I'm looking for a first rc plane and could use some recommendations to assist me in choosing a good electric rtf plane in the $100 range. I want something that I can fly around an area the size of football or baseball field under low or no wind conditions.I'm not really interested in doing aerobatics but instead fairly level flight with enough turning to keep the plane well within radio and visual range. A plane that can do some engine-off gliding without going out of control or crashing would be a plus for stretching out flight time. Finally, I definitely need a plane that is well put together and that can withstand some fairlytypical beginner type (crash) landings without sustaining serious damage. I like the looks of the Sky Fly 2 and the Aerobird 3 and have read some good things about each as a first rc plane. I would appreciate any recommendations about these 2 planes, or aboutsome other plane in my price range that I have not considered, from rcpilots who already are up and flying.

If, you're only looking at those two I'd take the aero bird! I've got a sky fly! Dont like it. I infact prefer the Red Hawk from the same company better even if the red hawk is of less quality.. if you want something else thats, I'd check out the hobbico ventura from tower hobbies! not the mini ventura just the regular one its about $109 I've flown the crap out of that plane! and still love it!


if you do pick the sky fly! make sure you use it during super calm days! and make sure you reinforce the push rods they are really super flexible and don't work very well. I just used some heat shrink tubing and a small dowel. place the dowel along side the push rod at the area where it bends when you activate the controls. Let me see if i can better explain. the idea here is to simply have the dowel prevent the rod from bending so place it where the wire bends when you move the controls and use the heat shrink tubing to secure it there. works nicely.. but I don't like this plane at all! Thats just me.

There are plenty of other planes I'm sure others will chime in.

I'm not exactly sure what the SkyFly 2 has changed over the SkyFly, but the original SkyFly flies like a refrigerator full of cinder blocks. On the plus side, if you can get good at flying it without crashing, you can probably fly just about anything. It's underpowered, overweight, control surfaces are way too small and it takes it a long time to respond to control inputs, I think it takes those more as a suggestion than anything else. You'd certainly learn to "fly ahead of the plane", a comment you may see again. If you don't fly ahead of the SkyFly and get in trouble you might as well lay the radio down and pick a front row seat so you can at least have a good view of whats about to happen.

As far as recommendations, I'd say take a look at the HobbyZone SuperCub they have a new LiPo version and an older NiMh version. I have the older version and still fly it when I feel like being lazy. It's very easy to fly and is easy to repair if you actually happen to sustain any serious crash damage (made out of tough foam). With the LiPo version you'd get longer flight times and more power. Price difference is only about $10. They are 179(Lipo) and 169(NiMh) at HorizonHobby.com, but you may be able to find them cheaper locally, my local shop has them for $129.00 (NiMh).

If I had to pick between the Sky Fly 2 or the Aerobird 3, I'd seriously consider just spending my $100 on beer and pizza instead. Pilots frequently report problems with the electronics on both of these planes. You might get lucky and get a good one out of the box, but it's hard enough to learn how to fly an electric park flyer on your own. You'll quickly become frustrated if you don't start out with reliable equipment.

The Super Cub and Ventura already mentioned are both good alternatives. I'd also add the Parkzone Slo-V to your list of alternates to consider. It typically sells for $99 completely ready to fly and is a much better choice than the Sky Fly 2 or the Aerobird 3.

Good luck and good shopping!