MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Go with the LT-40. The Ibis has a semi symetrical wing, and plastic windshield. Neither is very desirable in a trainer.

RedWing

My Feedback: (4)

LT-40.
Take MinnFlyers advice.
Don't sweat too much of the small stuff.
Get a good trainer and build it to the directions.
Use your local filed help and take your kit in process and let them look it over.
So much easer to fix things before it is all together.
You will also feel better about what you are doing if you get some feedback.

Of course, check here often and ask questions, this is a great resource of knowledge.

Good Luck
Bill

nukes

Myself, I like SPADS, but if you want a balsa trainer this is what I would do. If you can afford it get a ARF trainer, heard LT was good balsa model, and a starter sport plan KIT. Learn to fly your trainer and take your time building your kit. About the time your done with your kit, you should be ready to advance, or at least have an understanding of when your ready to advance. Doing this you learn how to build while you are flying and since you are not antsy to fly you will build you second plane correctly and without haste. Or you can build a SPAD trainer in about the same time you can put together a ARF trainer and advance when you see fit. Either way good luck and happy flying.

Montague

between the two you mention, I'll "me to" and say the LT-40 is a better bet.

However, if you can afford it, getting an ARF to get flying soon while building a kit of a second plane is good advice. You get in the air sooner, and get the same building experience on an airplane with a longer life expentancy.

One thing I hate to see is a guy with his trainer missing weeks of flying because of the time it takes to make repairs. (not all repairs take weeks, of course, and some guys build and repair faster than others).

Thunderhead

I agree too with going with an ARF and kit building your second plane. As far as the LT-40 goes, you cant beat it. I flew a WINGO park flyer and learned the basics, then moved to a LT-40 ARF. I buddy boxed with an instructor and flew it around for ONE flight.
The next two flights I soloed. Of course some people learn faster than others, but if I can solo a big bird on my second flight in a glow plane, that HAS to say something about the plane.

doechsle

My Feedback: (1)

they all crash about the same.Please don't build your first plane,buy one from somebody who is no longer using their trainers.There is a excellent deal on a LT40 in the for sale section now for 250.00 ready to fly.You will have so much time in the plane you build you will be scared to fly it.For a first time flyer be prepared to make mistakes,so It dosent hurt as bad when you don't have way too much time invested.Build your second if you want.I have noticed threr are two types of RC plane hobbiest,the one's that like building them and the ones that like flying them.Take notice and see if you think that's the case

Montague

Buying second hand trainers is a good way to get a bargain. It's also a way to get hosed. If you can buy it locally from a guy with a good reputation in the club, great. Getting someone you trust to check it out first is a good idea too.

Of course, somtimes the bargain is worth the risk, even if you could be buying someone else's problems.

Charlie P.

>

Another thought from a different perspective. I shoot traditional archery and I make my own wood arrows. Each one is hand tapered with a razor plane, crown dipped and crested on a lathe(the fancy stripes of various colors). It takes me 20 hours to make a dozen start-to-finish. I do it because I like making them and the extra care I use makes me concentrate a little more on each shot.

If you own a disposable plane you're apt to fly it like a disposable plane. This could be good or bad depending on your mindset and personality. I currently have one I consider my 'nice' plane and another I consider my 'MDA' - More Disposable Aeroplane (and a third - a little electric I consider a total write off). Treat it well, but don't become emotionally attached to your trainer. Some of them lead a charmed life and others fall victim to unfortunate circumstance (that sounds better than "I had a brain f@rt.")

I was told when I was learning to ski that if I wasn't falling down it meant that I wasn't pushing my limits.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

Don't mean to be negative but that is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard. There is no reason not to build your own plane and learn to fly it. I have been teaching people to fly planes they built for over 25 years and I can't think of one trainer lost during training. Eventually, you will crash it, but that is part of the learning curve and planes fix pretty easy.

Don't let someone scare you out of building. It is an enjoyable part of the hobby. Doesn't really matter what you build, you will be able to learn to fly either of the kits you have narrowed your choice to.

Ghostbear

Gisom,

Ah, the age old debate over kit vs. ARF.

In the end its your money.

My thoughts, I've been flying a year and working on a 4*60 kit since October. Its still 4-6 weeks from flying. I really enjoy working on it, but life and my limited modeling skills impact my speed.

If it were September I'd say build it, since its almost May, I'd say get an ARF.

I trained last summer with 5 other guys and there was only one major crash in the bunch, and that was in October. So, the idea that you're going to regularly turn your trainer into a pile of sticks (during a supervised training program) isn't what I've seen. So, don't be afraid of balsa planes, and don't think you have to build them from scratch to keep them flying.

L8r

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Ditto

Don Brent

Hi Grisom,

I'm in a similar place as you and have done alot of shopping around for trainers. I ended up with a 60 size trainer as alot of people were telling me how the larger the plane, the lower the wing loading and hence, the easier they are to fly. Of course a 60 would cost more $$$.

For a 40 size trainer, I wanted to throw out an old favorite of mine which is the Eagle 2 (by Goldberg). I've built 2 of these and they go together VERY nicely. The one I was using to train on flew very gently. With the hi-dihedral wing option it was extremely stable and foregiving.

By the way, if you have a good instructor who is willing to buddy cord with you, your plane is fairly safe. I built my first plane from a kit and for the 10 or so hours I flew it (before I sold it) it never so much as got scratched.

Good Luck,
Don

nukes

gisom,

$100 a year to fly in a cow pasture seems steep to me also.

nukes

That sound a little better for the price. Hey, if cows broke in and were not there all the time, there could not be too many patties lying around. How unlucky does your friend have to be, to sick your plane into one of them. What are te odds.

doechsle

My Feedback: (1)

The most important thing about this hobby is to enjoy it.Like I saidsome people like building some don't .I would rather spend the RARE TIME I HAVE flying my planes.If I were retired I could spend more time building instead of sitting on a park bench hoping to get a conversation in with some passer by,till then when my kids are grown and I'm not working 2 jobs I'll fly my planes I bought from people who are leaving the hobby.Saves me time and money.That's my "crap" statement,it works for me!

starcad

My Feedback: (7)

I really hate to say this as it will surely cause controversy.

All model airplanes are "disposable". Sure you and I both hate to admit it but the end result is disposable. If you never crash a model you will never learn to be great at it as we all tend to learn from our mistakes. If your unwilling to "Push the envelope" you will never have a feel for the next model or someone else's model that they have put there trust in you to fly. I've seen models that were built to crash and those that were built to fly and those that are built to fly seem to always fly best and not crash. I guess it is just a mind set.