For a beginner just starting out, would it be easier to learn with a plane that has only 1) rudder, elevator, and throttle controls or 2) elevator, aileron, and throttle controls? What are your thoughts?

My opinion:
Glow powered - 4 channels - aileron, rudder, elev., throttle (join a club and get an instructor) standard 4 channel Trainer.

Electric - 3 channel - rudder, elev., throttle. slow flyer.

Either way get a plane designed for a beginner and seek help from someone with experience.

I prefer to teach on glow, 4 channels. Ail, elev, rudder, throttle. If you learn on 3, you have to re-learn everything on 4. Might as well learn it one time, then everything else is the same. If you go to a 3 channel later, it will be the same. Doesn't work going from 3 to 4 though. Not much different, but enough that people have trouble with it. Might as well do it right if your going to do it.

Flyboy,

Maybe you could explain this statement since the it is written it is wrong.

If you set up your plane to fly 3 channels then you plug the rudder servo into the airleron jack in the Rx Aside from rudder turns making the model appear to "skid" around a turn there is little or no difference. Learning on a three channel plane Does not require one to relean everything

This is true, although somewhat controversial and subject to different opinions. It is EASIER to learn 3 channel (with the rudder servo connected to the aileron channel), because the rudder won't roll the plane inverted as easily as the ailerons will.

The down side is that you have no roll control if you need it. So it's a give and take proposition.

If you teach someone to fly a 3 channel plane with the rudder servo on the right stick, when you move it to the left stick to put ailerons on he has to re learn to taxi, take off and couple the rudder with the left hand instead of the right. It is easier in my opinion to teach the person to fly a 4 ch plane using all the controls. I know there are lots that dissagree with this, but I have been teaching for over 25 years and have seen many people taught many ways, but prefer to teach on a 4 ch. I feel it makes a better pilot in the long run, but again, that is my opinion.

I do however leave it up to the student. Everyone has their own opinion and I have taught both ways.

I notice no-one has answered the actual question so....

If you are going to have a 3-channel setup then planes made for rudder/elevator/throttle are generally much easier to fly than those designed with aileron/elevator/throttle. To make rudder work it is necessary to have some dihedral built in and this improves overall stability. Most 3-channel A/E/T planes are small aerobats or warbirds and are not at all easy to fly.

Steve

For the novice with no previous experience I don't think that there is much to choose between 3 or 4 channel in terms of one being easier than the other.

I agree with Flyboy in that sooner rather than later our novice will want to move on to 4 channel, and might as well learn that way from day one.

Simon.

I think you need to consider where you want to end up.

If you learn to fly on a 3 channel park flyer, you can do it on your own (I did), but you won't be ready to just "move up" to a gas-powered trainer. You'll be better prepared, but not fully prepared.

If you start on a glow trainer, you should get an instructor, but once you're soloed on a glow trainer you should be ready to start advancing on your own.

On the other other hand, if you stay with electrics, you can move from a parkflyer to an "aileron trainer" and move up from there.

Anyway, have fun...

My opinion is that 4 channel is the way to go. First off, get an instructor wiith a buddy box. When you start training you will only be using the right stick on 2 channels any way. The left stick will be set at 1/2 or less and stay there for the 10 minute training session. After a flight or 2 you will start using the left stick to control speed and power. Now you are using 2 sticks and 3 channels. Now to start taxi runs using the left stick for steering and speed control. Now you are using 4 channels. Not too tough huh?!? For long term success I have found that you either get a decent setup and jump into it right or forget about it and go golfing.