Looking to get gasoline plane.
 

Hello all, I am looking to see whats a good priced gasoline plane? I would rather gasoline vs nitro or electric.

Just starting to fly, mastered the simulator and figured its time to move on to the real deal.

Looking at some places that sell planes, the ones Ive look at anyways its hard to tell whats nitro vs gasoline, so just looking for some help in pointing me in the correct direction. Please post up a good starting point for gasoline, thanks!

With gasoline you are going to go bigger. Not much in the trainer line there.

If you join a club with a buddy box training program then a big stick http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...article_id=566 would be a good trainer with a DLE 20 or 30.as the engine.

Get a trainer and get with your local club and learn to fly. There is a gasoline powered trainer I believe it is from pilot rc.
A sim is not an instructor

one of our club members is using this one from maxford, works really good for him, but as duncker pointed out, it's big

http://www.maxfordusa.com/mentor-g26cctrainer.aspx

Are you planning to attempt the self taught route?

John

I can very much recommend the Maxford Mentor-G as a first gasser. Also as a first anything IF YOU HAVE A INSTRUCTOR. An 18" or 19" prop ahead of 2.5Hp is really a bad way to end your manual dexterity. Once you know the ropes, however, a gasser is easier that glow or electric IMHO. Mine has a magneto Zenoah G-26 and just needs a simple single 2000mAh NiMH receiver battery pack for an hour of flight time. Land once to refuel. Twice if you fly fast.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=1924892



http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=1924894

I have had mine on floats and just swapped out a carbon fiber gear strut and 4-1/2" balloon tires and it is an absolute hoot. I also added smoke. Even as a fairly good pilot I find a big, dopey ARF like this is a joy to just fly around. Does pretty well with Aresti maneuvers, too. (The kind of aerobatics that airplanes with humans in them fly). Uses the same mix I run through my chainsaw.

83" wingspan is easy to see and I have flown it in 20 mph winds without much stress.

This plane was recommended to me as a gas trainer, you're going to spend a little more for gas over nitro or electric but you get the much longer flight times.

http://www.aero-works.net/store/detail.aspx?ID=556

Thanks so much for all the suggestions and comments, I have a friend who flies and hes going to help me once he gets back from a 6 month departure. Next time I talk to him Im going to bring the fact up that I want to start flying, I told him a year or so ago that Im looking to get into it.

He said the same about the simulator, but he also said itll give you the feel for the TX because their not like the ones for the cars, boats and trucks I use. I have flown some small planes, like toy ones and did pretty good, it actually seems harder with the small ones because if theirs a tiny amount of wind those things get blown around like crazy, never crashed one of them, few interesting landings but never wrecked!

Keep them coming guys. Thanks

Ok first I would like to address using your friend as an instructor (mentor). Unless he is an experienced instructor and in particular with the large gassers this depending on him to function as an instructor is a mistake. First problem is he an instructor at any organized field? You see many field will not let just anyone instruct and do not even remotely entertain the idea of just going off some place to fly with a giant scale trainer. Is you friend experienced with buddy box technique this is very important and a skill that takes practice and experience by the instructor and this has nothing to do with his ability to convey the needed knowledge and skills to you.


Next with the large gassor it would be a very expensive mistake indeed to attempt to not work with a buddy cord system and there are some fabulous cordless systems now that I use exclusively but Using the snag the box method is often fatal. Ya sure it can be done and I still do on occasion but not with an expensive giant scale airplane.

OK lets examine the economics just a bit and examine propellors, this just one of just about everything to do with 'giant scale'. I always tell my students to always carry several extra props and props for the typical forty sized trainer cost about three bucks. And the reason is prop strikes are common when you are learning That's the bottom line and when the props for your typical gasser are going to start out about 16 to twenty bucks. Props strikes that would not even stop you from flying with a glass filled prop typically used for training will stop you dead in the water with you GS prop. and the list goes on.

Unless you are prepared to work with an experienced instructor (and this is what several were hinting at above ) and with an appropriate buddy cord system then using the large gassor is a big expensive mistake.

That's the reason there is not much in the way of GS trainers and the two listed by Charlie and Quinn are just about the only trainers out there in that kind of airplane.

John

The AW trainer looks terrific. It looks like it has the right design parameters for nice, slow flight. The only thing might be weight. AW models tend to be heavier, beefier than most others which could be a good thing come to think of it. A beefier model may stand up to early abuse better until the pilot becomes more proficient

Nowadays there are small gas engines, in the 20 range. I just heard they are comming with a 10cc

I have the evolution 15gx. Just finished breaking it in on the bench. Now its going into a TF corsair. I love that engine. The 10gx is a bit small for me but others are using it and like it too. A perfect fit would be the hobbico .60 sized hobbistar and the 10gx. I will be using the Tech-Aero IBEC mostly for space saving.
Edwin

I'd suggest joining a club and using the club trainer on a buddy box until you're very proficient in taking off and landing in both directions, as well as some aerobatics and unusual attitude recovery. Keep the gasser at home for the time being, you'll have plenty on your mind when it gets to the field. You'll be more confident and proficient when that time comes.

Sims are ok, I have RF, but I've seen several low-timers bury their plane or heli due to overconfidence. They aren't very good at teaching those nervous moments and recoveries from close calls.

AMR makes some nice trainers and Sticks.

you are Welcome to come on down to Tampa .. trac is the name of the club google us ..

the club has two or three guy's now that have the new .. Horizon hobby 15 cc or 60 size gas motor .. mounted on the stanard HObbic 60 size trainer .. i forget the model number.. its vary popular normal 60 size trainer ..

you can drive down and see them first hand maybe even get a buddy box turn .. ..PM me if you need more info ..

I am not the owner of any of these i just see them . and i can tell you they are on par with a 60 size nitro motor .. maybe a littel more weight ... and slightly higher price tag ... thats neither =here nore there ..

but if this intrested you your welcome any time happy huntin g

I have a Great Planes Giant Big Stick with a DLE 30 on it, flies great. I believe there is also a slightly smaller one that a DLE 20 would fly nicely. But as several other people have suggested get someone to help on a buddy box. You don't say how old you are, young guys learn a lot faster than us old guys. A 13 year old soloed at our club a couple of years ago after just two flights but that's not a general rule. I hope I haven't offended any fellow oldies.

Hello all and thanks again, seems like people that are into planes are really willing to help someone out, seems more involved with people. I race cars, trucks, boats etc and been on numerous message boards and do get help, but seems like you guys are more help though! Thanks..

I am 35 years old, been in RC for awhile, since 6 years old, neighbor of mine had some fast for its times cars and trucks that he use to let me use and jump etc, ever since that Ive been hooked on RC!

As mentioned earlier, my buddy that flies has been away for awhile and will be back soon, I know he mentioned he has taught people but not sure if the buddy box is used or not but I will not try flying an almost 1k plane without being hooked up to someone. So no worries there guys. I don't want to wreck it and be out that money.

Zachary, I may just take you up on that, work at the moment is very busy and the weekends are being taking up for boating that we do, my 13 year old son would have a fit if we don't get out on our boat every weekend, and to be honest, me too! Boating is in our blood! But season is going to start slowing down some in Florida and that's when Id like to take to the air!

Again guys, thanks so much for your help!

How about this trainer? Don't have personal experience, but looks nice: http://texasrcplanes.com/ib12020arfai.html

How about a Hobbistar 60 with a Evolution 10cc. Both have great reviews and I can personally vouch for the Hobbistar.

Airplane: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXCSY9&P=ML
Engine: http://www.horizonhobby.com/products...ngine-EVOE10GX

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the smaller Evolution gasser carburators non-pumpers? That is not a problem, but if they are not pumper carbs like the Walbros, you can't move the fuel tank aft to the CG. Not a showstopper, but something to be aware of.

I know it's not a gasser but the Avistar elite is hard to beat as a trainer and then an aerobatic trainer after that. It's cheap, reliable, durable and easy to fly. The only question I have about going with such a large expensive gasser for a trainer is the cost. Why spend so much money on a plane that you will most likely crash/get bored of and end up replacing anyway. Save the cash, get a much cheaper trainer then move on to something bigger later. The Avistar is such a great airframe and will last longer as your skills advance then most other trainers. Some of the old timers at my field turn them into tail draggers, change the hinges for more throw and overpower them. You would be surprised at the performance envelope they are capable of that way.

Tank placement for the 10gx and 15gx are not any different than a glow setup. Mine are always as close to the engine as is practical. I know some will locate tanks further back, but thats just not for me. Just my opinion.
Edwin

True.In the case of most trainers (like the Hobbistar) you have no choice but to have the tank behind the firewall.

I may sound heretical here, but if we are telling the OP to consider a non-gas plane for his primary trainer, then we might as well open up the possibility of electric RTF trainers. There are a few excellent RTF packages out there that can get him in the air pretty quick. That way, he could be flying while working on his second, gasser, plane. Lots of choices out there. JMHO.

Any videos of the Mentor flying with smoke? I have a couple bigger gas planes but this one looks like a lot of fun for some reason. I have a DLE 30 that would probably be too big though.

I believe there is one on YouTube - not mine. I don't have a video crew. I have attached the YouTube link.

This one is with the Maxford smoke system and, while simple of design, it is not a particularly volumous producer. I have a Bennett Built system with Mikuni diaphragm fuel pump for the smoke. Took some setting up and tweeking initially but it puts out more smoke.

http://youtu.be/icyG8Bv9AvU

The second video is the Mentor on floats. This is why I bought mine. Combine boating and flying! (Less boating if you are better at flying). I found the factory recommended floats too small. But it is a super hoot to fly a large gas model off the water.

http://youtu.be/Z80wQ4_p1lE