3CH for a newbie
 

I'm wondering if the PZ Super Decathlon is a good starter for someone just getting their first 3 channel bird. After reading the revie by Greg Covey, I thought it would be a great choice for sure, but a few (more experienced flyers than me) have steered me away from it. A few of them quote the power issue as a detractor. I was really attracted to the dual mode system that allows for rudder and elevator mixing until I get my "wings". Any help here? I don't mind lazy circles until I'm really ready for acrobatics or a 4 channel bird. My wife is buying one for Christmas, and I'd hate for her to get something I won't be ready to fly. Any advivce?

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

ok i'm an instructor i wouldn't recommend the aircraft for a beginner or a 3 channel radio either.
one of the hardest students i had, learned on a 3 channel. then joined our club with a 4 channel and wanted to learn. well he brought flying knowledge but i had to teach him all over again with ailerons. he was hard to teach cause he kept reverting back to his old ways. finally made progress when he just forgot everything and learned 4 channel (ailerons).
you need a trainer to learn on slow and forgiving with an instructor.
good luck this is a great hobby just start off right and you'll be hooked for life

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

Jetmech...Thanks for the input, I appreciate it. I have tried twice to join a club (there are two prominent ones in this area) and have really felt shut out. Once it was for planes, and once for helis. There seems to be an overabundance of attitude, and the most available advice is the one that tells you that "you didn't buy the right plane" or "we don't do electrics here", so I have to teach myself for the most part. I read over 30 user reviews on the J3 Cub by PZ, and most people with no experience said it was a good trainer. What about that one? Think I have a fair shot at success? I see your point about 3channels vs. 4channel flying, and recognize the difference. I really enjoy scale flying, and as far as acrobatics is concerned...I might get a warbird and do a few loops and rolls when I'm ready for that and I know it's still a bit down the road for me. Right now, I'm content with just adding elevator control to the skills I have now.

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

the thunder tiger sparky (electric) or scooter (glow), same plane slow easy rudder,elevator, throttle, 3 channel is all you need to cruise around and get a feel for flying if our going on your own here...they are at quantum models in arf form or I think rtf...Rog
If you "have" to do it on your own I would go with a GWS pico stick but get a good radio(at least 4 channel) set...not a radio that you have to buy 8 AAs for but one with a radio and receiver battery charger included....Rog

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

Helo-watt,
Welcome to the addiction. Hopefully we can help you get up and in the air. Seeing the above statement should speak volumes. The people with no experience are saying this, but you have to remember that they have no point of reference to base their statements on. Listen to the instructor you've spoken too. The planes that you are considering aren't very good trainers. The decathlon is a very maneuverable plane and can be a handful for a beginner. Also, Cubs are notoriously tricky to fly and once again can be a handful. On your side though, because they are park flyers they will fly slower and tend to have less damage when crashed than bigger models do.

My recommendations would be to try and find a plane designed as a trainer. As an instructor I can't even begin to count how many times I've had new people show up at the field wanting to learn on planes that aren't trainers. The instructors that are telling you that the plane isn't a good choice aren't trying to be mean, they are just telling you that the plane you have chosen isn't a good plane to learn to fly on.

Hope this helps

Ken

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

Apparently, I needed to use bold print on the last two sentences of my [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_display.cfm?article_id=492]Decathlon review[/link].

Since the plane flies true to its scale heritage, I recommend it for intermediate to advanced fliers only. The Super Decathlon is a good way for seasoned pilots to enjoy a stress-free outing in the backyard or just down the street!

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

Helo-watt --- Go back to the local club and get to know the folks there, don't let your first contact with a few make your decision as to what the rest are like. Most clubs have a couple people that are hard to get along with and they are the ones you just avoid !! , the rest of the club is probably a good bunch.
The clubs help will be worth any small amount of grief you may get from a couple of people. Spend some time just looking and talking and see what comes of that and take the bad as a GRAIN of salt and go on.
The help you get from a club will be worth it's weight in gold, you just have to work with them a bit. They will help you get the right plane and other things you need and then will help you learn to fly ( properly and safely ) at the least cost. ENJOY !!! RED

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

My first two planes were 3 channel birds: GWS Slow Stick followed by the Great Planes BLT.

Third plane was the 4 channel GWS Estarter and I can't say that I had problems with the transition to 4 channels. On a three channel plane, the rudder is set up on the right stick anyway, so the only thing you need to learn when you fly 4 channels is to ease up a bit on the right stick in a turn to stop the bank and add a bit of rudder to coordinate the turn.

I learned on my own. Lots of time on a simulator and then the Slow Stick on dead calm days.

Good luck!

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

WOW, Thanks for all the input guys...that was a great response. Looks like I have a lot of homework to do. Maybe the plane will have to wait until after Christmas. Admittedly I was hoping to get away with one of those "all-in-one" deals from Park Zone. I've had two of their planes and really enjoyed them. Armed with new knowledge, I think I can steer her in the right direction, or at least know what to get when I return the one she gets to the hobby shop. Thanks again everyone...more updates when I get the new plane.

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

I wanted to get involved in RC flying since I was a kid. However I
really didn't want to build the plane. I didn't have the skills, and if I
crashed it my first time out, after all that work, I would be crushed.
Fortunately today you don't have to build to fly.

I started flying in March of 2003. I went the R-T-F route. I think this is
such a great way to get started.

After several months of research, I decided to start with an electric
parkflyer. I looked at lots of planes and packages and selected the Aerobird.

The new version, the Aerobird Challenger, is even better. I recently added one
of these to the hanger. It has two flight modes - Sport for the beginner or
relaxed flyer and expert for the more advanced or aggressive flyer.

HobbyZone AEROBIRD CHALLENGER
THREE CHANNEL ELECTRIC PARKFLYER

Very inexpensive and rugged for a three channel starter - $140
The plane comes complete and fully assembled. Charge the flight battery with
the included 12 V peak charger, put on the wing, put the included batteries in
the transmitter and up you go! With a little throttle management you can get
flights of 12-15 minutes on a battery.

In addition to being a fun parkflyer, the plane glides very nicely. We
thermal soar the Aerobirds at our glider club field. This is a very versatile
plane.

If you are interested I have written up a tips sheet on how to fix and tune
the Aerobird.

Here is a review of the Aerobird Challenger
http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/Disco...ID=1289#Page01
On these pages you will find Videos of the Aerobird in flight
http://www.parkflyers.com/html/aerobird_video.html

With 350+ flights between my Aerobirds I love them. I recommend the
challenger to new flyers. It has been a great stepping stone to other planes
and other kinds of flying.

Other RTFs that make good first planes

The Multiplex Easy Star, another RTF - There are several at our field. They fly very well.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFXV0&P=7

For about $180 you get everything you need to fly. This plane is made of a
foam that is pretty rugged and easy to fix. The Easy Start is more of a park
glider as it is larger than the Aerobird and has characteristics that should
make it a better glider than the Aerobird Challenger but can still small
enough to be flown as a electric parkflyer.

The T-Hawk, is another popular RTF at our club. You can also
get a version that will work with standard radios. Add your receiver and off
you go.
http://www.readytoflyfun.com/thawk3chrtf.html


From Electric Park Flyer to Sailplane - my second plane

THE GREAT PLANES SPRIT SELECT RTF 2 METER SAILPLANE -

After parkflyers, I discovered sailplanes. It turns out there are RTF
sailplane packages too. The Spirit Select comes completely assembled with all
the electronics installed. It includes a 72 MHZ
three channel radio which is branded Hobbico, but it is really a Hitec radio.
This was my first glider. I loved learning to soar with the Spirit and
continue to fly it often today.

Here is a link to the site where I purchased it. You can get it for $159
complete!
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXVK55**&P=7


Both of my Aerobirds and the Spirit have been a pleasure. I would recommend
them to anyone starting out in electrics or gliders who would like to go the
ready-to-fly route rather then building. I now have many other planes, but
these are the ones that really got me started, and I still enjoy flying them
today.

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

That's only part of what needs to be learned to transition from 3 to 4 channels. One also needs to learn to use the left stick for ground steering and while landing. For some this is easy, for others, it takes work.

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

Chuck, you are assuming a runway. Our AMA field has no runway suitable for smaller planes. Virtually all planes are hand launched. But I would guess all have wing loadings of under 18 oz/sqft. I agree this is a good skill to develop, if you have the facility for it. But after 1500+ flights I have only done 2 ROG flights that I can recall. Fun for sure, but not practical where I fly.

A lot of the small electics are flown from hand launch for this very reason, no runway needed. In fact many don't even bother with landing gear. Just flips the plane over. I belly land all of mine on the grass.

This can be one of the attractions of the small electics, less need for developed facilities. Another operating expense you can avoid with the smaller planes. I presume small glow planes can be hand launched this way as well. I don't know what the practical cut-off is.

I launch 5 pound 3 Meter sailplanes from a hand launch, but the wing loadings are under 12 oz/sq ft. I would not try that with a 25 oz/sqft plane.

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

I understand that and agree. Since this is a general beginners forum, I wanted to clarify for those with a bit more space. Eventually, I'll get my Slow Stick put together so I can fly in my backyard, there will definitely be no ROG there.

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

wow I'm sorry you had a rough go of it at the local clubs. Perhaps you caught the guys at a bad moment. i've heard the same thing about my club a few times. and i can't imagine anyone not feeling welcome where i fly.
I We always try and go out of our way to talk to visitors. Try again, go and watch and get to know the folks first. ask questions those guys are going to be good friends i promise.
Learn to fly, have a ball its really more than a hobby.
I'm tellin you if i don't get to fly after a week or so my thumbs begin to ache. i'm going to fly today with one of my former students. i haven't flown in 2 weeks cause of the weather and due to a death in the family, im as excited as a little kid.
good luck emial me if you wish. too bad your not in virginia i'd take you on as a student

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

helo-watt,
Give the clubs a second chance. It's kind of like the old saying "you can't judge a book by the cover." Get in and spend some time with them and then see if you like them.

We have a guy at our field who had "done everything" and "used to be a competition level pattern pilot". But when he flies he can barely get up and get back down. I'll be generous and say that he has a habit of stretching out the truth. Yes, he tells some tall tales. Anyway, he loves to get over to people who show up at the field to look. He will talk their ears off about how to do this and how to do that. We usually try to watch him when he does things like this and one of us will go over and try to get into the conversation. We do this because our guys likes to tell new people how "hard it is to do this", he does this so that he looks better because he can do it (barely). Anyway, we know that he's scared a few people off from flying because he told them it was so hard.

My point above was that you can't always tell from talking to one or two people. Get in and meet more people from the club. Especially meet the instructors, because they will be who you spend a lot of time with as you start flying. If after meeting them all you still don't get a good feeling about the club, then by all means move to another club. Also, don't think that they are laughing at you because you are new and make mistakes. Remember, we were all new fliers at one time or another. I have a joke that I share with my students. I tell them that when they are learning to fly nobody will give them a hard time about mistakes while flying (you know, rough landings, missed approaches, lousy looking loops, etc....) while they are still training, but as soon as they solo they are fair game for all the ribbing and kidding around. :D:D

Hope this helps

Ken

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

Hey everybody, MERRY CHRISTMAS. Thanks again and again for all the support. You guys are truly great ambassadors to this hobby. After doing a little more homework and question asking, I will be going with the Aerobird Challenger (thanks AEAJR). According to the pros at the LHS, Hobby Zone/ ParkZone's tiered skill level system is a good alternative to one-on-one instruction, although that's still the preferred method. RCKEN: you're right about the clubs, I'm sure I'm rushing to judgement there, it's just that Im 0 for 2 at two different clubs, and I have a GREAT flying field about half a mile from my house. I also have a lake across the street, which prompted my wife to give me an R/C boat (isn't she wonderful?). It's no plane, but the thought that she went to the shop, asked a bunch of questions and came back with a nice set-up...ho friggin ho buddy. So, I'll check back in when the ABC is purchased. The Blade CX is still going strong, and I'll soon be "graduating" to a CCPM machine. This R/C stuff is worse than crack I swear...

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

Hello all. I got an Aerobird Challenger, and FINALLY got it in the air. It's been pretty gusty around here, so I was grounded by weather delays. This morning I finnaly got it up in the air! I'm glad I picked up a slow & lazy 3 ch bird. I found a little difficulty at first remembering that "up is down and down is up". Thankfully I was three mistakes high, as the saying goes. After a few wide circles around the pattern I got the hang of it and was able to control the plane nicely. I'm sure I'll be here of a while, as i don't want to advance to a more capable plane until I've truly mastered this one. I'll keep yopu posted of my adventure (or lack thereof..lol).

RE: 3CH for a newbie
 

Luv that Aerobird Challenger!