Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

Hey all,


I have posted on here before about the Blade 400 and the T-28 Trojan I got. Well, for all you that helped me out I have not only flown my Trojan many times and crashed it 2-3 times but its still flying and it has a brother and a sister now. I now have the new Trojan (grey USAF) one and a Gunfighter Mustang. I have gotten pretty good at flying and landing now. No more fear baby!!!!

Now I am considering going to the next step. I would like to try Nitro Flight. I have always enjoyed the smells and sounds of nitro power so I was thinking why not try out flying nitro.
One of the LHS has a Tower 40 (N400TH) that looks like it has never been flown, complete with radio, battery and charger for $150. The motor looks brand new on it as well.

As someone who has only flown the Parkzone foamies, what advice can you give me on this aircraft(above) and what advice can you give someone who is transitioning from electric to glow?

Questions,

Would this aircraft be difficult for me to fly?

How hard is it to keep an aircraft nitro engine running and is it harder than say a nitro truck?

How big of a possiblility is it that these engines stall when throttled back for landing?

I fly my foamies in an undeveloped community area where there are just paved streets and streetlights.
Can I fly the Tower 40 there?


Please please please offer any advice or ask questions so I can learn about this before buying that plane.

Thanks

Robert

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

I also started with electrics and moved into nitro. Best advice I can give: no matter what nitro plane you start with, have an experienced pilot put you on a buddy box for the first flight! Even a slow .40 sized nitro trainer is propbably going to surprise you how fast and responsive it is. This is also the best way to learn what you need to learn about glow engines and proper tuning ;)

You'll get a lot of different answeres on the best plane to start with. My personal reccomendation is the Hobbico Avistar with a .46 engine. It is a great trainer, but is a more capable aerobatic plane than most trainers due to the semi-symetrical wing and less dihedral. It's not as floaty and goes where you point it. This means you won't get bored with it as quick as you might with a Nexstar or some other plane because the Avistar is capable of a lot more as you get comfortable with it.:D

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

Tower 40 is a good plane and that sounds like a good deal.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

Missed the part about the Tower .40 when I read your post the first time. $150 is a great deal on this plane if it is what you say it is. Tower .40 is fine as a trainer! You'll get bored with it before you would an Avistar, but for that price, you could learn on it, then sell it and/or move up to an Avistar or more advanced plane. But again, get an experienced person, preferably a club instructor, to buddy box you and teach you the hands on basics of glow engines!;)

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

I own the tower trainer, with an OS 46 ax on it. Love it. I also owned a T-28 and a number of other foamies. IMHO, the Tower Trainers if far easier to fly. it floats... Rich

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

I think this is an important question that should be answered. I personally don't know the right answer.

The Tower Trainer is a great airplane. My uncle flies small electric planes and I had him up on a T.Trainer over the summer, and he did very well with it. A properly tuned engine is very reliable, as long as everything in the system is in good shape.

It's cool to see people go from electric to glow; lately it seems to go the other way (like me!)

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

That's a good buy, but if you're already competent in RC flight you'll get bored with it fast. A better buy is a plane that you can grow with, even if it's more money up front. I'd reccomend an Ugly Stick, any brand. They fly easily, are forgiving of bad piloting, and are easy to fix. But they also can be fast if you want them to and are easy to do aerobatics on. You'll learn more and advance faster with a plane like that than with a nitro trainer if you already know the basics of flying the pattern and landing.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

buy the tower, get used to a 40. landings, takeoff's ect are much much different compared to a small foamy (much longer) which takes a little getting used to.

then once you master the tower move everything (servo's engine ect) into another airframe (ugly stick, gp rapture, 4 star ect)

however i do not think you should fly a 40 in the neighboorhood, its just a accident waiting to happen. and unlike a foamy bigger planes can do much more damage.
get a club membership and have fun, its much more fun flying/talking with others.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

Iwould not fly any glow engine plane anywhere near other peoples property. The potential for disaster is serious. Small foamies are bad enough

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

Ithink the average 40 would be a little light on power for the Avastar. Mine flies with an OS 46SF.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

Hey thanks so much for all the help and advice you guys are giving me.

I think my biggest fear of going from foamie(electric) to nitro is tuning the engine and the landing. I was told that the engines can stall on landing when you throttle back to idle and the you're screwed. I have a nitro Traxxas Revo 3.3 and I am not perfect at tuning that thing.
Aren't foamie aircraft more forgiving on crappy landings than wood nitros?

As far as the field, the closest field to my is 45 miles away. That's why I asked about flying the tower
in that community area. The area we fly is pretty large. It's at the back of the community and the closest house is about 300 yards away from us. The rest is wide open with fields and trees covering 80% of the area.

Another thing is that I have never worked with balsa wood and monocote stuff so if I crash how difficult is it to repair the plane?

I just don't want to go here and not be ready for anything that happens. My pocket book is extremely tight so I am stretching it
just with the accessories I have to buy if I get this plane.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

If the closest house or other structure you could damage is 300 yards away, you might be fine for normal flying. The problem will be if anything goes wrong and your plane gets away from you, then you might be endangering some one else. I fly my nitro planes in some public areas including a soccer field where the closest house is a couple hundred yards away, but I keep these houses behind me at all times, and the area in front (to the East and North) where I do most flying has nothing but corn fields for 1/2 a mile. If I were completely surrounded by houses 300 yards away, I'd stick with foamies.

As far as tuning the engine, this is where you really need some experienced help. Yes you can learn on your own, if you have the budget to pay for your mistakes, but it will be cheaper to get some help to learn how to tune the engine and make sure everything is set up properly. Glow engines can die at any time for a variety of reasons. When cutting the throttle for landing, they will die if they are not tuned properly or the linkages and servos are not set up correctly. You may also have the same bad habit that I did from flying electrics. I was in a habbit of sliding my throttle trim all the way back before landing so that the propeler would completely stop. This is not a bad thing with electrics especially if you want to practice dead stick landings, which you should! A glow engine should be set up the same way so when you want the engine to die you just pull the both throttle and trim back. Problem with a glow engine is you can't re-start it in mid air like an electric. When I started flying glow engines, it took me a few deadstick landings before I got it thru my head to leave the throttle trim set so the engine could idle.

As far as landing, you need a lot more room for approach than you do with a foamie,especially while you are learning. When you first started flying that T-28 you probably needed 100 feet of paved runway and at least 200 feet of approach to get it down. If you are very experienced with it now, you can probably set it down in 50 feet of runway with 100 feet or less of approach. I can land my T-28 in 25 feet of pavement if I need to and have a good approach.
Same thing goes with nitro planes, now that I am experienced with my Avistar, I can land it in 50 feet of paved runway if I've got at least 200 feet of approach. But when I first started flying the Avistar I probably used 200 feet of runway(grass) and 300 feet of approach. If you've got this kind of room and some experienced help, you should be fine.

As far as repairs, balsa can be more expensive and time consuming to repair than foam. Wish I could sugar coat it, but with foam you can usually throw some glue and tape on it and be flying in a few hours or less. Balsa is not really much more difficult, just takes more time and a few more accessories are needed when dealing with the wood, glue, covering, etc.;)

Hope this helps, keep us posted:D

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

I wouldn't fly a nitro plane anywhere but a flying field. If the closest field is 45 min away, then drive 45 minutes. Better to do that and do it right, than to have a poorly tuned engine that frustrates you, or a fly away plane that could really do some real damage.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

I would try and find a model airplane flying field.

The nitro will move a lot faster, and cover a lot more ground than the foamies would. It also could do more damage.

The Tower 40 with a .46 AX would be a hell of a lot of fun. You'll go faster, higher, and have more fun than with any foamie. Just be careful.

EDIT: Also, the likelihood of an engine stalling on a landing approach is very likely..IF you don't take the time to learn your engine, and how to set it up and properly tune it. Other than that..I haven't had a flameout in years. The last time I did was because I ran outta fuel.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

I tend to agree with everyone about that maybe not being the best place to fly a larger model. Especially without having experience flying them.
Tuning a model airplane engine isn't hard if you have a good quality engine. I have an OS .46ax and a Thunder Tiger Pro .46,both of which have been very reliable and easy to tune. You might need some help getting started though if you know nothing at all. I don't know about rc car engines,but with airplanes,you can generally set it and forget it. Once you have them running good,the only reason you should have to tweak is if you change fuel type,or for drastic changes in temperature. There are things that can go wrong though. I once had the fuel pickup line get folded back on itself inside the tank and was slightly pinched off without me knowing it(the stock tubing was too flexible). Had many deadsticks before I figured it out. Landing a trainer with a dead engine isn't hard at all(assuming you have altitude and or airspeed to work with)......it's just that if you overshoot your landing,you can't go around for another try. If it happened on final approach,chances are you could bring it down safely. Landing a heavy balsa plane is quite a bit different than a foamy. Less floaty,so they come down quicker when you chop the throttle. And if you let them hit too hard or at the wrong angle,they will bounce and still have alot of momentum when they come back down. When learning to land,you want to get it lined up a long way off and as it gets close to touchdown,you try to hold it just inches off the runway for as long as possible and let it gently settle down on the main wheels(avoid the nosewheel touching first with trike gear). If it's coming down too quick,you can just give it little blips of throttle and keep some back pressure on the elevator to help slow it down. And of course,if it doesn't look good enough,you can just throttle up and go back around for another try.
One more tip....double check things periodically. Glow power creates alot more vibration and things can come loose over time. Loctite can help. But double-check motor mounts,linkages...anything that could come loose. I haven't had alot of problems with this,but better safe than sorry.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

How well do you fly your blade. I was in your same shoes not too long ago. Also got into nitro and really had no idea about the engine and accessories needed in dealing with it. I ended up getting an GP escapade and got someone at my club to show me how to tune and run the engine. I had no problems picking it up on the first try. If you can fly helis then flying planes should be no problem. Even if they are nitro powered

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

Pick a model with generous wing area and one that builds light, like some of the electric planes in the 350-400 square inch size range. Then install a OS .10 or .15. These engines behave just as good as any .40 and a plane this size will float around tighter spaces better than any .40 sized trainer. Dead sticks.....I plan on dead sticks every flight with planes like this, my turn isn't over till the plane is out of gas. A 3 oz Hayes tank will fit any plane and give you a decent run.
Don't worry about deadsticks, let the guys who fly those lead sled trainers worry about them for you...;)

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

Don't let the 45minute drive keep you from buying the glow plane. Once you get it and drive 45minutes you will be glad you did. I have a buddy that drives about that long to come fly even though he can fly at the full-scale air port where he lives or in a football field. And about the engine dying on landing, if it is tuned good you will not have to worry about it. I have a Hobbico Superstar (which is almost the same plane as the Tower Trainer) with an OS .40LA and I have never had an unintentional dead-stick landing with it.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

The 45 minutes shouldn't be that much of a bother. You may find another, better, deal from club members on a glow trainer...too.

Once I really got started flying glow, I put my foamies up. That doesn't mean that I won't use them again...but..for now...the glow planes are more fun for me. I understand all of the good features of foamies..but there is nothing like the power and sound of a nice glow engine.

Also, there is nothing like being able to be fly again....in just a few minutes...after simply refueling your plane.

Both styles have their place. I'll bet that you will fly your foamies when you have a short time-frame...and will drive to the bigger field when you need a glow fix.
Of course, given your limited budget...you may find that having to join the AMA and pay club initiation fees & dues...may make the club costs prohibitive for you now.

regards, Rich

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

If someone is flying at all they should have an AMA membership. Also, I am 14 and I pay for AMA and club membership so he should be able to. I agree.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

You don't need nitro. Just methanol and oil. Get any good .40 trainer. I lean toward the Sig Kadet trainer, but any high wing trainer will do. Prefer the TT .40 or .46 myself.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

get a buddy box, a satrter and battery to turn the engine, it will not stall if everything is tuned well. I have been flying for 2 years and only had 2 dead stick due to pressure hose being broken. Let someone tune it for you and you should be fine.

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

One other thing you asked about that we may not have answered well: Balsa is generally more fragile than foam. If you run that Tower Trainer 40 and the T-28 into a wall at the same speed, the Tower 40 is probably going to suffer more damage. Same with hard landings. The flip side is, the larger plane is going to be easier to see, fly, and land properly provided you have the room.;)

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

I do not know the age of the original poster but anyone that will be under the age 19 by 7/1/2010 is elgible for a youth membership in the AMA. Do not mistake this for the park flyer program or the introductory program. This is a full membership with all the competition privileges and insurance.

A Youth membership does not need to be attached to an adult membership and the full years membership is One Buck, Yes one dollar without the magazine and 15 bucks with the magazine.

In addition many local clubs will match this. Ours does and our local club youth dues is one Buck.

That make the grand total of two bucks, For young folks there is no reason not to avail themselves of the advantages of the AMA on the basis of money, none.

John

RE: Considering giving nitro flight a try.....any advice?
 

There are fields/clubs closer to you than 45 miles. there are 5 clubs within 25 miles of you. I suggest that you contact them in order to find a safe place to learn to fly this plane.

<span style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: medium 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; orphans: 2; widows: 2; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Tahoma; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px" class="Apple-style-span"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="WIDTH: 700px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51); FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_dgClubs"><tr style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: white; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(93,123,157)"><td>Name</td><td>Number</td><td>Members</td><td>Contact</td><td>Address</td><td>District</td><td>Intro Pilots</td></tr><tr style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,51); BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(247,246,243)"><td>HERNANDO COUNTY R/C CLUB<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
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<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: blue" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_dgClubs_ctl02_lblDis tance">4.96 miles</span></td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">2608</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">77</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">FRANK PHELPS
Email Contact</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">4103 MONTANO AVE<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
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Visit Website
</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">5</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">No</td></tr><tr style="COLOR: rgb(40,71,117); BACKGROUND-COLOR: white"><td>HERNANDO AERO MODELERS<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
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<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: blue" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_dgClubs_ctl03_lblDis tance">7.92 miles</span></td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">314</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">102</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">HOWARD STRINGER
Email Contact</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">PO BOX 5198<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
SPRING HILL FL 34611<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
Phone: 727.819.8059<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
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<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: blue" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_dgClubs_ctl04_lblDis tance">13.70 miles</span></td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">958</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">302</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">MICHAEL DIESU
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</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">5</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">Yes</td></tr><tr style="COLOR: rgb(40,71,117); BACKGROUND-COLOR: white"><td>NATURE COAST R/CERS<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: blue" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_dgClubs_ctl05_lblDis tance">19.72 miles</span></td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">3361</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">50</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">JOHN SCHAEFER
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CRYSTAL RIVER FL 34446<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
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<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: blue" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_dgClubs_ctl06_lblDis tance">20.18 miles</span></td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">219</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">168</td><td style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap">JOHN FLOOD
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