inline300

Its no mystery that I am in the process of likely getting a hobbyzone super cub, Im just stubborn and willing to wait until I find a dealer that will sell me a new one at the price I wanna pay, youd be suprised what retailers will take, its just a matter of asking, im very close to what Im willing to go out of pocket.


What I have noticed, to buy a kit plane, made of wood, isnt that expensive, seems 50 and under isnt out of the realm of possibility, for something that isnt foam.

I notice the hobbyzone SC is recommened everywhere but its also stated that going into the realm of beginner-intermediate, that the 3ch radio will become obsolete, not to mention the frequency its operated on isnt ideal. Wouldnt it make more sense to get a good 4ch radio, battery, motor, and other guts of the plane now and get a trainer kit (wood), then move this equipment to your intermediate plane design vs buy a hobbyzone SC in which the radio and motor, batteries, plane itself, will be replaced anyway? Even if you modd the hobbyzone SC, folks replace the radio/motor/batteries and buy other parts to make it be what they originally wanted anyway...so why not buy these things first?


I dont have a good idea what is considered a cost effective 4ch radio, motor, etc, so Id be at a huge loss from the get go but with further research and stupid questions, Id figure it out.


Thoughts?

goirish

Don't be fooled by the low price of kits. In most cases the cost of the covering will exceed the kit cost. Now I build kits and have not assembled ARF's. I enjoy the building part and I know how the plane is built. I think in the long run a kit to build cost more than the same model ARF,. If you are not skilled at building, that may not be a good choice for you at this time. just my 2c

cold_reboot

My Feedback: (20)

Believe me when I say your 50 dollar kit will turn into a 400 dollar airplane before your finished. Learn to fly the cheap plane before you crash an expensive one. Do crashes still happen? yes, even guys that have been doing this for 30+ years still crash. If you stick with this hobby save the more expensive planes for after you learn to fly. Buy a radio that has model memory and start off with 2.4ghz. You might look at the prices falling on the old 72mhz radio's and say "thats a bargain", but it's not a bargain when you buy 2.4ghz a year later. Spektrum and Futaba both have affordable 2.4 systems, as does Airtronics. I started off with the Super Cub, got it as an xmas gift, later that spring I had a $350 radio system (DX7), built my first kit (4*40), which is a good example of a cheap kit. $79 kit, $350 radio, $40 for covering, $80 for an engine, $30 Rx battery. Take into account all the tools you need to build and cover it, Sealing Iron $30, Heat gun $20, GP Hinge slot cutter unless you want to try and do it with a xacto, various sandpapers, glues, fuel lines, wheels...the list go's on. my $79 kit is a $500 - $600 dollar airplane. Granted the Radio system is the most expensive part, but with a 20 model memory all I have to do is buy a Rx for each successive airplane and set it up inside the radio. All of my planes use the same radio. Don't skimp on the radio, you always get what you pay for. You'll replace a cheap radio in a short time, throwing the "bargain" right out the window. If you want a cheap trainer buy a Tower Trainer 40, I think it's $59.99 right now. Add 4 servo's...figure $50-60, engine....Super Tigre's make pretty good cheap .40 and .45's or a O.S. 46la, radio, Rx battery, and your 59.99 ARF trainer is still at least 300 - 400 dollars.

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

General rule of thumb is to take the kit cost and double it allow for the cost of covering, glue, and misc. parts required to finish it.

Cost of engines and radios don't apply, since that depends on what you have on hand.

Cost of tools? You can build with a single edge razor blade, household iron and a couple of popsicle sticks, but man up. Men buy tools their entire life. It's in our DNA.

TFF

Might be good to visit the club you mentioned in the other thread and see if any used stuff is available. Once you get through the flying part you can build kits and scratch build cheaply. I built 2 planes from leftovers for about $30 each; once you can start recycling stuff cost goes down.

Muroc1

"Believe me when I say your 50 dollar kit will turn into a 400 dollar airplane before your finished."

This is a very true statement.

I bought a $40 foam airplane and by the time it was airworthy, I was out over $200.

It's a good idea to get a decent radio right off the bat. Someone once said that a radio gets cheaper with every new plane you buy. I would also ask around at your local field if anyone has a used plane they would like to sell. I bought a RTF Pulse XT for $150 which had an OS .46 motor already in it. You can't beat bargains like that. I'm sure you could find deals at your club just like that.

Frank

inline300

I didnt realize the kit were so expensive.


What about the ARF planes? I see you can get a GWS slowstick as well as others for 30-50 assembled. Wouldnt it make more sense to go that route with a controller of choice vs the super cub 3ch, which will eventually be chucked in favor of the 4ch?

What is a good 4ch controller? Cost effective, all the right bells and whistles?

Then I see this one, same price as the hobbyzone super cub but 5ch, but I dont know if thats a good controller or if the plane is a sumbuck to fly or if the guts of the plane are worth swapping over?
Hobbico R/C Cessna 182 RTF 4 Channel 72FM
I dont see a site review for it either.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Things like the Super Cub and the like are an inexpessive way to get started in what can be a very expensive hobby.

It's sort of like wanting to play golf, so you buy 2 clubs and head out to a $5-a-game-par-3 course. It's not the real thing, but it's close. However, if you want to go to a REAL golf course, you'll need something more than the two clubs you own.

With a Super Cub, you can get airborne for $150. For a "Real" 4-channel glow-powered trainer, you're looking at at least $300 plus another $100 in field equipment.

carrellh

I think you are making your first purchase decision much harder than it needs to be.

I do not think you should be looking at the money you will spend on the Super Cub as wasted. It is a good way to get started and there is no reason you should not keep it flying for a long time after you've moved on to other planes. Or, you can pass it down to a new pilot in your area.

There are some user ratings of the Hobbico (FlyZone) Cessna on RCU.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_gu...fm?kit_id=4829
They range from 'horrible' to 'best model ever' so you need to read the full text to get a better picture. Any rating that is just a couple of words is pretty worthless but a few people actually took the time to write some decent comments. Some comments say 'NOT FOR BEGINNERS' which would tell me to make a different choice.

cold_reboot

My Feedback: (20)

With all the planes I've gotten since my Super Cub, I still fly it. It's just so simple to charge, walk into the front yard (my front yard is around 5 acres), toss it and knock the rust off of my thumbs. I'll also put a charge through it before a new plane gets maidened to make sure my thumbs aren't acting stupid.

inline300

I dont see myself getting past the $5 a game par 3 and being tickled to be there, but I wanna be sure Im at a course that gives me as much as could be expected while Im there.

hugger-4641

My Feedback: (6)

I'll concur with the last posts, I have moved up to more advanced glow planes, but I stll keep my Super cub charged and ready cause I can fly it just about anywhere anytime,its still a lot of fun, and its good for teaching other people with. But if you are concerned about money and future planes, you can sell the Super cub very quickly if you want to and use the money to buy radio equipment for your next plane. The Super Cub is very popular and I haven't seen any on e-bay that didn't sell unless the price or shipping was unreasonable.(you can expect to sell a good used Super cub for $80 to $120 and possibly more depending on how many batteries and spare parts go with it, and shipping cost should be $20 to $40 ups or usps,) You could sell it for $80 to $120 and this would be more than enough to buy a good used Futaba 4vf or similar 72mhz radio system to use on a glow powered trainer or kit plane. People are selling a lot of these systems cheap on e-bay because they are switching over to 2.4ghz systems. The 72mh systems will be fine for you for a long time. My advice, go ahead and buy the Super Cub to learn with, then decide later weather to keep it, upgrade it, or sell it!

beachbrada

My Feedback: (17)

Inline300, I got hooked in the hobby all because a co-worker brought a $30 Wal-Mart plane with only a functional rudder to work. That was all it took to make me want to get into this hobby. I have been flying for a year now and have spent way more money then I would have ever imagined. So I can understand how you want to find something to get started off but get the most bang for your buck. Like the other guys have said don't look at the Cub as a waste of money because thats the cheapest route to get started off in this hobby. Once you learn how to fly and figure out if you still want to keep it a hobby, then you can look at all the other "toys" out there. You may get hooked and want to get something better than just a four channel radio. For those like myself that really enjoy this hobby, this hobby is like a drug addiction, you always want something different or there's always something you convince yourself that you need.

chashint

I started out with a 40 sized glow powered trainer about eight years ago.
I have flown lots of different planes since then, and I still like to have a trainer plane on hand.
Moral of the story .... if the Super Cub survives keep it and fly it .... you will certainly become capable of flying more advanced models, but there is no reason not to hang onto and fly the Super Cub.
Depending on which direction you go with the model airplanes you may have more opportunity to fly the Super Cub than your faster more advanced models.

Jacked69

Gorish could not of said it better, what your best to do is buy a ready to fly trainer like the Hangar 9 alpha 40 takes 2o mintues and your in the air with a real pro built balsas and monokote trainer with a 5 channel tx for 400$ when you look at kits, yes you could pay 100$ but then you figure 20+ hours of labor compared to an arf that is 8-10 hours as you do not have to cover arfs and they are professionally done and dont have to worry about who is building your kit and how the covering will look. BUT the only good thing about a kit is you can make it any color scheme you would dream of, but you gotta find a builder who has knowledge of this and can make it look as good as an arf. I have 7 planes and all are arfs, I will get a kit, which will be the ultra 60 but I have a very good builder who would make it look better than an arf. Sitck with arfs for now, and forget foamies IMO. Hope this helps.

Trax540

My Feedback: (1)

I started in this hobby only a year ago and im absolutley hooked. I considered the arf for my first plane, but then decided i would rather know the internals of a plane rather than just finish the arf , and im extremely glad that i did. It cost me about 400$ to get my first plane built. But i also went on the more extreme side than i actually needed. I built the Goldeberg Eagle 2.Supertiger 40 and i bought a 6ch futaba ( Could have gotten away with a cheaper radio ) there were definitly cheaper kits and radio's i could have chosen. Then i picked up misc tools and equipment as they were needed. Now i have most things that would be required to build most kits.
For me i knew i was going to love this hobby so i wasnt worried about buying all this and not enjoying it. My father has been in this hobby for about 20 years and ive always loved watching him build them and fly them.
I Guess what im saying is yes it would be abit more pricey to buy the kit and build it yourself but its a bigger reward to me knowing that i constructed it and it does fly. Dont let anyone tell you your first plane should be a cheap arf because your going to crash it anyway, or that your not going to be able to make it look as good as an ARF. Sure crashes happen even to people who have been in for awhile. But at least i can repair mine, because i built it

Can you say the same for all the one who bought the ARF/RTF ?

inline300

Well, I understand the responses, no doubt but Im more than confident, that this plane will be my last plane purchase. Im afraid im getting responses from folks that have had a desire to move up in this hobby and/or have been at an upper level for some time. I on the other hand, have no aspirations to fly glow or own a 3D flyer, mainly because I will be the only person Ive ever known to own one of these things and it will be the second time in my life (not a kid) that I will have actually seen an rc plane, outside of my cox flyboy experience many years ago, , so there will be no desire to "keep up with the jones".

This is the only reason why I keep questioning whether I should get the cessna with the ailerons or the SC without. Not because I need them persay, I just figure, the factory would likely do a better job of adding them than I ever would and that would be one less radio Id have to purchase, , then they will be there if and when I need them. I like to tinker but its hard to beat OE at times. Cause I know right now, if I get the hobbyzone super cub, I will wonder what im missing by it not having ailersons...just because its the only other function not available...and I know how I think.

Wouldnt it be possible to fly the cessna without aileron assist, then ease into it?

I have four nephews and two nieces that I plan to have interact with this item, so it will have some miles put on it, either way.



I have noticed the ebay thing, seems folks scoop the hobbyzone super cubs up but I also noticed, folks are selling many many many reconditioned hobbyzone sc's which tells me, there must be many defective as functional, as I dont see the other planes listed as often in a reconditioned version.

When someone thats reached a higher level in a certain hobby, yet tells a person to buy the lower level equipment, cause they still use it, that can mean many things. I wonder if that is a sublte way of saying, sure the higher end toys do more tricks but the low leve is just as fun?? Or maybe they are just regurgitating things in B&W like most internet forums and supply this response as a default.

I do overthink things just how I get on with my life.

So I guess when you read this message, look at it from the perspective of, the first and last plane purchase. Would it be or have been the hobbyzone super cub or the cessna with ailersons?

I appreciate the repsonses.

TFF

Get the super cub. The thing is you will end up sacrificing your first plane to learning that is why they are trainers; they are not the game day plane. I see many new people who only consider the one airplane and most will quit if it gets one scratch; they cant handle the heartbreak of learning a skill. Once you have the skill you can do anything. Getting you past the cartwheel landings and loops into the ground will require a realitvly simple plane; the simpler the better.

carrellh

After reading the 'user comments' for the Cessna versus user comments ands reviews of the Super Cub...

If it was to be my first and only plane, I would choose the Super Cub over the Cessna.

If you buy the Super Cub from a real hobby shop (NOT one of the ebay hobby shops), and it is defective, you take it back and get another one.

Jacked69

Inline is correct, you can get a kit or whatever you want, but with arfs you know your getting PROFESSIONAL construction and VERY nice covering all done at the factory, kits are nice only for the reason you can choose your own color scheme. And Kits are nice because there are a wide variety of planes that only come in kits and not arfs, for example one plane I want to get someday, the GP ultra sport 60, but i have over 6 planes and all are arfs and if your going to get into the hobby do it right, a cessna without ailerons IMO is NOT a good choice, planes have ailerons for a reason and landing a plane using only rudder and throttle is harder than landing a ARF or RTF trainer. I would go with the cessna WITH ailerons. Hope this helps, any other questions just ask, that is why we are here, I am a newbie too, Ive been into racing cr cars for 10 years and was into rc planes 8 years ago and got out of the hobby and 1 year ago got back in, in one year I got a alpha 40 trainer, Pulse 60, GP Minnow, sopwith camel, Avistar trainer, and top flite 60 size p-51 with a .100 4 stroke. But I did have an advantage to my learning curve as I have my real airplane and heli certs, both IFR and VFR but dont get me wrong RC is very different its just that I knew all there is about the flight aspect of planes, example, why and how they fly, stalls, spins, emergency landings due to engine going out, etc.

inline300

May I ask why?

I have no plans on getting the recon ebay stuff, hell, the prices are right there with retail once I add in shipping, which is outrageous on a few sellers items, so there is no advantage. I know most retail suggest 160 but they will take a heck of alot less if you just ask.




so as a first and last plane we have one for the hobbyzone super cub and one for the hobbico cessna

Hobbico Cessna



I just took a look at ebay, they have a brand new cessna brand unknown 3ch 86 shipped 4ch 96shipped. Are these a knock off of name brand or just general crap to avoid?

EBAY 3CH

EBAY 4CH

carrellh

Why the cub vs the cessna? User reviews for the cessna from experienced pilots say things similar to "this is not a good beginner plane."

Why not ebay (new or reconditioned)? If you get it and it doesn't work you have to try to send it back for replacement. What if your seller says no?

Why not the 'unknown' brand on ebay? You have no way to know what it is, how it might fly, or if it will work at all. If it breaks and needs parts, will you be able to get them?

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Unless you really know what you are doing, I would avoid E-bay for any type of RC purchase and stick with a Local Hobby Shop or something like Tower Hobbies or Horizon, or another major retailer. They will give you the best support where someone on Ebay will most likely take your money and that will be the last you will ever hear from that person again.

No, I don't trust Ebay and never will.

CGr

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

You could put ailerons on the supercub if you really wanted too,,either with another radio or by taking out the rudder function,,probably as easy as cutting a 8-10 inch piece off the back of each wing and use packing tape for hinge material...or maybe just adding some stock aileron to the back of the wing...have to use your imagination...you may want to upgrade to brushless and lipos...look at headsuprcdotcom,,hes a good guy and in the US..great prices , it will surprize you to find brushless motors for $7.50!!......Rog

hugger-4641

My Feedback: (6)

You are correct in observing that there are many re-con. SC. This is not only because there are defects but also because they are so cheap and easy to repair/refurbish. If you have a little knowledge and pay attention to how you buy, you can buy parts lots and used planes and make money repairing and re-selling them. This is what a lot of the sellers on e-bay are doing.
I would follow Carrellh's advice and buy my first one from a hobbyshop or directly from hobbyzone. I only mentioned e-bay as a source to sell your SC later. You you have since said you don't plan to do that, so enough said about-ebay.

As far as your assesment of the advice you have gotten, I can only speak for myself that the advice I give is based on my own experience and opinions, however correct or incorrect they may be. I don't "regurgitate" someone elses' advice without telling you "this is what others here have said" or identifiing specifically who I am quoting.

[When someone thats reached a higher level in a certain hobby, yet tells a person to buy the lower level equipment, cause they still use it, that can mean many things. I wonder if that is a sublte way of saying, sure the higher end toys do more tricks but the low leve is just as fun?? Or maybe they are just regurgitating things in B&W like most internet forums and supply this response as a default.

quote][/quote]

So you would be correct that I reccomend the Super Cub for exactly the reasons I stated:

1 It's still a lot of fun even though I do fly more advanced planes.
2 I keep the SC in my trunk so I can fly it in an empty parking lot or field while I'm waiting for someone, or I can fly it in just about anyones' back yard.
3.It is good to teach others to fly with, which you have also mentioned wanting to do with your nieces and nephews.

You are doing the right thing by reading and asking as many questions as you can. If you have doubts or want a better perspective about someone who is giving you advice here, do a search by "author" and check out some their other posts. You could also go to "my models" and search for their profile and also look at product reviews and recent posts there.

Good luck with your decision, keep us posted!