I'm 29 years old and was just introduced to the rc airplane hobby a month ago. Got my first "ready to fly" trainer. Instructions said it would take an hour to put it together and it really was about an hour including time spent reading the entire instruction manual first. However I spent an additional two hours figuring out how to operate the battery charger, transmitter, and charging the batteries. I'm still waiting for a good day to fly it. So in all it took three hours before it was ready to fly.

I believe it was when I was in late elementary school that I put together a few model car kits. The kind that once it's put together it sits on the shelf and collects dust. The plastic pieces or parts came attached to one another in a plastic square that you just separated by hand. I used "modeling cement" which would hold something together in about 30 minutes. The car kits also came with complete step by step instructions and the pieces were numerically coded with illustrations showing exactly where and how to put it together. Looking back now I thought the instructions were very easy, just time consuming to put together.

So, do you think I would be able to take one of those trainer kits with the laser cut parts and put it together using the instructions that come with it such as the 40 size Telemaster?

anyone can build a kit. most now are laser cut and fit flawlessly. each comes with step by step assembly manual. PLUS you've got an UNLIMITED amount of wealth right here on rcu and most anyone will be more than happy to send a few words of wisdom should you get confused.

i think what keeps most people out of the kit building side of the hobby is time and tools. these days most everyone has, at best, "limited" time to build and tools, as you probably already know, can get expensive. but there's several "beginner's lists" of tools you might need to assemble a laser cut kit. check around and keep us informed.

PLEASE get an experienced flyer to fly your plane first to check it out and then to instruct you in the basics of model flying. Building a kit doesn't require a rocket scientist but does require patience and some knowledge of flying so the construction makes sense. Go for it! in my opinion kit building is as much fun as flying. BBVB

PLUS there's nothing like the feeling of something's you've built with your own two hands taking to flight for the first time!!!

i'll put a ditto on finding a competent pilot to show you the ropes for a while. most any will be glad to help you out at no charge (or i wouldn't charge anyway)

The Sig LT40 kit is a very complete and easy kit to build for your first one.
And I agree with the others, get an instructor, I taught myself and it was spendy. You`ll save time and money by getting an instructor. And the knowlege these old vets have, you wont find in the manual.

There are a few secrets to building a kit. 1) Every kit builder started somewhere. 2) basically the process comes down to glueing one piece to another. 3) there will be challenges and places you have to stop, think and figure things out...all adding to a special sense of accomplishment. 4) Trainers offer you many types of training, more than just flying, building, covering, balancing, making control sufraces work, rebuilding, recovering as well as flying. After you put on your first sheet of covering and realize that you don't have to leave it in one big wrinkled piece, then you start the process of improving your building and covering skill...an evolution most all of us are still in. Good luck, have fun , enjoy each step of the way...Let us all know how it goes. Regards from South Florida, Doc

If your interested in building a kit take a look at my LT-40 build thread. It will give you a good idea of what it takes to build a plane, and will help you decide if you can do it or not. My advice is, go for it. Building a plane is great fun, and it's the best feeling in the world when you see that plane that you built yourself take off for the first time!!!

[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3439708/tm.htm]Pay It Forward build thread!! LT-40 build.[/link]

Hope this helps

Ken

Well after reading through a little bit of the building thread by RCKen it seems that even with this "easy-to-build" kit one cannot just buy a kit follow the instructions and put all the parts together straight from the box. The wing ribs not matching up like their supposed to is an excellent example of something I would not have picked up on by myself if the instructions didn't say to look out for it. The response to my beginner question is very much appreciated and I'll eventually go through the entire article created by RCKen and then decide if I really want to tackle building a kit.

I think most people 'can' build a kit. You need a dedicated building area where you can keep your stuff spread out, for weeks or months, without having to worry about people or pets messing it up.

RCU is a great resource. Finding local help is often even better. AMA has a club finder.

http://www.ama-dist-8.org/Clubs/Locator.php

Clubs within 50 miles of ocilla, GA

FLINT FLYER RC CLUB, CORDELE GA 31015
MOULTRIE R C AIRPLANE CLUB, MOULTRIE GA 31768
OKEFENOKEE RADIO CONTROL CLUB, ALMA GA 31510-6229

Contact info is provided. If you email and don't get an answer, call the contact phone number. AMA depends on the club contacts to keep the data current and it's not always perfect.

shoot man you don't want two trainers do you? I would build a fourstar 40, 60, or 120. as a good solid second plane. Some people even use these as trainers. If you build a fourstar 40 (very easy to build, just as easy as an LT-40 or PT-40) you can take out all the radio gear and engine from your trainer and put it into the fourstar (i did this as well, took out the gear from my Alpha trainer and put it into a kit build FourStar 40). I just think you will get board of a trainer real fast and then you will have two of them instead of a step up aerobatic lowing trainer. just my two cents but the four star is really fun! i'm about to build a 120 size one with a 31 cc gasser.

If I can build a kit, pretty much anyone can.

I never did any kind of modelling or building when I was a kid. I picked this hobby up at 35 or so and in the past 3 years have built about 7 kits. I have found that if you read the manual and follow the directions you will be fine.

My fleet:

GP - 40 Trainer (2) - Don't ask why I had to build a second one.
Sig Mk II - .20 Size Trainer (bought from a guy getting out of the hobby)
GP .40 Piper Cub
GP .40 Corsair
House of Balsa .20 Texan
Unionville Hobby .60 Norseman (about 70% complete right now)
Dynaflight Chipmunk 1/4 Scale (about 90% of construction done - see my thread in Kit Building Dynaflight Chipmunk - Build)

I am now looking to advance to building from plans, maybe from a short kit.

Building does not take much to start, read the instructions, follow them 100% and you will be fine on your first trainer. Then start to advance to more difficult builds, my second was the Piper Cub, then the Corsair. I have moved up to Giant Scale now and am really enjoying the build.

The biggest problem I have with building is finding the time to do it. I tend to work in fits and starts, getting any real traction on a build takes a commitment, and with a wife and two kids it is tough to commit that much time to a hobby.

Flyboy brought up A good point, how many trainers do you need. When I got my nephew into the hobby we told him to fly his trainer until the covering fell off. In his case it was landing gear first then all the covering. After that he went right into A Kaos. The 4* is one of the better second planes and an easy kit to build and A great plane to fly. Looks great too.

I am sure you can build a kit. Question is do you want to build. If you want to build then there will be no stopping you. Desire is the motivation to do new things. Problems arise, stop and think. Ask a question here, you will get an answer!

Building is the other part of this hobby. It can be very addictive so be careful

Carl