best trainer
 

My son, who is 16, wants to get started in the hobby. What would you guys and gals recommend for his first ARF trainer? Is a size 40 better or worse than a 60?

best trainer
 

I love my Hangar 9 Aplha Trainer. The engine is so reliable. It doesn't balloon, even with the flat bottom wing. It can go inverted and what ever else you want it to do. Plus it goes together in less then an hour, and a 24 battery charge of course. It is so easy to fly wont do anything unpredictable and $300 for the plane, radio, engine, and servo's can't be beat. Here is a online review.

Alpha trainer

a million replies
 

You're going to get 100 answers of different opinions to this question. Outside of a couple of manufacturers, they all make a good trainer. For the 40 or 60 question. Although, a 60 is more expensive, I've heard that they are much easier to see and easier to tell if they are coming toward you, away from you, etc. I learned on a 40 sized Avistar, which is a little more aerobatic than a trainer, but still considered a trainer, and I loved mine. They all serve the same purpose. Slow movements, fly themselves, and land slowly.

Hope this helps.

best trainer
 

Well your going to get a million ( ok only 100,000) opinions, 4*40, Armadillo, SPAD, LT40 yada, yada, yada, ad infinitum.
Most of the ARFs are pretty good quality and will fly fine. if you like the "scale' type look go for one of the balsa/solafilm ones if you want something tough go for SPAD or Armadillo type.

ALL are good trainers

heres the SPAD Debonair i'm not sure if there are pics of some of the others.
http://http://www.spadtothebone.com/debbysmall.jpg

best trainer
 

I highly recommend the Midwest Aerostar 40. Our club was using 4 of these at one time as instruction planes. They fly great and the kit is really good. If you don't have the time to build, Falcon trading company imports the ARF version which I've heard is quite good also. For all around value, you can't beat the Hangar 9 Solo Sport. I won one of these at a raffle several years ago and have been instructing with it ever since. It has a street price of only a few dollars over $100. That's a pretty good deal.

best trainer
 

I have a Tower Trainer 60. I love it! It is easy for my 50+ year old eyes to see and it almost flys itself. I even put floats on it for use off the snow and the soft snow this summer.
I'm sure anything that maintains a proper attitude is good. My instructor just taught another fellow on a "Sturdy Birdy" and that seemed to do well too.
I have a pic of my Trainer in my gallery if you want to take a peek.
Good Luck,
AL

best trainer
 

After reading many posts entitled "best trainer" I believe the theme is that the best trainer is the one you actually learn to fly on!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you get an instructor any trainer will serve that purpose and become "your" best trainer.. Pick something in you budget and go have fun

best trainer
 

Big advantage to a .60 sized trainer, with a good 60 engine or bigger, is that you can transplant engine to a different plane. Most .40 trainers if you get combos, come with the weaker .40 engines. If get a .40 size, try putting a good .46 in it, that can be used in future planes more easily then the OS LA types.


Although my magnum .40 that came with my trainer seems like a 46, it is that strong.

mill

Go to a field
 

Most clubs will give you orientation flights, that's the best way to begin to decide on a trainer. Finding out which one's your LHS stocks is important too. Like that say on TV, NEVER buy an RC that doesn't have spare parts available for it.

I'm not sure how you make an objective selection. Some are bigger, some are coroplast, some wood, some are slightly more aerobatic.

My LT-40 has a 71" wingspan. I've found it to be bigger than most other 40 sized trainers, yet it still takes a 40 sized engine. Bigger is important, cause they go out of sight pretty fast.

A .60 sized trainer is probably going to be more expensive (bigger motor than a 40 sized).

I also think you should PLAN that your trainer is a transition to a sport model. Then you can concentrate on the simplest set up for you.

best trainer
 

if i were you i would buy him a simulator first ...greatplanes real flight is a good one...i bought the light version..really help me..good luck

pete

best trainer
 

I gotta go with Al.
I got a 12 year old boy to solo all on his own with that bug trainer.
I just had him doing circles for a while.
I told him to go ahead and do a loop.
All he got from me was verbal instructions.
When he did that loop he had such a big smile I couldn't see his face.
He took it down a bit on the hi speed side but he trimed the throttle back with no word or any assistance from me and made a beautiful landing
Thats another good part of this hobby :)

best trainer
 

In my opinion, the Balsa USA Stick 40+ is by far the best trainer you can get. It is easy to build, easy to fly, and tough as nails. It is inexpensive compared to most kits and it has that quality that you would expect from Balsa USA. It is the model that is most often chosen as a club trainer. The must be a reason for that.

R/C Flight Unlimited

best trainer
 

BEFORE you buy the trainer, find out where you are going to fly, and what's involved with getting training. I cringe every time I see well-meaning parents at the hobby shop all excited about surprising their kid with a cool airplane. They don't know that that $150 airplane can be a pile of toothpicks after a 10 second flight. Sixteen y.o.s can learn fast, but they still need an instructor, probably need to belong to a club. Instruction may only be offered at a certain time, or it's so crowded you only get one or two training flights a session.

Once you've established that there's a local flying field and willing instructors, it might make sense to take their advice. They are volunteers, and making them more comfortable will work best in the long run. Also, they may have a trainer you use for the first few flights to get a taste of what you're getting into.

If they give you a choice, I'm a big fan of the durable type trainer. My favorite is the U.S. Aircore, but the SPAD Debonair, the SPADet, and Airmadillo trainer would work as well. Airplanes crash, and $100 for a new plane is probably real money for a 16 y.o (and me too).

best trainer
 

I have the Tower 60 Trainer and I love it. I'm sure it will not withstand too many hard landings. A friend of mine is learning on a Sturdy Birdy and that plane is almost indestructible.

Here is a link to the Sturdy Birdy if you would like to take a look at it. I am pretty sure it is a 40 size plane and that will save a bit.
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXK965&P=7

My first radio was a JR 5 Channel and it should last me quite a while and it came with the complete flightpack. I have since purchased a 6 channel JR because I'm an addict.

With all the support equipment you need I don't think you will get flying for much under $500.00. Unless you can borow stuff from a friend. My estimate may be a tad high but buying a plane, engine, radio, some fuel, and a few flight line tools, I think $500.00 is a safe figure.

Good luck and keep us posted. This is one fine hobby. :)
AL

Best Trainer
 

Seems to me that in order to form an opinion on the "BEST" trainer one should decide what qualities are desired. After 35 years in the hobby and many students taught here they are in no particular order:

1. Cheap to buy
2. Easy to build or assemble
3. Easy to install stuff like engine and tanks
4. Large enough to see, instructors usually are not 16!
5. Easy to maintain
6. Rugged, able to take lots of bad landings
7. Easily repaired
8. Slow flying, Flat bottom wings are good for this
9. STABLE, Able to recover somewhat on it's own


I personally judge an aircraft by how well it meets these requirements.

I agree with Lightfoot, the Balsa USA Stick 40 is the BEST trainer because it meets all of these.

The Stick 40 costs about $50.00, is VERY easy to build. The engine and tank sit out in the open making for the easiest of ANY aircraft for installation, maintenance and adjustment. It is fairly big and easy to see. It has a flat bottom wing and will fly very slow and land and a near walking speed. The fuselage is made out of hardwood and plywood making it about the most rugged trainer out there. You can even assmble the fuselage with screws making part replacement very easy. It is very stable and will recover from most attitudes by itself.

The downside for your son is:

1. The stick 40 is exceedingly ugly!
2. He will have to build it.

However it is so simple I'll bet he can have it into the air in about the same time as an ARF!!! Remember that everything is in the open, including pushrods, tank nose gear and engine. He could easily spend more time installing everything in an ARF as it takes to build the Stick 40.

And when it is done, he will have the plans and experience to repair the plane if needed!! (item 7)

He should be able to buy the plane, engine, radio and supplies to finish for well under $300, say $250 or less.

I would be interested to learn what other trainer on the market is better when EVERYTHING is considered!

best trainer
 

Try a Hobbico Avistar. It is what I learned on and you will not quickly outgrow this plane.

best trainer
 

That Avistar is one heck of a nice plane.
I removed all the tower hobbie stickers on the covering,placed GOLD N CLEVIS on all the control rods,got my aileron trim set just perfect along with the rudder and elevator.
Flyes nice with the OS 40 and I think the Avistar gives you more bang for your buck :)

best trainer
 

I think the Balsa usa stick 40 is a very good trainer it is not an arf but a very simple kit to build inexpensive and tough. after going through several planes learning to fly. I can say this plane was the one that taught me to fly { easy to repair} I am currentl teaching a newbe to fly on one that is over ten years old and has taught two other people. after a few minor repairs. only my opinion.