Beginner pilot.
 

Has anybody tried one of these planes yet, It looks pretty nice. I am also new to planes. This would be my first plane. Thanks in advance.
http://www.parkflyers.com/html/decathalon.html

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

It's NOT a good plane to start with.

It looks docile, but the Decathlon is a VERY aerobatic Sport Plane

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

What do you recommend as a starter plane?

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

Folow this link and it has a large list of great Trainers on the market.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4537845/tm.htm

But if I was to reccomend one this is my favorite! I have flown this plane and it is alot of fun and really easy to fly.
It is on the list in the above link.
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=HAN2550

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

Alot of people are reporting the Hobby Zone Super Cub as a good beginner plane. I haven't flown one so I can't testify myself.

http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_h..._super_cub.htm

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

Ugh, lousy as a first plane. Why do people recommend them?

I don't know how many I've "maidened" for newbies who arrive at our field with them...

The money would be better spent towards a 4 channel electric or a glow trainer.

I can give a litany of problems with them...

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

Are you saying the super cub is lousy? I would like a electric plane to start with. What are your recommendations.

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

Those look like fun planes, But I think I want to start off with a electric. Sorry I should of clarified that.

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

If your budget allows there are real electric trainer planes that are by far supperior to any of the electrics mentioned so far.
an example:
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXNVC0**&P=0
does not include battery or charger. Add about $100
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXJKU338&P=0
does not include charger.add about $50
There are more RTF packages if you look around and planty of ARF where you buy the radio equipment seperately.
Along with a plane joining a local club and getting proper instruction will be your best bet and will save you a ton of money from crashed airplanes.

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

Yes LOUSY as a first plane IMHO....

It is buffetted around by even the lightest winds.
3 channels, no ailerons.
Noses over on grass, wheels too small, especially for a beginner
Sub-Par electronics & components
ATC system causes more problems than it is worth, which is why everyone suggests disabling it.
Breaks rather easily
The newbie needs to purchase additional battery packs ( which is true of any EP plane ) so the money would be better spent on something better.
etc., etc.

For what one of these costs with additional battery packs a newbie would be MUCH better served by something like the Electricstar which is a much larger plane with far better components. There are many other options, but this one comes to mind.

Should you crash the Electricstar replacement parts are available and comparable in cost. Once you tire of it the components can be transferred to to other planes.

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

In my experience with electrics, there is such a variety of planes you can learn on. If you are interested in a kit I would definately recommend the Hobby Lobby Mini Telemaster kit ([link]http://hobby-lobby.com/telemaster-mini.htm[/link])..... or if you're interested in ARFs I would go with the Mini Telemaster ARF ([link]http://hobby-lobby.com/mini-telemaster.htm[/link])..... This plane handles wind very nicely and is extremely easy to fly (a six year old down at my club learned how to fly on this thing with ailerons!)

Now if you're looking for something a little more sporty I would look at this one ([link]http://hobby-lobby.com/soareasy.htm[/link])
This one will be a little bit more difficult to fly because it has no dihedral but will give you a lot more freedom to do a little bit more in the air.

All of this definately recommended with an experienced trainer on-hand;)


Good Luck:D I hope I helped at least a little bit;)

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

Thankyou missle and op. I was actually really considering the electristar. I think I will take the plunge and give her a shot. Do you guys recomend the lipo or the nimh batterys?

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

I guess I really didn't make a difference[:o];)

Oh well, go with Li-Po

They last longer and give out much better power than Ni-Mh when used correctly:D

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

All of your recommendations are great IMHO.

Much, Much better than the SuperCub.

While LiPo is definitely the way to go, it's hard to get a newbie to buy in initially.

At least with the Electricstar he can opt for inexpensive NiMH's then move up later. This can also be done with the planes you posted.

The cognizenti would go right to a LiPo configuration that may support other planes to maximize the value of their investment... but most newbies do not know which way they plan on going next...

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

Hey fly or die, I really like that soareasy, But he doesnt recommend it for beginners. I should say I have never physically flown a plane, I have messed around on sims, and know what the controls do. I have alot of exsperience in nitro cars and trucks. I dont know if that will help me or not.

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

Sorry fly I did not see your post. It says you can get the soar fly for 299$ is that rtf?

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

That's an ARF, not a RTF.

That means you would have to finish the construction of the plane.

It's not difficult, but it may be confusing for a newbie.... and you may end up needing to purchase additional items to put it together...

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

yes that icludes everything you need shown right above where it says that (i think you might still need to buy a battery with that outfit, I'm not quite sure)

Good Luck:D

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

Well basically you can get the rtf electristar for 262$. I think thats what i'm doing. Wish me luck. Oh is balsa and plywood easy to repair, because I'm sure there will be some repairs.:D
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...1p?&I=LZ0451**

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

IMHO it is easy to repair, especially on trainers given how they are built.

If you do too much damage, you can purchase the major components seperately.

However one of the nice things about a plane of this size is that you will find it relatively easy to keep it in one piece.

The key to all of this will be your instructor.

This plane lends itself to a buddy box ( another reason it's a good choice ) so an instructor can take you up and give you directions.

It will practically land itself, yet still be something fun for you to haul out to the field when you feel like it, long after you have certified.

Since you have various battery options, you will be able to either keep the battery costs down, or leverage LiPo selections to encompass your next electric. Second party batteries will work just fine.

It's a big easy to see plane that can deal with moderate winds with aplomb.

To the more advanced set it may seem a bit slow and almost underpowered, but once you upgrade the batteries it is practically a sports plane. You'll want to leave things as is when you start out though.

BTW: I've not found the default setup to be underpowered, but I have seen new pilots not do a couple of things which this plane needs.

1 - Fully charge the batteries, especially the initial "forming" charge... go a little long on the charge.
2 - Cycle the batteries. Those NiMH's seem to hold their voltage levels better after a few cycles.
3 - Recalibrate the throttle every time the battery is plugged in.

You are supposed to do the latter each time, but a lot of people don't seem to understand what the instructions are asking for.

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

I dunno for $200 I think my Super Cub is an awesome deal. For that price they threw in an extra battery too. Yes the wheels are small...that's my only complaint. I'm pretty sure some of these other planes would not have survived my puddle landing and tree landing incidents either. If the Electristar is $260 with only 1 battery I don't see how that's a better deal for a beginner for a supercub with 2 batteries.

What else can I get for $200? And I mean controller included, electric, some building would be OK, as I have been building model rockets and plastic Revell kits for years.

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

All of this has been addressed.... above.

There is a rather vast difference in what you get with the Electricstar or any of the other planes indicated, than what comes with the SuperCub.

Why not go to K-Mart and buy a "toy" plane either? You wanted something a bit better, which is why you purchased the Supercub.
You can get a much better configuration if you forgo the Supercub in favor of the other indicated planes. There are many others as well.

The Cub is a poor trainer when compared to the alternatives.

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

Ok so here is my 2cents. If there is a plane out there that I would recommend it would have to be the nitro Alpha RTF! I have owned and flown many of these electris and they are ok at best. I feel by the time you start getting comfortable with the plane the battery dies so now you land and start all over. I own the Alpha and now she is on skis for the winter and it has to be one of my favorites to fly still to this day. I know the initial investment is a little more but the batteries for the electrics offset this investment 10 fold I think. Poorwboy just get the nitro and some paper towels and a bottle of windex and go out and fly all day with no down time to charge the batteries. I have had the J3, Folke Wolfe, Sky FLy, and a few others and I like the nitro way better.

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

You are saying this based on the lower end electrics you have flown.
The better electrics are on par with any Nitro plane out there.
It has been discussed to death the cost.The better electrics have very expensive batteries, that is a fact. However the average battery lifespan vs. the cost is about equal to glow fuel on a per flight basis. The main difference is you are buying your fuel up front.
As the cost of glow fuel steadily increases and the price of lipo batteries goes down you will find it is more economical to fly high end electrics.
Keep in mind I am not reffering to park flyers and the electrics I am reffering to are too big and fast to fly in an average park setting.

RE: Beginner pilot.
 

That's really what it all boils down to, isn't it?

Sometimes the aversion to "toy" electric flyers is taken to be a denouncement of EP's in general, but the two are not the same.