beginner plane?
 

Hello i have decided to get into rc planes. I was considering helis but decided against it. So i on a 100 dollar budget and am looking for a good plane that cand do rolls and barrels. I have a simulater so i can train on that i just dont have the remote. I have been looking into the hobby zone cub and the f4u corsair on amazon. i have never flown a rc p!ane. I would like to keep it large atleast 20 inch wingspan. What do you guys suggest?

For a hundred dollar budget I'd look for a used trainer. Either glow or electric. Where are you located?

Krokodyl
Welcome to the hobby.

Before you spend any money, I would recommend checking out any local clubs near you.
Here is a link where you can find clubs that are close to you: http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx .
It there is a club within reasonable distance, i would call the club and see if you can check it out.
Many clubs will take you out and buddy box on a club trainer for a couple times without having to join the club.
That way you can find out if it is for you or not.
If it is something you like, I would join the club. Although it will be a hit on the $100.00, you will get priceless information and help.
They will also be able to help you find a good plane cheaply.
If they have a club trainer plane, you can learn how to fly and find out what kind of planes you want to use (glow, gas, or electric) before you waste money on something that does not work for you.

Although a warplane looks fun, it is a recipe for disaster for a first plane.
Get some information and recommendations from your local club. It will make getting into the hobby much easier and cheaper.
If your not into clubs, I still recommend joining. You can always drop out once you have learned what you need to learn.
You can go out and find a little ARF trainer plane and learn how to fly yourself, but it is a long and expensive process. If you try to learn yourself, you are almost guaranteed, to crash and destroy a plane or two.

I hope you have success and enjoy the hobby.

OK thanks ill do taht. As a matter of fact i am junior so i would only have to pay 20 dollars fo the membership! Thanks for the input.

I'm a big fan of setting realistic expectations with people for the hobby. So because of that, I can tell you that a 20 inch plane is mostly an indoor flying model. Anything but a calm day is going to toss it around like crazy and take all the fun out of flying for you. To get into planes that can handle a decent amount of wind your budget will need to expand significantly. The advice to get into a flying club is spot on, definitely do that if you can. In a club, you will get instruction on how to fly properly and you will meet other RC pilots who can answer your questions and show you how to set up your planes right. That kind of help goes a long way in being successful instead of frustrated. On the money side of things, have you talked to your dad about doing this hobby with you? Maybe you can mow some grass or trim hedges to make a few dollars?

Hi,
Spend a little more and buy the Hobby Zone Sport Cub S. It is a great plane to learn on and it's one you won't get bored with as your skills improve as it's a 4-channel plane. It has the Safe mode to assist you while learning plus it has the AS3X gyro system to help keep it stable in flight. Once you improve you can turn off Safe and fly more aggressively while still having the stability of the AS3X. I have one and fly it on advanced mode on windy days and it is a fun plane. A float set is available for it to fly from water or snow too.

http://www.horizonhobby.com/sport-cu...nology-hbz4400


I should point out that a beginner has no business doing loops and rolls while learning early on.....that will come in time. The Safe system prevents you from looping and rolling....so you don't crash ! When you improve you can go off of Safe and practice loops and rolls and if you get into trouble simply put the transmitter switch back into Safe and the plane will correct itself ,provided you have enough altitude.

Ok well ill definately consider the sports cub. Yes ill try to make some more money to get that. I do have enough but im sure ill need money for some replacement parts.

Also if i do join the club would they by any chance have any used planes that were once used by the pilots there? Possibly i could go that way but used on ebay is uncommon now and the shipping cost is unpredictible huge):

Most clubs have an instructor and a club trainer with the buddy box to teach new people. Only thing they may ask is for you to buy your own fuel if it's a glow powered plane, that's what we did at my club.We didn't even ask the new person to join the club until they soloed.
Stay away from the net when buying stuff, new or used. It takes some time to know if it's something good or not and most new people get had when first entering the hobby. Most club members have items for sale and other members can tell you if it's any good, usually listen to the instructor.
Today a lot of people are using electric planes for trainers so you may not even need to buy fuel.

Most clubs have an instructor and a club trainer with the buddy box to teach new people. Only thing they may ask is for you to buy your own fuel if it's a glow powered plane, that's what we did at my club.We didn't even ask the new person to join the club until they soloed.
Stay away from the net when buying stuff, new or used. It takes some time to know if it's something good or not and most new people get had when first entering the hobby. Most club members have items for sale and other members can tell you if it's any good, usually listen to the instructor.
Today a lot of people are using electric planes for trainers so you may not even need to buy fuel.

If you're located by Chicago I can sell you one of my ready to fly glow trainers and recommend a club to join.. Cheap way to get into the hobby.

Sometimes asking around at the club will get you a lead on good used stuff. Trainers usually get beat up though, so you'll come closer finding good second planes that way. What I find is more common is the trainer for sale on craigslist that has 10 years of garage dust on it from a guy who started learning and quit. You can figure on replacing the batteries and often the radio isn't worth anything, but engines and airframes and most flightline accessories survive storage quite well.

Trainers are all over the place for cheap but first get with the instructor so he/they can lead you into the right direction for a used plane. Some are much better then others and you could get stuck with total junk if you don't know what your looking at.

Believe it our not it takes more than $100 dollars to get into the hobby. Initial investment will start at $500 or more. This applies to; gas, glow or electrics. Save your money and during the interim spend so time at the local flying field.

well i well guess ill try to look int a small job and get some money. In the meantime ill fly one of there trainors or get a small really cheap park flier to get used to the controls.

go to your local field see whats for sale in a trainer most of the time you can get the whole works for around 150 .. and let them help you learn to fly>>also ask to see the plane fly first

If your funds are limited, buying a cheap, junky plane just sets you back further. Train at the club and don't buy anything until you can afford what you really need. Pushing a lawn mower can get you there fast. Where I live, a typical yard will get you $30-40. It's easy enough to do 3 in a day, so you can have everything you need in under a month just by working 2 days a week.

Or just ask your parents for some money.

I got into it for just under $300 but that's because a member here was kind enough to give me a field box for free. I bought an older trainer than was never flown or even had the engine started. I paid just a hundred bucks for it but after buying new TX and RX batteries, fuel, and smalls bits and pieces here and there I had about three hundred into it when I took my first flight. That's not counting AMA membership.

ok well im going on vacation soon but after that i will surely get a small job and go from there!

For $300 you can get a ready to fly Apprentice 15S with the Safe System. 10 minutes of assembly, an hour to charge the battery, and you are ready to fly.

I strongly recommend getting a simulator package before you buy a plane. You can get all your crashing out of the way on the sim, and enjoy your plane's maiden flight with confidence. Real Flight 7.5 is about $175. A great investment in the hobby, believe me. It will more than pay for itself in saved wreckage if you take the time to use it.

Start with an electric trainer, seriously. Way less to buy up front, especially when you buy a "ready to fly" package. Do not confuse with Almost Ready To Fly... you need a ton of other stuff to complete one of those.

Like others suggested, a nearby club will get you started and keeps you interested.
Anytime people just go and buy something, they crash and leave the hobby or simple get bored flying by themselves (there are few exceptions).
You can likely find a used trainer in your club, go to a local rc swap meet or craigslist.

If you get a new plane, $100 buys you a small flimsy toy. You may be able to get a good used trainer for that money. I sold my (like new) 40 size Hobbico Superstar complete with engine and remote for $120 last year. I am sure you can find something like this if you look around.

You just need to decide if you want glow or electric.

And you'll be amazed how much difference it makes when you show up consistently to training and take it seriously. Older hobbyists frequently have good old airplanes around, but they don't want to just throw them away on a kid who will accept them and then either disappear or destroy them because he won't listen. Starting in this hobby is mostly about getting to know the people and gaining the skills. The equipment is required too, but that's easy enough when you've shown initiative and have a few connections.

Here's what you want, best first plane.
http://slowbipe.com/products.asp
Get some parts from HK - hextronic 24 gram 1700kv motor, OrangeRX R615x receiver, a few 9g servos, 3s 800mAh batteries, charger, props, 5min epoxy, and you're in. a couple of hours getting the plane together and you're off to the park (away from people). That'll be about $130, minimum to get into the game.
If you don't have a transmitter, get a Spektrum Dx6i. Still the best quality/usefulness for your money, and you can go a long way into the hobby/sport/obsession with that.
That's how I started a year and half ago and it worked great. I had flown sailplanes a little some time ago, so I had a basic skill set to start with.
Get the simulator, it's a better place to figure things out.
All the best...

Ok i think ill start aith the simulator and go from there. So i still need a simulater and a remote. Do you have any good remotes that could also be used with a plane later? Also are there any android simulators out there?

just a plane
 

go to a club meeting somewhere see what you can learn i did it all 55 yrs ago buy myself so much help at a club now so wake up go join a club

RealFlight 7.5 with the interlink cable to a transmitter. $129
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...58902415214316

I have the ubiquitous Spektrum Dx6i, which is still around $129. Gets you pretty far, you'll see plenty of them at the field, their has been a later version released but more $$. One of the quickest obstacles is that only holds 10 planes but I deal with that, no problems.

If you can deal with the wait international shipping, and risk the other occasional shipping vagaries of HobbyKing, they have the OrangeRx Transmitter for 64.99 plus shipping.
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...%20transmitter

Expect to hear a great amount of details / options from everybody recommending. If you want to get going quick & cheap is one thing; if you want to think about where you may end up in a year or two and buy for that, is another.

My 2c,
All the best,
Peter

One thing to think about, when using a simulator, is that IF you don't know what you need to work on, it's wasting time and money. Buy your simulator and leave it in the box for now. Spend a day or two at the field with an instructor and (if available) the club's trainer. The instructor will be able to tell you what to work on using the simulator after the session(s) and make your simulator time more effective in helping you learn to fly rather than just flying around and crashing on the screen

Just a little anecdote - coming into the hobby. I built a couple of free flight 049 planes when I was about 10 or 11, I would guess.
Looking back now, here is one experience that propelled me deeper into my love of the hobby.
I was learning just about everything on my own, and with one of my newly built planes in hand in my back yard, the whole concept of CG suddenly became alive and real to me.
It was like a metaphysical moment when it all made sense, in a rush, at once. I started making adjustments with the little 30" WS plane and started test gliding it - before starting the engine!
That was a breakthrough, itself - ha.

It started out a little tail heavy with the first short, low pitches of the plane. Kind of swoopy, swooping up, then soft stalling, recovering. Really only one and a half cycle before landing safely.
A little push of the weight forward, and it started working out. Even a little more, and suddenly I OWNED THAT INFORMATION.
That little plane obeyed me- ha! It glided out for about 40 feet and settled smoothly to the ground.
I remember that and but not much more of what happened after that trimming.
In my normal impatience I probably wound up the engine and launched it right into a tree.

This one of a series of breakthroughs you can enjoy - when something converts from deep thought to practice.

I remember my dad being surprised I owned that information from then on.
He was surprised I figured that out on my own, through reading, etc.
He was supportive but never got too much involved. Certainly bought me stuff and showed me how to cover airplanes with silkspan.
He was a great craftsman in his own right, and I think some of that rubbed off.

Look forward to some great moments along your way to progress.

We all have our capabilities envelope we are trying to get beyond.

Cheers - Poughkeepsie Pete

Real Flight is a very good simulator. I learned a lot form this. After flying several hours on the sim I had maybe an hour on the buddy box before I soloed.
Also I learned to fly helicopters with this. And I never really crashed one. Just scuffed some blades once in a while.

The money on the simulator is well spend - one crash costs more then that.

Most important - don't let anything or anybody discourage you. If you want to fly rc planes, go for it.
It's a lot of fun, you meet great people and learn a lot if you join a club.

On a budget, there's nothing wrong with older versions of the simulator. I have RealFlight 5 and it's perfectly adequate. So I sometimes see 5 year old versions of SIM software for $30-40, and the only downside is the graphics aren't as nice.

One of the most valuable uses of the sim at first is getting used to flying toward yourself, as well as away. Gives you muscle memory for when you have your first flights.

I have the G-2 and loan it to any new student I have, my basic instructor had G-ZERO he loaned me. I had boxed with him a couple times then he loaned me the sim but he also gave me tasks to perform and the plane he wanted me to do it with. Then he would buddy box me and go over the things I learned.
I did the same thing for my students.
The programs and graphics have improved but there is nothing wrong with the old sims, with an instructor even G-ZERO would still work.

Jester just barely touched on an important point in an earlier post. We older guys usually have tons of stuff stashed away that we will never use again. It's good stuff, just that we have advanced beyond it. We can't sell it because we can't get anything for it and/or shipping it is prohibitive. Se we keep it. We would love to give it away if we knew someone who would use it. What I am getting at here is: insert yourself into a club or flying group. Show up often. Be respectful to us old farts and don't act like you know more than we do. You might very well know more than we do, but we don't like to be constantly reminded of it. The guys at the field will at first just be courteous to you. When they quit being courteous to you and start insulting you right along with the other guys there, you are in. And you will be amazed at the stuff that will come your way. All you have to do is prove to them that you are in the addiction for the long haul. We hate to give good stuff away just to see some youngster show up a couple times, then disappear along with the stuff we donated. If they are going to be in it for the duration, we find all kinds of stuff to give away.

I did that once and the fellow I gave it too sold it.

I fellow club member just had the same luck - sold a Raptor 30 rx ready for $50 to some kid (I used to own this, just the blades were worth more).
Kid showed up with the dad, seemed to be really interested in rc flying, but didn't have much money so he felt sorry and gave him a good deal...

2 weeks later the helicopter and some other rc items show up on Craigslist, asking for more then the 'new' price.

These people ruin it for others. I always sell used stuff for little money to people I know

My experience underscores the value of getting to know the club members and showing yourself to be committed to the hobby. I was 31 when I started RC. I showed up with a SPAD trainer and a second hand radio bought in the RCU classifieds. The instructors liked that I had invested money already, but were critical of my "gutter pipe airplane." The used radio cost me my plane on its 4th flight because the previous owner had changed the channel without retuning or relabeling the radio (72mhz). I was discouraged, but asked if I could keep learning on the club trainers and told them I was sending in my transmitter to be repaired. I kept coming to training nights and waiting my turn and accepting whatever help, as much or as little (sometimes none) as I got. Two weeks later one of the instructors gave me an engine, servos, and a good receiver. Another club member pulled an old trainer out of the attic, and another fellow student invited me over to his shop to teach me how to recover it. Those guys invested in me because I showed them I would be a dedicated club member and was taking the hobby seriously. Their gifts weren't particularly valuable, but they saved me hundreds of dollars. Over the years, I've watched other RC pilots receive good used airplanes after they had shown they were serious about the hobby but had limited funds. A 15 year old and his dad joined our club last year. The kid was mature and respectful, patient, and very willing to learn. And he learned fast. He received two good airplanes RTF after winning second in his first SPA contest flying his trainer. I think he's gotten one or two others since then. He and his dad do the hobby together, but they were very clear up front that their budget was limited. He's doing great in the hobby so far, and most of us are glad to help him.

Contrast that with a guy I might have helped a few years ago. Young guy was at training night with his dad, and now I was the instructor. I was teaching because so many had invested in me that I wanted to give back to the club in some way. The guy was probably around 20, and a complete moron. He had no discipline and wouldn't listen, big smile on his face all the time said he was all about instant fun, and his dad was sitting in a chair looking quite disappointed next to the two brand new broken airplanes on the ground next to him. I started up a conversation with the moron kid just after he made a terrible takeoff with a Cessna. I started explaining how to do a proper takeoff to avoid the sideslip stall he had done, when he blurted out "What's a sideslip?" and firewalled the throttle. His Cessna spun into the ground seconds later after he made the same mistake again that I was explaining to him how not to make. He took the pieces over to his dad to add to the pile, and said, "Did you see that Dad? I crashed another one!" I had two good sport planes in my garage, not particularly valuable but definitely usable just waiting for a newbie who needed them. But this kid wasn't worth investing in, so he got nothing from me or anybody else.

So the point being that there is lots of help to be had from RC hobbyists for young pilots who are serious about the hobby and have the maturity put the time in to learn it. Don't show up expecting anything, don't act like anyone owes you anything, and don't be selfish. Do let it be known that your budget is limited and that you are doing extra work to get planes and equipment. Do ask around if there are planes for sale or possibly for barter for grass mowing or odd jobs. Graciously accept advice and instruction from anybody willing to offer it, and be patient. If you do, this time next year you'll probably be well started in the hobby and having a great time with it.

ok thanks for all the input guys. Certanilly i will respect everyone and will take the hooby seriously!