Been out of the hobby for awhile but am getting back into it. Looking for an opinion on the plane to get. Looking for a fast, stable ARF plane. Money not really an object.

Couple I looked at were Cab 232, World Models Rrambler 45, Seagull Roulette, World Models P51.

Any other suggestions are helpfull.

I have a GP Super Sportster 40 with a 46fx in it. Does great aerobatics, and is very stable. I had it clocked at 105 MPH level with a 9x10 prop. With a 12x4, does great hovers and knife edges, and is still quite fast. It slows right down for landing, it is one of the easiest airplanes I have landed.

Hope this helps.

NJD

if money is not a problem, my first choice go to the synergy 90 from ZNline
available in hig quality ARF

Fast: Has to do with power to weight and lack of drag. An engine at the top of the recommended range will make any plane fly fast (a relative term) with a smaller diameter high pitch propeller used. Any of the planes you mentioned will fly fast with the high end of engine selection and a high pitch prop.

Stable: Has to do with the airframe design. A plane that is more maneuverable (aerobatic) is less stable. A plane that is more stable is less maneuverable. You can't have both. It is always a compromise. None of the planes you have selected would be considered stable. An aerobatic plane by design is maneuverable (hence less stable).

The Super Sportster mentioned above is a good middle of the road plane. Not too stable and not too maneuverable. Probably a good choice if you were flying "pattern" type planes in the past. The Synergy is a top quality "pattern" plane that simply goes where you point it.

In any case seek some local help before trying to put any plane in the air after a time away from flying. Welcome back to the hobby and RC Universe.

Let us know what your goals are so we could clarify the answers.

EXCAP232

Thanks for the suggestions ,,,but.......Perhaps I should get back in with a more modest start and get myself a trainer.

On that note how about some suggestions on high quality ARF trainers. Been doing some online research at all of the major retailers and there is an enormous selection. I would like to have it narrowed down to three top end good choices that I can then go look at down at my local hobby store

thanks again.

Since you want to get back in to flying, you will want a plane that will land slowly and be controllable at slow speeds. Once you get used to this which won't take long, you want a plane that will move out when you open the throttle. Starting over I would also look at a plane with a larger wing span. The sub 60" wingspan planes generally fly faster but are much harder to see. This being the case, the World Models Rrambler 45 is top quality and also makes a good 2nd/3d type plane because of the wide speed range and aerobastic potential. I would avoid the Seagull brand planes. The quaility is a touch lacking.

Here's one that to can train with, and then crank it up for fast, stable flying.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXDTM8&P=0

for a great trainer go with the EAGLE 2 they make an ARF now , when i learned they only had the kit and thats what i learned on then i increased the throws and had a blast (but thats just me lol)

Getting back in depends a lot on how you were when you got out, and how long you've been gone.

I actually went though this myself, I was out of the hobby for about 10 years. When I left, I was an instrutor pilot, and generally a pretty good all around pilot. I got back in when my father bought me a trainer as a surprise gift. I think I flew it 2 or 3 times before all the rust fell away, it all came back quickly. And I'm actually a better pilot now, since I'm older and wiser and less likely to do stupid things in a hurry.

So, if you were flying scale warbirds or doing wild acrobatics with a cap or extra back when you left the hobby, you could probibly jump back in with a Super Sportster-type, or better yet, a 60-90 size pattern ship. Pattern ships are very stable, and tend to stay where you put them. On the other hand, if you were just a bit past solo, and still worried about landings when you left, get a trainer, just get one with a flater wing and semi- or symetrical airfoil. Maybe a stick-type plane set up with mild control rates and a conservitive CG.

No matter what plane you get, you should get someone else to fly it first, shaking off rust and doing a test flight at the same time is a bad idea, IMHO. Get someone to get the plane up and trimmed, and have them hand it over to you, or use a buddy box. Yes, a buddy box on a pattern ship is silly looking, but you'll figure out pretty quickly if it all comes back to you or not, and you won't have a re-kit on your hands.

Good luck, and welcome back.

because you already have a flight experience, I suggest a four star 60 ARF. It's an intermediate airplane, but very gentle to fly. You should be busy for the all summer by exploring his flight envelope

I was more on the line of solo flight but was a decent pilot What are some of the trainers that you would recomend

as pure trainer, I recomend the SIG kadett LT40 ARF

I acutally have not flown that many different trainers myself (that I can idenfity and remember), so I'm going to have to avoid getting too specific.

The LT-40 is a great plane, but I don't think it's a good choice here, too limiting too quickly. I haven't flown it with the "sport wing" though.

I did fly a PT-40 years ago that was a lot of fun. I think it had been modified with less dihedral than stock though. based on personal experience, this would be my choice. Or an ARF that was as close to it as possible. (ok, I went and checked out the current PT-40 ARF, and I'm not sure it's the same wing as the one I flew years ago, so I'm uncertain here).

I personally have a Hobico Airvista ARF, it's a good flyer, but really doesn't do the fun stuff very well. (and I have some gripes about it's construction, but that's another story). I use it to train other guys at times, so I have resisted the urge to shove the CG way back and crank up the rates though, so it might have more potential than I know.

I flew a guys Avistar, he had a .46 in it, and it zipped right along, I had to re-prop him and reduce his throws to slow it down enough for him to keep up with it. (I don't think it was set up as per instructions). It might be a good choice for you. It can fly well as a primary trainer (though not as slowly as the AirVista), but can be turned up as well.

In general, look for something with a semi- or fully symetrical airfoil. Or, with at least some curve on the underside of the wing from the spar forward to the LE. That will help a lot with inverted flight. Also, put it together with out too much dihedral, maybe 1" at the tips.

(I just poked over to tower's website, the Avistar does have a semi- symetrical airfoil like I thought. The AirVista is flat as a board from LE to TE, and the AirVista carries over 80 extra sqin of wing, making it more of a floater).

In another thread on here, someone was saying they used a stick as a primary trainer. You might look at some of the stick clones, many of them really do slow down nicely, but can be a blast to fly.

Another suggestion, you might think of going SPAD, or buying any random trainer and putting on a flat SPAD wing later to put life in to an overly stable design. With a little wing saddle modification, you can usually stick a smaller, symetrical wing on a trainer fuse and get a totally differnet flying plane. The spad website is www.spadtothebone.com SPAD wings are really fast and cheap to build once you get the hang of it, so it's no problem to whip up a new wing to adjust the performance of an existing plane.

yes the LT40 will be limiting you very fast, that's why in my previous post I suggested a 4*60
I learned some newbees to fly on a 4*60 without any problem.
this plane is so gentle that you may skip the trainer with it

Oh, I haven't flown any of the 4* series, but I hear nothing but great things about them, and the ones I've seen fly certainly seem to prove it out. Certainly worth looking in to. I hope I didn't sound like I was saying the 4* isn't an option.

No prob montague
I know the four star, I own the all serie (40-60-120) all from kits.
the 60 is the most nimble and the only one to be produced in ARF.
We modelers have a tendancy to argue that the planes we are owning are the best, LOLLLL it's human.
the facts are that the four star is recognised by many modelers to be an excelent intermediate bird. I don't know wich plane is the best, but I know the four star is great .

I'm in the same boat. I'm getting back into it after about 8 years away from the hobby. I just bought a Hobbico Avistar Select. It's a .40 sized semi-symetrical, high wing trainer. It tracks and rolls much better than the flat bottomed trainers.

I got mine from Tower Hobbies for $279. This is the "Select" version. It comes with almost everything you need except flight line stuff. It comes with an OS .40LA and all servos installed plus a Futaba 4VF 4 channel radio. Build time is about 20-30 minutes. This kit has a nice solid metal spar for the main wing, so no need for fiberglass. I don't think the basic Avistar kits have the spar, but I could be wrong.

Of course, the 20-30 minutes doesn't cover the time it takes to charge the batteries.

This is probably the fastest way to get back into it.

But, flying is not like riding a bike, as I found out last month. I got anxious and went flying by myself. Took off OK, made a few tentative turns, then brain faded during an oncoming right turn (rolled right when I should have rolled left), lost a bunch of altitude and became one with a tree.

My second Avistar will not fly without the assistance of an instructor and I will get re-certified for solos before I go it alone again.

Also - it's a bit expensive, but I just got the RealFlight R/C simulator from Great Planes. I would highly recommend this as well. For $200, you can practice on your computer with the included radio (plugs into a USB port) and a very realistic looking/behaving set of over 15 planes. And each crash doesn't cost you a plane, but you still get good experience.


Check out:

http://www.hobbico.com/airplanes/hcaa16.html

www.realflight.com

Good luck!

Hey Fergup,

I have another good suggestion (IMHO) for a return to the hobby plane. I had a Hangar 9 Advance 40 a few years ago. It goes together very quickly and has a tricycle landing gear. It has a low wing with a symetrical airfoil. With reduced throws, it is very stable. I had a K&B .48 two stroke in mine and it really cooked. As I have mentioned before in this column, about 3 or 4 other fliers in the club I belong to went from their trainers to this plane and had no trouble transitioning. When they got comfortable with it they increased the throws and this plane can really perform. It is a very good value for the money.

Jeff

Thanks to all for your honest suggestions. I am heading to the store today and picking up the plane. I have it narrowed to 2 or three choices and will let you know what I picked up.

paul

fergup, good luck, I'm sure you'll do great.

SkyDude, when I got back in after being away 10ish years, I found it came back really fast. But I did have someone else take the plane up for me first to trim it, and hand me the box. I spent the first tank of fuel in the pattern doing high level approaches to get the landing reflexes back, since I figured that was the very first thing I needed to get comfortable with again.

I'm glad I didn't just try to take off on my own the first time, I'm not sure how that would have ended. But I found that once you get past that first bit of nerves and "oh yeah, NOW I remember" stuff, the rest just falls back in to place.

I suspect it does depend on how good of a pilot you were when you got out, and how long you'd been flying before that.

Decided to start with a basic trainer again and after talking with the locals and visiting the local field where the club members fly(next to my house) I ended up getting the Hanger 9 Alpha.

It was the general concensus locally that this is perhaps the best trainer on the market at this time.

Thanks again for all the input.

excelent choice, congratulation on your purchase and welcome back in the hobby.
hope to see you a lot on rcuniverse to exchange our experiences.

Way to go fergup,

Welcome back to the hobby. My hunch is that you are going to get bored with this plane fairly quickly once you get comfortable taking off and landing. It is definitely the way to go if you are unsure how rusty you are though. Stay in touch and let us know how everything is coming along.

Jeff