LOTS of advice needed
 

I am wanting to buy my first rig and get the most use of my money. I have always been interested in the hobby and am now making the decision to finally get started. Currently enrolled in med-school, I need something I can enjoy while taking a break from the books. I purchased the RFG2 a couple of months ago to get my bearings and hone my "skills" before investing in the REAL equipment. I think I have the hang of it. I know it IS a simulator and I am not sure how I would compare in the real world. But....I can do a lot of aerobatics (not the smoothest by far), stay oriented in all attitudes and land consistently in many weather conditions. I have even taught myself to fly the Heli's...even inverted flight.

So here are my questions:
1. Is my confidence in my ability to fly the real thing grossly misguided and overestimated by using the simulator?
2. I want to get a trainer but I dont want to get bored with it too quickly. Maybe an advanced trainer? One that is a little more aerobatic but still able to
let me learn the basics on.
3. What plane would that be? And should I get an ARF with engine and Tx separately? If so, a nicer Tx like a 6 ch computer radio?

I am a quick learner and know I could do it if I just went out there and did it. But I want to do it right with the least mistakes possible. So any and all advice is welcome. Many thanks in advance to all who respond.

RE: LOTS of advice needed
 

The first place you get overconfident from the simulator is the simulator model is built straight every time... so the trims are centered every time. You get no experience with real world where the trims may need to be off in the corners... (and so you don't know what to do with an untrimmed aircraft.)

The somulators never do mimic real life wind well... they try, but they just don't have the computing hosepower to do it. Its easy to simulate wind speed and speed changes... difficult to simulate the swirling effects you get with houses, trees, bushes..... as much as 1 mile from the flying site a large house can have left some swirls in the wind when that air reaches the airfield.

There will still be a learning curve moving from the sim to the model.

I still recomend at least a few lessons on the buddy box.

*****************

Some will argue this one...:

You might try the Four-Star 40 as your first plane. Its nicely aerobatic. It has the same wing planform as a trainer though... so its a basicly stable design. (wing planform has a LOT to do with stability) Top view... its nearly the same as a typical .40 size trainer... except the control surfaces are larger portions of the areas. The symetrical airfoil makes it much better for your initial work on aerobatics.

Note... the Four-Star 40 must be considered a trainer by Sig... they include the beginner's guide in the box, same as they do for any other trainer.

Any radio within your budget, 4 channel or better will be fine. Preferably one that is buddy box compatible with the local instructor.

Almost any .40 to .46 engine will do very well on the Four-Star 40. An inexpensive Magnum .40 XL with the correct propellor will have the plane able to climb vertically indefinitely.... there is no need for more power than that. Go with a 11X4 propellor (assuming a .40) If you go with a .46... you need more prop... and that can be a problem... you don't want more speed and don't have much ground clearance to play with. 12X4... or APC 12.25 X 3.75.

You want the low pitc to be able to slow the plane down for landing. A higher pitch shorter prop won't help top speed enough to matter.

RE: LOTS of advice needed
 

You're by far way ahead of someone who has never used a sim. It has saved you money that you don't even know. As stated, its nothing like the real thing, but I think someone has a greater advantage by practicing on a sim. I have the tower hobbies 60 trainer, works fine for me. You'll get a lot of opinions. I read most guys still use their trainer when they just want to put around. I would imagine most trainers are pretty much the same. If you go for a kit, though, by a sig. There's also vast opinions on that, but I think a kit is better because you get to see how everything goes together. Plus I think its just plain fun, but some people hate to build, personal prefrence I guess.
Joe

RE: LOTS of advice needed
 

T-rizzle,
We had a guy come out to our field last summer , he had never flown before. He said he had been flying the simulator for a couple months. He brought a hobbico avistar with him.

It was late in the evening and there was just a couple of us there, and noone had a buddy cord, so we checked it out and up it went. I got the model trimmed and handed him the transmitter. He was a little unsmooth for a few seconds and then started doing very, very well. He flew until we were worried about running out of fuel. I said" you want me to land it now?" He said "I think I can do it" He mad a very nice landing with just a slight bounce. We refueled the plane , He took off by himself and as been on his own ever since. He said the simulator is very close but a little different but nothing you couldnt get used to in just a few minutes.

I have never flown a simulator so I can't compare the two but it sure seems like it helped him. I would suggest that if at all possible get someone to help you the first time just to get the model trimmed and just in case you do get into trouble. it is better to be safe than sorry.

BTW he bought a four-star from another memeber of the club in just a couple weeks because he was already bored with the trainer. I think he would have been fine starting out on the four star.


I hope this story helps.

Kenny

RE: LOTS of advice needed
 

FHHubber offered good advice and I'd like add/reinforce...

Sims are a great tool. If you can fly a plane on a sim, you have vastly improved your skills for flying the real thing. But the Sim and real life are different. The Sim represents an ideal world and a ideal plane. In real life we have wind, turbulence, non-perfect planes, etc. Ditto on the buddy box for at least the first couple of flights... better safe than sorry.

I'd agree the 4-star would be a good "advanced" trainer. It has some trainer qualities, but yet it can be fairly aerobatic.

As for ARF/ Radio... consider this. Pilots often change planes, add new ones to the fleet, sell off (or crash...eeek) others... but radios typically stick around. If you go the route of independently selecting a radio, I'd suggest looking at a good low to midrange computer radio, such as a 6ch-8ch radio to start. Now there is nothing wrong with using a 4ch radio to start, but many end up selling their first radio quickly as they move to more advanced planes. If you move quickly, you will bail on a low end radio quickly, maybe even in your first year. My advice, if you can afford it, get a good 6ch+ computer radio... most planes can be flown on a 6ch radio. Oh, if you have an interest in Helis too, be sure the radio has software to support both planes and helis.

Wish you luck and be safe.

RE: LOTS of advice needed
 

To answer your questions. Yes you can be very overconfident. The sim will help tremendously. Just when going up the first few times be on a buddy box with an instructor.

Any mid priced 6 channel fm radio will work fine. I reccomend either Futaba or JR. They are good units and are popular.

I reccomend you look at the Hobbico line. I forget the model's name. They sell a trainer with a semi-symmetrical wing. They are popular and seem to work well. They are also inexpensive.

As for an engine I do not have one, but I hear good things about Evo engines. I would put the 46 in the Superstar? They are user friendly. And are set up for a beginner. They are also inexpensive.

I have no experience with the Evo or Hobbico trainers. I build my own planes either from kits, plans or scratch. I want some day to have an Evo engine just to try one. These are opinions from what I read here and in other forums and magazines. I wish you well whatever plane you select.

Mark Shuman