Am I doing the right thing?
03-12-2014, 06:28 AM
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Land O Lakes,
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Am I doing the right thing?
In 1994 I aquired my first plane; a .40 size trainer from the local hobby shop. I don't recall what I paid but it was an ARF and included a 4 ch. Futaba Radio, O.S. FP .40 engine and everything I needed to put the plane in the air. (I still have that plane). Over the years I purchased many planes, radios and engines.
For the first 6 years of my flying I was always worried and had "nerves" when I was flying. I never knew why I could not get over it. I became a good pilot and even an instructor at my local field. It was not until the summer of 2001 that I figured it out!
In 2000 I changed careers and my income doubled. It was then that I discovered I was worried about my planes because in fact I could not afford to crash them. A totaled airplane would keep me grounded for weeks or months before I could afford to buy a new one.
I am not saying I enjoy crashing and spending money but my focus changed from the money to the time invested. Flying became fun! A lot of fun! As long as my radio and engine survived the crash I was only going to be out $75 - $200 depending on the kit and my time to build it.
Now I am beginning a new adventure:
I have a Fly Baby mono wing with a 23cc engine in it and I love that plane! I have been bitten by the "go big" bug and I love the way larger planes fly.
I am now building a 1/3 scale Morane Saulnier A-1 model and I will be putting my DHL -55 in that one.
After the engine, radio gear, power distribution box, redundant batteries, and everything else I have about $1,300 into this one. I find myself getting a case of the "nerves" again. The model is under $400 of the total price but I see the whole price tag in the air as each component was purchased for this project.
Perhaps later on, 2nd, or 3rd plane down the road when I am using "old gear" from a used up 1/3 scale I will see $400 rather than $1,300.
I hope I have not put myself back into the "if you can't afford to crash it, you can't afford to fly it" category again.
Am I biting off too much moving up to the 1/3 scale?
For the first 6 years of my flying I was always worried and had "nerves" when I was flying. I never knew why I could not get over it. I became a good pilot and even an instructor at my local field. It was not until the summer of 2001 that I figured it out!
In 2000 I changed careers and my income doubled. It was then that I discovered I was worried about my planes because in fact I could not afford to crash them. A totaled airplane would keep me grounded for weeks or months before I could afford to buy a new one.
I am not saying I enjoy crashing and spending money but my focus changed from the money to the time invested. Flying became fun! A lot of fun! As long as my radio and engine survived the crash I was only going to be out $75 - $200 depending on the kit and my time to build it.
Now I am beginning a new adventure:
I have a Fly Baby mono wing with a 23cc engine in it and I love that plane! I have been bitten by the "go big" bug and I love the way larger planes fly.
I am now building a 1/3 scale Morane Saulnier A-1 model and I will be putting my DHL -55 in that one.
After the engine, radio gear, power distribution box, redundant batteries, and everything else I have about $1,300 into this one. I find myself getting a case of the "nerves" again. The model is under $400 of the total price but I see the whole price tag in the air as each component was purchased for this project.
Perhaps later on, 2nd, or 3rd plane down the road when I am using "old gear" from a used up 1/3 scale I will see $400 rather than $1,300.
I hope I have not put myself back into the "if you can't afford to crash it, you can't afford to fly it" category again.
Am I biting off too much moving up to the 1/3 scale?
03-12-2014, 08:03 AM
#2
Most of my planes were/are used and I still look for used deals when they come up. I have bought some new planes ,engines, etc.. but rarely have I bought everything new for a new plane. Usually an engine known good servos go in.
Even then I feel bad if I loose a plane and I feel bad when I see someone else loose one even though it's "part of the game". After I got over the jitters from learning to fly or taking up a new plane I never let the cost of crashing stop me from having fun and pushing the limits so to speak as I got to be a better pilot.
Like they say, if one worries about the cost and time they have into a plane if/when it crashes then this is probably not the hobby one should be in. Remember, ALL planes have an expiration date !
My first 33% plane was a unfinished kit(80% built) and I found a new engine at a good used price as well as servos, smoke system, etc... They only things I bought new were switches,batteries, wiring, and regulators. You don't have to jump into it head first buying everything new unless you want to ,or feel comfortable doing it that way. If fear of costs start coming into play then go used.
I'd like to get into turbines some day but at this point the costs are keeping me away. If I ever do it either used or new I know I will be sweating bullets for the first several months flying it!
Even then I feel bad if I loose a plane and I feel bad when I see someone else loose one even though it's "part of the game". After I got over the jitters from learning to fly or taking up a new plane I never let the cost of crashing stop me from having fun and pushing the limits so to speak as I got to be a better pilot.
Like they say, if one worries about the cost and time they have into a plane if/when it crashes then this is probably not the hobby one should be in. Remember, ALL planes have an expiration date !
My first 33% plane was a unfinished kit(80% built) and I found a new engine at a good used price as well as servos, smoke system, etc... They only things I bought new were switches,batteries, wiring, and regulators. You don't have to jump into it head first buying everything new unless you want to ,or feel comfortable doing it that way. If fear of costs start coming into play then go used.
I'd like to get into turbines some day but at this point the costs are keeping me away. If I ever do it either used or new I know I will be sweating bullets for the first several months flying it!
03-12-2014, 11:13 AM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Land O Lakes,
FL
Posts: 263
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Received 0 Likes
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Most of my planes were/are used and I still look for used deals when they come up. I have bought some new planes ,engines, etc.. but rarely have I bought everything new for a new plane. Usually an engine known good servos go in.
Even then I feel bad if I loose a plane and I feel bad when I see someone else loose one even though it's "part of the game". After I got over the jitters from learning to fly or taking up a new plane I never let the cost of crashing stop me from having fun and pushing the limits so to speak as I got to be a better pilot.
Like they say, if one worries about the cost and time they have into a plane if/when it crashes then this is probably not the hobby one should be in. Remember, ALL planes have an expiration date !
My first 33% plane was a unfinished kit(80% built) and I found a new engine at a good used price as well as servos, smoke system, etc... They only things I bought new were switches, batteries, wiring, and regulators. You don't have to jump into it head first buying everything new unless you want to ,or feel comfortable doing it that way. If fear of costs start coming into play then go used.
I'd like to get into turbines some day but at this point the costs are keeping me away. If I ever do it either used or new I know I will be sweating bullets for the first several months flying it!
Even then I feel bad if I loose a plane and I feel bad when I see someone else loose one even though it's "part of the game". After I got over the jitters from learning to fly or taking up a new plane I never let the cost of crashing stop me from having fun and pushing the limits so to speak as I got to be a better pilot.
Like they say, if one worries about the cost and time they have into a plane if/when it crashes then this is probably not the hobby one should be in. Remember, ALL planes have an expiration date !
My first 33% plane was a unfinished kit(80% built) and I found a new engine at a good used price as well as servos, smoke system, etc... They only things I bought new were switches, batteries, wiring, and regulators. You don't have to jump into it head first buying everything new unless you want to ,or feel comfortable doing it that way. If fear of costs start coming into play then go used.
I'd like to get into turbines some day but at this point the costs are keeping me away. If I ever do it either used or new I know I will be sweating bullets for the first several months flying it!
I guess it is the fear of the unknown. The fear that I will do something wrong - "a rookie mistake". For example I had an Elmer at the field explain that I should power isolate my servos and why. He even showed me how to build my own wiring harness if I didn't want to buy a power unit for my servos. I would have had no idea and this rookie mistake may have caused me problems in the air.
More than anything I think I am worried about my own lack of experience with planes of this size - But then again, back in 1994 I didn't have any experience with my .40 trainer and I worked past that just fine!
03-12-2014, 12:20 PM
#4
I don't use powerboxes yet. I use split batteries and receivers as redundancy . The one plane I have is close to 40lbs yet it flies nice but is a bit heavy on the controls. The landings need flaps as it comes in fast with a high sink rate. Now a friend has a 100cc Extra and that plane flies so light and controllable, even the landings are effortless yet it will get very wild on high rates and he has the best of everything in it almost no expense spared. So real good servos, a light airframe, light engine, etc...does make a difference.
