainer like the kind flown at most clubs will do 50 or 60 mph and is capable of a whole range of airobatics in the hands of a capable pilot. If you buy your own glow trainer package, it could give you years and years of reliable enjoyment if properly maintained. Even after you finish training and move on to other sport planes, your trainer can be enjoyed for more relaxed flying, or be used as a float plane for flying off water later on.

I tried to teach myself to fly on an electric RTF package, and I spent a lot of time digging it out of soccer fields. Once I ran into an AMA chartered club and learned how to fly a 4-channel glow trainer, I discovered I could actually fly my electric plane a lot better, too.

Hello 80 I am new to the hobby myself but have flown a few times with a trainer at a AMA / RC Club site. It is the smart choice. I also have been learing to fly on a RC Flight Simulator FS ONE. I have got the basics down on take offs, flying and landing. I ventured away from the trainer on the simulator and tried to fly the Stryker. Ummmm, NO GO !!!!!!! I couldn't keep it up in the air for long and when I did I had it all over the place and eventually crashed it. I bet I didn't have it up in the air 30 seconds. Take the advice of these guys. They have helped me out a lot and know what they are talking about.

Trust me I am a speed junky myself. However, when you get your 1st chance to fly, even a trainer, you will be nervous, knee knocking, and barely able to hold onto the controls. It is amazing how much fun you can have with a plane at 40 mph to 60 mph.

I got a Powerline Eagle Trainer, Super Tiger 40 and a Futaba 6EXAP for $269. If you go plane hunting a lot of hobby shops are trying to get rid of inventory because of taxes on their overhead and you can get a great deal on this stuff.


Good Luck and take your time to enjoy the hobby. I haven't even gotten my plane up yet and am having fun trying to put it together. It has been a great learning experience

Wow, I had no idea so much was involved. I really appreciate everyone's feedback. If there's anything else I need to know, please tell me. Thanks

Best advice - wait for a fairly nice day and visit your local club. Talk to them and (with their permission) touch a few planes.

Hi 80,
The Stryker is an excelent plane, but not for beginners. I have been flying larger glow models for about 4 years now, and I still managed to crash my stryker because it is so fast and I wasn't being careful enough. Although I can usually fly my strker fine, it does have some tricks that make it difficult. It is very difficult to hand launch on your own and still not easy with a helper. It is easy to get disoriented becuase it is a "flying wing" . It is very touchy at high speed and since it is so much fun, you will be tempted to do stupid things that will most likely cause you to crash it.
I would go for a standard trainer. Trainers are quick when you want them to be, and they can float at walking speed. Plus there are a ton of fun crazy things that only trainers can do.
Trust me you won't be bored easily.

LT-40

These guys are sooo right.... take the time to learn and you will love this hobby and the "FAST" stuff will come when you are comfortable. Jump into more than a trainer, frustration will set in and you will leave the hobby. Guys are not trying to get you to buy a trainer, it's 3/4 of the battle to get the orientation down, holding the sticks in too long, being able to tell when it's coming at you or going away from you, when you have a "fast" plane those decisions are in milliseconds, in a trainer, you have more time to look, recognize what's happening and correct it. I did not realize until this past summer how good a trainer is to learn on, until I buddy boxed a beginner. they are so nice and calm to fly, I am thinking about decking mine out again and flying it fo the leisure of flying.

[color=#FF0099]80,
As everyone says...Welcome to the Addiction!
1) get a good instructor...you'll save time, money, airplanes, and frustration.
2) As the guys have said, there is so much going on just keeping the plane in the air, you won't notice how "slow" it's going.
3) there's still a tremendous amount of "neat" stuff that the trainers teach you...it's harder to keep a plane with dihedral inverted...builds your skill level.
4)don't forget to "breathe", and remember, all the planes have an expiration date...we just don't know it!!!
Your gonna love this stuff!
Bev

80,

Well let me add my voice "welcome to the addiction".

Be forwarned! There is NO 12 step program!

Its really strange though; can't really explain it. I have several fun hobbies I indulge in but this one has me "around the throat".

Its the most fun you can have and still not get arrested. Its not illegal...yet

Also, there's a great bunch of people around here for support.

Enjoy!

Dave

Hey what addiction??? LOL If you have to build a 24ftX24ft Steel building to put it all in & (1) year later it's standing room only it's an AFFLICTION!!! lol
Off the gound Off the water or Off your hand From Pizza Box flyer's to 96" wing span Super Decathalons...I like 2 wings & floats Now 2 wings with floats
is the ultimate in my book & I love the IMAA forever!!
Happy flying & remember we don't use the"C" word only Unsheduled landing!! LOL
Wild Bill...AMA 679962 & IMAA OPS miss placed my card anyway 7years & Fort Worth Thunderbird [8D]