Hello All new to RC Aircraft, My Goal is a Skymaster F-15 with a JetCat 160SX in Japanese Aggressor Markings

But I need to start at the bottom and at the moment applying my trainer wings.

I like some advice on the following path I have decided to go. Am I taking the right steps in the aircraft. I have been told I should get a Glider before a Jet as and I quote



So it this a good stepping plan

Trainer .... E-Flite Apprentice 15e RTF w/Dx5e Radio

First Aircraft .... Scale-Masters Series 92" Mitsubishi A6M-5 Zero ARF

Second Aircraft .... Embraer EMB-312 Tucano, with Jetcat Turboprop

Third Aircraft .... Glider of some kind ????

Final Aircraft .... F-15, with JetCat 160SX




Any Advice be helpful, as I do not have any RC Clubs in my Prefecture of Chiba, Japan so I have to be self taught.

No...

Get a regular high wing .60 size trainer like most people.
Then get a low wing model that's still stick or boxie looking . Bascailly a low wing trainer.
such as a .60 4*

Then get a slighty faster air frame/ air foil model.

Then get the patriot, enforce or a tappered wing model. ..this way you can still use your .60 engine.
The patriot it tractor , the enforcer is pusher...but it'll still be prop driven.
There's other Jet kits you can get that are prop driven instead of duct fan.

Then mess with a duct fan for a while.

Thennnn mortage your house and get a turbine engine for $5000....That's just for the turbine.
So you can fly fast and just trun left

OK do you have some links to these aircraft,

The High Wing Trainer, patriot & enforce

Hi...nice to have you onboard the RC aircraft site.
f you are really interested in jets you may want to start by asking some questions in the "Jet" forum.
I feel you will get many more good and helpful answers from the people in that forum as it is all about jets.
I wish you all the luck in the world with your new hobby. You will be amazed at what these "toy" jets can really do. Be prepard to spend lots of money on the jet end of the spectrum.....and then be prepard to have lots of fun.
Here in the U.S. one does not just buy the parts for a true jet powered model and go fly it. You need to be checked out and signed off by someone else that has many hours in these jets before you can just go flying them on your own.

I'm sure in time you will find some very good jet pilots in Japan that will help you as well.
That's all I can help you with so have a great time and be carful

I've put together a list of planes that make good trainers and second planes. All of them on the list are proven planes that are well suited for successfully letting students learn to fly, or advance to a second plane. Check out the list here
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4537845/tm.htm] Looking for a trainer- what's available. (Updated 2-20-2008) [/link]

Hope this helps

Ken

OK another Question,

I have found a model shop about a 2 hour train ride away and will be heading there this week to look for a Flight Sim Program and to purchase my Trainer Aircraft.

I am thinking of a ARF instead of a RTF, but like to know, do ARF come with a list of parts needed to complete the model, do they come with instructions on how to install servos, Motor, Lights, Undercarriage etc etc etc. (Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question) . I have seen some model on Youtube and the inside of the models look a mess with wires and lines everywhere.

I have found a club that I can join to learn, but it is a 1 1/2 to 2 hour car trip away and they only have meetings every few months, most fly their aircraft at local parks and the likes.


Seen this Youtube Video and I want to be able to do this to my ARF Tucano and maybe to the F-15J

Lights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkKRbPMqTno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_eLdUpsUS8

I think you're way over your head. Not that you can't put lights on your model, or that you can't eventually fly a jet. I suggest you first get your trainer and feel the experience for about a month, and then think about your short term goals. You'll have much better perspective on building and flying than you have now. Its understandable and your enthusiasm is great. I think you should bare in mind that to fly a jet you'll be needing a few YEARS of consistent experience. Being self taught may not be the best of ideas to achieve a consistent progress.

I plan to build the F-15J over a few years, taking it very slowly so I would say about 3 years before she will take her first flight, so by then I should have some skills to fly her with out turning her in to a $10,000 fireball. The F-15J is a long term project and I have no plans to rush it.



But like my question, do ARF come with instructions on building the aircraft, I want to build my Trainer from a ARF.

Yes, ARF planes come with instructions to do the little assembly required. You should be ok with an ARF if you have a basic set of tools and patience.

Yes they come with instructions. When you find a plane you like look up the company for an online manual. In the first couple of pages it will tell you the decisions you need to make and also what is required that does not come in the kit, like building supplies. This will help you when you go to the hobby shop as it is far away. Also make arrangements at that time to get the hobby shop to possible ship you items that you require but forget to get. There's always something. I'm self taught and it can be done but flying jets would be a long time away so worry about your trainer first. Learning to fly is not just the actually flying but more importantly setting the model up, getting it trimmed and flight ready. Mistakes can and will happen, whether they cause you to lose your plane or not will depend on how much you have learned. Good luck and remember baby steps just like when you learned to walk, take your time and DO NOT RUSH anything or bad things WILL happen. Keep us posted.

Thank you guys for the information, very helpful.



There is so many trainer aircraft I have no idea what would be best.

I am still leaning towards the E-Flite Apprentice 15e.



Not in any rush, I do not even want to crash to Trainer, so will not get it in the air until I have played with a Sim Program for a few weeks or months if need be, I hate wasting money.


What is a good Sims Program to learn from ??

Reflex is good, Real Flight is also a good program. In my opinion if your goal is within the combustion engine range, get a nitro trainer, skip the electric one.

plugin,

Thanks mate you are very helpful,


Will looking in to Relfex and Real Flight,

Do you know if a good Nitro Trainer then .. I will drop the Electric Trainer ...

Looking for something nice as I will keep it and fly it now and then.

These look good, what do you think ?

Eagle 40 Sport Trainer
Super Frontier Senior

F-15J,
Since you are in Japan, check with your local community to see if it is legal to fly an aircraft that is anything other than electric. If it is not, then you should look for a flying site or club, like you have done. I would recommend finding a club first and visiting it. It may be different there than here in the States (culturally), but here at our clubs, there are usually several friendly people who would be willing to guide you through your choice of plane. Here, many clubs have a trainer aircraft that they allow new members to use to get accustomed to flying. They can tell you about what radio would be best to purchase (2.4GHz, or 72/27/35/40 MHz - The frequency is country specific) If your long term goal is a turbine powered jet, then I would continue going down the fuel engine aircraft as has been stated. Look at this trainer. I think it was RC Ken that had posted the virtues of the Tower Trainer. It is inexpensive and a durable. This site is very informative as to what else you will need to complete the ARF (radio, servos, battery, engine). The ARF's also come with a good set of instructions to tell you what to plug into what. It's really not all that complicated, just looks confusing in the pictures. Take the hobby slow and enjoy it, you will progress to that jet if you give yourself time to learn the proper skills. i think most would agree that the way to sour to the hobby is to rush it and try to advance too fast. It gets very costly if you do this.
Best of luck and keep posting on the forum when you have any questions. The more you advance, the more you will help your hobby in Japan.
Regards,
Curtis


http://www.towerhobbies.com/products/towa21.html

MY advice since your heading to turbines....
buy used!! aircraft since you don't want to stay with them long. and you don't have any emotional attachment to them and sell them off as you move on.
check the club, people are always selling

beau0090_99,

From what I can find on the net, there are a lot of people flying at local parks and they are using Glow plug model and ducted Fans, but can not find information on Jet, but in Sapporo when they are flying them at a small Airport, and flying them in Winter with Snow Falling[X(], do not know how safe that would be for the aircraft.

I have found another club closer to my location and will be joining that and heading there every weekend for the next 6 months, it is a 1h20min drive away, but I think it will be worth it, because I do not want to have any aircraft destroyed.





b17flyer,

I do not plan to sell any of my aircraft, I plan to buy and keep, I hope to get my children in to the hobby, so keeping the aircraft is the best option, My wife hates all planes but maybe I can also get her to like RC Aircraft [:-]









Thanks for the advice, it is very helpful. I plan on staying a forum member for a long time, Will make videos of flights and planes at a later date and post them.

Maybe it's like that at your club but that is not a rule in the U.S.


Anyway, I wish you the best on your quest to go fast I'm hoping to get into jets someday but I need to buy a few more lottery tickets first. I would give you the same advice as most other people did, start with a good trainer and slowly work your way up. I wouldn't recommend trying to fly any of the glow engine planes at a park. If you can find a good open stretch of land somewhere that might work but not at a park with other people around.

ply2win,

About 10 minute from me I have about 3 to 4 square kilometres of open rice fields and paved lane ways between the fields, perfect runways ... I think I will use that, will seek permission from the owner first. On the weekend will be at the club and on Wednesday take off to the Rice Fields for extra flying time in a few months.


I own my own company here so I have a little cash to play with for this hobby.

That is a very wise decision. It will save you much frustration and grief. Not everything in this hobby is obvious to a person without experience, so in-person help is always a good thing.

You seem like a person who likes to define a goal and then plan how to achieve the goal. My advice to attempt to harness that desire and hold it back a bit. We all learn the skills involved in this hobby at different paces. Some people learn them very quickly, but for others it can be a long and difficult experience. Keep your goal, but plan small steps based on how your experience develops.

Yeah, like having a plan set out to meet my goals. better to plan ahead then go off half cocked and stuff everything up.



Learning a lot from this forum, have been reading and downloading as much information as I can. This place is full of knowledge.