my first kit
 

Well the bug bit me, and without alot of research I just jumped in and bought a kit. Ibought the Great Planes PT-40 mkll trainer, and am excited to get started. Now, I can barley even fly my Supercub, let alone build, but I am completely consumed with this hobby and love it, so i didnt think twice before buying the kit. I'm just gonna take it nice and slow, and use all my resources, and try to have it ready by the spring time, and hopefully my flying skills will be ready by then as well. Anybody know anything about this kit, and have any advice about the build? Also, this may be a really dumb rookie question, but I am 27, and have never really done anything RC related in my life, for me to really get into this hobby, is it something I should have been doing since I was a kid? Or am I ok on the age? Thanks, I know I probally sound dumb with my questions, but I am facinated with RC planes!

RE: my first kit
 

Welcome to a great aspect of this hobby. IMHO building is the best part of the hobby.

While it's not your exact kit, take a look at the build thread I did on a Sig LT-40. Even though it's a different plane the thread will give you a lot of good advice and "tricks" for getting a good build on your kit.

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http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3439708/tm.htm

Ken</p></font>

RE: my first kit
 

I didn't start until I was 51..........or 52. Gets harder to remember every year..........I'm thinking you're OK. [sm=wink_smile.gif]

RE: my first kit
 

G'day

At 27 years of age, you are not too old and not too young and should find learning to fly not too difficult. I started at 40 and I did find it a lot harder than my then 12 year old son. He was taking off and landing in less than 3 months while I took about three times that long to do it the first time and I was still learning the finer points 10 years later (and still am 20 years later).

The PT-40 is a good kit to build. It was the second kit I ever built back in 1989. Mine was powered by a Thunder Tiger GP 40 which was more than enough for it. So an OS LA 40 or 46 would be fine. The standard version has quite a lot of dihedral which makes for a stable plane which is a bit untidy in the way it flies. You can also build it as a "sport" version (details are on the plan) with reduced dihedral (the angle between the wings). If you do build the sport version it will be more fun to fly but less stable. But, and it is a big but, if you do build the sport version, you have to supply your own wing joiner ply wood pieces. So if you do go this route, make sure you use really good quality plywood to make the joiners. The PT-40's wing is quite thin and the joiners also are quite thin and need to be proper aircraft grade ply. If you use lite ply, they may fail. My model was damaged and I used the wrong grade of ply when repairing it and this led to the models demise. Lite ply is just too weak for wing joiners.

Have fun

Michael in Oz

RE: my first kit
 

It is not a hard build; just take your time.

These days the hobby is so expensive you do not see a lot of people younger than you in it.

Tom

RE: my first kit
 

The kit is an extremely easy build, I've done two, just take your time. The manual is highly detailed and easy to follow. The wing and fuselage are designed to hold themselves together with just rubberbands, you frame up the self-aligning pieces first and then apply CA glue to all the joints. And whether you build the beginner version or the sport version the ply joiners are supplied for BOTH versions.

RE: my first kit
 

Thanks for the feedback, kit should be here today or tomorrow, i may try to post my progress as a beginner helping beginners. When it gets to that point, covering will be a whole other issue. Ive had people tell me it can be extremely difficult, and then others have said its a piece of cake, to each his own i guess.

RE: my first kit
 

Dont worry about covering yet, we are here to help. I do not recommend Monokote, in my opinion its not for beginners. Use Ultracote, much easier to apply.

Please post your build, I always enjoy viewing, and easier to help you if you do. You picked a great kit. What are you going to power it with? Are you building it 3-channel or 4-channel?

RE: my first kit
 

Welcome to the hobby. I hope you'll find that building is just as enjoyable as flying. You've picked a great first kit in the PT-40. It was my first as well when I started in R/C at age 52. Read through the entire manual before you start. Great Planes walks you right through the process and offers some invaluable tips/hints along the way. Building is not hard. It just requires patience and attention to detail. You may make a mistake or two. Just remember that anything can be fixed. And the way to measure your building progress is that the next kit will be better than the last. Don't be afraid to ask questions!!!!!
Covering is what you make of it. It takes some time to become proficient but once you do, it's actually enjoyable seeing what you can create. Everyone has a favorite covering and, like others, I'm not thrilled with Monokote but you can get some good results. I prefer the fabric coverings like 21st Century fabric and Solartex. These are much easier to work with BUT give a different type of finish. Monokote and Ultracote give you a shiny, painted aluminum type finish that's easy to clean. The fabrics look better on old-timers and WWI type planes. My advice would be whatever finish/material you choose, practise on some scrap material before you tackle your actual 'masterpiece'. For example, play with a solid piece of balsa to get used to application temperatures and how to handle a solid wood surface. You will learn how to stretch the material before sealing and how to keep from getting bubbles. Then build yourself a little open structure like a balsa stick square with some cross members and practice working on this 'open' structure, first sealing the edges and then finally shrinking it tight. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS on the covering material. There are 100 tips and shortcuts but learn the ropes first.
Take your time. Enjoy! The folks on here can help if you have any questions. And remember, sandpaper is your friend!!!
Best of luck.

RE: my first kit
 

Had to comment on your not recommending Monokote. I've used Monokote since the early 80's and I've also used Ultracote and I still prefer Monokote. I might add that I did find Ultracote a tad easier to stretch around compound curves but I also found that in the life of the airframe I had to reshrink and reshrink the covering after it had been exposed to any kind of heat at the field and I never have had that problem with Monokote. I do think though that for a first build it really doesn't matter because it's a learning curve and destined for repair...........

Cheers,
Andy

RE: my first kit
 

I do agree with you also, I find that monokote is a very straightforward and simple product to apply.

RE: my first kit
 

This was my first kit build too. I had an OS .40 LA in it and it wasn't enough engine. A .46 LA would have been better. Any of the ball bearing .46 sized engines would be good to. Make sure you build the "sport" wing especially if you make it 4 channel. Trainer wing would be okay without ailerons, I suppose. The kit comes with parts for either wing including the wing joiners. The manual "strongly recommends" building the trainer (A) wing. Don't do it! The plane is just hard to fly with THAT much dihedral. Doesn't want to turn with ailerons. I ended up building another wing with (much) less dihedral and it was great after that

It's a good sturdy airplane that will withstand a lot of abuse.

RE: my first kit
 

Welcone to the hobby!,
You will be suprised how easy trainers are to cover. Monokote is what I started with and it is a good product. But so are most of the other covering options.
These guys are really good help when you have questions. I think the take your time advice is VERY good. Craftsmanship counts in this hobby. Now having said that its ok if your first plane has a few wrinkles REALLY! Trainers get beatup so don't sweat it to much. Your choice of plane is a fine one, The PT will be easy to fix and you will be able to make repairs better for building it yourself.

RE: my first kit
 

I started when I was 26. Took me about a month and a half of meeting an instructor once or twice a week(about 3-4 flights each) before I soloed.
A little over a year later im flying A revolver 70. So you'll be fine. Alot will depend on your instructor(mine was very good).</p>

RE: my first kit
 

Keep in mind as you outfit your plane that you pretty much get what you pay for in this hobby. For electronics and engines, buy the best quality you can afford without getting overly complicated. Airframes at the outset are 'expendable' and can be replaced rather inexpensively. But engines and electronics can usually be reused so it pays to invest in quality here. I still have my original trainer engine, a .40 size bearing engine, in an old timer I fly in climb and glide vintage contests. It's 17 years old, spent one winter buried in a cornfield and still purrs like a kitten.

RE: my first kit
 

Just wait till you ask about different controllers!! LOL

Thats when the fun starts. You will get A LOT of people telling you that one controller sucks, so use the brand they use. Go with a name band radio that feels good in your hands. You might need to go to your local hobby shop (LHS) to check out some different brands. Controllers are a big investment, so buy MORE radio than you think you need. Nothing sucks more than buying a controller, thinking its the barriers, and then upgrading to a more expensive radio soon after. Controllers are like a mattress or good work boots, buy the best you can afford because you will be using it for years to come.

RE: my first kit
 

Great advice guys, thanks alot for the help, as far as radio goes, I have the Spektrum dx6i that Ifly my supercub and trojan T-28D with. I'm assuming this radio will be ok in this plane wont it?

RE: my first kit
 

You will enjoy this kit and the resulting plane. If you haven't selected an engine yet just thought I'd share this link:

http://www.hobbypeople.net/index.php...ngine-rnv.html

I've been happy with my Magnums so far,

Clay

ps If you don't have a simulator you might find it an excellent investment in the hobby. I know its saved me a plane or two! :D

RE: my first kit
 

A new receiver and a few servos will fit!

RE: my first kit
 

Well I have begun building this kit, the pictures included came a little late into the build, but I was in a zone, and completely forgot about taking pictures to document my progress. This is what I have completed so far. It is really going pretty quick, although Im sure when the wing build gets here it will slow down. You can see i got a little messy with some CA on the last pic, but everything is sanded and smoothed down nicely and ready to move on to the next step. This is about one of the most addicting things I have done!

RE: my first kit
 

well i have some images, but when I posted them they were incredibly huge, I'll try to figure out how to resize them and repost

RE: my first kit
 

I just finished building my PT40. I am not handy at all and it's my first kit. It took me about 80 hours. It's a lot, but it was so much fun that I do not think I will ever buy an ARF. I know most kits now are ARFs but I think building has as much fun as flying.

By the way, last week I had somone fly my plane and it flew and landed. Next week is my turn. I am super excited.

Good luck in yours!

RE: my first kit
 

Right now the servers have been having problems with photos so it may not be your problem. I haven't posted any in a while so not sure if that has been fixed?
You picked a very good first build and GP has great instructions and photos. Ken did a great building thread and Minn has a great article on why build or building 101.
Your radio is a good one and should work very well.
Covering, Just do a search and read the debates then make your choice. After you have covered a couple planes and tried the two main coverings, Mono and Ultra you can make up your own mind. I started with Mono and went over to Ultra but I still use them both, Mono for trim and Ultra as the main usually but I have been know to mix the brands more then once. Any of the TEX coverings are really easy to work with but have some quirks of there own.
No age limit on anything RC. Almost all my flight students have been 60 or older, slower to learn but the older you are it seems the longer you stay in the hobby.
When I teach building it has been young kids all the way through up to about 70+ so I think you are safe!!:D

RE: my first kit
 

Hi jsngnn22 I am building a Pt 40 right now for my 5 year old son. It is a really easy build as I'm sure your finding out right now. I just finished the fuse and am almost ready to cover the wing. I only get to work on it sporadically so I couldn't give you and accurate amount of hours I've spent on it. If you have any questions I would be happy to help if I can. Good Luck and welcome to the hobby!

chris

RE: my first kit
 

I never built the 40 but I did build two pt60's.  I love em.  Your attitude and excitement sounds great.  Your age is fine.  As someone else was saying, most guys are older due to the cost of this hobby.  But us oldtimers(52) love to see young guys into  it like we are.  Since you are officially a builder now, open a thread in the kit building forum and we will all help with all your questions.  Good luck!