micros.....
 

iam thinking of beginning this part of the hobby. i have been into cars but want a micro plane. i am looking at the champ. what kind of wind would you say i can fly a micro in?

RE: micros.....
 

What experience in planes do you have? If you fly good, have 2.4 radio with expo/dual rates, the Sukhoi http://secure.hobbyzone.com/index/pa.../PKZU1080.html flies pretty good, we've flown it in some pretty good winds. The Champ seems to be a good choice, but less wind. The Mini Super Cub is also good, but a little bigger, and only $99.99

RE: micros.....
 

okay thanks. im a beginner so im looking for a trainer.

RE: micros.....
 

What kind of space do you have?

Tim

RE: micros.....
 

im going to be going down to my school field.

RE: micros.....
 

How big do you want to go? I do not have a Champ, but I have heard from friends that they will handle a decent breeze. They have the added benefit of coming with a radio. I had a Cessna Centurion back when, well, back when that was your only option.

Depending on the size of your school yard the mini super cub may be a better answer. It has a couple of advantages, it is bigger and cheaper. And far easier to repair. And that is always an issue;). And at $100 you are not deeply invested. It also has disadvantages, the radio is low freq FM, not the 72 mghtz FM standard. So when you move on, if you move on, you are buying another TX. It is also not really a micro. per se.

The more I ponder this, the more undecided I become. The Champ has great creds, it's TX will let you fly helis and lots of planes, it will let you grow in the Horizon Micro family. But the servos have been known to give beginners fits, when the beginner overloads them. Although I have not fragged a servo in a year:(:eek: :eek:

The Mini Cub is limited overall, but it has the benefit of being fairly indestructible, and easily fixed. Low cost to decide if it is an avenue that appeals to you. If you think you are going to really move forward with flight, then go with the Champ. If you are unsure, go with the MiniCub, and have a nephew/cousin in mind to give the carcus to.

If you have a large room, 2 car garage perhaps, you might want to look at a Vapor as well. It will fly from the same TX as the Champ.

Good Luck. I hope I have not made the options murkier[X(]:D

Tim

RE: micros.....
 

well i really want to move forward, but i was recommended to get parkflyers. except with parkflyers they come with bigger lipos which im a little scared of. i like micros because they are small, and the batteries aren't too big. plus, they seem a little easier to transport. so im not very sure right now.

RE: micros.....
 

Stick with ultra-micro.  A parkflyer plane is much bigger, so if you crash, damage will be worst (more weight being crushed on impact).  If you fly something like a Champ over a grass field (big tip here, fly over grass first!!!), on most crashes, you'll simply have to pick up your plane and fly again. Sure enough, ultra-micro are not great in the wind, but the fact that they have little weight mean any crashes are usually less problematic.

Go get a Champ, they are ugly, but they are awesome first airplanes.

You may want to get a RC flight simulator first too. That will save you money on the long run.  I think FMS is still free.  But something like RealFlight or Phoenix will also pay themselves in the long run, even if they seem expensive when you buy them.

RE: micros.....
 

okay thanks. i guess i will get the champ as a first plane then. also what is the full name of FMS?

RE: micros.....
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying-Model-Simulator You will need a transmitter or a buddy box to operate this system. I think Horzon has one that comes with a dx5, that would let you buy a Champ BNF and offset the cost of the software. http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...dID=RTM30R5510 and Wow, the Champ is $90 with a tx. That is a great deal.

A video, [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqvFXPrlCV8[/youtube]

Tim

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thats a cool heli. and yes its a great deal for the champ!

RE: micros.....
 

Thanks, it is one of the aircraft you can fly with the Champ's radio. Here is my first micro, it was the first commercial micro other than Plantraco. It is the parkzone/kyosho Cessna Centurion. And this is early video. I hadn't watched that in a long time. I buzzed my camera guy at the end.

Tim

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8pTAwbWxv0[/youtube]

RE: micros.....
 

that also looks like a nice little plane. scared your camera guy away! they don't sell it anymore though right?

RE: micros.....
 

Yes and no, But the Champ seems to be a better deal. The time stamp on that was accurate. That was 4 years ago. It was the answer. The Champ has more motor, and runs off of the same battery. I am feeling like a shill, but the HH product is the best at the moment. Everything in the video flies on DSM2, if it flies right now. I have a friend that won a Champ, and he loves it. He has much bigger and faster planes. But the Champ, well, it IS a Champ.

I will give you a link to the closest to the development plane(Cessna Centurion) I have found. http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...Micro-Airplane .

Good Luck, and Have Fun,

Tim

PS, I buzzed him close[X(]:), he was trying to find the plane when it came down on him[X(][X(]. I certainly do not recommend buzzing your cameraman.

RE: micros.....
 

okay thanks. yeah the champ seems like the best deal i can find out there on a starter plane. thanks for the tip on not to buzz my cameraman lol.

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If you video it, the dropping your cameraman to his knees, you will get hits, LOL.

I hope you keep us updated on your progress.

Tim

RE: micros.....
 

okay i will keep all you updated :D

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Don't forget, no wind for the first 10 flights.   And fly over grass. (and away from trees unless you love climbing them!)  :)

RE: micros.....
 

okay thanks i will remember that :D

RE: micros.....
 

I do buzz myself when filming. I think this plane is the best thing out there to really learn on, but you need some space initially, and it costs more. The Lightflite Bug....
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcP311L1PHQ[/youtube]

Tim

RE: micros.....
 

The UM T-28 is a pretty good first plane too, had it not been for having too many fences at my house, it would still have a fully intact tail and wing, but nothing some packing tape didn't fix! ;)  One thing though, on the T-28, check the trim settings very closely, and check that the stickers aren't touching the pushrods.  On mine the ailerons were off, causing it to roll left immediately from launch, something that was hard to check, and it had way too much up elevator. The first flight was crazy, had a slight breeze, and the roll and elevator had the sucker looping and spinning like crazy, Scary and fun all at the same time. My second flight went much better after I had trimmed it out, and had a decent breezeless  morning. I would up clipping the electric fence a couple times with it though, but with some practice I wont be doing that anymore. 

So I recommend the T-28 as a first plane, it is stable, can take a slight breeze and can get smacked around a bit, just carry a roll of packing tape for quick field repairs. 

RE: micros.....
 

well i said i would keep you guys updated on my progress. i have not purchased a plane yet because money has been tight. but now, i am thinking that i want to get the ember 2 just to do some backyard flight. what would you guys say? a good plane for just some backyard flight?