plane advice
 

hi guys

ok, so im really looknig into RC planes, ive found a local club (which i never knew existed) and when i phoned the admin he told me to call him nearer april/may time when its flyable weather and maybe i could come to a meet, get a few tips and maybe even a lesson on a buddylead.

so anyway, ive got my eye on a nice package at my local hobbyshop

http://www.canyoudiy.com/index.php?c...ew&prodID=8903

A: Seagull boomerang High-wing Trainer - Reviews have said that teh landing gear needs strengthening, but how do i go about this without shifting the CG/balance?

B: RMX 40 engine - its cheap, looks alright for a trainer but is it worth taking the risk buying a cheap engine? (its made by Ripmax)

C: futabe 6EXAP radio set - it may be a very reliable set, but would i be able to use a GWS "Dream Starter" packae to save me a bit of £££? [link=http://www.canyoudiy.com/index.php?cont=view&prodID=611](CLICK HERE for GWS Package)[/link]

RE: plane advice
 

198 lbs comes out to @ $386 USD. While not cheap it's probably a good deal in England as I know your prices run a bit higher there.
Seems like a fair starter deal and a GOOD radio to continue with.

I would NOT go with GWS as I have heard some not so good things about them although I have no first hand experience with them.

http://www.ripmax.com/item.asp?itemi...0&Category=080
looks to be a fair ball-bearing ABC engine. Again we don't have them here so hard to give an evaluation.

As for strengthening the gear. Could change to heavier wire or flat metal plate style. Any changes in CG would have to be corrected of course but that should be easy. NEVER trust that an RTF is balanced when you get it anyway. It always needs to be checked.

RE: plane advice
 

ok... so is it jsut as simple as bolting a bit of ally to the LG structure and sticking a bit of lead in the nose?

RE: plane advice
 

No, you would REMOVE the existing main gear and replace with something like this.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXBNA5&P=7
Disregard the nose strut shown in picture.

Add lead to nose? Or maybe to tail. Depends on how the balance is.

RE: plane advice
 

Wild Foamy, what club did you join? That shop is very local to me.

I fly at Blyth, Gosforth Park and the Town Moor.

RE: plane advice
 

Try moving the battery forward or aft as far as you can before adding any dead weight. when and if you do add lead weight put it as far forward or aft as you can. (the farther out you place the weight the less weight you will need.)
It is ok to be a little bit nose heavy on your trainer but real bad to be tail haevy.

RE: plane advice
 

Hi

The planes and radio will be fine, forget the engine get an OS46 la instead.

http://www.sussex-model-centre.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=983

http://www.inwoodmodels.co.uk/system/index.html


Simon

RE: plane advice
 

well a complete set (with futaba 6EXAP Radio gear, seagull boomerang trainer and a RMX 40 engine) comes to £200 which is my limit.

by using the GWS radio it would save me quite a bit of £££ which i could spend on maybe a better engine (OS 46LA) and some better landing gear

RE: plane advice
 

Before making any modifications to the landing gear, try to hook up with a local flyer who can look at the model and advise you. If the issue is with the actual landing gear wires, let them bend on bad landings and just bend them back for the next flight. "Weak" wires are not all bad; they absorb shock that otherwise might break the wood. If the "weakness" is really the wood mounting blocks, getting hands-on help will help you strengthen it the best way, which can vary from plane to plane.

RE: plane advice
 

i have phoned a local club and they have advised me to come down to a meet and chat with a few of the lads and see what they think :D

but at teh moment it is miserable weather on this side of the pond... have to wait until april or may time until i can fly...

RE: plane advice
 

It's not peachy keen over here either.[:@] But it's improving.

RE: plane advice
 

What club did you contact mate?

RE: plane advice
 

I was looking at the ads for the LHS in your first post and see that he's asking 12 lbs less money for the 46 LA than the 40 LA. 46 better engine and cheaper? No brainer there. 46 is the way.

You could also save another 15 lbs with the futaba 4 channel FP4YFN radio. Still better than the GWS.

Plane 50
engine 55
radio 110
Total = 215 VERY close to your stated limit. can't you save a few more pounds by spring?

RE: plane advice
 

If you have a low budget, it might be a good idea to start with electrics. 4 years ago when I turned 16, I started with a multiplex Twinstar. Great fun and quite steady to learn on.

RE: plane advice
 

the Twinstar does look nice, but this is my first ever plane and i think perhaps a twin would be a bit too big

i liked the idea of nitro because they smell nicer and they seem a lot more stable as they are not made of foam (well... some are)

RE: plane advice
 

and the club i contacted was in Hungerford, cant remember what it is called


anyway, ive made myself a neat little list:

Seagull Boomerang/Arising star - £50
Skysports 4 Radio set - £110
OS 46LA - £55
Model Technics Qwikfire 10% fuel - £12
10x6 Props - £0.00 (JPgale sent me some a while back)


i already have a glow start and all teh right kit to start it