Hey guys!
First flight thread here, but first some background info.
I'm 18, been into flight since i was young. Scratch-built many free flight and control line models, learned what and what not to do! Got bit by the RC bug two years ago about the same time my dad's friend gave me an old 3 channelSig Kadet Junior trainerkit, OS .25 engine, and Futuba radio set. The Kadet Jr is literally a scaled down Kadet Sr, butsmallerfor .19 to .25 engines.I built the kit and had it all ready for flight, but being a senior and all never got around to flying it.
When im home for fall break next week I'd like to try some short bunny hops or out and backs. I've been working on the simulator alot and have really gotten the hang of it.

I have a few questions,

a) Should i replace anything on the engine? I broke it in when i first built the plane and was practicing taxing and suchand it ran great for an old engine, but should i pick up a new glow plug or anything like that?

b) How does this model handle? I've heard great things about the Kadet Sr, but what should i expect as far as speed, handling, necessary runway length, etc?

c) I believe that most beginners crash because they over-control the aircraft, so I'm thinking about setting the controls to short throw, at least until Istart flying high enough to recover if necessary.

d) Any general flight tips, such as whatmy goals should be for the first flight (not crash obviously)?


Thanks for all the help!!
MJK

Hey man welcome to RCU... and get ready to be addicted.

About your plane, if you broke in the engine and it ran good, I'd say just pick up a new glow plug just in case... It may not need it but it won't hurt to have one. depending on how long it's been you may want to pick up a new receiver battery or atleast check the one you have and check the TX battery if they've both just been sitting for a long period.. other than that I would say to check your control surface directions and GO FLY!

About the beginners crashing, yeah a great deal is over controlling the aircraft, set the throws pretty low to medium, not to low though because you don't want to not have an enough control of the airplane.... The Kadet junior will be an awesome flying airplane, I had a little Eaglet the same size (pretty much the same airplane) and it flew GREAT. Very easy and quick to take off and very slow landings...

Good luck man and hey if you can get a little help from a local field or instructor.... might as well because believe me once you fly, you're going to join a club anyways, if ones at all close to you

And your goals for your first flight.. get that engine running RIGHT, you don't want a deadstick on your first flight.... once you've got that just get comfortable taxiing the plane and keeping it tracking straight down the runway.... Once you've got that down... throttle up easy and get to take off speed and this plane with it's dehiedral and high lift should take off pretty much by itself, get up atleast 3 mistakes high and try a few easy turns, fly a few circuits, try a few low passes to get used to where you need to lower your throttle for landings... then finally go ahead and try a landing... you can cut the throttle on these trainers and just glide them in, don't let it stall but right at the ground flair a bit and it should settle right on down..

hope all this helps ya out and hey try and get some pictures of the plane and post the on here.... we always like pictures on RCU!
I'm only 19 years old by the way and have 5 planes... .60 Size Hangar 9 Miss America, Hobbico Avistar (get this plane next! Awesome plane and very fun for a "trainer") Hangar 9 Twist .46, Brushless Slo-V (first airplane! Converted to brushless it's insane.. also a good choice to get one of these little park flyers to help you out on your skills when you can't get the the field) and I have a little ParkZone Vapor to play around in the house... gotta get a lot more planes I used to have a lot more but sold some off..

Thanks for the advice that was a super quick reply!
i love this forum already.

The TX and RX battery are both old so ill check on that!

My friend flies already, he has all electric stuff but he has a Sukhoi and does 3D stuff so he knows his stuff (i hope!!) and he's gonna stand there with me just in case.

I like the slow landings part haha sounds good to me. I've always loved the way it looks when an plane lands with just the right amout of flare then slowlyy settles down. (maybe ill get there someday haha)

The first flight I'm going to move about and rotate so the planes in front of me at all times, becuase it's probably real easy to get controls reversed at first when its flyin towards you.

One more question, I have the controls set for left stick=throttle and right stick = elevator/rudder. Somewhere i read that having it setup this way would confuse me if/when i move up to a plane with alierons. Should i keep it this way or move the rudder to the left side?

well thanks again for the help man!

So i should probably be at least 200ft up?

I will definitly post pictures, hopefully some of itintact after said flight haha.
It's not a beauty, but definitly a solid plane. The fuselage is solid ply with spars runnin lengthwise for re-inforcement.

you've got a nice collection there!! did you learn on your avistar? thats a nice one i was checkin it out online</p>

Hey man, ya no problem...

And yah it'll be good having an experience pilot there to help you out... and if you've been on the simulator your brain should already have the reversed controls thing figured out but yeah be careful...

And yes you have your controls set up the correct way... right now your making your banks and turns with the RUDDER. Which your ailerons in later models will take the place of.... so right now your "rudder" pretty much IS your "ailerons" you've got it right..

For a first flight I'd recommend a lot of throw on the elevator and rudder, and an experienced pilot to do the flight. Low throws are fine for beginners if the plane is trimmed right and has no warps. But if it's way out of trim, you may need a lot of throw to correct it. (If you have dual rates, no problem, just set low rate where you think it's right and high rate a lot more.) Too little throw and a warp can get you to a bad place. The first Kadet Sr. I ever flew belonged to a guy who had bought it assembled and wanted someone to test fly it for him. It had so little rudder throw that it would barely turn, and I ended up just shutting it down and letting it settle into the weeds.

One thing I've found about both the Kadet Sr. and the Kadet LT-40 is that they need a fair amount of down elevator trim to fly hands-off.

TopGunn, I agree with the control throws to an extent.. I wouldn't say HIGH control throws... in the medium range would be good, because like I said you want to be able to get out of trouble and have enough control of the plane...

And the down elevator trim, every trainer will need this if you are flying above about half throttle.. just gotta compensate if you pop up the throttle because trainers to balloon at full throttle