I saw a foam Cessna li-po powered "trainer" plane today at the field with 2.4ghz radio that flew pretty well, but only for 5 minutes. For a beginner I guess that's a long time. Hard to look back and remember the feeling on that, I never counting time until months later when my mind was clear enough to think about it. Anyway, I talked to him and he said he paid $149 shipped to his door for it. It's a great option. No learning curve to tuning, no fuel, pumps, glow igniter, clean up, or flight box required. He bought 3 batteries, had three flights and went home happy. Personally I like all the components of the hobby, the tuning is fun to see how you did when it's in the air ( fuel, prop, plug, pipe length combinations.)
I like the smell and sound from glow powered planes too. EP would be boring for me I think. I'm not just a pilot. But to a beginner trying to just keep his plane in one piece and in the air, it's a great start. He stated he flew a Sim at the local hobby shop in town for free.
He did very well. I was thrilled he was on 2.4 too. He got it from an auction seller named hobby mart.

You know what????

This guy is trying to get involved in this HOBBY and asking for insight and help on where he could spend $155.00!!!!! You guys should be ashamed of yourselfs!!!!! Instead of telling this guy and his SON how expensive it is, and how much money you spend (who cares by the way)... Tell the man where to find it... He is getting into the HOBBY with his son... HANGYOURHEADSINSHAME!!!!!!!!

I bet this mothers day guys are telling their wives how cheap the hobby is and they believe their husbands only have $155 investment in their garage. Maybe those estate sales are based upon the stories they've been told all their lives.


"Cheap stuff" or "quality merchandise" purchased in quantity and below market value? I have Spring Air retracts in a classic pattern plane with Hitec 605BB servos and a 61SF that was only $200. No part of that is cheap, but the price. I found a Goldberg Chipmunk kit plane that was just beautifully built, never flown, ready to fly for only $75 with another 61SF in it. Kits always last longer than ARFs and these cost less than the ARF version that doesn't come with servos or engine. I found a Phoenix 7 with Tigre blue head with perry pump ready to fly for $75 on Craigslist.

I think the OP can get all set up and in the air without handicap for $150. The math was already posted several times but moderators remove the shopping list, at the time the model was an active RCU ad, and rules dictate you don't plug the sale into the forum.
Now that it's been sold for the stated price, this is what it was:
SIG Kadet LT-40, K&B 61 Series 75, Hitec servos, New in box Airtronics VG400 with a Lil Trickle battery charger, flight box, pump, glow clip, 4 way wrench, screwdriver, fuel line, filter, electric starter, $165. I made $65 profit on it from another forum that is mostly EP. The trainer had little interest there being glow and used. The seller frequently sells items he gets from his club in Orlando. I've bought a Harmon Rocket from him before for $150 that had only a few flights on it, and I still fly it, years later.

Is this method of buying planes from forums and swap meets so uncommon it has to be ridiculed by those paying retail all their lives?

True, but the environment we fly in has changed in the last 20 years. What was safe then, most likely isn't now.

FM and PCM have been around more than 20 years, it's perfectly safe. FPV users insist their 900mhz systems run on FM/PCM to avoid interference problems. 2.4 has only been out for a few years and the Hitec Aurora FM version will be released in the fall. What are you talking about? It's good to see you have some ratings in the RCU marketplace, which counts with me a lot more than the number of forum posts, for this thread.

http://ecsvr.com/abm/shopdisplayprod...verstock+Sales

Keep checking every few weeks, they really blow out great flying planes here and their shipping is very reasonable.
The only plane on this site that I didn't like was the Nemesis 52 http://ecsvr.com/abm/shopexd.asp?id=2554. It's made light and they sacrificed strength too much in doing so.

I hate repeating myself, but if you like pattern type or speed planes, this does both pretty well and the construction is great.
So is the price for a paint flaw. Check it out. I have two. http://www.dldesigns.net/scratched.htm NOT a trainer, but below most ARF deals out there.