What to do with your trainer when you move on up...

I purchased a Hanger 9, ultra stick 40, Satio .72 engine, Spektrum DX7 setup today, and I'm wondering what most people do with their trainer after they have outgrown it.

You keep it. You fly it. And you'll appreciate what it can do once you're a more experienced pilot.

Keep it for a long time. Reasons to keep it:
A) you will eventually crash that stick, and you'll need something to fly while you re-build it
B) you may have a friend who wants to learn and you can teach him/her on it
C) trainers are always fun to go back to
D) some days you might feel lazy and just want to put around the sky
E) you might want some experience making mods and building--start with your trainer. for example, make it a bolt on wing, or add flaps, or add dual aileron servos, or just stuff like that. Easy way to get into mods and learn more about planes.
I'm sure the list can be added to.
I kept mine until I had over 7 or 8 planes in the hanger. now my stick is my "putter arounder." Then, and only then, I donated it to the club.

In addition to the above:

- Move the CG back and increase the control throws, most trainers will do quite a lot with those mods. Many if not most will do some really nice spins for example.
- learn to slip. Learn to really slip hard, one wheel touch and goes (not bounce, smooth touches) on either wheel, etc.

As others have already said, keep it and fly it. I've still got my trainer even after 12 years, and I still take it out and fly it. For some reason flying a trainer after you've been on "bigger and better" planes is a total blast!!!!! And it's always nice to have a backup plane handy. I've been in situations where my trainer was the only thing I had flying and I would have been grounded without it, but I took it out and got a flying day with it to save the day. It's also nice to have around to give people intro flights with. You can take it out and put somebody on a buddy box with your trainer to introduce them to this hobby.

Now after all of that is said, if you still want to get rid of it I would recommend that you give it to a kid who's interested. Not sell, give. Help out somebody who wants to get started in this hobby.

Ken

I still fly mine after soloing 3 years ago. Yes, I've moved the CG aft and bumped up the throws a bit.

Amazing how "hard" it is to try to crash it now.

Keep it and fly the CR^$ out of it. My first trainer after I learned and soloed I removed the tricycle gear and made it a taildragger. Then I flew it some more. I got to a point that I had to bolt the wings down or pile on 20 rubber bands to keep the wing on. Increasing the control throws, and advanced aerobatics can be had as well, slo flight, flying backwards in wind, short field takeoffs and landings, stalls ect are all very fun with a trainer. Flying upside down is a challange with the dihedral in the wing being negative when upside down.

I was finally done with my poor old trainer when a teen I was teaching had the heart for RC flying but not the $$$ to get in. I gave him the plane, complete and handed him the receiver when he soloed, his face looked like this---------------->

I forgot one that I keep saying I'm going to do, but haven't yet:

- Install lights, and fly at night!

Keep it and fly it again and again. Becuase you never know when you're going to crash the other one.
There's only 2 types of RC fliers.. the once that crashed already and the once that's going to crash.

it's disminishing skill and it always good to practice proceedure turns, flying at slower speed, touch and go.
The more types of models you're familar with the better flier you'll be.

You can get a trainer to do torque rolls or hover.

plus you'll never know when you have to stop flying becuase life gets in the way.
If you decide to pick up R/C after you stopped..this way you'll still have a trainer.

but if you really wanna get rid of it...
make a spud gun and have your buddies shoot at it when you're doing a victory roll over the flight line

>>but if you really wanna get rid of it...
make a spud gun and have your buddies shoot at it when you're doing a victory roll over the flight line <<

Paintball practice......full throttle passes at 50-75'.

Donate 'em to your club or as someone else suggested give it to some kid who wants to learn to fly but can's afford a plane.

Bob

Actually i bought my hobbico avistar trainer after my hanger 9 twist for a nice relaxing flier, and it is, but if i want some action my friend also has a trainer, we attached some paper streamers to the tail for trainer combat and it has been a blast.

My old trainer is on its third student now, I have given two other trainers away since then to deserving kids.
My kids bought be a Kadet Senior ARF for my birthday last month, I have flown it now half a dozen flights. I had forgotten how enjoyable that plane is to fly. I think I will just hang onto this one.

There's a guy who has some pics of a Nexstar trainer he converted to a taildragger, and took the dihedral out of the wings. With dual aileron servos, increased throws, adjusted CG, it would be like flying a new plane.

figure out how much dammage you have done to it rebuild it if needed and have some fun with it,mine has a OS 61 now,and a pretty thorough overhaul of the fuse,when I stripped the covering I found quite a few glue joints had come loose after all the abuse the old bird had been through,also added a larger tank,and battery so I can fly all day on a charge,at least 6 flights without having to even check the voltage,I have a extra tail wheel assembly so thats a option,I really want to straiten the wings out as well,but thats another project on the list.

Keep it, continue to fly it and perhaps some day you can help someone learn how to fly.

my trainer is laying in a bit of a sorry state in my workshop. covering half-finished (full of wrinkles as it was my first attempt) and stripped of all its inards. i doubt i will ever fly it again and am considering selling it off due to having no money to spend on it.

its also something i can tinker with on rainy days, theres always something that needs doing. be it adding some little mounts for the fuel tank, adding little bits onto it (like cowling) and generally using it as a test-bed

Keep your trainer and use it as a test bed for your new engines. That way you are not flying a brand new airplane that you don't know how it handles, with an engine that may flame out on takeoff.

Also using the trainer to break in your new engines, you won't have to clean the slime off of your shiney new plane before you maiden it.

If you absolutely do not want to keep your trainer in the same guise... Make another wing and turn it into a biplane. I did it with an Avistar a few years ago and put on an OS .61 FX. Keep the wings parallel to each other and enjoy! Ross

two words - Buy Floats

As you can see from the response there is a hugh variety of things to do with old trainers and they are all great suggestions. Fact is most well rounded pilots always keep some trainers around and even add to the stable.

Here is just one more use that exploded in our club and that is wingless trainer pylon racing. two cones hundred and fifty feet apart racehorse starts for ten laps.

This trainer (an old Midwest Aerostar) has been optimised for that use:

John

Wow that looks like fun! How long does it take for those to get off the ground and how hard is it to control it?

Farr301

you are kidding right? they race them on the ground buddy.

Wow John, that is a really good way to practice rudder control.

Looks like somebody misses their nitro buggy days.

I was going to make the wisecrack that it took 11 laps to get off the ground but thought better of it.

Oh whoops, i just looked at the pics my bad. that'd be nice if they got off the ground. You should bank the turns some.

Farr301