cheap begginer plane?
 

i was just wondering where i could get a reallll cheap begginner plane

cheap begginer plane?
 

Assuming you want a glow-powered plane, I'd say Tower Hobbies. You can get a complete combo with the Avistar or Superstar pretty cheap. Or look in the classifieds here on RCU.
-Chris

Cheap trainer
 

The cheapest trainer on the market also happens to be the best!! But you will have to build it yourself. The good news is it is so easy to build and even easier to install the radio and engine! So easy in fact that you can probably have it in the air as fast as many ARFs!!

The Balsa USA Stick .40! About $50.00 last time I looked. Add a cheap .25 - .40 and a radio and you should be in the air for less than $250.00! Find a used radio or engine on RCU and you could do it for under $200.00.

How's that for cheap?

cheap begginer plane?
 

thanks for the reply guys and thanks for giving me some info 2fast. i didn't know i could get a beginner plane for so cheap. its even cheaper than the r/c cars i use to make and build. in fact. its even almost cheaper than a speed controller..hahahha

cheap begginer plane?
 

I know this has been said but its true.

SPAD is the cheapest way to go, a complete plane , excluding radio and gear these planes add's up to be no more that $20.

As for flying, they fly just great if not better than other cheap trainers and it really durable

try
Spadtothebone


http://www.spadtothebone.com/SPAD/04spadetlc40_1_.jpg

I have more than 5 SPAD's and will never put them aside untill for some reason thay can not fly anymore.. unlike all mu balsa plane's

cheap begginer plane?
 

The SPAD is a great plane. That's what I learned to fly with. I built a Debonair but now that I see the SPADet, I'm going to build one of those.

cheap begginer plane?
 

a spad or Balsa USA Stick.

cheap begginer plane?
 

Go to your local field and get to know the flyers there. They will be more than happy to help you get into the hobby. I'm sure members know of someone who has a trainer that is for sale dirt cheap. My son was given a couple of planes by members of our club that were just sitting in the rafters collecting dust. They were more than happy to see the planes back in the air at the contols of someone who would gain experience flying them.

cheap begginer plane?
 

Spad debonair. Its fuselage is gutter pipe and extremely easy to build. Oh by the way, it also flies great.
Andy

cheap begginer plane?
 

Where can you find a SPAD?

cheap begginer plane?
 

SPADs aren't kits you buy. You build them from chloroplast signs and plans you can get for free on the net.

Check out www.spadtothebone.com

I've not built one, but that spadet is really nice looking.

If you're not into building, about the cheapest trainer around in ARF is the Lanier Explorer 40 for $84, but for 20-30 bucks more, you can get a Hangar 9 Alpha or an LT-40. I've not flown the Explorer, so I can't comment on it, just noticed it in the Tower book the other day and thought, "wow, that's cheap for an ARF." I have flown the Midwest Aerostar, Alpha, and LT-40. Of the three, I thought the LT-40 flew noticeable better, but all three are really good, gently flyers. The LT-40 just floats in smoother and was easier to land.

Just my opinion, worth what you paid for it! ;)

Good luck,
Heath

cheap begginer plane?
 

You want cheap, go spad. In the long run you'll save TONS. I went with the Sig LT-40, it's run me a few hundred dollars so far, I'm buying parts as I need them though, so it's not too bad. SPAD is definately cheaper in the big picture.

cheap begginer plane?
 

what is a good plane that will be able to withstand crashes(if possible) and comes with everything needed to fly

and what does the .20-.50 and all that mean

cheap begginer plane?
 

Go to towerhobbies.com and look at the combos. There are a few trainers there that have everything. I would pesonally upgrade them to futaba radios. Little more money but worth it. Basically you are looking for a high wing plane with a flat bottom or semi symetrical wing. Something in the .40 size. That means it takes an engine that is .40 CI displacement. Get a 6 channel radio so you can grow into it with planes later with flaps, retracts or both. I like the goldberg eagle II for a trainer or the Falcon 3 by goldberg. There are lot of planes on the market that look just like the eagle II and fly about the same. Look at something like that to start.

cheap begginer plane?
 

There are SPAD ARFs out there that are cheaper than balsa arfs and fly as good. Check out www.spadtothebone.com for plans and other info.

cheap begginer plane?
 

are the flight simulators like pre-flight accurate? are the controllers that you use the real deal ones that you just hook up to the computer. i tried the simulator with the keyboard and i suck because there are too many buttons to push and if you push too long you loose controll of the plane. any info would be good.

marlon

p.s. would this be a good beginner plane http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXVX16**&P=7

cheap begginer plane?
 

I would highly recommend the Great Planes G2 Sim. A friend of mine and I bought the G2 Lite with the USB controller that looks and feels like my Futaba, and within three weeks were flying our planes without an instructor. As far as a trainer, the Avistar from Hobbico is easy to fly.

cheap begginer plane?
 

First thing I would suggest is find a club near you and hang out with some of the members. Pickup some of the lingo and find out what your basic needs are. After learning the basics check out the SPAD page and build a DEB. It is easy to build and is tough as nails. Find an instructor, check with above club, and learn to fly. As stated in above post sims are great also to practice on, but first hand experiance is priceless.

cheap begginer plane?
 

I don't know if you are interested in electrics for a first plane, but there are several good ones. I have an Aerobird, but you can get into a complete, ready-to-fly for as little as $90.

Resources Aerobird, Sky Scooter Pro, Others

Here is an internet site that sells the Aerobird for $159. They also have a
link for a video of the plane flying:
http://www.parkflyers.com/html/aerobird.html
Here is a link to a review of the Aerobird:
http://www1.wildhobbies.com/news/def...&articleid=853

As I said, my alternative plane was the Sky Scooter Pro. It had been about
$260 RTF, but the price for a fully ready to fly version has come down
recently to about $170 so you might want to give it serious consideration.
http://www.servocity.com/ServoCity/P...lane/sky_scoot
er_r_c_airplane.html
Videos
http://www.hitecrcd.com/Funtec/videos.htm

Fighterbird - review and video - these are a blast in pairs!
http://www.rcuniverse.com/reviews.ph...ew&reviewid=33

And, for a real entry level plane that gets lots of great reviews, the
Firebird II ($90 RTF). The best thing to do might be to get a Firebird II and
save the extra $100 toward extra batteries and stuff, or toward your next
plane.
http://www.hobbymerchandiser.com/pdfs/nov01_Flight.pdf

Regardless of what you fly, if you fly near woods or a corn field or something you want to add some kind of locator for your plane. You can see my post on locators here:
lo
cators for small electrics]

The case for beginning with a Spad
 

This is quite possibly the number one question about Spads. Can someone get into this hobby by starting with a Spad? The answer is yes. However, this is not a clear cut answer and this has sparked some debate and lengthy conversations in this topic. Very often a beginner to the hobby hears about Spads, and the fact that you can build a plane for less than $10. It sounds awesome, but I would like to make a few things very clear. First of all, if you build a Spad, the end result is an airplane that is very tough. You also end up with an airplane of comparible wing loading and flight performance to many "conventional" trainers. But there are some things that a potential Spad builder, especially beginner, needs to be aware of. I can tell you that there are several companies that sell Spad ARF's...but for the sake of explaining the cheapest way to go, I will stick with building your own.

First of all, it is not a kit. Spads are scratchbuilt by you. Spad is plans and ideas from http://www.spadtothebone.com
It is up to you to find the materials, and build your plane. In some areas of the country, some of the materials can be hard to find such as 2mm coroplast and square gutterpipe. No problem though because they can be mail ordered. Plenty of links for that on the hints and tips pages.

Second...You cannot expect to shell out less than $10 and have a flyable airplane if you are starting from nothing and just getting into the hobby. You need landing gear, engine mount, pushrods, gas tank etc...etc...These are all things that last from airplane to airplane. When someone tells you that you can build a Spad for less than $10 this means the "airframe"...not the whole airplane.

Third...you cannot expect to shell out less than $10 and build just one "airframe" either. The sizes of the raw materials won't let you do this. Coroplast comes in 4' x 8' sheets and gutterpipe comes in 10' sticks. If you build one with the aluminum rail fuselage, the aluminum comes in 8' sticks. Therefore, I will tell you right off the bat you are going to have to shell out $20-$30 for materials to build your first airframe...but...now you have enough materials to build 3 or 4 more airplanes!

Fourth... Since you are building your own plane, you must have tools. This is another expense if you are getting into the hobby and don't have anything yet. Glue, hobby knife, saws, etc...etc...and even though Spads can be build with hand tools only, things like a table saw and Dremel sure makes it easy.

Fifth...Help. Building from plastic is still considered unconventional, and there is a learning curve to figuring it all out. I can tell you that I can build one in 3 hours...but keep in mind I've built hundreds of them. Your first one will take you 10+ hours to build while you figure everything out. Your next one will take half that time, and after several of them you'll be whipping them out in no time. But, just getting started can be frustrating and confusing, especially if you don't have a lot of hobby or craft experience. The best bet is to find other Spadders in your area. There is also several great Spad forums on the net to help you including the Spad topic right here at RCU.

Is it worth starting with a Spad? Absolutely! Do I recommend it? Absolutely! But I certianly don't want to push someone in that direction unless they are aware of all that's involved (the reason for this post).

Do I think starting with a Spad is better than starting with a wood kit built airplane or wood ARF?

This answer may suprise a lot of people, but all things considered...no.

There is a LOT to learn about this hobby. Many of the beginners kits and ARF's are very good at taking a beginner from knowing very little about airplanes...all the way to soloing. Spads are great, but what I have presented on the Spad web site is basically how to build a trainer. If you try to start with a Debonair, but don't know the difference between an aileron and a doubler...you're going to be confused. A beginner's Kit or Arf will effectively give you a fantastic education from learning the aircraft part through learning how to set up your radio and flight trim and airplane. Another thing that I recognise as a big advantage to guys who start with an ARF...but then decide to try a Spad...is that now they have the stuff they need for the Spad such as landing gear, fuel tank, pushrods, etc...etc..these things give a new Spadder a big head start over someone getting into the hobby with their first plane being a Spad. Another thing is appreciation. Someone who starts with a Spad doesn't really have the appreciation for what they have built and fly because they don't have anything to compare it to. Possibly the largest amount of new Spadders come from the ranks of pilots who have splattered a wood airplane. Especially someone who spend a lot of money and a lot of time building and covering them. They know all about hanger rash, cover wrinkles, soggy wood, fuel proofing, hinging wood control surfaces, and the fear of crashing and repairing airplanes...etc...etc...etc. Some of the most interesting comments I've heard are from new pilots who started with Spads, and then decided to try a wood plane.

So, although I would encourage anyone to get into this hobby with a Spad, and many have done it and there is tons of help out there for your success...I really don't think the fullest educational advantage, plastic appreciation and impact of building Spads is really realized if you start with them as your first airplane. But from your second plane on...ROCK ON Spadders!!!

cheap begginer plane?
 

thanks for the info AEAJR and tattoo.. maybe i'll start with an electric since im on a tight budget right now and will try and learn in the park across the street from me. then maybe move up to a spad. i have all the basic tools needed because i have many r/c cars and batteries wouldn't be a problem. hopefully some day i will be able to move up to a turbine jet. that is my dream right now

cheap begginer plane?
 

Here is a little more information about buying your first plane.

After several months of research, talking to people, flyers and
non, I bought the Aerobird. It is a super value but there are other good
starters. Here are the plusses and minuses in my mind of the Aerobird.

Very inexpensive and rugged for a three channel starter - $160-$180
The plane comes complete and fully assembled. Charge the flight battery, put
on the wing, put the batteries in the transmitter and up you go! Even the
batteries for the transmitter are included. You will want to buy at least one
extra flight battery for about $25 so you can fly while you charge.

New flyers are going to crash, so you don't want something costly to start
with. The HobbyZone Firebird series are all great starters. The Aerobird is
the top of the line. All are pusher designs so they can take a nose crash
without damaging the motor. There is a full line of parts available at
reasonable cost. You can replace the whole main fuselage for $49 including
the motor and all the flight electronics. A wing is $15 and the tail is $7.
So, if you crash badly you can get everything for under $75 and you are back
in the with a three channel plane.

Batteries and charger:
The battery will run for a full 6-7 minutes at full throttle and 15 minutes+
at half throttle which is very long. Many planes in this class run 4-6
minutes. Also it comes with a peak charger that you can use in your car. A
peak charger won't over charge and you can charge at the field. Timer type
wall chargers mean you must charge at home and you can over charge and damage
the batteries. If you pick up two spare batteries you can stay in the air all
day. One in the plane, one cooling down and one on the charger. A full
charge takes about 40 minutes.

Easy to fly;
I only have a couple of flights, but this plane is pretty easy as long as you
stay away from the elevator for your first few flights. It is the top of the
line in the HobbyZone firebird series which includes the Firebird II ($90)
FirebirdXL ($120) and the Fighterbird ($140). I have friends with these
planes and they love them. They are super, inexpensive two channel starter
planes. www.hobbyzonesports.com

Good growth path - Two vs. three channels
Many intro planes have two channels - throttle and rudder. You control climb
with the throttle; more and you climb, less and you level or you descend....in
still air. This makes it very easy to learn. You basically drive around the
sky. However you have no elevator. Elevator is needed for any kind of loops
or other mild aerobatics. The Aerobird has 3 channels so it can do loops and
other things the rest of the line can't do. There is one two channel plane I
looked at, the Sky Scooter. It has elevator and ailerons, which makes it very
maneuverable, but once you turn the motor on, you are committed to a 3-5
minute flight. You can't turn the motor off while it is in the air which
means you can't extend flight time by going half throttle either. However
there is a three channel Sky Scooter Pro that was my alternate choice. I like
it a lot!

The Aerobird also has an X-Pak hop up kit available for $30. It includes a 7
cell battery (the basic is 6) and a larger tail. This makes the plane faster
and more maneuverable. So, once you get good you can soup it up! I bought
the X-Pak when I bought mine. I will use the 7 cell as my second battery and
save the tail for later.

NEGATIVES

WIND
The Aerobird, like most starter electrics, doesn't handle wind as well as a heavier plane, so
you want to start your flying in calm air, with under 5 MPH gusts or the wind
will take it away. Once you become accomplished you can probably handle a
10-12 MPH wind. The plane is light which
is why if flies so well and so long on a battery, but a very strong wind can
steal it away from an inexperienced pilot. However this is true of most
starter electrics or fuel.

27 MHZ vs 72 MHZ Radio

The FCC has set a range of the 72 MHZ band aside for RC airplanes only. The
Aerobird uses a 27 MHZ radio which is assigned to general use for planes, cars
and boats; mostly low end stuff. There are only 6 available channels. So,
if you have a kid with a RC car in the same area where you are flying, and he
is on the same channel you are on, and he is close enough, when he switches on
his transmitter, you will lose control of the plane and probably crash. Even
with 72 MHZ radio systems, this will happen if you get two flyers on the same
channel, but 72 MHZ is dedicated to airplanes. High end RC cars are on 75 MHZ
so they won't interfere. If you live in a very populated area, this is
something to be aware of. Also if you buy two planes, 72 or 27 MHZ, make sure
they are on different channels or you can't fly them together.

If you are going to join a club, check with them. Some clubs will not admit
27 MHZ based planes because they can't be flown with a buddy box. This is a
training system, like a dual controlled car, that is used for pilot training.
After long consideration I bought the Aerobird, but this is something I have
to watch for. The Sky Scooter Pro, mentioned above, is on the 72 MHZ band.


Downed Plane Locator:

If you fly near woods or a corn field or something you want to add some kind
of locator for your plane. You can see my post on locators here:
lo
cators for small electrics

I hope this has been helpfull

cheap begginer plane?
 

hksmr2rbo,

In my opinion the HobbyZone firebird series which includes the Firebird II, FirebirdXL and the Fighterbird.

Are about the worst mistake any beginner can make. they may be cheap but they will teach you next to nothing when it comes to flying R/C planes since they fly like no other. Do yourself a favar and wait untill you can afford a decent setup. You will end up learning so many bad habits with these that you will have to unlearn latter

cheap begginer plane?
 

Thanks for the advice. Could you expand on that.

I know several flyers that started on these planes. Naturally they have all moved on to bigger and better planes, but they still like to fly their "birds".

What specifically bothers you about them?

cheap begginer plane?
 

AEAJR,

Myself and others have posted opinions why these are not a good choice. If you're really intrested in seeing these opinions I suggest you use the search feature.

However I will say this I did own a fighterbird and here are only some of the reasons why I felt it was pure junk.

1. Altitude controlled by throtle.
2. Turning requires constant use of throtle. aircraft turns tighter under power
3. Next to impossible to trim for level flight
4. Marketed as a park flyer but because of its poor turning radius/High weight requires much more room to successfully fly then instructions say inaddition in windy conditions the models poor handling charactics and high speed make the model difficult to control.

5. No user servicable components which makes the radio motor servo(s), speed control and receiver disposable.

Bottom Line in my opinion there are much better ways to spend money in this hobby!!!!