Hi,
I am new to rc aircraft,my grandson and I are interested in buying a plane to fly in the backyard and park.We have been looking at some of the ones for sale on ebay.We like some of the bi planes,but the jets are very nice too,the ones we are looking at are edf,and cost around 100-200 dollars.The ads say that the jets are beginner to intermediate,but can we start right off with a jet,or will it be too difficult to learn?Is there any difference in flying an electric prop plane or an electric jet?We really like the f-15 edf,rtf package,but I don't want to get something that will be impossible to learn and get discouraged.
Thanks,
jim and andy

If you have never flown before, an EDF probably isn't the best idea. Also, I would be a little careful with some of the stuff on eBay. that's not to say you can't find good stuff there but there is also a lot of no-name, low quality junk on their too. Take a look at sites like www.towerhobbies.com and www.horizonhobby.com.

Take a look at the Hobbyzone Super Cub: http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=HBZ7100

This plane comes from a reputable manufacturer who will back it up, will include instructions that you can understand, and is actually known to work well which is more than can be said about some of the generic stuff online. You can likely find this plane at a hobby shop in your area too.

You might also consider connecting with a local club even if your goal is to just stick with park flyers. You'll find a wealth of experience and knowledge there.

They're not really jets as you'd expect jets to operate. The parkflyer ones are what are called "ducted fans". The electric motor inside the thing spins a fan that pumps air through the duct(s).

The ones that're advertised for beginners usually do perform as begginer type models. Some are really not exactly good beginner models however.

Usually the easiest beginner models to learn on are highwing models with some dihedral. They will fly with stability that levels the plane when you let up on the controls. Gives you a break from flying of sorts. Gives you sort of a rest. And they're usually slower than most of the others.

[link=http://www.hooked-on-rc-airplanes.com/rc-ducted-fan-jets.html]Here is some info[/link] on the difference between electric and gas ducted fan jets.

I would recommend getting a park flyer such as the cub that Chuck mentioned.

Hobby zone offers a great variety of planes for a beginner. You can find a summary of what HobbyZone has available [link=http://www.hooked-on-rc-airplanes.com/hobby-zone-rc.html]here.[/link].

Mort of the small electric jets (ducted fan) have very stubby wings that will stall at low speeds, fly very fast most of the time and must land at a relatively high speed. Three strikes against a trainer.

The Supercub is a very popular beginner plane, the same as the Slowstick, they are rather classic trainers you can get started with relatively inexpensively. Looking at them fly, and actually flying is a huge world of difference, these birds will be plenty fast for you to start out with. If you are going to shop around, look at planes that specifically state trainer, avoid anything that sais intermediate. Meanwhile, get plenty of simulator time, FMS 7.0 is free as well. I also reccomend just to get basic orientation figured out and not risking your expensive gear to get an aeroace, your son will also enjoy the fact that he can fly it all day long and no worries about crash damage.

When I first started, about 3 months into it I bought a Multiplex Microjet because I thought it looked cool, well, clearly I was not ready for it so it collected dust for a couple of years, even now, it's a thrill due to the speed it produces, especially with the brushless and lipo upgrades. I can't imagine how I'd handle it if I were to get it launched successfully when I first got it without either losing it or possibly causing damage to other peoples property. These are not toy's, it's literally just like flying a high performance power tool so be careful what you get and where you fly.

Thanks guys,great information.I think we will get a supercub,I was reading that it even has some sort of crash avoidance system.
, jim and andy