Hello all, I have been doing research for about a month now. I will be joining a local club soon and the ama, once I get my plane. I wanted to know what people think of the setup that I am looking at.

Avastar 40 nitro
w/ Evolution .40NT Glow Engine w/Muffler ( 2 stroke) or Evolution Trainer Power System: A or

Spektrum DX7 7 channel remote
w/ 3 s-285 digi servos

I know there are kits that are out there to purchase, I just didnt want to have to double buy a radio.

- Also as far as field equitment and items that might need to be replaced any thoughts on items I should buy? There are hobby shops that are not that far, but wanted to have spares and needed parts on hand.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read and contribute.

Ugpdfw_

The .40 might be enough engine for your training purposes, but that's about it. You're better off getting a .46, you'll be happy you did. There is one guy in my club who has the Evolution Trainer System and he hated it, and so did the instructors. He's flown with it a few days and already replaced it. They are broken in at the factory which is nice, but their performance tends to be lacking. The Avistar is a great plane; it's a step up (a little more capable) than a basic trainer due to it's semi-symmetrical wing. The Spektrum DX-7 is a great radio. You will need 4 servos, but they don't have to be digital. You are making a wise decision by not getting an RTF kit.

You will want a bunch of props in your field box, probably 11x5 or 11x6 (if you get a .46, otherwise check the manual of the .40). You'll need a glow ignitor, fuel, hand-crank fuel pump, either an electric starter and 12V battery or a chicken stick, depending on how fussy your engine is (I have an OS46AX, it starts every time with a stick. That is what I recommend for an engine - more expensive but way worth it!). You should use after-run oil in your engine at the end of the day. That's about all you need, bare bones, to get started. It's also a good idea to have a tether system for your plane for tuning purposes. A dog leash and long screwdriver works. I use a dog tie-down; it's like a huge corkscrew that screws into the ground.

Good luck, it's a LOT of fun!

The setup that you have listed is pretty good with the exception of the servos. You might want to steer away from digital servos to start with. One big reason why is because they use up your battery power quicker than regular servos. So with the standard flight pack battery you are going to get less flights out with the digital servos than you will if you go with standard servos. There is nothing wrong with the 40 engine either. In fact, it's my opinion that having a trainer that isn't overpowered makes for a better trained pilot. Pilots that overpower trainers tend to use the engine to get out situations and never really learn to fly the wing of the plane, and IMHO aren't fully trained. But a pilot that learns how to fly the wing (which a less powered engine like the 40 will do) are much better pilots as they understand the dynamics of flight and how their plane is going to react as they fly it. My opinion on your setup is everything is good but the digital servos. Use standard servos and save the extra money for field equipment.

Ken

Yeah,you'll want something a tad bigger then that .40. As Kat said.....a .46 would be a good choice. And In my "opinion",dont get an evolution( I hate 'em!). If you can afford it,get an O.S. Anything but an evolution,lol. A .40 will get you off the ground,but barely. And get yourself a good field charger like a hobbico Quick Field Charger mkII and a battery for it. There are about 100 other things you'll want,but this is my couple recommendations.

Charger- http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXCTZ5&P=ML
Battery- http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXL370&P=0

The Avistar is a good airplane. With the semi-symetrical airfoil and lower dihedral, it is more maneuverable than a basic trainer. I'm sure it could be used for a primary trainer but you might be better off looking at something like the Hobbico SuperStar, Nexstar ARF, Tower Trainer, Sig LT-40, etc.

The engine will work fine also but personally, I'd recommend the OS line. If budget is a concern, go with the .46-LA; it will work fine in trainer airplane. If you don't mind spending a few extra dollars, look at the .46-AX. This engine is one you'll use in all sorts of planes for years to come. The evolution will definitely work though, I just have my own personal preference.

This is an excellent radio. I personally own one. I can see it being a little complicated for a new flyer though. There are all sorts of programming options, binding procedures and stuff that might only serve to further confuse someone brand new to planes. You might want to look at one of the basic 4-channel radios from Futaba or JR. Yes they are 72MHz but they will work just find and operation is very simple plus they don't cost much. You can upgrade to the sophisticated 2.4GHz radio as you advance. The money you save can go into an engine upgrade or field equipment. This is just my opinion of course.

This kit has everything you will need except fuel: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXL419&P=0

The only other thing I would recommend is a self-powered glow driver. The one in the above kit has a wire and that can be a hazard around the prop. Something like this is great: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXD697&P=0

Don't forget to buy a few extra glow plugs for your engine too.

Again, this is all just my opinion. The set up you listed will still get the job done.

I almost forgot, you should stock your field box with a few basic items. This includes a glow plug wrench, flat and phillips screwdrivers, metric and standard allen wrenches, a roll of clear packing tape, a small bottle of CA, some 5 minute epoxy, some extra fuel line, some extra wheel collars, spare props, etc. You never know when you'll need to make a minor repair at the field. Not being ready for that could mean a short flying day. Trust me, I've been there.

Eh... The PTS engine is a powerful .455. It is just shy of a .46 in displacement.

In terms of power and performance it is indistinguishable for say an Evolution .46 or an O.S. 46 AX when the same props are used on both.

The "performance" is purposely toned down on the planes it is used on, by the use of a rather oblique pitch prop.

This is done to make the planes easier for a novice to control, but it is not indicative of the power/performance of the engine.

If an instructor pulled it out, then he was unfamiliar with the engine, and must have done this out of ignorance, as all he had to do was change the included prop out if he wanted more power.

Another good idea is using a simulator. You can download FMS (flying model simulator) at rc-sim.de, and obviously choose the English instructions and follow the links. While it is not the most realistic of simulators, you won't notice until you actually start flying. This is more of a tool to get your thumbs used to operating in the right directions; it has saved me hours upon hours of flying time because I didn't have to think about orientation or over controlling the sticks. You can also hook your own radio up to your computer and operate FMS, if you buy a $9.00 cable from ebay. Like I said, a simulator will save you lots of time training, and quite possibly an airplane.

Ok, I would really like to support my lhs, but they do not currently offer any .46 other than the evoultion. As well as they dont have the sig kadet. With this said, they have basicly the same prices as many shops online. Should I buy everything from them except the moter and order the motor? Or should I just buy the majority of items from online? I know so many questions. Thanks everyone.

I do have a question about chuckw's statement, about going with reg. servos vs digital servos. I currently have the money to buy the Spectrum dx7 vs another brand futuba , jr etc. I am thinking that buying the spektrum now vs buying in a few months might be an investment I am willing to take.

Anything negitive to say about the avastar? is this not a good training plane?

A guy at my field had an avistar,and it was comparable to my PT-40 in the way it flew. It actually dealt with wind better because of its semi-symetrical wing( I liked it better then my flatbottom). The only thing that I didnt like as much about it was how short the landing gear seemed (not a big deal). I swore it was going to drag a couple times,and I dont think it was even bent. The plane just seemed to squat,other then that it flew wonderful for a trainer with his O.S. .46 LA.

That was actually RCKen who pointed that out. His point was that many digital servos can use more power than standard servos of the same basic size & performance. This could result in using up your receiver battery quicker with the digitals than you would with the standards. The DX-7 comes with a good 1100mAh receiver battery though (at least mine did) so that should more than make up for the difference. The Spektrum receivers are very voltage sensitive so be sure to never fly if you even question the condition of the battery.

My advice on the DX-7 was based on the fact that all of the programming options can be a little overwhelming to someone brand new to flying. I do get your point of making the investment now though. If you go with it, just resist the urge to play with all the bells and whistles on your first plane. You won't need any of them for a basic 4-channel trainer.

Supporting your LHS is a great idea too. I'm surprised that they carry the Hobbico Avistar but not OS engines. Personally, I've seen a lot more trouble with new Evolutions than I have with OS. Still, they run great so long as you get a good one and it is tuned correctly. Like RCKen says, the .40 will be plenty of power in your trainer.

Im surprised too, there is a few hobby shops out here. Though one main shop is buying up the rest of the mom and pop shops. I found it odd that they are only carrying evolution motors, or at least online. I will have to go check back and take a look in person.

If I choose to go with something like the dx6 would that be better? or just go with the 4 channel that the rtf kit comes with? or any and all suggestions .

I wouldnt mind ordering items online if there was somewhere I could order 95% of it all at once.

If you're not going to get killed with the price (like my LHS - he's rediculous!) then support your LHS. If you have questions or problems, you can go in and talk to him, etc. It's always good to keep money local. Then you can buy just the engine online if you want.

Maybe I can help with your other question. I was gung-ho on getting a 6+channel receiver, and got a computer radio. People say you'll be fine with a 4 channel for at least a few planes, but I thought I'd want flaps, retracts, and whatever else I could add on my plane. After 10 days and 2 gallons of fuel, all I need are 4 channels. All I need for my next plane (which is on its way!) is 4 channels. You will NOT want to use any of the computer features on a fancy radio if you really want to learn to fly (like no mixing, etc.). So a basic 4ch radio for $99 is all you really need.

With that said, you will want a spread spectrum computer radio somewhere down the road if you stay with the hobby. The consensus generally is that you get the 4ch radio to start, and keep your trainer set up to fly, and end up getting a new plane, radio, engine, etc. Then you can train your friends on your trainer, and have a nice easy plane to take out if you want a break from your later sport planes.

I don't regret getting my computer radio. I have my Nexstar's settings all saved in it, and will store my Pulse's settings in it, and only need one radio no matter which plane I want to fly. And I have the computer aspect for when I'm ready (it is tempting to start using 'tools' on the computer radio before you really know how to control your plane). I don't want a plane with retracts or flaps in the very near future, but at the rate I'm going I will be wanting to take advantage of channel mixing (using multiple channels and tying them together) at least by my 3rd plane.

Maybe all I did was confuse you, I don't know. There are a lot of options. Getting a nice radio now means you don't have to buy a radio twice, and the one you're looking at is REALLY nice (nicer than mine[:@]). You can get a cheap 4ch radio, OS 46LA, and save some money now, keep that set up for when you crash your second plane or just want a nice easy flying plane on Sunday afternoon, and get a nicer engine, plane, and radio down the road (not all at the same time, and not necessarily in that order).

Make sure you use a trainer and a buddy cord - protecting your investment and investing in your fun.

The DS285 servos are not good for a 40 size trainer. They are sub-micro servos with 17 ounces iof torque. Here is the description from Horizon "The new high-speed DS285 from JR® is perfect for micro heli users and precision electric foam airplane pilots."

If you get a DX7, get the one that comes with DS821 servos. They are 'standard size, high torque' digital servos with 72 ounces of torque. They are actually much more than you need but the DX7 packages only give two servo choices.

If you're in Grapevine there are hobby shops fairly close to you that handle a lot more than Evolution engines. All of their web sites are pretty worthless for anything more than the address and store hours.

Advantage Hobbies (972) 438-9224. 535 E Shady Grove Rd, Irving, TX. I'm pretty sure this used to be Wild Bill's. I went to Wild Bill's once. It was sort of hard to find but they had quite a bit of stuff.

Mike's Hobby Shop (972) 242-4930. 1201 N I-35e, Carrollton, TX. I go there quite a bit. Good fuel prices, has a lot more car stuff than plane stuff.

Roy's Hobby Shop (817) 268-0210. 1309 Norwood Dr, Hurst, TX. Best selection of planes. Beats mail order prices on many items. My favorite hobby shop but far from Garland.

carrellh - thanks for the shops in the area. I have only checked out Mikes, only problem there I only saw evolution engines.

I will check out the others this week if time permits.

Everyone seems to have great suggestions and thats why I joined this forum. I think its a wise choice to go with a 4channel. I will most likely go with a avastar or a sig lt-40 ( if I can find hehe)

Do most radio's come with servos's and reciever? or do I need to buy seperate? If Im buying seperate any suggestions on which to go with.

I know this has become addictive, my gf said yesterday ok, lets stop all the airplane talk and just get the dam plane (lol I have two weeks til I am buying it)

I did the same thing when I started - I kept staring at planes online, in magazines, so I said to my self "just buy one so you can stop dreaming about it", well then I joined this site, and now shop for #2 plane, upgrades, or I spend all my time flying. It's really addicting!

Radios can come either alone or with receiver and servos, and it's usually a better deal to get them all together - you should be able to find a radio with 4 receivers, receiver, battery packs, and switch, all in one package, like this:
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXKJD8**&P=0
I don't know what brand radio your LHS carries, other than Spektrum. All of the major brands are fine. Personally I think Spektrum are the most comfortable to hold, but I like my Futaba a lot too.
Good luck!

It might have changed but they had OS, Evolution, and Thunder Tiger two strokes last time I was there. If you go over there again, ask one of the guys if they have anything in stock other than the Evolutions. My experience has been that they are very helpful but sometimes you do have to ask or they assume you want to be left alone.

If you can get over to Hurst, Roy's has a good airplane selection and they had a lot of different engines a few weeks ago when I was there.


The Avistar & LT-40 are both very good. The Hangar 9 Alpha or Arrow, or the Thunder Tiger Trainer, would also be good choices. Really, most of the 40 size balsa trainers are pretty similar. If the hobby shop has several of these to choose from, pick the one that looks best to you.


Most radios are sold as a full system with transmitter, recceiver, servos, batteries, charger, etc. A few are sold as transmitter only or transmitter/receiver only, but they are often high end models. I've seen very few 4 channel models offered as transmitter only.