I am a total new person with R/C planes and i have about 180 dollars to spend i found a few planes that look good for begginers but im not sure thats why im asking you. Its called a seagull? it comes with a engine and everything but anyone else a hve a suggestion for me then thanks.

you will not gdt everything you need for 4180. if you can find a way to, if you ever get another plane, you will have to buy everything over again. i don't think the seagull would make a good plane. This is a very expensive hobby. $180 is about enough to buy a good radio. If you have that little to spend on this hobby, i would suggest going with electrics.

well i can spend up to 250 and im fine with a electric one but u tell me what is good can u recommend me a plane that comes with a engine and a tuner a Almost ready to fly one thanks .

I'd be interested in hearing more suggestions too. I'm a newbie and was deadset on getting a gas plane since i have nitro trucks.
But I'm scared of crashing and burning.

Now I'm thinking of getting an electric RTF or something for like $75 bucks just to learn. After reading rc-planes.net, I'm convinced the other way. What do you guys suggest for a beginner plane? I have rc car experience if that gains me anything. I def don't want to spend a lot ... not right away.

Might be a good idea to look at Tower Hobbies combo's.

Sorry guys but it does cost a bit.
For beginners you have to start off with a trainer.I'm not sure how much it will cost for a new starter package but it did cost quit a bit here even for the most basic radio,engine..etc.There are many trainers on the market by different makes but for sure they have one thing in common..they are for beginners to learn how to fly and there is actually no way of getting to fly RC planes well without starting from a trainer. All trainers have simmilar characteristics.The difference is actually on their bulit quality(how strong and durable the hardwares are) and of course on where they are made. Try to get ones made in of course the States but we here prefer those made in Japan or China as their bulit quality is good. Those made in the States i think are good but they are much more expensive over here.
not too sure about electrics.i know that u can get those 3 channel electric 'planes' for about 1/3 the amount of the 'real' thing.these are those small foam built ones for backyard flying. You wont learn much about RC flying from those but its to have the thrill of flying anyway.
Cheers.

Plan on spending around $700.00 dollars to get into RC planes. Electrics that will be able to seriously fly are not that much cheaper. RC trucks or cars experience will not be of any help in flying.

What side of St. Louis are you in? Go to a flying site for a visit and see for first hand what it takes to get started in RC Planes.

Hobico Superstar Select

$270 = plane+radio (4ch)+engine(O.S. LA)

Add about $50 - $60 of field equipment and you're good-to-go.

It's not the best stuff and it's only so-so as far as upgrading later goes, but it's better then $700.

don't get the la. Don't be scared of crashing and burning. if you get electric, you will have to almost relearn for gas. an electric would be fine then. Gws makes some good park flyers. i would get the tigermoth or the pico stick to start out with. when you get good you can step up to something more advanced. Here is a website that stocks and sells gws products. www.balsapr.com if you want to look through the full catalog, you can browse this website and see. they do not sell i don't think. www.gws.com.tw

balsapr.com sells transmitters, recievers (although i would buy a better one from hitec like the hitec feather. gws recievers aren't very good. you would want the lps system with the b-drive. for a battery, get the nicads for now. they also sell transmitters for cheap, servos, motors, speed controls, etc. go down to your local flying field or local hobby shop for details and knowladge and all the stuff you will need. they will probably sell the park flyers.

crap, i think i have that much in my SD, but not my trainer. my trainer for everything was about 300.00US. Duraplane 40, TT Pro40, and a Hitec Laser 4.

i know my radio isn't the most hi-tec(lol) but it does everything i need it to do for my trainer

i agree with the radio thing, but if you ever plan on getting further into the sport, that radio will not work for you. you will have to buy another one. if you just want a trainer, get the fcheaper radios. if you plan on having a second plane, then gert a 6 channel minnimum comp radio.

You can get started for a lot less than some of the guys qutoed above.

I personally like the Alpha trainer package. For just under $300, you get a very good rig that is one of the best flying trainers out there. After that, you can really keep the field support stuff cheap. A taped up wood dowl for a chicken stick, a tool box or even cardboard (A guy at my field uses an old beer case box, really thick cardboard) for a field box. Get a glow starter, and some fuel, and you're pretty much there.

If you want to save money on that, take a look at SPADs. It takes a little doing to build your first one, but after that, they are quick, easy, and cheap to build. http://www.spadtothebone.com

A 4 channel radio is just fine. 99% of the guys out there never use more than 4 channels in their planes, and never use the computer features. Sure, if you want to do fancy scale or 3D acrobatics, you're going to want a more advanced radio, but frankly, a basic radio is fine for a trainer, and it's fine for your second plane, too. There's a guy in my club flying a 1/4scale SE5a on a 4 channel Futaba, and it flys very well. A 6+ channel computer radio is nice to have, and I personally can't live with out my computer radios, but they really aren't necessary for the vast majority of guys out there.

i use an old dufflebag, carry the fuel with pump in one hand and everything else in the duffle, works great. i bought one of those plastic organizers to put tool/parts in and set the radio on top in the bag. total cost for carrying supplies maybe 2.00US

but i did buy one of those Sullivan fuel caps so i never have to unscrew the cap other than to switch bottles

mantague, you focus way too much on spads. every post of yours i have seen does not go without the mentioning of a spad.

Does anyone use more than one transmitter?

Many people suggest spending the extra dough on a computerized 6-channel radio, since you'll need it eventually, while other people point out that a basic 4-channel radio will likely get you through at least your first two models.

I was sort of planning to get a basic 4-channel system, but then rather than "upgrading" when I need a better radio, buying fancier radio on a _different channel_ than my trainer radio. I don't plan to gut my trainer for my second plane, which would leave me with two channels to choose between when I hit the flying field. Maybe frequency clash isn't a big issue, but it seems to me that having two frequencies available could be a Good Thing(tm). If my fancy 6-channel freq is taken, I can just take up my 4-channel bird on the other freq.

Is it feasible to have two receivers for each plane and swap them out as appropriate? (obviously if you absolutely have to have 6 channels, then it won't help to have a 4-channel receiver for it)

Anyhow, just some thoughts from a fellow newbie.

Montague has some valid points.
For gas trainers, Alpha, Tower,Hobbico are not bad starters for a 40 sized craft. All should come in at around $300 for a combo setup. I'm not familiar with RC cars but if yours are fuel, some of the field equipment may be useable for planes. However, the only combo substitution I would recommend is going with a 46 engine rather than a 40.
If you stay with planes, the 46 engine will not overpower the trainer but will offer a wider selection for your 2nd. plane. Also, most of the trainers lend themselves to removing the electronics (servos, radio, etc.) to be installed into another plane without wrecking the trainer should you want to return to it.

So you guys don't think that www.rc-planes.net has good suggestions for beginners? I'm not committed yet -- 50 bucks might be the right price for now. What about the megatech vector? I figure I can get at least some feel for flying. Then I can decide if I want to pursue more $! RC planes . Thanks for all the responses! PS. how is the feel different betw. electric and gas?

gas seems to be quicker, has more power generally, and foir the most part require a lot of room. the electrics are good though. you can get performers to little backyard flyers. the little backyard flyers will fly as fast as you can run. the performers are comprable to the better gas planes, but generally don't allow you to go to larger models the way that gas planes do. electrics have a habbit of being cheaper, but personally, i prefer gas planes.

Bogamil,
If u just want to have a feel of flying, go get those electric 'planes'.
Well trust me you wont learn much of RC flying from those but its just to get a 'kick' of flying something.
There are also electrics like the nitro powered ones which have 4 channels or more but they are actually some times more expensive than the nitro powered ones.
I would seriously recommend the nitro powered ones.
I got my trainer only with a 4 channel radio and i'm still using it on my 2nd plane which is a CAP232. I'm actually learning to do 3Ds with it and it is a little bit harder than if i had a computerized one but i know i'm learning more and if i get my 2nd radio(which i hope will be my favourite one..a FUT ABA9CAP) i think i'll be finding things a little easier because i have leaned the hard way.
Actually all you need is a 4 channel unless you want to do extreme aerobatics /3D and so on.

you don't need a 9c. the only difference is one more channel, and you can assign different channels to the sticks. it is designed for battle bots and jets. unless you are competing in the toc, an 8u will have more than enough to take you where you want to go, and more. becaue they don't make the 8u anymore, you can get one used for about $150. it is a great deal. because there are no moving parts, it will work just as well used as it will new. usually i don't buy used because i never know what has happened to it. but, if you are just getting a radio, gyro, reciever, etc, get it used. they don't degrade over time, and they are half the pricethe only things that hte 9c has that the 8u doesn't are the things mentioned above, triple rates, one extra channel and that gimmicky look

ic.will look into it man.thanks

Do like my buddy did when he got started and just get a 300 set up and a gal. of fuel and get with some one who hasssssss everything else and use his. that my buddy spooner did when he started, HE used all of my gear LOL but then again I had to build the plane for him also.. LOL

that's just abuse. if you are looking for a buddy box, futaba makes a litle cheapy called the skysport 4. it is all you will ever need because the 8u mixes the signal from it with the trims and any mixing going on. That means that when you move the stick all the way to the right, and the atv is set for 90%, the servo will move only 90%. you don't have to adjust trims, and the 8u has a switch instead of a button. the switch is spring loaded. However, what i did wiht my instructor (at the time i had a 6x but i sold it because it was kinda limiting) was i gave him the cheapy and i used the 6x becasue it was my radio and i was going to fly with that after my instruction

Speaking from experience, I was a newbie in nov, and in april solo'd for the first time.

THE FIRST THING TO DO!... go to a local flying club, and talk with people. They will get you all the hands on info you will need. In many cases you will find one of the guys who past his trainer days will sell you his. many clubs have trainers on site so you can fly a bit to make sure this is what you want to do.

Look at all the trainer type planes, I went with an ulta stick because I hate depending on rubber bands to hold my wing on!...... and it was perfect, I had to tune it down to trainer level, but now that I am learning to do stuff, i can go almost to an itermediate level on the same plane. You cant do that with a trainer.

POINT is talk with your local club. There are a lot of guys who will help you with everything you need.