would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Remembering ive never flown anything past a paper airplane :P

www.bananahobby.com/1858.html

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

that plane would be wayyy too advanced for someone whose never flown before

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

i figured as much... I'll stick with the brushless trainer and maybe after some logged hours pick that one up.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Not this plane for a beginner.  Find a good high wing trainer and I personally would get an electric powered one. Thats where I have gone and glad I did.  You should pick a high wing trainer. The plane you selected is for advanced flyers only. 

Also I suggest gettinga 2.4 Gig system to start. Don't go 72 even though it's less expensive.  I just said something about this on another thread so I'll repeat it again for you here.

Something I have not seen discussed in these great discussions about transmitters and receivers is antennas and differences between 72 and 2.4 units beginners need to be aware of before buying their first equipment.

72 transmitters must use a 3 ft. long antenna that sticks out the top of your transmitter.

The 72 receiver needs a 3 ft long skinny wire antenna that ideally should be allowed to dangle outside the plane.

The more expensive 2.4 systems transmitters only need a stubby little antenna about 4 inches high out the top of the transmitter and the planes receiver has a little one inch antenna wire thats simple to locate inside the plane. No wire to dangle outside.

I never realized this or even thought about it until I got my first 72 set. I sure wish I had known this to begin with as I would gladly have invested in 2.4 to start.  Now I'm trying to determine how many channels on my new 2.4 system so I can truly spend money wisely and get the best value rather than the cheapest system. The number of channels can also make or break my choice for use in the future.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Hi,

Before you buy anything from that company do a search here on R/C Universe. That said as you have been advised the model in question isn't suited to a beginner. Visit your local club and seek advise.

Cheers,

Colin

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

wasnt really thinking of buying from that particular site.. it just had a good set of pics/vids on the plane.


I am already looking at the Select Piper Cub highwing Brushless trainer w/2.4 gig transmitter.

so like I said after learning for a couple months I can pick up somethin ARF and put my electronics in it.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

I fly one like this and it can be a handful. Look long at Banana hobby, lots of posts talking about them. I have never purchased anything from them so I can't say first hand. I trust the folks that have had dealings with them, so I stayed away. Just my 2c

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Sorry to sound harsh, but this really isn't a second plane either. As Goirish has stated, a Pitts can be a bit of a handfull to fly. You might want to get a few planes under your belt before you fly one.

Ken

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

I'll see how I handle the trainer.

All ive ever had to worry about with my RC before was 2 channels... I'm sure adding 2 more is going to be a much bigger step than I'm realizing.

of course I can get the foam Pitt ARF for under 100. Worst I can do is crash it right?:)

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

I agree on Banana. I did get my first from them and it will be the last from them.

Enough said...

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

well someone other Banana has to sell a Styro Pitts Biplane ARF right?


they cant own the market.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

No, the worst is not that you crash it, but that you cause injury to yourself or others, or damage something expensive. It's not just about your airplane.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

I guess I was assuming that you wouldn't think me stupid enough to fly a plane ive not flown before around other people.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Don't assume anything on RCU!!;) The problem with a pitts isn't so much the flying of the plane as it is getting off the ground and back. Then again they do tend to be a bit twitchy, like you can see if your hands are shaking when you are flying. The little electrics can be a hand full but I find them easier to fly then the 1/4 scale gasser. If you search you will find several places to buy the little electric ARF.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

There are lots of good starters. The Multiplex Easystar is an excellant starter. Here is one you can get as a kit. You can supply your own electronics if you want.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFRU7&P=0

OR you can get it in a RTF ( ready to fly) here.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFXV0&P=0

There are many more. Do a search. You will also get alot of suggestions on the forums.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Im fairly new to electric airplanes one thing I have found out is I would NOT recomend buying anything from Nitro Planes, Banana Hobby. xenon Project or Xheli. These company's are all connected and out of  the exact same area in So.Cal. They all sell the same cheap stuff from China just different names HC Hobby, ArtTech for example are all the same company. Im sure alot of you know this already but like I said im just finding this out and find it disturbing. Customer service is terrible because half the time these so called companys are run out of someones house. I know someone who has been trying to call Banana Hobby for two weeks so he called one night at 9pm after reading another thread on this and sure enough someone answered...hello... oh you must have the wrong number ***? Oh I guess that phone number is only BH'S during the day. I know it's tempting with the cheap prices but there's a reason..... it's cheap crap and they get it for next to nothing and pass it on to us dummy's for buying it.</p>

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Actually they do...... certain company's are exclusive to BH also Nitro Planes, Xenon Project they're all the same. Recomendation? DONT BUY!!!

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

This is not a trainer! Find a club where they fly and ask questions, I really like teaching with the Tower Hobbies trainer, Good luck with this great hobby!

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Having been in your shoes only a few years ago......I would suggest a great planes simulator. IMO it was the best money i have ever spent as far as the rc hobby. I always wanted to learn to fly and years earlier had tried the "buy a plane..teach yourself to fly route" It doesnt work. [&o] One day i stopped by the LHS to daydream a little and discovered the simulator...bought one and 2 months later i bought a nexstar select and flew solo the next day. Either way you cant go wrong with the simulator...it is a great way to brush up and i can fly when the weather is bad. Good luck :D

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Yes once you get the bug to fly it never ever goes away, Great job learning ponyboy!

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Thanx Hairy, your so right... This Hobby is Great...and i love it ! It does take a toll if your not careful, its not a cheap hobby. It takes no prisoners and none of are gettin out alive financially...lol Kidding aside...i wouldnt go back for anything. I have made some great buddies at the club field. One buddy inparticular many of you may know is Doc Yates, accomplished flier, top gun contestant, and all around good example for this hobby. He has spent his time, money, and lots of effort helping me enjoy flying. People like him are the reason this hobby is so great. I have spent untold thousands on this hobby but wouldnt take it back.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

First DON'T BUY BANANA HOBBY. Trust me you will spend more time on the ground than flying. Second I also recommend spending the money in a flight simulator. Third you want to enjoy the hobby and you really want to do some flying. So speak with some members of your local flight club and see what they fly and what they recommend. I also recommend flying with an instructor so he can teach you all the AMA regulations.

Good Luck,

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

I appreciate the suggestions... I've been hearing "Join a club" from a lot of people.

but even with RC Cars both way back when I used to have a couple (25 years ago) and when i got back into it (little under 2 years ago)  Taking my RC's out is "Me Time". 

I dont want people crowding around me asking questions... seeing me wipe out.  Asking to try it.  I want to be left alone to  tweak, tune and, at time, trash my cars, trucks and buggies.

I'm going to start the same way with airplanes.  I don't have any interest in getting a group together and drawing a crowd.
I attend enough meetings at work, don't need them in my hobbies.  

its going to be several battery charges before I ever take the thing off the ground.  Several more before I get it higher than waist high doing touch and gos.. then simple turns.  and I don't want people around when I do it.

Clubs are just not for me.  Never have been.

I have been looking into flight simulators and Ive seen that some of the trainers even come with simple ones. 
It being the middle of winter and one of our wettest winters in decades.. I'm probably going to finish the winter on a simulator and actually start with a trainer in the spring.

Right now I'm looking at the Select Brushless Piper Cub.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

I was like you at one time...and still am as far as the club thing goes.  I dont like to be involved in clubs as their is usually just a bunch of extra crap to have to put up with to be a part of it.  However, my mind changed when it came to learning to fly.  Plus, once I actually joined the club Im in now its nothing like what I expected and actually like it more than doing it alone.

That aside...you at the very least should join one for the first year just so you can learn from someone.  Not really the flying part...I mean the flying part is the easy part...you will find this out once you get your SIM.  What I am talking about is learning the actual theory of flight and the setup of an airplane.  You can fly great and if you dont understand that you simply dont put a bunch of stuff together, hook servos, engine, batteries to it and fly it...then you will crash and fail.

All the planes on the SIM are trimmed and fly perfectly for the most part.  You dont have to understand control throws...CG (center of gravity)...control surface trimming, among other things that makes flying actually enjoyable rather that a huge money pit.

Perhaps if you still feel the way you do about clubs after reading this...you could possibly seek one or two out and see if any veteran flyers would be interested in training you 1 on 1, or even "for hire".  Even if you had to pay 20 to 50 bucks per lesson it would be money well spent.  Because without learning the technical side of setting up your airplanes...you will definitely spend a lot in crash costs.

Also...dont even think about learning to fly at "waist level".  Altitude is definitely your friend when learning.

Just my .02's</p>

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

waist high doing touch and gos..

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

I just got a "slow stick" for my grandson. It looks like a great place to start. I purchased my on e-bay for $12 (plus shipping and handling). Still need servos (2) battery (at least one), charger, transmitter and receiver (but I have all that stuff).

I think the regular pirce is $35. They have replacement parts available. You can find information and see videos if you google "slow stick". Since it flys slowly, it crashes slowly, and If I have to buy anotherone for parts, it is only$35 tops:-)

I wish you good luck. Remember, altitude is your friend. If you can get help, you will learn much faster.

Gerry

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Hi!
Misham...If you don't join a club it will take much, much longer to learn to fly, if you ever will learn! Remember learning to fly is much more difficult than driving a car.
You join a club to have somewhere to fly! Not to chat with people!

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

If I say I will join a club will everyone stop suggesting it?

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

This is a pretty common belief for people that want to start flying and believe they can do it themselves. The problem with it is that the plane rarely cooperates!! :D

While you plan on keeping it "waist high" the plane may not stay there. Especially if the plane is out of trim. What happens a lot for people is that once the plane lifts from the ground it will climb to substantial altitude before you know what's going on. And now you have to deal with a lot of different things at once, which usually doesn't end well. While it is possible to teach yourself to fly as there are people out there that have done it, the reality is that it's not a common skill. I would say it's only 1 or 2 in a hundred people that can successfully teach themselves to fly. And those that can do it never do it without having lots of repairs along the way. They will do a lot of damage to the planes as they teach themselves to fly. Many times people that are trying to teach themselves to fly will simply get too frustrated and wind up quiting without learning to fly.

Joining a club changes that and puts the odds in your favor of learning to fly. The club experience isn't the "crowded mob" that you seem to want to avoid. Most clubs are a very friendly place where like minded people get together to enjoy the hobby they love. Nobody is going to make fun of you as you learn, nor will they put you down for mistakes that are made. We've all been there in the hobby and we remember that as we help new people get started in the hobby. You might be pleasantly suprised just how enjoyable being in a club situation can be. There are times I will go to the field to fly and wind up just "just shooting the breeze" with my buddies and not fly at all that day. And you know what? I have just as much fun doing that as I do actually flying planes. But anyway, I'm getting off track a bit. The club is going to give you a great route to learning to fly with the least amount of stress.

The members here are not "harping" about joining a club or seeking help just to be mean.  You need to realize that most of us here have been helping people get started for a long time, and we have seen hundreds if not thousands of people trying to get started, and we've got a ton of experience with this. They are recommending this to you simply because it's true. They are giving you the best advice that has proven hundreds of times to be successful in getting people flying. There is nothing wrong with having ideas on how to do things, but many times those can be wrong. I know for myself that I defintely was that way. I had ideas of how I should go about learning to fly, and I will be the first to admit that my ideas were dead wrong. Had I gone the route of what I thought was best I would have destroyed a lot of planes. Luckily I found an instructor who helped me learn to fly safely. So please realize that the people here are only trying to help you get a start in this hobby that we all love so much. They aren't being mean at all, just trying to help.

Hope this helps

Ken

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

lol... <span style="font-size: 9pt">what you decide to do is always up to you, but you should keep in mind, as some people already said, flying a plane is more complex than driving a car, let's put it this way, can you actually injure someone with an RCcar? Ireally doubt it; can you do it with a plane? You sure can! I've seen guys losing their fingers with them. Ifyou want to learn by your own is ok, but it would be harder and more frustrating and eventually you'll get bored and probably you'll quit.</span>

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

I only gave the advice I did simply because hearing this person talk...they could have been me to the "T" about 12 or so years ago when I first started out in the hobby. 

Even though I was given the name of a local club and a members number to call by the guy at the LHS...I declined to do so because I didnt want to have to humble myself amongst strangers and be ridiculed because I knew nothing(at least in my mind).  I thought I would be able to do it on my own, afterall its only a toy plane...how hard could it be??? LOL

Needless to say I totally destroyed my first plane before I had ran even half a tank through it.  I salvaged the engine and electronics and built an Air Core trainer that rarely flew and I crashed almost every flight(definitely can blame this on my lack of knowledge of setup).  I got to the point of giving up and did just that.  It wasnt until last May that I got the bug again and decided I was much older and wiser now and would seek help.

I did seek out a club in my area...went a few times to the field (our club will let anyone come and fly 3 separate times before the requirement of joining AMA and the club itself) and felt it out.  I already had built an ARF trainer and was ready to join the club.

I learned more about flying in a short month of so last year than I did the entire almost 2 years I struggled on my own.  I can now take off and land without problem and have flown several of my planes with great success.  I only have had 1 crash since I started back and that was my own fault with changing out a radio set and the controls were reversed.  And even then I was able to salvage the plane with only minor damage.

Ultimately, its up to the individual though.  If they dont want to join...none here can make them.  And I can only speak for myself in saying that joining a club was the best thing I ever done.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

its not a matter of humbling myself... or thinking people are being mean..

I'm not a 12 year old kid.  I'm a grown man and I'm anti-social.

I don't like dealing with people.
I don't like going to the grocery store because the cashier will invariably want to chat like we're old friends.

with the advent of the internet there are countless forums, how-to's, tech manuals, videos, walk throughs all at my fingertips in the comfort of my own home.

I enjoy learning things on my own.
Joining a club would be more like something a Judge would sentence me to if he wanted to truly punish me.

Ive ordered a simulator and I'm reading everything I can get my mitts on right now.
It's going to be a long time before I consider building anything of my own so I don't yet need to worry about construction yet.

it's possible that I wont be able to do it myself at which point I will hire someone to teach me.

I will not join a club.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Clubs are great! I know I am spoiled with ours we have the best people and we get together allot and fly together. These are some great guys I fly with not a bad apple in the bunch! Made some lasting friendships! Its more then just the help you get its the people of the hobby, Either way you go good luck with it, because it is by far the hobby of all hobby's




My girlfriend told me if I gave up RC airplanes I would have time for other things, WHAT OTHER THINGS?

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Well, I guess the only thing left to say is..."good luck to you". You may just perhaps be that 1 or 2 out of 100 that RCKen mentioned. Time will tell.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

But we are strangers to you and you was able to ask for help here if you had not you would have bought an plane that would have been way over your head! There will be more mistakes asking for help will keep you from making them. There are so many guys out there would just love to be asked to help that will not be judging you they just want to get you in the air so you can enjoy this great hobby period........! But as said before good luck either way!

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

I don't belong to a club. I have belonged to several over the years though. In Calif. if you didn't belong to one there weren't a lot of good places to fly and club fields are usually pretty nice. In the area I'm in now I have a lot of places I can fly and see no one else, miles of flat too. Nothing like a nice dry lake bed for a landing strip. I have a lot of choices but RC planes is a social hobby. It's one of the places you can buy, sell and trade with other guys. Find out where to buy items at a good discount, who is having a sale, what products are worth spending money on. Every field, club or open land has a anti social or two, trust me, you would be left alone after the first day or two you showed up. Doesn't take long for the guys to pick up on things. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be bothered with a crowd of people. Where I fly there is a pretty good size group of guys on any given weekend. It's up to them if they want to BS during flights. In RC planes you tend to have a lot of down time between flights. Sometimes it's nice to have someone else to enjoy the hobby with, or not?

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Im glad to see there are others out there like I am. Awesome post!!!

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

[/quote]
<span style="font-size: 9pt">can you actually injure someone with an RCcar? Ireally doubt it</span>[/quote]

Well, I don't know what kind of rc cars your used to, but mine weighs 26lbs. and goes over 50 mph. Trust me, if I hit the right jump and you get railed in the head, it's gonna do a lot more than injure you. My boat weighs half as much, same speed. Already had one scary moment with that thing trying to be an airplaneduring a turn and heading towards me on the beach. You do not want to have THAT prop hit you!!! Any fast moving rc (car / boat/ plane)can get you.

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Hi Mishkam
New to Rc flying myself and bought a Simulator by DYNAM USB RC Flight Simulator, Graghics I thought was not that good however was having a blast on it and my kids and Friends do eveytime they show up and since it came with a 6 channel Transmitter I was ahead already.
I found another Simulator that had a Demo and it was like being right thier and upon joining the Forum I found out that the Best Transmitter to use with CLEARVIEW was Dynam 6ch Transmitter I already had..............Still so much to learn as in throw rates that can be changed with Clear View and learning X axis, Y axis and then swap over to the Heli side and it gets even more confusing LOL
I have Bought a top Wing 55" Cessna 185 chould have it by the end of the week for $160 and since I Dream of the P51 have a 57" I just could not pass up today home Sick from Work.
Hope this might help, Simulator is a Blast anytime Day or Night.





Vinchinzo
From Missouri

RE: would this be too advanced for a first time flyer?
 

Ive already had a post about finding a trainer on here.. im in my research mode right now.

I saw the biplane and of course the videos of it made it look easy... the kid advertising it made it look easy... and I knew it couldn't be that easy. So I asked here on the outside chance that biplanes were more stable or something.

mainly because I LIKE BIPLANES.

with what ive been told about them since posting it's one for down the road and I'll stick with the select piper


I'll continue to do my online resarch, my reading watching tutorials etc.