Beginner Question
 

Just finished building my first plane Midwest Aerostar .40 with an OS 40 LA engine (never have flown a r/c plane),
yes I am planning on joining a club and getting flight training.. Has anyone flown this plane and what weird quirks
await me in the air or ground.. or any other info that might be helpful

RE: Beginner Question
 

Don't know about the plane, but about that engine--make sure the plastic back-plate stays tight. You'll have to re-tighten it every now and then. Also, be careful pulling and replacing the fuel line--that plastic nipple on the remote needle isn't very tough...

RE: Beginner Question
 

While I have been out of a trainner for quite a while I have seen many of these planes fly. They are what they are intended to be a trainner. I havent seen any bad tendencies with them but then again any trainner that has bad tendencies most likley wanst put together correctly and has nothing to do with the quality of the ARF. As far as build goes sorry I cannot help but like I said I have never heard of anything bad. Good luck should be fun.

RE: Beginner Question
 

Make sure the engine can idle good on the ground, other than that, I have no idea on the plane. I GUARUNTEE ifyou can't idle on the ground for more than 20 seconds, you WILL deadstick your first flight. :Dhappened to me.

Good day

RE: Beginner Question
 

so far all controls are working well.. engine has had 3 tanks through it and idles great

RE: Beginner Question
 

Don't be tempted to go out and taxi it in a praking lot or anything like that. Many have and wrecked their planes without ever flying. Be sure your instructor gives the plane a good look over before you fly. A good instructor will do that without asking.

RE: Beginner Question
 

Oh have I had that urge to go out and play with it.. but I have refrained from such.. was down at the local flying club today--checking it out.. did have the plane up to the hobby shop..owner flys R/C's .. so has been checked out and has a go for takeoff.....
now its just setting up for instruction...

RE: Beginner Question
 

The AeroStar is a super plane and if set up according to the instructions you won't have any problems. I have taught on more of them then I care to count and I still own one. I also have the AeroBat and they are also great. With a 40 on the Aero Star you will be able to do some aerobatics when the time comes, just don't rush it.
Check with your instructor and see if he would mind you taxing it around WITHOUT the wing, that way it doesn't get airborn. But that still doesn't mean it won't CRASH if you aren't carefull.
If you do this, put something over the wing saddles so fuel, dirt etc. doesn't get inside, we use an old plastic bag. ENJOY!!!!!

RE: Beginner Question
 

Ahhh finally someone who has flown this plane.. thanks for the info.. have not done the balancing yet.. is there an easier way than what the manual says...ie: hold the plane on the datum points with your fingertips... come on this plane is way too big to do this that way... but also am not willing to pay the 30 bucks plus to get a balance stand... maybe im wtong... lord knows it wouldnt be the first time..

RE: Beginner Question
 

Do a search you can make one very easily You Need a wooden base two dowels and the erasers from two pencils

RE: Beginner Question
 

Not sure what you mean by the plane is too big to balance. You hold the plane up under the wings near the fuselage at the cg point. I cut 2 round pieces of electrical tape and stick them at the cg point about 1 1/2" out from the sides of the fuselage. Have the nose of the plane pointed toward you and you can feel where the tape is and lift on the "marked spots" with your finger tips. I look for a slight nose drop of about 1 to 1 1/2" which has worked well for me. When the CG is ok, just remove the 2 pieces of tape. Just a note: for high wings, check the cg with the plane upright. With low wing planes, check the cg with the plane inverted. Does any of this help?[8D]

RE: Beginner Question
 

What do you mean too big to do this way? I do 14 foot wing planes on my finger tips. I wouldn't waste the money on a ballancer. Put your finger on the under side of the wing close to the fuse where it says on the plan and pick it up. Whats hard about that?

RE: Beginner Question
 

I'm confused, the manual said to balance my high wing tower trainer upside down? Is this wrong?

RE: Beginner Question
 

In resonse to the balancer finger tips are not acurate by any means. However you need to look at what are you balancing. A trainner being 3/4 of an inch off isnt going to make the plane uncontrolable to an experienced piliot who should maiden any new commers plane. However 1/4 of an inch on a Funtana 90 can either tame it or spice it up quite a bit. I balanced my F90 twice once on my finger tips and the second investing in a balancer. No regrets I found i was indeed off and needed to move my CG around. As for low wing planes being inverted to balence its just to make it eaiser and a bit more acurate. Having the fuse below the wing when balancing is recomended.

RE: Beginner Question
 

I will double check my c/g with the plane upright. I'm just curious. I had a heck of a time getting it balanced. But it seemed to fly OK today.

RE: Beginner Question
 

ok so now Im getting the idea of how to balance the plane... sorry if question sounded stupid... but this is my first full
build and have never flown or built before.. so some things that you old timers take for granted can seem a bit intimidating
to a newby... anyway.. thanks for all the valuble info

RE: Beginner Question
 

Hey thats what we are here for.... Good Luck

RE: Beginner Question
 

Actually we are glad that you asked. Its better to know that your plane is balanced before taking it to the field. I am sure that the instructors will appreciate it also. Any other questions, feel free! :D

RE: Beginner Question
 

Old Timers?

Watch it, or I'll hit you with my cane! :D

RE: Beginner Question
 

Minn,

You can't hit him with your cane, remember, I borrowed it in Toledo and haven't sent it back because it's a really nice one.

Oh that's right I forgot, memory is the second thing to go in us old timers :D that's why you didn't remember. :)

HAW...

RE: Beginner Question
 

I use a walker to get to my cane. That is if my seeing eye dog will lead me there. Type louder, I don't hear so well anymore either.

RE: Beginner Question
 

ok, ok didnt mean to offend anyone with the "old timer" comment... but im sure you have lots more time
in the air than I do.... hence the comment...

RE: Beginner Question
 

I was just bustin' ya skyric

Now if only I could remember who I loaned my cane to...

:D

RE: Beginner Question
 

skyric

No apology needed, really. We're just messing with ya...

We know we are...crap...what do you call it...oh yea...old timers and as such we are prone to forgetting things like our names, who we loaned our canes too :), and certain body parts no longer have the enthusiasm that it once did even though the mind still thinks about it every few seconds, now if I could only rmemeber what that was called...:D

RE: Beginner Question
 

Some of us never expected to live this long anyway. Some of the things I've been thru I should have been killed years ago.