recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Would anyone suggest a good electric flier to work with prior to buying a H9 P-51 PTS? I would just like to get a park flier first with some kind of training software that can be used with a real controller.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

I learned to fly on a 4ch Parkflyers.com "Begin-Air"

I later progressed onto a H9 Alpha 40 with much success. After a few months i went on and purchased a H9 Mustang PTS. The Begin-Air prepared me for both the Alpha and Mustang PTS. You can get it in a ARTF package on ebay. You just have to supply your own transmitter and receiver.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...Picture257.jpg

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Hello. First of all do you have an instructor? I hope so. My experience with the cheapo electrics is limited but I have had a few. I had the ParkZone J-3 Cub. I do not recomend this one for a beginner. I now have the ParkZone P-51, again I do not recomend it to a beginner. I bought my dad and uncle Megatech Freedom Flyers for Christmas and was impresses with them. It is a real 4 ch radio and it accepts the old style Futaba round port trainer cable. When I hooked my dad and uncle up to the buddy box we had no trouble I could not get them out of.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

I was thinking more of a RTF plane.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Check out the wattage cessna 180 RTF package. It's a good 3ch parkflyer that can be picked up for $140.

the 4ch Begin-Air RTF package i believe goes for $160.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

I do not have an instructor. I was hoping to toy around a bit with something cheap to see if I wanted something more and then maybe join a club and get an instructor when I get ready to fly something of more value $$$.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

That instructor will save you enough in repairs and replacement to pay your club dues, AMA membership and your "next plane".

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Probably good advice I'm sure.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

I just did a search for an instructor for Missoula, Mt and the nearest instructor is 145 miles away.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Inexpensive park flyers aren't as good of an investment as they seem to be when you're first learning to fly. The problem is usually the wind. Missoula, MT might be the "dead calm" capitol of North America, and wind won't be a problem for you. Here in Nebraska where I fly, it's too windy 95% of the time to fly a small park flyer.

I was like you during the spring of 2005, mini14gb. I was intrigued with the idea of R/C flight, but I didn't even know that we had flying clubs around here. I also thought that a glow-powered aircraft would be complicated and expensive and too far advanced for my skills.

I bought a Hobbyzone Aerobird Challenger at my local hobby shop. The folks at the hobby shop told me that would be a really good plane to learn to fly with. That was also the last time I took their recommendations on which plane to buy. I spent more time crashing and repairing my Aerobird Challenger than I ever did flying it. It was difficult to keep "trimmed out" properly because of the plastic tail screws and fishline used for controlling the plane. I spent a lot of money replacing wings, tail assemblies, and propellers as well.

After a couple of months of flopping around like a fish on the sand with my Aeroturd, somebody told me there was a "flying club" that flew out at a local park. I went out there to check them out, and they let me go for a "training flight" on one of the club glow trainers. It was quite an experience to actually have the plane respond to my stick inputs, and the wind didn't seem to push the plane out of control all of the time.

I joined the club almost immediately and bought myself a Nexstar Select RTF to train with. A couple of months later, after I'd been training with my glow plane for several weeks, I discovered what I'd learned helped me fly my Aerobird quite a bit better as well.

I spent $130.00 plus tax on that Aerobird Challenger, and the whole thing was trashed before the end of my first flying season. I paid $339.98 for the Nexstar through Tower Hobbies. The Nexstar was crashed, and then repaired, and then crashed again. I could have replaced the fuselage and kept flying it, but by then I'd solo'd and moved on to sport planes. The Nexstar's engine and radio system were moved to other glow planes and I still fly with them to this day. I have no doubt that the Nexstar was a much better investment than the Aerobird.

If you really want to just try throwing around an electric park flyer RTF system, my advice is to spend as little as possible. The Firebird Scout at $49.99 will give you a taste of how much fun R/C flying can be, but again you'll need calm wind conditions for flying it. My Aerobird Challenger was almost three times the price, and it was still only barely flyable in 8 to 10 mph winds.

Consider the following items for sale at eHobbies.com:

http://www.ehobbies.com/ttr4523-f12.html

http://www.ehobbies.com/ttr3002.html

$229.99 will buy you a complete, ready-to-fly Thunder Tiger Tiger Trainer .40 MKII with TT GP-42 engine and radio system completely pre-built and requiring only final assembly. An additional $29.99 will buy you a complete field kit with glow ignitor and charger, fuel pump kit with fuel line and bottle cap, 4-way glow/prop wrench, and chicken stick. This airplane and field kit can provide you with years and years of fun, dependable service for about the price of two run-of-the-mill electric RTF planes.

http://www.thundertiger4u.com/images/TTR4523-MKII.jpg

My advice is dive into this hobby with both feet. Spend your money wisely instead of learning to crash before learning to fly. Learning to fly a glow plane at an AMA chartered club will teach you more quickly and more safely than throwing around an electric park flyer on your own. You'll also have instant access to club members with the expertise to help you with mechancal issues and needed maintenence and repairs.

Whatever you decide, good luck and feel free to post back here for any additional help or questions that might arise.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

A lot of clubs with training programs don't necessarily have registered intro pilots. Duane Felstet or Ed Lovrien can certainly recommend a local R/C pilot to help you with flight training:

BIG SKY THUNDERBIRDS
District: XI
NUmber: 882
Type: Radio Control

Contact Information:
Contact: DUANE FELSTET
Phone: 406/626-4425
Address: 15655 MULLAN RD
MISSOULA, MT 59802-9193

BITTERROOT RC CLUB
District: XI
Number: 1900
Type: Radio Control

Contact Information:
Contact: ED LOVRIEN
Address: 4932 CHRISTIAN DR
MISSOULA, MT 59803
e-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.geocities.com/bitterrootrc

If Duane or Ed is unable to help you, contact the folks at The Treasure Chest in Missoula and see if they know a few of the local pilots:

The Treasure Chest
(406) 549-7992
1612 Benton Ave
Missoula, MT 59801-7818

You have local help all around you in Missoula. Believe me, if you really want to learn to fly, the local club members will be very happy to offer training, advise, and opinions to help you out and guide you. Of course, you can still decide to smash up a couple of park flyers on your own first. Just save these numbers for once that course of action starts to frustrate you later. Good luck!

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

BigEd thanks for the excellent advice and links. You just may have sold me on that trainer. That seems much more exciting than an electric plane. I have toyed with the notion of RC planes for years but have never jumped in. I do really like the concept of the Hanger 9 Mustang PTS do you think that is to much plane? I like that fact that it comes with training software that can be used with the remote.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

I think the Hangar 9 Mustang P-51 PTS is perfectly fine for a first plane as long as you find a local instructor to help you out. I know several folks at the local clubs who just started flying last spring and bought the P-51 PTS as their first plane and then solo'd successfully.

I chose the Nexstar as my first glow plane in no small part because of the included flight sim. It's a great tool for practicing your flying and can be quite a comfort when your "training night" gets rained out. The Hangar 9 P-51 PTS comes with a nice JR computer radio, the flight sim, and a high quality ball-bearing motor. If it had been available when I decided to buy my first glow trainer, I probably would have gotten the P-51 PTS instead of the Nexstar.

Both the Nexstar and the P-51 PTS are fairly pricey. I like to point to the Thunder Tiger super combos because they're high quality planes at a bargain price. Glow aircraft don't HAVE to be expensive. Once you see all of the wildly exciting options that are available to glow pilots, however, it's hard to control the urge to try three of everything! :D

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Yeah I definitely need an instructor. I have read on other websites that people who have played a lot of video games seem to do quite well (familiarity with remotely controlling objects ect.) and sometimes solo there first day. Is that true? If that’s the case I may do well but I still need to be safe. I'm not rich but I don'tmind the extra for the Hanger 9 P-51.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

I'm a pretty rabid video game player myself, but it took a fair number of lessons for me. I had to learn how to fuel my plane, how to keep my plane from ballooning when turning into the wind, how to tune my engine, how to tighten my prop correctly, how to keep my trim stripes from peeling away from my fuselage... well, you get the idea. Our flight training program didn't just teach me the basics of R/C flight. I probably could have gotten that down within a few lessons. The training taught me how to operate my airplane in a consistent and safe manner all the time, and I wasn't certified to solo until the club instructors felt comfortable with me flying alone next to them while they were with other students.

Flying is probably the easiest part of this hobby to learn. You not only have to be a pilot, but also a mechanic and builder/repairer as well. Learning how to operate and maintain your plane properly is at least as important as learning how to fly figure eights or making crisp 90 degree turns on your landing approaches.

Your flight instructor will teach you about the whole hobby, and not just how to take off and land. It's lessons like, "never adjust your engine from the front of your plane - only from the back" and "don't lean over the propeller arch while trying to start your plane" that are so valuable. Learning these lessons the hard way could result in you wearing an eyepatch and having to take your socks off to count to nine. That's no fun for anyone.

I'm glad you're excited by the prospect of flying the P-51 PTS, and I've only offered my advice to save you the expense of lessons I've already learned the hard way. Electric flight is fun, particularly if you can find a good indoor location for flying in bad weather, but I didn't have a good experience while trying to learn basic flight on my park flyer. Glow planes are heavier, less buffetted by wind, and respond with more control authority when you steer them. They are just plain easier to fly than lightweight electric aircraft.

Our clubs have cookouts, grill brats on training night, and have fun flies and special events all year long. I've been amazed at how many nice and funny people I've met since I started fumbling my way around this hobby a couple of years ago. As much as I enjoy the thrill and fun of flying my planes, the humor and comraderie and chops-busting that goes on at our clubs is one of the reasons I'm as excited about this hobby today as I was when it was still brand new to me.

I hope you get to experience all of the pain and joy and laughter and fun and frustration and excitement and amazement that I've experienced over the last couple of years. I'm sure you'll learn to fly quickly and the P-51 PTS will let you learn to solo and then learn aerobatics and continue to improve your flying skills for quite a while. You are embarking on one of the truly great sports that most anyone can enjoy once they make the decision to take a chance and learn what seems impossible when you're first starting out.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Hey Big,

I just bought a P-51 PTS on E-bay!! What the hell you only live once and given the foul weather and more winter ahead it will give me time to train on my PC til spring!!
Thanks for the good advice. As soon as you commented on throwing myself into it I knew you were giving good advice that I should take to heart rather than ***** foot around and feel frustrated with crappy gear. I'm contacting those local clubs tomorrow and getting this ball rolling!! Thank for all the advice esp. BigEd.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

If I had it to do over again, I'd start with an electric. Less to learn up front. The parkzone Typhoon 3D would be a good choice and you would get a lot of mileage out of it. Don't let the 3D name scare you. If you do get it, realize that it's a good idea to get decent servos and radio equipment ASAP, both of which can transfer over to the next airplane. It is $200 RTF. Good mods are HS-81's, a LiPo, I bought the DX7 and AR 6000 Rx, park 480 outrunner...you get the picture. A$200 dollar plane can get expensive, but provided you do not destroy it all in a crash, it can all go on better planes later. Plus all the bits and pieces are available. A fuselage is $28..don't ask how I know that. I'm sure lots of people have opinions on this. Not a good flier in winds over 10mph.

Doh...nevermind. You just posted before I hit ok.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Are there any good books I should buy for flying lessons?

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Congrats, mini14gb! Boy are you ever going to have fun with that P-51 PTS!

As always, post more questions as they come up.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Sure, if you want to immerse yourself in flight theory while you're practicing on the trainer, you should check out the "One Week to Solo" book and/or video:

http://www.rcflightschool.com/Solo_Manual.asp

I watched the video, and I thought it was terrific for demonstrating the "bump" as the idealized why to move the sticks on your radio system. Video gamers like myself tend to really throw the sticks around hard at first, and it makes controlling the plane a challenge because we tend to overcontrol a bit.

Tower Hobbies has the video available in VHS format. The book and tape are also available directly from www.rcflightschool.com

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Stick and Rudder is a classic book geared toward full scale flying but the principals carry over to R/C flight.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

I am new into RCing as well Mini and I am a big fan of the P-51 . I wished I would have done a little more research and found that P-51 PTS I would have bought that myself. I like the progression it offers you . You have a newbie to a skilled flier capability in that plane. Congrats and welcome to the world of RCing. Start a savings account lol.... there are tons of things to buy. It seems like when you think you have what you need, you need something else or really want to get something else. Also a simulator will be great. It helped me a ton. I have never touched a RC until now and I have been able to take the simulator experience right to the field. Makes for a more comfortable maiden flight. Good luck and welcome

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Thanks for the best wishes Wideglide. I had an RC car that cost me a ton back in the late 80's but thats about the extent of my RC experience. For years I have been interested in R/C flight but just never took the leap. I’m in with both feet now and excited to start a new hobby. I was trapping and selling coyote hides as a winter hobby (and income) and other than my motorcycles I don’t do much else in the summer or spring. I do some geocaching and hunting also
Now considering your screen name I have a feeling you may like motorcycles as well. I’m sorry that you choose an underpowered HD but I’ll ride with anyone so it really does not matter. Just breaking you up a bit. Again thanks for the best wishes. I did notice in the classifieds there is a P-51 dts in there that he says he will part with for $275 plus actual shipping if your still interested in one.

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

What a great forum. There is hardly any fight and complaining. Thanks for all the advice. I have one more question for all of you. Is there a charge for getting an instructor and if there is more than one availible how should I go about selecting one that suits me?

RE: recommendations for electric fliers?
 

Try a Slo-V it's easy to fly and control and has nice flight pattern for the money it's a good starter