Hi there. I'm new to the whole rc airplane deal. Ive been wanting to get into it for years and finally i figured it was the time. But I am kinda set back by the amount of stuff available to me. Basically, I am new to modeling, I've never flown befor, and i more or less have no idea where to start.

I do know that after some looking around and after reading some customers reviews, Id prolly like to buy whatever i need from Towerhobbies.com or horizonhobby.com, but i would like some recomendations on what would be a good first kit, and what exactly it involves, ect. Only thing i do know is that id like to get a gas plane.
I also realize it would be a good idea to pick up a trainer of some sort for the pc and practice till my fingers bleed too, especially since where i live there isnt a local hobby shop or a flight club of any kind. You guys are my only source!!

My goals is to learn and get into the hobby in all aspects and then progress into harder models and more of them.


Anyways, experienced flyguys, clue me in please!

p.s. oh yeah, is there a difference between glow, gas, nitro planes? or is that just different wording for the same deal?

gas ,nitro , glow same thing. get a good trainer some thing like a boomerang or what ever you you can get there. motor os46ax they are reliable and get a instructor to teach you . here in aussie we have a saying..... 16 seconds.... before you vertical park it. learning by yourself is very hard. remember take off is opional landing is mandatory

OK , Nnoodles,i'll start by answering your last question first. Glow and nitro aircraft are basically the same, the finer differences will be explained later, they both use a GLOW plug for starting and running, their fuel is basically methonal and oil mix, the nitro ones use a percentage of nitro-methane in the mix. GAS aircraft use petrol and oil in the fuel mix, the same petrol you use in your car.
Now time to ask you a question. Do you want to build a kit, or start your hobby with an ARF,{almost ready to fly}, where the company who build the model have done most of the construction for you.
My suggestion for you would be to get something like a LT40 Trainer, powered with a 40 size twostroke engine , using the fuel mentioned above under GLOW. I am sure others will come in and mention other Trainer type models available to you up there in the North, as i am way down south of this wonderful world of ours, Australia. So basically you will need an airframe, a suitable motor to power it, a radio to control it, and a list of accessories to help you in getting it all together, and flying
So come on all you modellers in America and Canada, come in and help our new friend to get addicted to this wonderful hobby.
Bill, from down under in Australia

Hi davo580, how is the flying weather over your side of this country? We have just had 2 weeks of miserable rain , so looking forward to better weather tomorrow
Bill

A glow plane is what you want, they use glow engines that run off of glow fuel. Nitromethane, also known as nitro, may or may not be a component in glow fuel. A glow plane and a nitro plane are pretty much the same thing, but nitro plane isn't completely correct, since they can be flown without nitro.

A gas plane is actually different than a glow plane. Glow fuel is methanol blended with lubrication and it might have some nitromethane mixed in for an added boost of power.

Gas airplane engines generally start in the 20cc range and go up to 150cc or larger displacement. Gas engines are used for larger scale aircraft and run on gasoline combined with lubrication.

If you say "gas airplane" to somebody new to the hobby, they might think you mean "glow airplane." Somebody who has been around for a while will think of large scale aircraft when you say "gas airplane." Try to use the terminology appropriately, and you will likely avoid confusion during future discussions.

Before you even begin considering spending a cent of your money on any airplane gear, you should check out:

[link=http://www.maac.ca/]Model Aeronautics Association of Canada[/link]

The best source of information about this terrific sport will be found from fellow RC pilots and model aircraft enthusiasts in your area. There is a "club finder" tool on the MAAC website that may help you find a flying club in your area. Working with an experienced pilot while putting your airplane together and learning to fly can save you a significant amount of time, money, and grief.

You should also visit:

[link=http://www.masportaviator.com]AMA Sport Aviator[/link]

The Academy of Model Aeronautics has a terrific website called Sport Aviator that will give you a great overview of the hobby of flying RC planes. It's designed from a (mostly) non-commercial standpoint and they review airplanes and radio systems, tell you how to tune an engine, give you hints on basic model construction, and even discuss basic aerobatic manuvers. The Sport Aviator website is a huge trove of knowledge!

As for Tower Hobbies and Horizon Hobby, they both sell a number of very fine aircraft of all different skill ranges. Talk to some local flying enthusiasts and get their input on where to buy and what to fly. That really cool Ready-to-Fly trainer might look pretty on the website, but if you have to wait three weeks to get a replacement muffler bolt, it might not be your best choice.

Congratulations on deciding to take your first steps into what will most likely become a lifelong passion. Read up on the general information provided here, find some fellow RC flyers near you, and don't be afraid to ask a lot of additional follow-up questions here on RC Universe.

Because you have no hobby shops or flight clubs in your area......

It is my suggestion that you go to www.towerhobbies.com. Look up the Nexstar Select (stock number LXEXK2**) the stars are the frequency that you choose to fly on. This plane comes with nearly everything you need.

Benefits:
1. You will only need a few items in the field support equipment area.
2. You will only need a few items in the assembly area.
3. You can fly the sim on your computer until you get calluses.
4. The engine and radio can be transplanted into many .40 size planes.
5. MANY pilots have had successful learning on this airframe.
6. Parts are readily available for this plane.


Suggestions:
Call Tower Hobbies when you place your order. They will help you select the right items (radio frequency, starter, glow nicad. etc...)
Read everything on this plane online before you buy. (manuals, reviews)
Research RCU thoroughly.
Visit www.easyrc.com/airplanes
Avoid ebay for RC stuff until you have a good knowledge of RC planes.
RESIST the temptation to crank it and fly until you feel that you have done your homework.


The absolute best way to learn is with an instructor with a buddy box. There is no better way. In learning by yourself you take risks to yourself, the public, and the plane. Use good judgement, common sense, and practice safety Always!!!!

May the skies welcome you!!

Yeah, i actually did surf through that Model Aeronautics Association of Canada briefly. I noticed they are the closest club to me it seems, unfortunatly though, they arent taking on any new members atm. Its just as well though, because im actually a good solid 6 hours away from them anyways. So basically i dont think there is any experienced flyers around in my area and im kinda forced to muddle through.

Anyways, i guess id be looking for both a trainer arf and probably a kit aswell. Kinda get my feet wet in both those areas. The idea here is that i would really like to dive deep into this hobby. As ive said befor, it is something i was really wanting to do for a very long time. Honestly, Im hoping to get pretty well involved with it this year and then i could probably get my lil brother into it aswell. He should be 12 this next year and i know he would get a kick outta this kinda stuff if i get into it myself.

Thanks for the glow, nitro info, and i will certainly surf this AMA sport aviator site some tommorrow.

I guess my only other question i have atm would be if anyone could recomend a good flight sim for the pc that i could mess around with? Ive seen a few different ones available, but im uncertain which one would be the better one to get.

p.s. Thankyou Rob40, Ill look into for sure. Im definatly tryin to get all the info i can befor i invest my time and money into it, even though i know thats gonna be the end result. ^^

Btw, has anyone dealt with this http://www.greathobbies.com/ ? it appears this is a store out of Edmonton, which is about 3 hours away from me.

1. I would suggest you find a local RC club and get a person lined up to teach you. I would do this first before you ever spend a dime on a single piece of rc equipment. Most clubs have people with flight tested trainers that A) Either want to sell them at a greatly reduced rate vs. anything you'll find new or B) Might have club owned trainers that won't cost you a dime. It's been my experience that the initial start up cost is what scares people off.


2. If you do buy a brand new trainer to fly buy an ARF (almost ready to fly) trainer not a kit. That’s a hard statement for me to make because I’m a builder at heart. However the goal here is to get into the air ASAP. If you want to build a kit make it your second or third plane. Any trainer is going to get beat up in the learning process no matter what it’s just going to happen. Why let it be your pride and joy you spent two months building.


3. Keep a budget and don’t over spend getting into this hobby. What I mean is don’t go out and buy a $200 trainer when a $70-100 trainer would work fine. Don’t buy the most expensive engine, controller & field equipment when ones in the middle of the road work just fine. You’re a beginner not an expert. No reason at all to have the most expensive equipment money can buy. Besides there is still a chance you won’t like the hobby at all. Don’t laugh but I’ve seen people spend $1000+ dollars getting into this hobby and before they got out of the trainer stage they decided it wasn’t for them.

First of all, are you familiar with flight? You know like what makes an airplane fly and what controls do what? That would be the VERY basic stuff you would need to learn. Once you have that down, then go on to the PC simulators and practice and practice while you get your parts and put your airplane together. I would recommend playing with your simulator for some time a day and then get your radio TX and play with it and your plane simulating flight. I used to do that all the time to get a good idea of what the controls are doing while in flight. I would sit down, put my airplane on the dining table and "fly" it for a while...

Of course this is in addition to what the other people here have said.

There are a lot of great suggestions given to you so far. One thing that one person mentioned was computer RC simulator software.

Because you do not have a club that is within a reasonable driving distance, you are at quite a disadvantage when it comes to the benefits of flying with an instructor with a buddy box. This is the safest way and the cheapest way to learn (crashes cost money).

The best thing to do, in my opinion, (and I am one of those that steadfastly insist that new trainee's get into a club and get an instructor) is to spend a few bucks for the right simulator before you get the actual model, and practice on that. The RealFlight G3.5 with the intercontroller is probably a good one because it has the 'virtual instructor' as part of the opeating program. None of the others have that (I own three simulators and love/use them all with preferences but the only one with the virtual instructor is the RealFlight G3.5). I'm sure othes will argue that their software is best, but as I said, the only one with the virutal instructor is the Realflight G3.5.

It costs around $200 or so with the controller. But, there are some pre-requisits that you must check before buying ANY simulator and that is if your computer is capable of working with the software. Most of them have very strong requirements for video cards and processing power. So, before you buy anything, make sure your computer is ready to handle the software you buy.

After you decide to buy the software, as someone already said, get on it as often as you can. Although it is not exactly like flying the real thing, it is the next best to actual flying RC and will give you the best chance of success once you DO get your plane and start flying.

And, the Realflight G3.5 has the NexSTAR included as one of their aircraft. But, one thing.. the NexSTAR Select RTF (Ready to Fly) includes the NexSTAR RealFlight software as part of the package.. but it is about $350 US plus shipping. This way you can get the plane and the software all in one package if you like.

Another choice for aircraft is the Hobbico Super Star trainer RTF. It comes complete with the radio (both TX RX batteries, charger and servos all installed and ready to go) and the OS 40 LA engine. The assembly is easy and takes about a half hour. The cost is about $250 US but this does NOT come with software.

In my opinion, I would go for either the software first, 'play' with that for a month or two, then get the aircraft you want to fly, either ARF or RTF, and put it together then hope for the best at your flying field. Make sure you have a very large area for flying, and that you have lots of room on both sides of you, behind you, and in front of you.. like a couple hundred yards radius all around you.. of clear flying area with no trees and relatively flat land. That way, you can stand the best chance of landing it, maybe not in front of you, which will come in time, but at least on flat land.

Sorry for going on and on, but I thought you may need the best advice possible and if you put all the posts together with mine, you should be able to make the right choice.

Keep us informed as to your decision.

Best of luck.

DS.

Haven't used them myself as I'm on the U.S. side but I have seen them recommended many times as a good place to shop and of course their prices are all in Canadian dollars so they are easier for YOU to relate to.

I have dealt with great hobbies and in all cases have been very satisfied. Their on line catalog is very complete. They have 2 stores, one in edmonton and the other in new brunswick. They only gripe I have is that orders from NB can take up to 2 weeks to arrive. When dealing by phone, ask where the order is coming from. The shipping costs from the USA to canada are brutal, so I try to stick with canadian suppliers. Good luck, you have chosen a great hobby.

Thanks a bunch so far guys. Ive been surfing and surfing the web and hittin up any article and info i can get my hands on so far to get deep into this hobby. I know it will be a little bit of a struggle for me, but im really really wanting to get into it.

Going on from what people have recomended and the reviews and articles i have read, i do believe i will be going for that nexstar RTF trainer and its software bundle. That way i can mess around with that simulator till my fingers bleed. ^^ And thanks for the heads up and the info CGRetired. No worries about the pc requirments either, as Ive been an avid pc gamer for many years now, which actually, believe it or not, fuels my desire to get into the rc aircraft hobby.

Im guessing i will go with this Nexstar RTF plain and practice on this software lots and check out the plane first hand. I am hoping that after a while with messing around with the software and such that i can maybe find a Club or a instructer or someone in Edmonton where i can drive to every other weekend or something to help me along. If not oh well. I am fully prepaired for the high cost or many repairs otherwise.



Thanks alot for all the info so far guys. I am thinking im going to make this purchase from Towerhobbies.com despite greathobbies being close by. The cost is roughly 70 dollars cheaper. I dont think its gonna cost $70 for shipping either. Im curious now though is to what else i would need in addition to this plane and software. For instance, the Bundle comes with the radio, the software, the plane, ect. But Im certain i will need to get fuel aswell, and what about "Tower Hobbies TOWER Power Glo-Starter Std w/o Meter" or this 4 way wrench, ect. Keep in mind. Im brand new to this and im looking to get everything i would need to get me going, but im uncertain of what just that is. I dont want to purchase stuff i wont need but i do want to get the stuff i will need.

Remember to allow for the difference between Canadian and U.S. dollars.

I would recommend downloading and reading the Nexstar manuals from Tower's website. That should tell you what you need to get the plane completed as far as epoxy, propeller, rubber bands, etc.
As for field equipment, I would select a standard 12 volt starter (tower stock # LXJC35 ). A motorcycle battery would power it fine but it is not easy to handle at the field. Consider Tower stock # LXL370 for a battery. It can be attached to your starter for ease of use and no wires to get tangled into your prop. You will also need a fuel pump and some fuel tubing (stock #LXK129). You can keep it simple with a hand crank pump (LXMA93)or they have an electric pump (LXVZ41) if you prefer. Spare glow plugs are a must. O.S. plugs run best in the .46 FX. Keep a few handy. I believe O.S. #8 or A3 plugs should be sufficient depending on your engine. Forget the plug wrench unless you just have to have it. I use my 1/4" drive socket set. You will also need a Glow starter (#LXLN91). I like mine cordless. That way the wires dont get into your prop. It is rechargable and you wont need a power panel. Many people purchase power panels. Although they look cool strapped to a box, they become unused as they are a pain. And fuel. Since you must mail order, I would recommend at least a case at a time. Beware that this could be considered HazMat. Check the fees before agreeing to buy the fuel. It looks like Tower discontinued their brand of fuel. You probably want 10% nitro with 18% oil. Castor or synthetic is up to the consumer. There have been debates for years on the difference but yet everyone is still flying using both. When you pick one, stick with it. I always use the fuel that I intend to fly with when I break in a small glow engine.

Hope this helps get you into the right direction.

Yes it helps a ton. Thanks Rob.

Also, good news is i actually found a local store that seems to be quiet decent. They are located in Edmonton, which is like 2.5 hours away for me, i can just pick up the fuel there. I might actually stop in there this long weekend coming up for us and talk with one of the guys there and get hooked up on all the field kit stuff ect.

Also... I happened to actually find a decent Club in Edmonton too, which going on the strong recomendations of everyone i talk to, would be a good idea in joining to learn the basics and whatnots, even if they are a bit of a drive away.

Things are looking up and i really do appretiate all the info you guys have given me.

I am relieved to hear that there is a club available even if it is a drive. Use their field and instructors and help in getting setup and until you solo. I would recommend going there for at least one day before you spend anything on a plane. Ask around while youre there. There might be a great deal on a used trainer. Once you solo, you will know what kind of area it takes to fly. A big field shrinks when you get airborne, and even smaller when you have a problem. Then select a suitable field in your area and start your own club so you can save others from your dilemma.

I found it!!! Finally. An awesome resource compiled by RCU members. Not all applicable to Planes but very handy nonetheless.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/community/glossary.cfm

On the top of this page, hover on RC community, then go to RC university and info is loaded in there.

hi bill have not to many good flying days at the moment might see how the weather is this w/end supposed to be raining hope not i want to fly my jet