Hi Guys,

Can anyone recommend a book for real newbies? I'd like to build something from the ground up (yes I know I should start with a trainer but I have an itch to scratch!)

I'd like to go electric (its just cleaner) and would keenly appreciate anyone posting a link to a post that describes the most basics - like how do an electric motor/BEC/ESC/reciever actually go together? Its probably a book in itself but while I understand the general principles behind the individual components, I can't begin to understand how you actually choose and assemble them. It's a bit of a "you want me to put what where?" kind of moment.

Thanks for humouring me

/Suart

Start by reading Ken and Mike's thread above titled,"RCKEN and Minnflyer have joined forces". I wont be electric specific , but there is a lot of good info there.

David

Good luck learning the motor/esc/battery size part. I get so confused with them its not even funny, and I have a degree in forensic science technologies!

Plus you can go here

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8503667/tm.htm

and hit the links that Minnflyer and RCKen put together. And in addition to that, the AMA has a web site that caters to beginners with all sorts of information made available to anyone that wants to spend a little time to take advantage of all the information provided.

http://www.masportaviator.com/

Why spend the money on information that is readily available to you for free. You can better devote that money to your next airplane!!

CGr.

CG reminded me of the E-book of electric flight on here. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7100376/tm.htm

Stuart

I highly recommend [link=http://rcpilotguide.com/home/]this[/link] book by Scoot Stoops (he's a full scale and RC pilot and contributor to FlyRC Magazine). I still travel with this book and consult it often. It will take you from beginner to expert 3D pilot and is very well written.

-MA

Stuart, you can scratch build your trainer. For the first one, I would recomend a set of plans. If you can locate some back issues of RC Model World, a UK publication, each issue has a free plan. Most are electrics and most all have good instructions in the article. The magazine is also the best of the modeling magazines I've seen. It has a broad range in information. The reason I recomend a magazine over a book is the magazines are current. I purchased some books a couple years back, and I was disapointed in the content as it was really dated.

There is also a great deal of good information here on RCUniverse. http://www.rcuniverse.com/university/ would be a good starting point.

I admire your desire to build. Nothing like seeing something you cut and glued together taking air for the first time.

Don

Read the book STICK AND RUDDER.
good luck,
Darrolair

It's like automatic now, isn't it. Stuart asked for a book, and everyone just overlooks that and goes for the internet. Most people can't drag the internet along with them to the flying field; or, read from their laptop just before falling asleep! I had the RCM Flight Training Manual which was a great book! Much of what/how I think about the hobby was formed from paying attention to what this book said! Alas, this book is no longer available! However, there are others available now which probably are more up to date. Sorry I don't have a recommendation, other then find a book and read it.

I also think there IS good information on the internet and strongly suggest, when convenient you take advantage of that, also. Mike & Ken's "sticky" on the topic, is excellent.

Wphew. Was not sure where you were going, there, Mode. Are you in favor of the internet sites or books, or both?

I think that most tend to feel that if the OP was willing to ask via an on-line forum, then the capability to read on-line articles about beginning RC was perfectly acceptable. You do to, based on your last point.

But I must add, Gordon ( gboulton ) recommended "Stick and Rudder" to me a few years ago and I've read it, not cover to cover, but in total, jumping through sections till I was done. An excellent book on flight and the theory of flight, which applies to models as well, although with models, we are not driving from within. I forgot to add that to my "list" above. It seems that someone took care of that already.

CGr.

I found Randy Randolphs', Master Modeler Series, "Radio Control Airplaine, Building Techniques" quite helpfull.
It is published by the same people who publish "Model Airplane News".

It has some pretty neat tips and techniques that I found usefull when assembling my first ARF. It will be even more usefull when I build my first kit someday.

Noah

To all: thanks for your replies.

And indeed I'm happy to use an internet resource. I had no idea that the posting ,"RCKEN and Minnflyer have joined forces" was a good newbie resource - I'll have a gander right away.

I love flying and am a recreational privat pilot myself (if you think you can't afford it, check out how much it costs to do in New Zealand - cheap hourly rentals and if you choose wisely you'll never have to pay for an instructor plus its simply one of the worlds most beautiful countries!). Where was I going with that ... oh yes ... stick and rudder - its every old school pilots first purchase

Thanks for your tips, I'll try and get a mag as well - I'm not going to design my own when there are good plans, I just want something that I make and doesnt come out of a box and almost ready to fly.

Thanks again,

Stuart

Oh yeah, it's one of the good ones. Ken and Minnflyer did a great job and spent a lot of time putting it together. What's nice about it is that they are both available here on RCU to answer any of your questions.. as we all are.

CGr.

Thanks all - again.

I've now read a lot, taken little in and will need to go through all of that again

I feel I really need to get my hands on something so Ican see it for myself (e.g., I can't see how an electric motorcircuit with a BEC works ... does the motor have an ESC connection still or does all the motor power then go through the RX?)

Lastly - is it normal for people to work out the motor/battery/prop themselves or pragmatically do people just use tools like motorcalc? I'd love to take a cheap combo like from hobbycity www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=4857but my plan shows I can have a max 8 inch prop and I'm still trying to work out how I find out what kind of power source to use.</p>

Thanks all and happy flying!

</p>

RCU has another site that is dedicated to electric flight http://www.wattflyer.com so that adds another internet source for info.

The AMA has a lot of plans available http://www.modelaircraft.org/plans.aspx but shipping to Denmark might be expensive.

This Tower Hobbies link http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0093p?&C=ZAJ has listings of quite a few books from Harry Higley and from Model Airplane News. Some or all of them may be available from a more local distributor.

Here you go Stuart - a guy posted this for me about a year ago on RCU when I started thinking about "Soul less" (as we call it :-) ) Electric flight.

What I did, because I'm as lazy as reasonably possible, is simply study the combos on a site such as Tower Hobby, note the recomendations in whatever combo it is - being careful to consider the weight of the airplane in the combo comparitively to the airplane you want to buy, then simply buy the appropriate motor/electronics and battery that matches your airplane. You definitely do not need an exact match.

And by the way, find yourself a guy/instructor/mentor that can be with you on those first flights. Having flown full scale, RC is completely different and quite frankly much more difficult initially.

Stuart:

More complete book I have read (excellent guide for building; electrical chapter is a little outdated, though): “Take-off” (All about radio controlled model aircraft) by Alex Weiss.

Book Hangar at http://www.flying-models.com/

Downloadable e-book: “At The Field” (Offbeat Stories About R/C Model Airplanes And The People Who Fly Them) by David P. Andersen.

Enjoy!