Please Help Me choose
 

I been flying helicopter for about 4 years now and I think I am a pretty descent pilot but now I would like to start flying airplane but I do not know which one to choose, I do believe I can fly one I been practice in the simulator and I think I am good at it. I would like for guys to help me choose a plane that would take me from basic to advance. I do not want to buy an other one in a few weeks once I master the trainer:D. All my current equipments are JR

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

most guys that I've seen that have started on helis and get decent at them have no problems with planes. I say go for a [link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXH755&P=0]Tiger two[/link]

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

Wlouigene,
Great Planes P-51D. Harmon Rocket III. Both are easy to fly airplanes. Both are tail draggers. Both are lots of fun. I recommend a G2/G3 flight sim first, followed by an instructor on a buddy box for the first couple of flights, unless you feel competent. Good luck.

"Keep 'Em Flying!"
Flak

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

SIG Four Star
Hangar9 Ultra Stick
Any CAP 232, any size

I've been flying a .46 size Ultra Stick recently. Motor was under $100. ARF was $120. You got the radio stuff. Chuckle... this oughta bring a grin..... I'm using helicopter servos. Right up your alley. HS-475HB. They're way strong enough, and lighter than standard size, and have stronger geartrains. That Stick will do it all. It wasn't designed as a 3D but can do most of the stuff. The Hangar9 ARF was about the most complete and well done ARF I've seen in a year. It'd be a great "entry level" one for somebody like who isn't really entry level.

My CAP 232 is also a .46 size and is a good solid flyer. It'll do the pattern stuff but has no bad tendencies that I've seen.

A lot of very capable models that you might consider as "advanced" are actually good solid, steady airplanes. And most of the popular ones aren't the least bit tricky to fly, but do require just what you've already developed, attention to their being jostled around in the wind.... hand-eye coordination. You're already there.

The OS46AX is an excellent, no problem motor that pulls like a bull. It's easy to handle. It'd make a good "entry level" engine. One LHS has sold a ton of them for $95.

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

BTW, with your sim time and helicopter experience, you ought to be a shoe-in. And almost any model airplane that's a popular model will be within your capability if you learn one thing right off.

You don't have to fly most good airplanes with the throttle firewalled.

Almost all my models will HAUL ASS with their OS46AXs firewalled. But all of them will fly at about a walking pace with a gentle breeze and just a little faster in a calm. And I've handed my TX to guys who've soloed recently and are logging time on their trainers to give them the feel for a "better" airplane. I just did one thing before passing the box to them. I put the throttle at halfmast and made it very clear to them not to touch that throttle. I've yet to see anyone have trouble flying a popular model if they started off at less than flatout and they had some minimum flight time. And after they've gotten comfortable, and gotten used to the particular model's response, adding some power has been no problem.

Hey, you're gonna have a ball.
Choppers are kewl, but you ain't seen nothin' yet.

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

How good were you on a heli? If you were good enough to fly aerobatics and were comfotable in all orientations and airplane will be a snap. I would avoid a plane that tends to snap like a Giles, P51 or Cap. Also the GeeBee's are really tricky and unforgiving.

Im betting that about 3 or 4 flights on a buddy box just to get the feel of it would be all you would need. I am learning to fly helis right now and am just getting comfortable with simple aerobatics. An airplane is VERY easy to fly compared to a heli, but they will crash. I would say pick any sport or 3D plane you want up to a 50CC size except those mentioned above, get an airplane buddy to do the buddy box thing with you for a weekend and you will be in business.

My personal recommendations
Scale or 3D
Yak, Extra or an Ultimate. I would only go with the Ulti if you go gas though.. Small Ultimates can be a little snap prone until you get used to them. Extras can be a little bit snappy if you dont keep them light but they fly GREAT.

Scale Sport
Steerman, Shoestring, Extra, Cub, TaylorCraft, whatever

3D Funfly or Profile
Take your pick.

Warbird
Cant help you there,

Pattern Plane
Take your pick.

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

Thanks to all that reply but I still have more question
I was thinking about these let me know what you guys think. I would to between $500.00 to a $1000.00; I know absolutely nothing about plane so don’t piss off at me yet. I would like to buy this weekend or early next week pending your approval
[link=http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=HAN4100]Plane # 1[/link]
[link=http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=SEA96C]Plane # 2[/link]
[link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCZR7&P=7]I love this one[/link]
[link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LC1141&P=1]plane # 4[/link]
[link=http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=HAN71C]Pane # 5[/link]
[link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXH755&P=0]Plane # 6[/link]

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

Not really a plane suggestion but something to watch for. The guys I've seen jump from helis to planes have a tough time with throttle. They still have it in their mind that if they cut the throttle, it will drop out of the sky. Planes glide (for a bit any way, depending on the plane) - Just be conscious of that and don't treat the throttle like a 2 position switch :)

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

When you fly the simulator what kind of airplanes do you like ?
Are you a graceful aerobatics kind of guy or are you a 3D kind of guy ?
Do you want an ARF or would you be willing to build a plane from a kit ?
A kit plane that is very graceful and capable of any aerobatics except 3D is an Astro Hog it flies very nicely on a 70 or 90 class 4 stroke, if you want a hot dog plane this is not the one, but if you want a graceful, go where you point it plane, this is a great one, the longer I fly it the more I appreciate it. It is very easy to land too. The Venture 60 has a great reputation along these lines too, but I have never actually seen one in person. The Sig 4 Star is also similar and it is available as an ARF.
I like ARFs and for some reason I am very partial to the stick planes ... Great Planes Big Stick, Hanger 9 Ultra Stick, Goldberg Wild Stick. These planes fly very differently than the Astro Hog, on high rates they can be very twitchy, but they are still easy to land. Of the stick planes mentioned the Big Stick is probably the most durable.
I have never desired a Cap, Edge, or any the others of that type, nthing against them just not my cup of tea.
Since you are already an experienced RC pilot you probably have a good idea of the kind of fixed wing flying you want to do, before buying something "hot" find out if there is an instructor willing to teach you on the particular plane you desire.
Good luck.

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

In the time it took me to write the first message I see you have posted links to planes you are considering.
If it is not a problem to transport i would go for the largest wingspan plane on the list.
The one with wheel pants will be a pain in the rear on grass runways so if this is a factor go pantless for your first plane.

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

Hi Wlouigene,
Go with #5 that will be the plane for you. I know you like the Lancair but wait and make that your second if you are successful with the first. The Lancair flies really nice but it might be to much to start with. The instructor is a must!

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

I pick the Funtana.

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

I dunno, the Funtana is a plane that is a BLAST to fly but its prone to tipstall if you slow it down too much and you dont know how to fly in high alpha. I dont think its any easier to fly than that Lancair would be. Both are probably for a person that is a good compotant pilot. An experienced heli pilot could probably transition to either pretty quicky as long as they fly on a buddy box until they get comfortable.

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

Yes it's true that you have lots of experience on helis, and this will help you out a lot as you transition to planes. But you still need to get a plane that is a bit forgiving and can take a little bit of abuse. There will still be a learning curve that you'll have to overcome, it just won't be as steep as a total RC newcomer. With this in mind I would say that out of your list of possibles either of the Tigers would be outstanding choices. IHMO the Goldberg Tigers are great planes. They do great in the air, can do just about everything the pilot can ask it to do, and when it comes time to land they slow down and land like they are on a wire. The Funtana and a few of the others can be a bit tender and won't take abuse very well.

Hope this helps

Ken

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

This one is closer to a trainer than most of the others. But it isn't really. Its good point is that it'll take an OS46AX.

The PC-9 I've seen is FAST. And maybe not the hottest at aerobatics. Not really an all-round flyer.

This Lancair is probably going to be like the PC-9. More good looks than all-round flying.

This Tiger is a kit. You build it. It's a good 2nd airplane though. A FourStar is a parallel to this one.

The Funtana will take some competence. Hey, we've suggested you won't have a hard time learning. Nobody has said you're going to be a hot shot pilot from the gitgo. This Funtana takes more "hot shot" than you'll probably have to begin with.

BINGO!!!!!! this sucker is a good flyer. And if you put an OS46AX on it, I think the whole package will work from the gitgo and hang in there to help you develop some skills after you get past the primary phase.

BTW...... you've jumped around a bit in your size choices. I'd suggest that you save the big planes for later. The 46 size planes nowadays are a good place to start. The motors are decent (especially the OS46AX) and the size is what used to be 60 size back in the day when everyone was told that the best starter was a 60 size trainer. If you start too big, you're actually going to miss some important flying lessons. The bigger they are, the easier they are to fly. And that's actually not so good. You actually should learn to fly in the wind. And the smaller planes will teach you that way better and sooner than the big ones.
BTW..... I'm fairly sure there is a 46 size Funtana somewhere. So when you want a 2nd plane or if your Tiger2 wears out, you can swap it's motor to a Funtana.

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

I'd be willing to bet that as Mike said with just a couple buddy box flights you would have no problem with any of those planes but the Funtana. They can be a bit of a handfull I hear & are pretty fragile. Of course with 4 yrs of Heli under your belt you may find even the Funtana with-in your ability. I'm not quite there yet & can't even begin to fly the Heli's in my sim.

My personal favorite of the planes you listed is #1 That new Pulse from H9 looks just like a 40 size version of my Dragon Lady. The color is different but the lines of the plane are allmost identical. My Dragon Lady with a Saito 100 on it flies very well. It can be very docile & a gentle low-wing Trainer type plane with the rates set low or it can be very aerobatic as well at higher control rates.

I think in your case it pretty much boils down to what type of flying would you like to do, Sport, Pattern, 3D, or Military?

I know that the Cap has a bad reputation for being too snappy, I just crashed mine last week but it wasn't the Cap's fault & in the 10 flights that I did get in on her I found she was very docile & easy to fly as well as land on low rates with very little elevator, a tip from Bubbagates about starting out with the elevator turned down real low made her amazingly easy to fly. If I had assembled it right I'd probably still have it today.

With the price range you put up of $500 to $1,000 you can put together a very nice plane in just about any category you like. You're definitely not limited to the 40-46 size. I'm gonna put up a link for you to Airborne Models & you can look at their planes buy category.
with a $1000 & your Jr Tx that you allready have you can actually put together one of their 28% Extra 300s or even their 50cc gas Katana.

Take a look & if your interested in one of the gassers give me a PM & I have another link for you where you can save a bundle on some very nice gas conversion engines at less than half the price of D/A or Brisson

Keep in mind when flying airplanes, bigger is better IMO, and with your stated budget you can build a pretty good size one.


http://www.airborne-models.com/


Like I said give me a PM if you want some links to help you build big for less. I've been looking into it for a long time & have found some pretty good deals.

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

Yup,,,
Im not sure what bubba told you about mitigating the snap issue on a Cap but Im sure this was pretty much it. Start out at about 12 degrees up and down. Fly the plane and do tight loops with full up elevator and do them 3 mistakes high. If it wants to snap out of the loop, land and reduce your elevator throw 1 degree at a time until it wont snap out no matter how much elevator you give. That holds true for most any plane.

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

Honestly guys I did not know that plane was that cheap I just find out I can get a lot for just $500.00. The FuntanaS 90 seem way too big for me so I think I will get this one [link=http://www.southeastrc.com/Items/StdItemView.aspx?lookup=SEA1050]Seagull PC-9[/link] instead my local hobby store carry all the spare parts so what you guys think

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

Thanks Mike, I'll have to remember that. Bill didn't give it to me in degrees but did tell me to start out real low with the elevator. Good to know that holds true with allmost any plane.

RE: Please Help Me choose
 

Hey guys my plane almost ready can you guy please take a look at the pictures to see if you guys can spot any errors. The plane is a PC-9 made by seagull
Here is what I put in it.
O.S .46AX
Hitec 425BB
JR 649 Receiver
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...Picture005.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...Picture002.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...Picture001.jpg
and this is my Runway
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...aycomplete.jpg