hi everyone,

i'm getting interested to try out flying rc planes. i dont have any idea actually, but i guess i'll try to practice on my PS2. haha. im actually kinda tired and bored of running rc cars and monster trucks.

so in short im really a newbie on this one, so please if you guys can help me out on tips and tricks. maybe about simulations of flying, please help me out here.

can you tell me where to buy cheap rc planes?
which ones are enough for me to practice with at my level? ( my friend mentioned about cessna 182 something, whatever that is, is good for starters )


thanks.

RC Ken has a list at the top of the page of really good trainer planes, get in touch with a local club and they can really help ya a bunch..
Welcome to R.C.U.

Hey man! I just recently got back into flying and have an awesome trainer that was easy to buils and to fly. it is the Sig Kadet LT-40 W/ an O.S. .55 AX and the Futaba 7s 2.4. it is an awsome combo. there are a lot cheaper ways togo. Tower Hobbies has a ready to fly (great for beginners) for around $400.00. There are a lot of options out there for trainer/beginner aircraft, just do your research.

As for a simulator the best of the best is Real Flight 4.5. It is a great way to practice and have a reset button. Also it will build your confidence, leaving you feeling more at ease at the field. if you have any other ? let me know more thna willing to help.
STAY SAFE AND HAVE FUN

Yeah, ditto to what was said above. In addition, you may want to look at what it is you want to fly, be it electric or glow powered aircraft. The Cessna is not what you want to start out with. You want something with a large wing, meaning a lot of wing area.. a trainer in other words, and just about all of us will recommend that you find a club and an instructor to work with, even before you decide what plane you want to start out with. They can really help you out with planes, engine choices, and even down to what radio system you want to get.

This is not a low budget proposition, meaning, be prepared to spend a few hundred dollars to get going. That will buy you a good aircraft, engine, and a radio, plus some basic field necessities (glow driver, spare plugs, fuel, and so on).

Don't be afraid to ask here, though, you will get more replies than you ever bargained for. Then you will have to sift through all the ..... well, sift through it.. to decide what you want and what you are willing to buy.

Be aware that some may try to push brands on you telling you one is better than the other. You have to decide what is good for you and for your price range. Many of us will give you samples of information with places to look and maybe recommendations based on price AND capabilities AND reputation for the product we may recommend. But, we will also give you a range of items to look over. The final choice is yours.

RCKen went through some effort to gather information on the first model in his post at the beginning of the Beginners Forum and each and every one of the listed aircraft are excellent choices and have been flown by many of us.

Best of luck, and do NOT be afraid to ask!!!

CGr.

There ya go.. a good recommendation from codydb1. And a combination that RCKen and many of us would definitely approve of..

But the only thing I would recommend you do is look over some of the deals available for radio systems. They are all pretty much similar in capabilities (Airtronics, JR, Hitec, Futaba, Spektrum, and so on) so do google searches on these systems and pick one that will work with you. Many offer special pricing without servos so you can buy your own without being strapped down to what they offer in their radio systems. A good choice would be one that the instructor at your club recommends because he/she flys with that system and most likely will have a buddy box setup for that system which will go a long way to help you learn to fly RC.

CGr.

Now who here would do that.......I wonder .......

Brainox, in terms of ratio, each and every person active in RC airplanes represents many more that got the bug and due to; crashing/more learning than they bargained for/losing money/a million other reasons... then quit the hobby.

The best chance for your success is if you learn and receive guidance from knowledgeable people. If this happens to be a group of park fliers, great.

The better and more conventional route, and the route of your logical best outcome is to find a local club, call them, and make an appointment to meet someone from the club. Most clubs have free instruction and you take it from there if you decide to.

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 01-03-2009) [/link]

Hope this helps

Ken

First I would recommend as others have suggested,to shop for what is going to fit you best as far as radio and plane go.If you get into this go ahead and look into the AMA.It is a good deal.If you go the RTF route, this plane has room to grow somewhat beyond standard trainer,as does the radio. Good luck with your choices, welcome to airplanes they are addictive.[link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXGHD4**&P=ML]Hobbistar 60 mkIII RTF[/link]

I dunno. Who would you imagine would?

I don't dislike "certain brands", I just think that there are other systems out there that are worth looking at without bashing others as some posters do.

CGr.

brainox,

First, welcome to RCUniverse.

Before making recommendations, I have a few things for you to consider. First, you say that you have experience with RC Cars. Are they electric or glow powered? You may want to stick to what you're used to. If your cars are batytery powered, you may want to go with electric airplanes - especially if you live in NYC where you might have to travel for hours to find a place to fly glow planes.

Something else I would suggest, you can find some really good deals here at RCU [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/market/category.cfm?catID=95]Trainers 4 Sale at RCU[/link]

Brainox you are lucky,

The club at Floyd Bennett field has intro flight lesson check this:

http://www.flyparcs.com/
http://www.flyparcs.com/club%20%20do...20schedule.pdf

Alex

This is a free flight sim. You can try:
http://www.flying-model-simulator.com/

Sometimes people pass up on the best buys if they don't check with the people at the club first. Most of the time, you get a chance to get your hands on the sticks and see whether you like it (flying) or not, first. Secondly, there may be a good bargain to be had on a trainer available from a member, the club members will normally help you out if you ask, you also have to keep your ears open. There is a lot to learn, sometimes you have to hear something a couple of times before you understand what they will try to teach you. Some new words, and new safety points also. Be patient, you will learn a lot and the result is a lot of fun.

Fun is relative lol. If you get into RC airplanes Brainox I hope you have fun sooner than I did. I started out in the early '90s and it took me years to have fun. It's hard to have a totally fun time with your plane in the air your knees are weak and your heart is pounding out of your chest because you know you're about to crash another airplane LOL! At least crashing has the benefit of advancing repair skills... And back in those days when you crashed you generally built another kit. Ouch on so many levels, all those beautiful airplanes lost. But remember, there's no crying in baseball and there's no crying in RC. And the flight sims sucked back then too lol. And to top it all off, in the history of RC aviation I am the world's worst natural born pilot. So if I can do it, anyone can.

I got off on a tangent there but it's ironic for so many years everyone is having a great time, and I'm having a great time too, but it's tough wishing, practicing and hoping that someday I'll go to the field and have pure fun while I fly, like it should be.

I finally got to the point of competency and pure fun while flying - some guys it might take a week, for me it took a very long time.

This is a great time to get into RC. The sims have advanced and ARFs are everywhere.

Take it one calculated step at a time Brainox, if you take this journey you will no doubt have fun sooner than I did lol, but everything you do in this hobby has value and worth your time. Good luck!

I recommend a Hobbyzone SuperCub as a starter there are many threads on this fun durable upgradeable plane. Its excellent for a starter plane.
Try your local hobby shop first. The prices will be close to what you find on the web.
Also check in your area for a AMA flying club, there should be someone in your area willing to help you with your first of hopefully many flights.

Hi All,

I'm also a newbie. I purchased an E-flite Apperntice RTF. After reserching all the forums for some time , I decided to buy a little more advanced beginner plane. It comes with a Spectrum DX5e TX which I can use when ready to advance to another plane. Anyway, some of you have suggested a free FSM simulator download. Can I use My TX with the simulator? If so, is there a cable that connects my TX to a USB port on my computer. Does Spectrum sell this cable?

Thanks

thanks thanks and thanks... this is so cool, though the one i bought comes with its own simulator.i think all the planes from Twift.com comes with flight simulators even their Rc helis too. im actually browsin on the beginner section, and i think i'll learn a lot from here.

If its not too late, cancel your order! The TW746, a low wing aerobatic plane, is not for a first time flyer and you will crash it in no time. If you cannot canel the order, sell it on ebay or keep it as your 3rd or 4th plane. The Cessna, a high but straight wing 4 channel plane, that you friend has is slightly easier to fly but still it would have been a 2nd or 3rd plane. The suggestions above for a Hobbyzone Super Cub is a great recommendation. Others equally good first plane is a GWS Slow Stick or a Multiplex EZStar. The Super Cub or the EZStar might be $20 to $30 more but you will learn faster and save you a lot of grief.

To the OP- one thing to understand from day one: Cheap is not the way to do this hobby.

That's not to say you can't do it cheap. You just won't do it well and cheap.

I tell new pilots to budget $600 to get started. If you shop smart, that will get you your club membership and AMA dues, a basic trainer and radio setup, and all the field gear. That will last until you get bored with their trainer or mishaps take their toll, whichever is first.

The very first step is to contact your local club and meet with an instructor. He will help you with what to get and give you an idea of how much time training will take. If all that doesn't scare you off, then welcome to the hobby. It's a blast once you get past basic training.

Wrong spot-Sorry.