I have flown gas powered planes on and off for the past 30yrs.(mostly off) I can now see that EP is so much easier to work with. Just turn on the motor and fly. No working on the engine and that messy fuel to clean off the plane after you fly.
I was looking at the Hobbico Super Star EP online and see that it uses the same charger and 6 cell battery as my r/c car....so I placed an order for a 3ch radio and plane and I'm ready to fly for $169. and get a real plane that will fly into the wind.
This is going to be fun.

I wonder what he means by that.

Omega:
It means when he BREAKS wind it wont go to his nose.

Haw.

Some exhaust smells,
. Don't ring my bells.

Bill.

Don't let that plane leave a bad taste in your mouth if it doesn't perform like you think it should. If you're dissatisfied, some minor modifications to the power system will have you singing a happy tune.

Planes "designed" to run off 6 and 7 cell car packs and direct drive car motors were what gave electric flight a bad image back in the day. It was the equivalent of trying to fly a .40-size airplane with a .25 engine that weighed 4lbs (the engine weighed 4lbs, not the plane). The problem is that the cells and motor were too heavy for the amount of power they could put out as a combination.

These days, sport planes start at 8 cells and go up from there. Adding cells is like adding cubic inches to an engine: more power. Just going from 6 cells to 8 gives you a 76% increase in power, with a minimal gain in weight.

I've heard good things about the SuperStar EP, so you may be okay. If you find yourself wanting in the power department, please feel free to ask for suggestions. Adding a 2.5:1 gearbox and a 12x8 propeller will improve the plane's flying characteristics for a minimal investment. Increasing cell count to 7 or 8 will also help. Doing both will turn that plane into a real performer.

By that I mean it is not a toy. It should do ok in a headwind and not get carried away by a stiff breeze. I don't know, but I'm willing to give it a try.

mkirsch-
Thanks for the reply and info. I have never flown EP other than a Cox/Estes plane (but that's really a toy) I'm sure the Super Star will be a powerhouse compared to that, hopefully it is not underpowered. I will find out in a few weeks.
-Lynn

Lynn:
I hope you did not take offense at our light hearted banter, there is a lot of that in this forum, an attempt to avoid being too serious, and keep the fun in.

But I beg to differ, sir, with your assesment of your airplane as "Not a toy." I have a device that will get me to Maryland to visit my grandchildren in just a few hours, when I do that it's a tool for my convenience. At the same time when I use it to make twisty smoke trails over the gulf, it is then a toy.

Remotely controlled arplanes, operated by private individuals for pleasure, are, whether you appreciate it or not, by definition, toys. Potentially dangerous toys, granted, but toys nonetheless.

If you are gainfully employed in operating them, they then become tools of your trade. Otherwise, toys.

Concerning the Super Star, I'm sure you will enjoy it, and then you'll "Hop it up" a bit, then...

May I recommend the "Electro Streak?" I have one that is a lot of fun. And there are kits for electric planes that will rival the best of the "3d" piston powered planes. The "Diablotin" in the electric version is, I think, an ARF. It's quite a plane also.

A warning, though, going to really high performance electric rivals glow costs. A Hacker B-50 and its ESC will hit you in the range of $300, so be prepared.

And finally, welcome to the insanity of E-flight. It's almost as bad as being stuck on twins.

And my latest bash is starting on an electric twin. The worst of both worlds.

Flying twin piston planes is bad enough,
. Twin electric? You're not up to snuff.

Bill.

Bill-
That's true about toys. I started out with .049 powered Ringmaster control line planes when I was 15 (40 yrs ago). Little has changed. I'm still a kid playing with airplanes.
thanks, Lynn

Lynn:

My first piston plane was a "Puddle Jumper" with a Spitzy 0.045 engine. A 1/2A profile, it met its end when my father stepped on it. He gave me $1 to replace it. That's right, the kit cost a whole buck. Terribly expensive.

My first successful engine powered miniature airplane, though, was a Jim Walker "Firebaby," with that same Spitzy engine on it. Flew the pooh out of it, finally disintegrated from fuel soaking.

Never had the 1/2A Ringmaster, but I paid $2.95 for many a 0.35 sized Ringmaster. Didn't crash many of them, they always had the profile fuselage break free from the wing. When they got to the point I couldn't reglue them, a new one was built. Then Barnstormers, then an F&B Vampire I was very proud of, and on, and on.

Then I got my first radio control gear.

It's been a money pit since.

But it is enjoyable, as much for the cameraderie as for the flying itself. Maybe even more for the friendships than the flying.

It is my firm belief that the model flying community has the lowest percentage of rectums of any group with which I've ever been associated. (Had to say "Rectums," as the moderators don't like anyone to say a*****e.)

Fly with a motor, no fault, and battery,
. Much safer than assault and battery.

Bill.

I graduated up to a Sterling P-51 profile with a .36x Fox when I was in college. That plane was all I could handle. I can still remember how loud that Fox engine was. It met its end when I did a rather large loop right into the pavement. That was my last control line plane.
I saw some guys flying R/C planes (Memphis R/C Club) back in 1967 and was truly amazed at how good they were at flying. The field was 70 miles from my house, but I managed to get in a few lessons that summer. The club was located at a crop duster strip back then. There are a heck of a lot more folks in the hobby now, but back then that was the only club in west TN. I spent about 10 years crashing planes until I joined a club in Jackson and bought a more reliable radio. That made all the difference in the world.
The best plane I ever built was a Bud Nosen "Big Stick" with a 2.2 quadra engine and 96 inch wingspan. That was in the early 80s and I have not flow that much since then. Sorry to say I sold the Big Stick, but it is still around!
My subdivision has 5 acre lots so there is plenty of room to fly just outside my door. A new industrial park(no buildings yet) about a mile away has a new paved N/S road that would make a perfect runway. I am looking forward to getting back into the hobby and flying electric power.