Well, I've been all over the place trying to decide on which airplane to get as my first. Ieven bought a Blade CX2 to try out helicopters. Although I do enjoy it inside, it seems too small to fly outside and anything bigger (TRex) is quite a bit more than a comparative plane.

So, after talking to the guys at the hobby shop(s) as well as some local flyers, they've steered me to buying a Trojan T-28. I'm going to get the PNP version (colors work better at night when they fly), so Ineed to figure out my controller situation. I've somewhat decided on a Spektrum (unless someone can speak highly of the RDS8000) and have held both the DX6i and DX7. Although I didn't notice much of a difference, how does the quality of each compare? Then, it comes to channels. Although the Trojan will only require 4...what if Iwant to add flaps/lights/etc too it? I don't think I'll ever progress that quickly, so will 6 channels hold up long enough? If Ihad to guess, my future would involve the Trojan and possibly the blade 400 or a trex equivalent. Will a 6 channel still work?

Then, what receiver do Iget? AR6100? AR6200? AR7000? So many choices. Any help is appreciative.

Forgot to ask...any suggestions on a battery/charger? I've seen that a 2200 is recommended, but what brands are better than the rest? I'm not looking for uberspeed...actually, the slower the better...

Either radio will be fine. If you move on to larger, more complex airplanes then the DX-7 or similar might be necessary but likely not for a while. Don't forget to take a look at some of the Futaba radios too.

If you go with a Spektrum, the AR-6100 will be fine. I like the end-pin version. Just cleaner in my opinion.

For batteries, go to hobbycity.com and grab some of the Zippy 3-cell, 2200mAh packs. They will fit and work great. Their $39 charger/balancer works pretty good too for the price.

You will really like the T-28. It is an outstanding airplane. I normally dislike electrics and foamies but the T-28 really is a blast.

Well, it might not have been the best deal, but I just went ahead and bought a DX7 with an AR6200 from a hobby shop on ebay for $274.  The only thing left is the battery & charger.  I was looking at getting a Zippy 2200mAh 15C i'm thinking the 15C will fly a bit slower?  Any other recommendations?  What about a charger?

The 15C should be fine. You only have a 30 Amp ESC and the 15C, 2200mAh battery will provide 33A. I doubt the stock motor and prop pull that much. The burst C-rating on the batteries is likely even higher. I still might go for 20C's though since they might be better suited if you get any other planes where the current demand is higher.

The battery doesn't determine flying speed. That is done by your prop and ESC. You pick batteries based on the demands of your system.

Is it possible to have a battery with a C rating that is too high? What about too low? I think most people are running 20C in this plane, so would that actually be the better choice?

No, you can't have a C-rating that is too high. The motor is going to draw the same with a 15C battery or a 30C. You can get a battery with way more C-rating than needed for the motor/prop/flying style combo though and spend money unnecessarily. LIke I said, the 15C battery will work fine for the T-28 in stock form. 20C batteries will be more versatile if you get other airplanes that require them though and they are still realatively affordable.

Excellent choice on a plane! Though I'm sure you're aware this isn't a trainer plane, and is more of a 2nd plane to give you aileron training. Go with a high wing plane for your first.

The T-28 is an awesome flying plane. My favorite parkzone plane that they carry with regards to flight characteristics (and yes, I've flown all of them personally). For a radio just go buy the DX6i. I absolutely LOVE mine. Have over 1000 flights on it with all my planes. The DX7 is great too, but has a few less features but 1 extra channel. Unless you're going to get into nitro heli's, you'll never need the 7th channel in the forseeable future.

For batteries grab any 1800-2200 3s1p lipo, preferably try and keep it under 200g so as to not make the plane too nose heavy. And ChuckW is correct. C-rating could be 1 million if you wanted it to be. It's just higher C-ratings tend to be heavier as well, but can withstand higher amp draw. It's all common sense with electrics. X motor will turn Y RPM if the battery is able to support the amp*volt draw. Up the battery, does nothing. Where it shines however, is if you start propping up for more watts, then it'll draw more juice obviously! Just don't go over the ESC or motor rated amps!

The only mod you need to do on this plane is EPOXY THE PLASTIC FRONT WHEEL WELL! Cover the whole thing with 6 or 30min epoxy. It will crack in no time if you don't. Other than that, it's a good idea to packing tape the two wing wheel holders around the sides as they can tear out in grass quite easily.


Good luck and remember to keep your altitude HIGH for learning. It's only the ground that destroys planes.

I ended up purchasing 4 Turnigy batteries 2200mAh 20C.  However, I'm absolutely LOST when it comes to a charger.  I do have a EFlight charger/balancer, but I'm assuming that won't work?  Any suggestions on a reasonably-priced charger/balancer?  Do I need adapters to actually charge the Turnigy batteries?