Beginner looking for some tips
 

Greetings!

I'm looking to get a new hobby (outdoor one :rolleyes:) and R/C'ing has always interested me. I'm going to head out next weekend to a local R/C club and take a peek, ask some questions, etc...

I used to own a couple RC trucks (which were a blast) but my I have a passion for aviation, but ZERO experience in the R'C world.

So, could some of the experts here give me a list or a link to some good suggestions for beginner planes? Any tips, trick would be great too.

Thanks much!!

Well first off acctingman ,welcome to the hobby . It is a wonderfull addiction . First things first . It sounds like you are heading in the rite direction .finding a local club and making some new friends is a great place to start . Often they will have a club trainer that an instructor will teach you to fly . Somtimes you need to supply your own trainer ,Its good to talk to your instructor and ask if he has a prefferance on what he likes to train on . I would stay away from package deals where you buy your plane along with a radio often a four channel cheap radio that you will out grow and never be able to sell . You are better off to purchace a name brand radio with at least 6 channels . I am probably opening a can of worms as there may be a few different opinions on this . Remember this is just my opinion .What ever you do be safe . Stay away from the prop and have fun . And again welcome

I also would like to welcome you to the Hobby / Addiction!!

I agree with BikerBC that you are on the right track by going to your local club and asking questions.

As he said, there are as many opinions as there are people as to what the best setup is..

When it comes to radios, definitely get a 6 channel Computer radio at minimum. 7 or 8 (or more) is better, because as you get into more complex aircraft, your Tx will be able to handle it. I mention Computer radio because of the ability to store multiple aircraft, and program the Tx to each individual aircraft that you have stored on the transmitter! I could tell you what my choice of Tx I prefer, but the best thing to do is get a Tx that several fliers at your club has, because they will be able to help you properly set up and program your Tx/Rx combo, and it will make it easier to Buddy Box with them!

again, welcome to the hobby, and if you have any other questions, please ask, as just about everyone here on RCU is willing to give a new flier help and advice!!

Craig.

Opinions are a good thing But first off welcome to the forum. I think the info bikerbc has posted is dead on, and you are approaching the hobby/sport in the best way.

Regardless of the type trainer you choose far too many leave the most important person to the success of your introduction to this wonderful hobby and that person is your Mentor, Instructor and future flying buddy out of the decisions to be made. This is usually a mistake and often your mentor can save you considerable money as well as frustrations.

Some of the early decisions that normally must be made is of course what type of aircraft, be it Airplanes, Gliders, Helicopters or even Quad Copters This can make a difference in who becomes your mentor. For example I spent considerable time this morning with a gentleman who is a returning flyer from many years past but it soon became apparent that his goal is Quad Copters so I referred him to a local expert and responsible quad operator in our club.

There are many other decision to be made as well and agine the best place for that will with your face to face mentor.

John:cool:

Glad to have you on board. Going to the local field is a great way to start. It's what I did years ago. Been flying ever since.
there are so many ways to enjoy our hobby, scale, aerobatics, speed, or just being someone that flies for himself.
welcome

Pinned to the top of the beginners forum are some of the answers to questions that beginners have. Worth reading !

The thread about what's available would be a real help. I would print the kit and ARF(can't believe I just said that as I personally don't do ARFS) lists out and take them with you to the field and have the instructor pick one or two so you can get one ordered. I really like the fact that the guys HAVE NOT said to buy this brand or that of radio gear. Many threads have turned into arguments over which is better and why. Something you could do is check out what everyone else is using at the field, ask questions and see if they will let you hold some of them. A radio that doesn't feel "right" in your hands is not one you will be happy using over the long haul

hello, welcome to the club :D

Here's some tips you need to know.
When performing RC plane of any kind, you need to fly in a very responsible way especially if you're flying in a public place and there are other people around.

Choose your flying site carefully - RC airplane aerobatics usually require more airspace than normal flying, so make sure that the area is plenty big enough with no trees, posts …

Altitude is very important with most maneuvers; always give yourself as much space as possible between your airplane and the ground.

One final important point; the majority of RC airplane aerobatics are performed in to wind, you fly the airplane directly in to the wind when starting the aerobatic maneuver. This gives maximum lift and airflow over the control surfaces.

Enjoy flying :)

Being that you have no r/c experience and want to get into flying, my suggestion as a flying noob, but had everything else in r/c for 40 years, is two things. First, get yourself a flight simulator (Phoenix 5.5). It's the easiest and cheapest way to get a feel for flying. You will learn a LOT from it. Second, I'm going to recommend the Eflite Apprentice RTF. It's a great learning tool and being that it's RTF, you won't have to deal with programming a higher end radio and, it can be used for the simulator. Now the best part of all is this, if you decide that flying really isn't for you, you won't have a ton of money invested and should be able to recover about 75% of it if you sold it all. However if you do decide that flying is the best thing since pockets, then the sky is the limit money-wise. R/C is very addicting and it's really difficult to stop. In all the years I've been involved, I've spent probably close to $30,000 on r/c and I'm most likely on the low to middle ground with most people on that. There are a lot of people that have that much in one plane!!

welcome, you have got a lot of good advice.
the best way is to go ahead and get with the local club and find the person who wants to train you.
talk to that person, find out what planes he/she like, look at radio's and talk to that person.
one big thing is, when you buy a radio, like a 6 ch. computer radio. You are stuck with using that radio, as you can't just switch the receivers for the plane with another Transmitters.
The local trainer maybe able to set you up with a good cheap used transmitter that will fill the bill until you get it figured out.

if you came to me I would offer you a transmitter for $20 and offer to buy it back for $20 when you figure out what better transmitter you want.
just my thoughts on it.

sticks

Welcome to the hobby! You are definitely on the right track by asking questions, learning and researching all you can.
Getting affiliated with a club that you are comfortable at is perhaps the best move you can make.

Opinions on aircraft are going to be numerous, everyone is going to have that one plane that you NEED to get. Here are my suggestions short and sweet and to the point. You can't really get hurt by any of the main stream trainers out there.

Apprentice is a great choice. Flyzone Sensei flies great too. These are the 2 popular electric trainers I have personally flown

If you want to go glow,
many of the popular trainers are fine.
Sig Kadet LT40
Tower Trainer 40
Great Planes PT40
Kadet Senior
Goldberg Eagle 2.

Either one of those choices will suit you fine. Also either of those can be set up for electric if you want a balsa/plywood airplane rather than Styrofoam.

Spektrum is a good brand that a lot of people are familiar with. Hard to beat a spectrum dx6.

Visiting a local club will start you in the right direction. Locals are the ones that will be there to offer first person knowledge and assistance.

Listen to what they have to say, and follow their advice.

Where's the OP? Get a plane yet or what?

Since its been seven months Johnny its a good bet that he has already made his decisions quite some time ago however threads like this one can be very useful to the many out there who never post but just the same still read and may need as well as appreciate the information.

So our postings and contributions do still serve a good purpose:cool:

John

True