i just got started flying a few months ago and i ended up buying a hobbistar 60 for my first plane. its a high wing flyer and it handles just awesome. because of the big wingspan its a bit tricky to land in the wind but if your learning you shouldn't be flying in that much wind anyways. anyways i've never been close to crashing and this is my first plane so i highly recommend it. it has a 6 foot wingspan and its a real flyer........good luck

The Hobbistar 60 is a very smooth flyer. It has a long fuselage and this makes it a very stable flying plane. The wing has a semi-symmetrical wing airfoil which makes for excellent stall characteristics and excellent aerobatic characteristics for later on.

As you can see from a couple of post in this thread there are a few people that are very defensive about the P-51 PTS.
YES I did own one. The gear blocks both broke after the 5th flight. It was quite alot more to handle compared to the SIG Kadet Senior that I learned on and I always had somewhat of a hard time seeing it as it was primarily grey. The visibility problem is what ultimately caused the fatal crash of mine.
There are very few trainers that get negative feedback at all, the P-51 PTS and the Nexstar (mostly because of the extra uneeded training aids that raise the cost) are in that group.
SIG LT40, Kadet senior and seniorita, Hanger 9 alpha 40 and 60 and a whole host of other high wing trainers that I have never heard a bad word about.
It is not because I am old and set in my ways as a previous poster stated, I own and have flown 4 other trainers aside from the P-51 PTS, all 4 are still flying today and IMO are much better trainers than the P-51.
So you can judge where I am. I soloed last year in early june with a Kadet Senior, I have flown quite a few models and am now flying a Showtime 90 and enjoying every minute. Consider the trainer a stepping stone and a plane to fly later on when you just want to relax.

Missileman
Sorry you had trouble with your PTS P51. We must have got one of the good ones. Congrats on your Solo last year, I hope your next 30 are as enjoyable as mine have been.

I have flown a PTS. The RTF version and the only mod we did was to remove the speed brakes. I live at 5000 foot elevation and it flew fine with the 3 blade prop. I would agree that it is easy to lose orientation due to the coloring of the thing. I would put some striping on it to make it easier to tell up from down. The RTF is a nice package if someone is getting into the hobby due to the relative low cost. A computer 6 channel radio, 5 servos, engine, airframe, sim and buddy cord for 400 bucks. Most other RTF trainer packages are 300 plus with a LA engine [], and a cheap analog 4 channel. The PTS ARF is only 119 bucks, thats what a SIG LT 40 costs. All ARFs have some issues that need fixing even if its just some extra glue. Also hard landings tear gear out of high wing trainers too.

I have never really flown a " high wing trainer ". The closest thing was a SPAD I made, but it had a semi symmetrical wing with no dihedral, plus it was a tail dragger. It was a point and fly plane, not self correcting at all. Then on to the Mach II and a Super Stick 60 with a .91 FS.

I flew real planes first. It only helps with understanding the principles of flight. R/C is way different.

I would definitely say that using a Sim really helped me. Best 200 bucks I ever spent on this hobby! I must have crashed 40k in airplanes by now

READ READ READ Thats the best advice I can give you Tankie. You will never get enough info, but the more you can the less mistakes and less money you will spend for those mistakes

Really try to find a club or some guys that fly that you can learn from. I met a guy at work and I bounce things off him all the time. He let me buddy box his SIG Senior once and then I was on my own.

Good Luck!

There are better trainers out than the P-51 PTS..the landing gear is weak...on any trainer a weak gear is a disaster as the student learns to land...I've taught with the Mustang PTS...I have 2 friends with the P-51..I've seen guys at the LHS returning the PTS all had broken main gear...
Yes you can learn/teach on a P-51 PTS..if you can get it to fly you can teach with a brick..won't be easy and it'll take longer..doesn't make a brick a good trainer....
bottom line here is that tankie1rtr is getting started...go to your local field..alot of clubs have a club trainer plane..perhaps you can get a flight in...

I don't recall cutting down Trainers other people suggest but you seem to cut down the one I suggested & one I have trained with that is still flying today with no problems. Smack anything on the ground hard enough & the landing gear will fly off. We to have a so called traditional trainer The Eagle & my son learned to fly & land with the P51 because the Eagle was to much of a floater & the wind throw's it all over the sky. So the Eagle sets on the shelf with about 6 flights on it & the P51 goes to the field to fly. To each his own. But if you will read the original post from tankie1rtr the question was is a low wing trainer better in a crosswind than a high wing trainer. The answer is still Yes.

In the vicinity of post #13, I had a post rather long which was totally deleted. Additional investigation revealed that the objectional statement was, "My advice to YOU is to stand up, use right hand to remove chip off left shoulder, then use left hand to remove chip off right shoulder." That statement was made, as most of the post, with good factual material however in the "tongue-in-cheek" intent for a humorous yet informative article, with the statement aimed at the full-scale pilot.

While I do not have the entire post at my disposal, I recall that the statement was aimed at the full-scale pilot learning RC. I spoke of myself having been there and MADE THAT SAME ERROR. As a long time 1:1 scale pilot and a long time competitive FF and CL modeler, I had that notion that I could do it myself without help. I stated to the effect such notion in MY head was a fallacy.

Having, since 1972, soloed out in RC a fair number of full-scale pilots at all levels from pre-private to many years airline and military, I give them that advice right up front. Once they accept it, they find it considerable fun to learn RC as they only have to learn the non-cockpit orientation. They already know the control, stick-rudder stuff, power effects, etc. etc.

Yet, here I do apoligize to whomever I may have offended, as I certainly never intended to do such. I wish you well in your pursuit of the sport of RC model aviation.

Hi All.
Well I have decided that the best way forward is to buy a Reflex Flight Sim and spend a good few months flying the Sim, I will then buy a trainer and join a club, please correct me if I am under some mis-allusion, but I have it in my mind that if I fly the sim for about 2 months, I should be able to find flying the trainer a bit easier, WHEN I have mastered my trainer, THEN i am going to attempt to have a go at my Texan/Harvard 6ft wingspan, only thing that I cant decide on is a high wing trainer or the Mustang P51 PTS trainer............ Oh Decisions Decisions..

If you can find someone at yor local club, that is open to the PTS for training , go for it!

I think it depends on the individual. Some people need a high-wing, easy trainer and some people can naturally fly a jet inverted out of the gate. Flight mechanics, orientation, and hand-eye coordination are very individually-differentiated skills and some people pick it up faster than others, so I wouldn't put a hard limit on what you start with. You know your own skills best.

My recommendation to you for your first trainer plane is ... a simulator. No joke, learn to fly on the computer without having to worry about repairs. You can teach yourself, or use the tutorials, or engage a real-live instructor after that if you think you would benefit. I use the FS One simulator and love it. : ) You can also download lighter but free simulators as well.

- K