Hello,

Does anyone know where I could get a good electric trainer with ailerons? I was looking at the Super Star EP on tower hobbies but it does not have ailerons.
I was thinking about getting a Tower Trainer 40 and converting it to Electric with a 600 size motor perhaps but the weight they have listed on the page
is 5 lbs [link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXCAS2&P=0]Click Here[/link]. Does anyone know if that weight would take into account a glow engine or is
that just the assembled plane? Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks,
Ron

With the Superstar EP, you don't need ailerons. It turns just fine on rudder only, and you won't even notice when you eventually transition to a plane with ailerons. Most rudder planes are like this, and in fact some of them can even do rolls using only the rudder.

The closest thing to an electric trainer with ailerons right now is the GWS E-Starter. With a buddy box, the CG a little forward of the marked spot, and a good instructor, it's every bit as good as your typical .40-size trainer. Multiplex is coming out with a larger foamie that can either be powered with glow or electric in the near future.

I've actually done a conversion of the Tower Trainer .40, using the $20 Kyosho Endoplasma, $13 Great Planes GD600 gearbox, a $5 10-tooth pinion from Model Electronics Corp, and a 10-cell CP2400 NiCd battery. Flies about 8 minutes on a charge, but realistically, under training conditions, you're talking about 5 minutes. Weighs 5lbs on the button. GP3300 NiMH cells would extend the time somewhat, as would a brushless motor.

I never thought of doing a converison on the Tower Trainer 40....could you please provide more info on this, how well does the plane perform? Can it still do rolls, loops, etc? It probably wont take me too long to get the basics of flight down and I would like to make sure the plane will still be able to do something after I get past basic flight. Would a Graupner Speed 600 on a gearbox be a better option? Im not familiar with the Endoplasma motor and I cant find where to purchase one, maybe someone could point me in the right direction. Any further input on this conversion appreciated!

Thanks

This Endoplasma setup doesn't have an excess of power, really. It'll loop and roll, but the loops struggle over the top. Plus, aerobatics require full power, which greatly reduces flying time.

You should be able to by Kyosho Endoplasma motors anywhere you can get Great Planes products. They're modified car motors, so any decent hobby shop that stocks R/C cars will have them.

Don't overlook the E-Starter. I have enjoyed it tremendously as my first aileron plane