Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Hello, I will soon be purchasing an Avistar RTF. I'm 18 and had a Tower Hobbies trainer years ago. However, one day while cleaning the fuselage in my yard, my brother hurled an apple out his window! Well, needless to say the fuselage was destroyed :) Oh well. Nevertheless, I have decided to get back into the sport! I have always had a fascination with anything that flys!Anyway, I will be buying the Avistar RTF shortly. I was wondering, however, if anyone had a great experiece with another trainer. Although, I love the idea of the semisemetrical arifoil(in fact, I think everyone does). It's 299.99 which I think is very reasonable. It seems as if this is one of the most popular trainers out there ( though a downside; who wantS to be like the rest of the crowd?).

I was simply wondering if I should be aware of anything concerning the plane. In addition, I have a Tower Hobbies .46 from my old plane. If I feel the need for speed, could I replace the .40OS that comes with the Avistar and put in the TH.46?

ANY RESPONSES WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

great plane
 

I have an avistar ARF, with an os.40la. I'm sure the .46 wouldn't be a problem. My only suggestion would be that if you haven't flown for a long time, you might want to start again with another trainer. Although, my avistar is the first plane I've had in which I have been able to fly multiple times(without major crashes). I love it. It flies slow if you want, fast if you want, and does lots of cool aerobatics. Have fun.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Thanks for the response. Why would you suggest a different trainer?

How much is fuel these days? I have a few gallons of 15%, and remember buying it for $12 a gallon. Just wondering.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

go for it. The Avistar is an excellent plane and you should have no problems learning with it. Price is right.

You can use the .46 in the Avisar later or save it for your next plane. I have a tower .46 in a Ultra Stick and it screams!!!!!

Fuel is around $14 a gallon for 15%

avistar
 

I would suggest a different trainer, or getting someone with experience to help you, because the Avistar is not quite a trainer. Because of the assymetrical airfoil, it does fly faster and is not quite as easy to land and does modest aerobatics, whereas a trainer would be slower, and more stable. I know it is classified as a trainer, but most refer to it as an in-between. In between a trainer and a 2nd plane. A second plane usually is graduation from a trainer, and an avistar is in between these two.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

I plan on having an instruction help. Although, we all know how hard it is to find someone willing. I plan on buying a sim too. Oh welll, I just want to have some fun. I was also considering buying an electric; I won't be livid if I put it in the dirt. I appreciate your concern. I'm simply afraid that if I buy an all out trainer I will master it and become bored. :/

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Yetti, go for the Avistar but why the RTF? Use the .46 you have and use the money for a better radio. Just by the ARF Monokote version ($99) at Tower. That leaves you $200 for a radio. :D

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Find the help of an instructor and you will do fine. Once you have soloed the Avistar will keep your interest for much longer.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Hmmmm....my first plane was an ARF and it went together perfectly. It was fun to do as well. Although, I like the idea of charging the RTFt up and the next day getting it started.... running it on the ground. Plus, I'm one of those people who feel anything I do is flawed. I suppose I am afraid of messing something up. Plus, I would have to buy the epoxy etc. haha, what a lazy child I am. Beside the amount of channels, how would a better radio behoove me? I suppose once I step up with a better plane....
Thanks so much !
Your p

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

glue the wings together and the tail sections in with epoxy!!!!

The directions will not tell you this.

built it they will come
 

Look, I said before that you MIGHT want to get a different trainer. If you're going to have help, get the Avistar, but the other guy is right, get the ARF. I can't build anything, and I got the ARF. They are easy, and he's exactly right, you have an engine, then you can save money for a good radio. They one you'll get with the RTF, won't satisfy you for long. I'd be patient and build the ARF, it's only 99$! You're just getting ripped if you already have an engine and you've built an ARF before.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Well, I'll take everything into consideration. I think you may have swayed me into getting the arf. I appreciate your input...................just out of curiosity, what isn't so hot about these stock radios?

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

How would a higher % nitro fuel affect a plane requiring 15%?

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Yetti,

I run my Avistar with the OS .40LA it came with. I started out with 10%, it ran fine. After I soloed and ran down the 10%, I went up to 15% (also since it was getting colder here). Mine runs better on the 15% and seems slightly faster. You can run a .46 on this plane, I've seen them at my field. They really start to scream.

The only "problem" with the radio that comes with is that it's limiting. It's a basic 4 channel radio. Eventually you will want to move up to more channels with dual-rate and mixing capabilities. I think the previous suggestion on using the $200 for a better radio was just taking this into account.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

cwat - I put together an Avistar 40 last weekend, and the instructions said to glue the wing halves and tail sections with epoxy. I installed a O.S. .46LA in it, and had to trim the nose section to get it to fit. Otherwise, it went together very easily. Unfortunately, the temperature dropped to below zero, and we had several inches of snow, so I won't be out flying any time soon :mad: . I got a USB cable for my Futaba 9c so I can play with the simulator until the weather gets a little better.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Hi yetti, the avistar is a great trainer and allows you to do some basic aerobatics. The .46 engine is a good choice but you'll need to shift your batt pack towards the tail to get the right cg. Wouldn't the arf version be cheaper than the rtf ? It's not that difficult to put an arf together, with some basic tools........

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

I bought the RTF as my first plane and tried to teach myself and destroyed it. I didn't want to wait while I put an ARF together so I bought another RTF and got help the second time around. It is true that it doesn't take long to put an ARF together but If you have no patience like me go for the RTF.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

yea, im not going to try to fly myself... too much waiting and saving cash to destroy a plain in one flight....The arf would be cheaper, but not by much.. the plane is 100, the radio 100, engine 65 plus all of the building accesories and field eqip.. for the few extra bucks i'm willing to buy the RTF for 299....no hassle and less opportunities to make mistakes... thanks everyone for your help!

How much more powerful is the .46 than the .40... they price differnce is only slight....

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

you're right on, and you can transfer it to your second plane when you're done with your trainer

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

I was wondering if someone would mind looking at this ebay auction to let me know if it would be a good deal or not, and if the damage could be repaired.


http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI...category=19164

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Yetti, buying used airplanes is risky.

So far the price is reasonable, but the "reserve" is not met. He is not selling it for that price. I've only followed Ebay auctions a couple times but it seems they get very large prices, for what is often junk. A used engine may look good in a picture, but you don't know that it is good. A freind i fly with, bought a used trainer last week. Looked good, but turned out to be junk.

You are on the right track with the Avistar. Stay the course, and keep those apples away from your brother!

PS RC simulators are stupendous! best thing that ever happened to this sport!

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Haha. No need to worry, he's in college now! Yes, I'm going to stick with the avistar. I love the idea of a semisymetrical airfoil. I won't outgrow it too dam fast... Is the avistar relatively quick?
Can u also elaborate on the Dihedral?

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Mine was fast! It had an irvine 53 on the front! and i made a few modifications to keep the weight down. Unlimited vertical at half throttle!, i could hover it for 15 seconds or more... unfortunatly i used soft rubberbands to hold the wing last weekend :stupid: , and the wing lifted off the saddle in flight and snapped it in half. i loved that plane! :cry: so i am building another one this week.

I reduced the dihedral on my first one to make it more like a sport plane, but the standard dihedral is not enough to make it fly too much like a trainer, the roll rates can be relativley high, but you can set them for any rate you want by adjusting the pushrod positions, or if you have a computer radio, by adjusting the programming. Digital radio kicks. I think the JR 421 is around 170$?

You won't out grow it anytime soon. It is a trainer that thinks it is a sport plane. i bought mine because i teach with it, but i didn't want somthing that i would be bored flying in case my student doesn't show. The only bad thing is the main landing gear tends to sag after a few landings so you might want to add some piano wie and a spring between the wheels to boost it.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

you can use a spring or just make a "v" bend in the middle of the 2-56 piano wire brace. very effective in eliminating bent gear and reduce bouncing. I think there was a thread somewhere on this "how to take out the bounce of a landing gear" or something that sounds like that. Do a search. Otherwise I'll post a pic of mine.......

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Sounds like a cool idea.

I'd love to see a pick if you have one handy.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

All right, I know I have posted info on my plane before, but I do love it. I have an Avistar RTF version, swapped out 40LA with OS46FX with MACS Pre-Tuned Pipe. Using APC 10.5X6, probably turning about 13500-14000 RPM's. Really burns up the sky. A guy at the field said I was doing 75 mph at level flight. Unlimited vertical. Love the plane it's what I learned on, with help of local club the HAWKS. It is definately more areobatic than standard trainer. Love the extra power, I would highly recommend the 46 on this plane. You will have to rework the receiver/battery or add a little weight to the tail. You can fly this plane pretty nose heavy, it's pretty forgiving, but once I added a little lead to the tail, it seemed to really improve the flight characteristics, a lot less down elevator on inverted flight. Anyway get the Avistar, with the right engine it will scream. Pic shows Avistar on my really messy building table. You will notice the 40 la in the lower left hand corner, ran 2 tanks through it, it never saw the air. I installed an OS 46SF at first, then decided that it wasn't enough power, so stepped up to the 46FX w/ pipe. Oh well they say speed kills, but what a ride!


Allan

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Dear God, that pipe looks like a billy club! I will take everything everyone has said into consideration. I really appreciate it. I'lll let everyone know how I'm doing. I'm sure everyone will be expecting a destroyed plane... I'll stick with the stock .40 and later upgrade to a .46. Sounds like fun to me...

If only I had more money!

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Are you going to learn with an instructor, or are you going to try to go it alone? I would highly recommend an instructor. Yes the pipe is long, but wow what a power boost. I am turning 1,500 rpms more(close to 14,000) with the tuned pipe versus the stock muffler. It's really not that much more weight either.

Allan

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Well, I think I will taxi around myself, but ultimately I want to have the patience to learn with an instructor. Although, I know myself well and I will problably lift her off by myself(as dumb as it may be)

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Man you should really make sure that the first flight is with an instructor. Patience is a virtue. $300 is a lot to waste because you just couldn't wait to get flying. A couple days will not kill you, as much as it might seem like it will. Better yet, line up an instructor, and order your plane so that it's arrival coincides with your training appointment. Anyway, you say you have flown before, so you might be OK, but is it really worth it?

Allan

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Hell no its not worth it. I'm 18, and 300 bucks plus field equipment is a loooot of money!your right. To taxi it on the groud will satisfy me until i can get an instructor.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Taxi it with the wing off. or you may end up unintentionally getting it up to flying speed and taking off by accident

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

that makes sense. If it did indeed take off though, couldn't i just lower the throttle and let it settle back down?

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Not necessarily w/o a crash, You would probably be going too slow, and bad things might happen. Leave the wing off, watch out for your exhaust though, make sure it is pointed away from the plane. You don't want to soak your electronics in oil.

Allan

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

It will happen so fast your brain won't have time to tell your thumbs what to do.

Flying isn't a hard skill to master but it is a skill and as such requires some practice.

Saying just lower the throtle in the event that the plane becomes airborne and actually being able to do it are two completly different things.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

heah, im a pretty bright kid. I see your point though. I'll take it easy.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

Has absolutely nothing to do with how bright you are its a set of learned reflexes that you don't have.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

I was JOKING. I realize that.

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

My first flight on my own lasted 5 seconds.

I did learn a lot though, because my second flight (2 weeks later) lasted more than 8 seconds!!!! over 50% improvement in only two weeks!!!

There was no third flight for that plane

Purchasing Avistar! SUGGESTIONS NEEDED!
 

HEY ! YET, DID YOU FLY THAT AVISTAR YET, YOU SHOULD DO LIKE THE MAN SAY'S GET AN INSTRUCTOR OR IF YOU DO DECIDE TO DO IT BY YOUR SELF THERE'S A 86% CHANCE YOU MITE LOOSE THE PLANE,REMEMBER TWO HEAD'S ARE BETTER THAN ONE BUT IT'S YOUR PLANE DO AS YOU WISH BESIDE'S THERE'S MORE AT THE HOBBY SHOP.IF YOU HAVE DECIDED ON YOUR SEC. PLANE GET SOME THING YOU COULD HANDLE, I FOUND THAT OUT THE HARD WAY.PLANE WAS TO FAST FOR ME AND THE ENGINE I PUT IN IT HAD TO MUCH BUT I MEAN TO MUCH POWER FOR ME, BUT BY THIS TIME TODAY I HAVE GAINED MORE EXPERIENCE, & I SOULD BE ABLE TO FLY JUST ABOUT ANYTHING. REMEMBER EXPERIENCE IS THE KEY. EH! DICHO