NOOB!!!
 

Hey guys

i am new to these airplanes. i have practise numorous hours on the flight sims.
What airplanes would you recomend my budget is $900cdn?
(websites)

Thanks

RE: NOOB!!!
 

Any high wing trainer, look at these to get an idea:
http://www.towerhobbies.com/listings/cat-cat-a.html (click on trainers .20-.50 )
$900Cdn should be enough to get you a good trainer with all the needed extras including a good flight simulator.
Search out a local club and get an instructor to help get you going.

RE: NOOB!!!
 

Mkerr,

The first thing I bought was a membership to the AMA and became a member of a local club. The benefits far outwiegh the cost. If you've done that already, the next step is to find yourself a trainer to fly (both the person and the plane). My club has a buddy box system and several great folks who are excellent trainers. I spent some time on a sim before tackling the real thing and there are some differences but the main idea is there. I didn't try landing for several flights (let the trainer do that) but while flying around, Bob (my trainer) kept telling me that I was "boring", meaning he didn't have to take the controls back from me. I take that as a compliment.

My first plane was a SIG Kadet Senior. Great flying plane. It's big but it's stable as an anvil. Great plane to learn on. Tower hobbies has the ARF for around 200 dollars and it's well worth it. i bought mine used but got all the radio equipment with it and a Saito 50 engine. Pretty much turn key. I still have it and fly it quite often. The Senior would be my vote for one of the best first airplanes. IMHO.

Andy

RE: NOOB!!!
 

instead of buying a $200 id rather go with a nice one with everything included like servos, controler etc..

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Like this one
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXMU53**&P=0

RE: NOOB!!!
 

a bit more expensive one i would perfer

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If you are thinking of an RTF package, I usually suggest the opposite. Buying the individual components will only cost a little more, but one can get better equipment. They will also gain experience by installing the engine and radio in an ARF.

The typical recommendation is to buy a .40 size ARF trainer, a good .45 size engine, and a basic 4 channel, or perhaps 6 channel computer radio.

RE: NOOB!!!
 

Chuck' s suggestions are good ones... But, if you want to spend all $900 I would go with a Sig Kadet LT40 ARF, OS .52 4 stroke and a Futaba 9CAP radio system. This would be about the best trainer system money can buy and with that setup you will be happy with it and bring it to the field often forever.... Its a VERY kick butt knock around plane and is one of the most popular trainers EVER. Its a ball with an OS .52 4 stroke, and no it is not too much engine. The radio would seriously be the last one you will ever need, PERIOD. It will support about 16 or so models. I cant remember exactly how many but its a bunch. Dont let anyone scare you away from the 4 stroke,,, its no more difficult to use than a 2 stroke, gives you more power and torque and is just an all around great engine.. If you want a really seriously awsome engine in there, go with a YS .63 and buy a less expensive radio like the Futaba 6EXA. You will come out about the same.. I still think my original suggestion would make you more than happy....

LT40 http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXFG19&P=ML $131
OS .52 4 stroke engine http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXBY59&P=ML $189
Futaba 9CAP Transmitter/Receiver http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=LXHMD2**&P=ML $389
Futaba s3010 x4 Servos http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXDTB3&P=ML $100

$800! and a kick butt setup. Plus you have $100 left over for fuel, glow plug heater, starter, battery, ,,, whatever.

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Be warned, more expensive doesn't always mean better quality. For example, the Hobbico Nexstar is $400, but before Sun_Kissed_Girl's instructor flew it, he asked that I disable the AFS, and take off the flaps. He said to leave the airfoil extensions in place. Also, the simulator is rather limited, and Sun_Kissed_Girl just comes over and steals my RealFlight Generation II when she wants to practice. :eek: The Avistar as Missleman recommended is the plane that I soloed on two years ago, and it served me well. To date, its had 15 broken propellers, one complete engine flush and rebuild, 4 crashes (one just today, dang 20MPH crosswind) and it still flies.

Some advice that I think is excellent is what Piper_Chuck said in a post about 6 months ago if I remember, and that was to buy a low cost ARF trainer (such as the [link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCAS2&P=0]Tower Hobbies Tower Trainer ARF[/link]) and a good engine and radio right in the beginning. You will gain the experience by mounting and aligning everything, and have a better engine and radio to put in a new plane once your trainer hangs from the ceiling as a trophy of your sucess. :D (Okay, the last part was mine). The reason for a low cost ARF trainer is so you can save the money toward a bigger and better plane once you outgrow the trainer.

The most important thing to know is to find a local R/C airplane club and an instructor. Otherwise, I can almost guarantee that your first flight will be less than 3 minutes in duration. Enjoy flying!

And to go along with what Mike said, if you were to go out and get the Futaba 9CAP, then I suggest to get the 9CHP just incase a helicopter makes its way into your hangar. ;) But I also suggest that you get whatever radio is most popular at your flying club, so you can have compatibilty with an instructor's radio.

And as I scroll up the thread more, I find that Piper_Chuck has already posted what I was typing in the beginning of this post, so there you go! [sm=thumbup.gif]

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Keep in mind there are other cost invovled aside from the airplane and rc equipment.
You will need a field box with glow ignitor, fuel pump and electric starter (starter is optional but is much easier than hand starting) A box kit with all this included is about $150 Cdn.
Glow fuel, about $20 ish a gallon Cdn. (figure on burning at least 4 gallons through the summer)
Club membership, prices vary. I paid $60 something for AMA and $80 for my club US dollars.
Your instructor might want some upgrades on your airplane (mine wanted me to get higher capacity batteries and a Voltwatch, spent close to another hundred for that)
Like I suggested before a good simulator will help also. (I paid $150US for Real Flight G2 from Ebay)

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Wow, someone actually reads, and remembers, things I write? [X(]

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Well, I say the 9 CAP because
1. PCM is just better if you have the money, use it and start out with a PCM receiver... Theres really no difference in setting up either. We can discuss that AGAIN in a different thread!;)
2. The CAP has the ratcheting throttle and will allow the pilot to get a reference of 1 click of throttle. When learning throttle management those clicks are a great way to get your point across about how small throttle changes should be on landing approach or when doing a given maneuver.. I would be lost without the ratchet on my planes. On my helis, I just use another transmitter to get the smooth collective, but I could use it just fine if I needed to.
And it has the EXACT same heli functions as the 9CHP. Only difference is the throttle stick on the CH is smooth, no racthet. BUT, you can turn the thingy around on the 9CAP and it can be made smooth like the CH if you really want it.

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Remember, he already has a flight sim

and if he goes with that $150 package starter set he is at $950.

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i am more looking for somthing like this
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...planes&pl=true
the first airplane in the video

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LOL, sorry, this thread exceeded my attention span.

RE: NOOB!!!
 

Ok, I'll be the contrarian here. I say something like the 4YF, because:
1. Just because he's got a $900 budget doesn't mean he needs to spend half of it on a radio.
2. The 9CAP, or any 9 channel radio, is overkill for a beginner.
3. The cost of a 4YF is only a tiny bit more than a flight pack, meaning no money wasted IF/when he stays with the hobby and buys a second radio.

RE: NOOB!!!
 

:)Im not here to decide how he should spend his money.... If he has $900 to spend and wants to spend it all thats his business, thats what he asked for. Someone already offered a less expensive option and he was not interested. I told him how to get the most for his money.

I dont disagree that he could spend a WHOLE lot less $400 and get a Nexstar system, chunk the "self righting" junk and have just as good of a system from a pure trainer perspective..... Or build an ARF and get a 4Y with everything else you need for about $500-600 and do just fine.

And the computer radio is not too much.. Especially if we are talking to a grown man here that is capable of making his own decisions. If you buy a 9C and struggle (because you didnt read the manual).. PM me, email me at [email protected] or call me on my cell and I will get you through the programming basics in about 5 minutes. Programming a 9C is a total breeze, ESPECIALLY on a trainer that only uses 4 servos. If you are sure you will stay with it and you think you will want more than 1 plane get a computer radio and be done with it. Just leave the mix functions alone until you at least clearly understand what mixes do and can actually fly a plane and know that you need a mix and you will be fine.

There are 2 roads of thought here...
1. Buy cheap and be sure you like it and want to stay with the hobby.... A great idea if you arent 100% sure.
2. Buy ONCE if you are a responsible adult that has a pretty good idea before you start if you know this is something you really want to do.

RE: NOOB!!!
 

Keep in mind guys, he has a budget of $900 CANADIAN, which amounts to about $790 USD.

RE: NOOB!!!
 

The Hobbico Hobbistar 60, http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXGHD4**&P=0
Comes with a good 6 channel radio and is tough plane. I fly at a hay field and I cartwheeled this plane a few times when it ran off the runway into the tall grass. Broke a prop, out a new one on and up in the air it goes. I love this plane. I am cutting my teeth with it. I have two more plane kits in the box but I will not even begin to build them till I am a proficient flier.

You may not want a plane like this to start out with but you really don't want to crash a $900.00 plane before you get started good. You can practice all you want on a simulator but you are in a rude awakening trying to start out with a low wing tail dragger.

RE: NOOB!!!
 

This hobby isn't about spending money one time up front. Spend $500 now on a trainer, engine, and radio, and you'll have something left for the field box, spare props, fuel, electric starter, and a bunch of other stuff you'll find you need. What you don't need at this point is a computer radio.

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High wing trainer worked for me. (Hobbico Nexstar) I bought the select version that came with everything but found myself very soon after buying a Futaba 6EXA computer radio and a lot more models. I am suprised that no one has commented on the plane in the video you posted. I believe that would be a horrible mistake to start with as it would exceed your budget and your flight time would probably be shorter than the time it took to write the check for the package. I have heard great things about the Hangar 9 P-51 PTS (Progressive Trainer System) It would probably get you ready for that kind of plane you want faster as it is a low wing tail dragger that lets you take baby steps toward acrobatic sport flying. As stated I started with tricycle gear trainer and now have a hard time with tail draggers. (moment of silence for my Seagull Decathlon...) I believe it is important to humble ourselves an honestly consider our skill level when selecting an airplane as what we think we want may not always be best for us. (another moment of silence...)

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Actually I tired to early Mon morning before I went to the Hospital, but I ran out of time & I didn't get it posted. That's looks like a Giles 202 to me, I may be wrong, but the slant of the leading edge on the wing looks more like a Giles to me than an Extra. Either way, your'e at least 4 planes away from that type of plane!


Don't make the same mistakes I made coming into this Hobby. I like Chuck's reccomendation of an ARF Trainer with equipment of your choice for the simple reason that it will give you the assembling skills you will need to know to get you into more advanced planes later. You have the advantage of learning anything you need to while assembling it right here.

Before I found RCU, the very first plane I bought was the best looking Cap 232 (IMO) I could find. I slapped it together in a hurry, having no idea how to properly install CA hinges. I did at least have enough common sense to know I couldn't just go out & fly this thing. I found RCU & got a Trainer, in fact I ended up getting two Trainers. After learning to fly on the Trainers & learning assembling & building techniques from these guys in here, I got a Dragon Lady & became able to fly that. After over a year of sitting in the closet I finally felt I was ready for the Cap. I was able to fly it with ease at this point with the control throws turned way down. As soon as I started to get comfortable with it & started to do some aerobatics with it, the elevator halves decided to part company with the horizontal stab[X(]. We all know what happened after that[:@]. Got about 10 great flights out of her & that was it.

If I had went the route Chuck's trying to steer you in now, I would still have my Cap, because I would have known how to assemble it right!!

That's a great plane in your video with a very experienced pilot at the sticks. He didn't start out that way though, he worked his way up to that kind of skill level.

Do yourself a huge favor & give Chuck's reccomendation some serious thought before you go out & waste a lot of money before you've learned the skills to keep it in one piece. Good Luck.