Hi there folks,

Ok After years of wanting to get into the hobby of r/c planes im finally getting my first plane. Im in love with the Sig Rascal 110. Am I crazy to get this first without any flying experience? It IS listed as a trainer on Tower Hobbies website. I know its big and its not cheap, but Im 36 years old and pretty good at learning things pretty quickly. I really dont know whatg to expect when I try this out but I;d love to just dive in head first and get a really nice plane that I like alot. Any adivce is greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

I would go with the Rascal 40 first myself. The 110 is a lot of money to put out there to learn on. I've heard that the 40 is a little more challenging than a regular trainer but they sure are sharp looking. How are you going to feel about the 110 if you ding it up and break stuff? I guess it just depends on how much you are willing to loose.

Sig lists the plane as a "Sport" model and NOT a trainer. http://www.sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmar...FV4.html?E+Sig
I wouldn't recommend it as a first plane or any other scale or semi-scale plane either.
There are a number of good planes available though at reasonable(IMO) prices.
Check this list: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4537845/tm.htm and browse this site for more info: www.gettingairborne.com

Also, please hook up with a club and good instructor. Would even be best to talk to them before purchasing anything.

Welcome to the hobby.

If you've never flown r/c before take along a large garbage bag because you're going to need it within ten seconds of taking off!
This is not a beginner plane. Please get a trainer aircraft and an instructor and you'll have a lifetime of fun with this hobby.
Flying is a lot harder than you think.

I know nothing about this plane, but what little reading I did coupled with the more experienced doomsayers here leads me to believe yes you are crazy to start with this aircraft.

While I've never heard of Tower doing this, many aircraft are advertized in many places as "Gentle" or "a good first plane" just to get you to buy them, so be careful.

Take it from my experience, this attitude is a disaster waiting to happen. Relax, take it slower than you need to, and be patient.

This indicates you are at least thinking, so you will like as not really enjoy this hobby if you take the advice intended on this thread and dont allow the doom and gloom to scare you off.

A scary method, but if it works for you great.

Ask and ye shall recieve. Just be sure you are willing to hear what everyone has to say, good or bad.

You're welcome.


Now that Ive picked your post apart let me give you some frank advice one new flyer to another.

1st: thats an aweful expensive, and very pretty airplane to risk learning on. Get a good trainer, I promise you will love it. (I love my Arrow, and I think its a really nice plane, even with the minor um.. modifications.. I have done learning with it..)

2nd: Go get someone to help you learn, there will be fewer "modifications" to your pride and joy this way.

3rd: after you've learned to fly you will undoubtedly want that plane, so get it. Just wait till you are ready for it to fly it. Only you and your instructor will really know when that is.

Finally, welcome to the addiction. RC Airplanes, no one can stop at just one!

Aww c'mon Stang.. Flying is EASY.. Doing so without crashing, now thats a lot harder than it looks!

(Sorry couldnt resist)

Flying is easy, landing it in one piece takes experince. (of landing it in 20+ pieces....mmm a couple of times)
Then you get an enlightnment to join a club.
Don't worry...9 out of 10 people will do it. ...they just don't admit it.lol
That's why TH list the darn thing as a trainer...it's going to train you
how to crash it.lol Gatta the crashes out of way.

There are airplanes that are aspirational, and airplanes that are like your first car. Not real nice, and that's probably a good thing.

I've never flown a Rascal, but if you're dead set on getting one consider visiting your local club first. Be proactive about it, and see if one of their instructors will take you up with a trainer once or twice. You may find that it comes to you quite naturally, or you may find yourself thinking that the more conventional route might not be such a bad idea.

To fly any glow plane, you will need to find a safe field to fly at. Call your local hobby shops and ask them to direct you to some RC airplane clubs. Contact them and get out for a visit. You will learn more in an hour visit than sitting in front of a puter for 3 months straight. If there is no clubs then you are off to a bad start to begin with. You can't just take off out of your back yard! On a personal note, I have a Rascal 40 and its a blast to fly. A buddy has the larger Rascal 110 and I find it to be on the boring side. Its big and has lots of drag which makes it a very slow flying plane. It also goes through a "lot" of fuel per flight due to the engine size required just to get the plane off the ground. You can go to a gas engine to save on fuel but this again is "not recomended" for a first plane. If you check, the engine mounting on these planes is upside down which can also add to engine reliability problems. I modified mine to make the engine mount sideways but it was a "lot" of work.

I've been flying for about 5 months now and have went through about 8 planes. I fly every day I can and am now starting some 3d. When I first started I looked at all the plane and thought ooh , that ones cool , Im going to get that one. It don't work out as well as you might think it will. I am also a very good learner and everyone is amazed at what I have learned so far. But as for my thoughts on this, I would go with a sig LT-40 trainer, they fly really good and can take a pretty good beating.Trust me you will have some beating.But its pretty much the best plane for training and for the buck.

Like everyone has said, save yourself (or the plane for that matter) and get a trainer. It's not a matter of if you will crash, it's a matter of when. So save your money and invest in a good trainer. You will enjoy this hobby so much more if you slow down and make the right decision, that means selecting a trainer! Might I point you into the direction of the tower trainer, it comes in an ARF, or a RTF package. I have this plane and love it!!! I'll post the link for the RTF package so you can check it out! Good luck and have fun!

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=LXCXF4**&P=ML

Thank you guys very much for the replies. Very helpful. Ok I decided a Hobbico NexStar with a OS 46AX ABL engine. I also bought a Futaba 6EX spectrum radio. I figured I might as well get a semi-high-end radio for the future. Any thoughts on this setup for a first timer??

One other note. I live in New York City and I cant for the life of me find a club here. I know there are some in the suburbs but thats way too far for me. So I pretty much have to go at this alone without an instructor. But Im gonna take it as easy as I can and not rush. Hopefully I can get 5 seconds of flight time before I say goodbye to my plane =)

http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx

Plug your Zip Code into the above site for local club list. You can also check with the guys at a local hobby shop (LHS).

Remember that the addresses given will be for the MEMBER of the club who is the contact person. Many also provide maps to their sites though.

So your gonna do it yourself huh? Well I salute ya, I did the same thing with great sucess just be sure to spend some time on the simulator, I am sure youll be alright.

Save your self the aggravation and go cheap for the first plane. YOU WILL HAVE ACCIDENTS....especially when learning how to land. Take a look at the tower hobbies trainer, Hobbico avistar, Hanger 9 Alpha etc. there are many. But dont pick a first plane based on looks(alot of us got sucked into this one). They are cheaper and once youve really learned...you wont care - cause it wont look as pretty as it did when new. Then you can move on to the nicer looking planes and keep them looking that way. Flying is not as easy for the beginner as it looks....no matter what you've read or have been told. If youve never been at the controls...you have NO idea what to expect and how to react. Do yourself another HUGE favor, have a club teach you. they can teach you in 1-2 months what you will learn on your own in 1 year( trial and error and all the repair time you'll have to deal with- plus $$$).

Im on my eight plane.....Im thankful that I found my club when I did. I had my trainer ready to go and everything before i even found them. I contimplated taking it up on my own. I KNOW FOR A FACT that if i had tried it on my own....it would have been the fastest dissappointment EVER!!!!! I wouldnt have lasted 30 seconds in the air. And lets say I did....I would have crashed it trying to land. You have no idea. Patience and someone else's experience will allow you to enjoy this hobby for years to come....and you will learn from mistakes they have already made.

Good luck!!!!

Frankie....I know that there are clubs in staten island. Also in jersey. I think the one that might be closest to you in Jersey is at thomas Edison Park in Edison Nj. I fly in Wayne NJ..Im not far from you. Im in Nutley NJ. Send me an email. I will hlep you out with your setup, recommendations etc. Maybe we can even get together one day and fly. People have helped me....its only fair I pass it on. Im telling you...whatever you do...just take your time and listen to what these guys are telling you. if you dont its the quickest few hundred bucks you would have blown through ever.


Also if you decided to go with the 6 channel FAST system...check to see if it supports dual elevators. Just compare it with the 7 channel...you might want to go that route instead for the future.

The 6EX FASST doe NOT support dual elevator mode.