I have an 8 years old son and I want to buy him a good RC Plane.He is pretty good in flying a 2 Channel P51 Mustang (unfortunately I have recently crashed it,nose down) and a small RC Jet Plane(see the [link=http://www.aviation-for-kids.com/rc-jet-plane.html]Video[/link])



He is doing very well with a demo version of RealFlight G3 so I think he is ready for a 4 ch plane.He is using only the keyboard but he has a good understanding of the flight geometry.

I have found three 4 channels RC Planes at very attractive prices (around $83) at NitroPlanes.com:

Here are the links:
F4U Corsair 4-Channel
[link]http://www.nitroplanes.com/f4uco4elrare.html[/link]

4 CH German Messerschmitt ME-109
[link]http://www.nitroplanes.com/new204chgeme.html[/link]

4-Channel RTF Spitfire MK2
[link]http://www.nitroplanes.com/new204rtfspm.html[/link]

I like Corsair for it's wing design (it seems more stable in flight).


Initially I was thinking to by a Super Cub from HobyTown but that much more expensive and it has only 3 channels.I have also read a post in another forum about the dificulty to switch from 3 ch to 4 ch,due to de different design of the radio control.
Is there any difference between digital proportional control and full proportional control?

Thank you for your help,

George

Motivate children to learn math and science through aviation technology
[link=http://www.aviation-for-kids.com/index.html]Aviation for Kids[/link]

None of those planes are really for beginners.

All ready to fly planes require an experienced eye to go over the plane, adjust and fix potential problems, and trim it out during the first flight....

Consider something like this

[link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXKVY7&P=0]Click me![/link]

It's virtually indestructable, and he'll not tire of it.

You'll pay more up front due to the radio and parts you have to purchase, but it will last.

He'll also learn how to set up larger aircraft by dealing with this one.

George,

My advice to you would be to change your thinking somewhat on how you approach your son's next airplane. IMO none of the airplanes you have listed are a good choice.

Please let me explain why! At our club we have a number of young R/C pilots about your son's age flying very proficiently. Each one of these young fliers has been trained by an instructor using a 4 Channel glow powered trainer until they were able to be cut loose to solo. Although simulator time is good, nothing beats time with a qualified instructor using a buddy cord to avoid mishaps. A trainer type airplane is a forgiving airframe which will teach him solid flying skills which is very important at his stage development. Minnflyer and R/CKen have compiled a good list of suggested trainers to pick from excellent for training.

I second that. I'am 12 and I learned on a Hobbico Nexstar and I feel that it is an excellent trainer, nice, sturdy, and forgiving. I know how tempting those warbirds are, when I first started out I saw a lot of eye candy (I was named after a warbird engine, so, I can't resist a good warbird ), but, now that I soloed, am on my 2nd , and am building a 3rd, I now see how well my trainer has taught me. Best Luck to you and your son.


TF96

If you still want to stay with park flyers or electric.

Invest in a 4-6 channel radio system...opt for the micro servo options of course.
Invest in a good motor control and motor.

maybe try the GP ugly sticks or similar models.

Models come and go.
You can make repairs , purchase, or scrath build models.

bascailly use the electronic/motor on different models.

Smaller models are actually harder to fly becuase of the wing load. You have to keep up the air speed.

When I taugh my son how to fly. I bascailly used a duraplane. (nitro).
It survived the many and many mistakes he had to endure. Mostly on landing procedures or approches.lol
Plus it releaved the pressure of him crashing... i didn't get mad at him if he crashed. It made it more enjoyable for him.
He wasn't really into r/c or aviation, but it was something I could pass on to him and time i can spend with my teenage kid.
Obviousely...he wasn't going to go out of his way and reserch on flight theory...

I'll agree with everyone else...Look if you are really serious about getting your son into RC flying, before you buy anything, go to your local club and introduce yourselves...ask questions look around, talk with an instructor..see what he would like to see you get.....
While you're at it think about learning yourself...what a great father /son activity.....there are so many things you can do in RC..competitive scale, aerobatics, racing, pattern,....or you can just come out and fly...or like me I like to teach
Good Flyin to ya

Get the Sky Fly 2, I learned how to fly all on my own with the original Sky Fly. The Sky Fly 2 has a couple upgrades over the original. It comes ready to fly and has really stable flight characteristics. I took it to a local flying field one day and one guy who happened to be looking for a plane for his 5 year old son to fly saw me flying the Sky Fly and was really impressed. He said he was going to get one for his son. Its a really durable plane and parts are cheap. A whole new wing is just $10. I've broken many wings in the process of learning and most of the time I was able to duck tape it back together. Watch this video and you will be surprised: [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eMC-Lmiauc]Sky Fly 2[/link] Here's another video of some guys dog fighting with the original: [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LUV6hv13nU]Sky Fly Dog Fight[/link] You can pick up the Sky Fly 2 on towerhobbies.com for $109 ready to fly.

tower trainer mkII arf 40 with a 45 or 46 2 cycle 80 bucks, or something similar. Even better would be an Sig LT 40
Here is why I think this type of bird will do the trick:
Good flight charecteristics
Easy to repair and a kids trainer WILL need repairs. this is my major gripe with Nextstars.
Cheap but flys well
Standard equipment will allow progression to other planes later.
It is a plane DESIGNED to meet your needs

That kids Mom called tonight and I did tell her that the NexStar was just to big.
I may be wrong but I think I saw that Sky-Fly 2 at the LHS here yesterday for $89.99.
Thanks for the link on the video.
Real cool.
Vegas/

From what I've been told bigger is better so nextstar, apprentice , T34 etc are worth concidering.

George:

Congratulations for your son's progress and your support to him!

I have been in your shoes three years ago; only that my son started with simple small free flight models, deciding to jump to RC half a year ago.
He started receiving flying instruction in our RC club, and practicing with the FMS simulator (also using only the keyboard!).
Then we moved to a transmitter connected to the computer, and he did transfer the skills from keyboard to sticks in a couple of days.
The capacity that young children have to learn is just amazing!

We tried to be consistent with the field and simulator practices, and his progress was continuous until graduating.
He used my Goldberg Falcon 56 trainer, powered by a glow 0.40 engine, which has survived all the mishaps.

I agree with all the suggestions above; but I would like to add that you must decide if taking the route of electric or fuel power.
I would suggest electric for your son, avoiding the starting and tuning of the engine, which may be somehow dangerous and frustrating at his age; however, that is a personal choice.
As well as for fuel powered models, there are good 4 channel trainers in electric version; just research around.
Check reviews at: www.sportaviator.com

Join an AMA club, where discounts are offered for the membership of young pilots, and practice much with the right equipment and support.

The best of lucks to both of you.

Regards!

I agree that the warbird style of planes is not the best choice for beginners. Do not buy anything
from Flyzone as they are too heavy and underpowered and will cost more $ to be air worthy.
(Flyzone SkyFly 2 not withstanding) I would go with the HZ Supercub even though it comes with
less desirable electronics (TX/RX) it can be upgraded easily on the inside as well as the outside.
spend alittle more $ and you will be rewarded with a musch better plane, you get what you
pay for in this hobby.

Hemicuda

Hello everybody,

First ,I want to thank you all for for your input.This is indeed a great forum and I am happy to be a member.

I gave up the idea of buying those war birds for my son and I have narrowed my search to a [link=http://www.bananahobby.com/1332.html]4 CH Sky Hawk Radio Remote Control Electric RC Airplane Glider RTF[/link] 4 CH Sky Hawk Radio Remote Control Electric RC Airplane Glider RTF from BananaHobby.I have heard about this vendor from on of the pilot I've met recently and he said they are reliable.The price is also very good for a 4 ch plane.

The plane looks good and it seems that it flies pretty well (see [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgGFGNR4AX8&feature=related]VIDEO[/link]

George
[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgGFGNR4AX8&feature=related]Aviation for Kids[/link]

It seems like a good trainer fro your son, George; although it will not teach how to take-off and land on wheels.
Buy some extra batteries, which means more flights in each practice session.

The next steps should be trimming the model properly, in order not to make the learning process harder than needed, as well as start practicing basic maneuvers.
Try to avoid winds above 5 to 8 mph during the first time; then, try to brave high winds as much as the weight of the model allows it.

The next suggestion would be to make sure that the coloring on top and bottom of the wing are different enough to avoid disorientation while practicing, which is a common phenomena.

Here are some helpful links:

http://www.geistware.com/rcmodeling/...some_pilot.htm

http://www.wild-wings.co.uk/

http://www.masportaviator.com/fh_advancedtraining.asp

http://www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=8&ID=32

http://www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=8&ID=20

http://www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=8&ID=141

http://www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=8&ID=142

http://www.masportaviator.com/ah.asp?CatID=8&ID=144

http://www.jcrc.com/News/Articles/Ar...olorTheory.htm

Regards!

Thank you for your reply and for the links.

I've got so involved in this search for a good plane that I can't wait for the Sky Hawk.I've seen a couple of nice videos on Youtube about this plane,including a [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sjmdLMyO0s]flight in high winds[/link] so I hope I did not made a wrong decision.It's not about the money as it's about my son's start with this hobby and about his feelings.I felt miserably when the 2 ch P 51 Mustang I bought from Raidentech crashed.I knew it was only my fault of purchasing something inappropriate for his experience and not so good as I thought.

I hope this is a good plane and I will share my experience (good or bad) in this forum.
I am planing to attach eventually some wheels to this plane for take-offs and landing on hard surfaces.

Thanks for the tip about coloring the wings.


George
[link=http://www.aviation-for-kids.com]Aviation for Kids[/link]
"Motivate children to learn science and math through aviation technology"

George,


A word of comment on your choice of airplanes.

As an instructor at our club the greatest amount of instruction time is spent with the student teaching them takeoffs, approaches, and landings. I question the decision of purchasing an airplane that you will have to modify later to make takeoffs and landings as that is the greatest "Hump" that most students have to get over in their initial training.

Your son will quickly learn to fly the airplane around the pattern pretty well, then the harder part begins. IMO a standard trainer would be a better choice because the airplane can complete the learning goals without wasted time making modifications.

Good luck and keep it fun!

Hi Steve,

Thank you for your feedback.Should I mount some landing system right from the beginning? I don't think it will be that hard and the only concern I have is regarding the wing span vs. plane body ratio.

Hemicuda suggested in his post to by a HZ SuperCub and and modify it later, eventually .Also,flyX
wrote that one option might be to buy first a good 4-6 ch radio system ,a good motor and motor control and the plane after.
As a beginner I did not felt ready to start with that so I have opted for this compromise:a stable 4ch plane,durable,upgradable and fairly priced.

I do intend to take my son to the nearest club.

Have a great day,

George

"Motivate children to learn science and math through aviation technology"
[link]http://www.aviation-for-kids.com[/link]

George,

I took a closer look at the Sky Hawk and frankly it wouldn't be my choice.

Personally I'd spend a little more in the beginning purchasing a trainer like the Tower MKII ARF 40 or something similar, you'll miles ahead.

The Sky Hawk is park flyer designed to fly somewhere between a powered glider and an airplane. Take a look at the radio's range and limitations. Students have tendency to fly over pretty large areas in the beginning. Not that the Sky Hawk doesn't probably fly well but its not going to be as forgiving as a good trainer designed for the task. If you go with the Sky Hawk your going to endup with a hybrid of sorts having to add the needed landing gear and tailwheel. Then the question arises in just how well the Sky Hawk perform after being modified adding the extra weight?

IMO its better to get an airplane from the GET-GO that is designed to meet your goal which is training your son and yourself as well.

Its not uncommon at the flying field to see new pilots spent their hard earned dollars on trying to modify or upgrade airplanes into something they are not intended to be used for. Most often ending up with something flying at less than expectations. Where they could have purchased the correct setup in the first place avoiding the expensive, time, problems of modification, and disappointment.

IMO you'd be better off finding a used Trainer in good condition over what your thinking about. We often have total packages for sale at our club offered on the bulletin board, pilots either moving up or leaving the hobby. In fact I'm looking for a good used trainer to train my grandson sometime soon, I already had him flying a two channel park flier he's just turned four. The next time one comes available I'll most likely purchase if its in good enough condition. In many cases all thats needed are minor repairs and a new covering job to make the airplane look like new.


I appreciate the complexity of the choices facing you its difficult in the beginning. The manufacturers all paint a good picture of how their product will perform, and in the right hands most do. Many of us have been in around this hobby for a good while in my case since I was your son's age and I'm 61 now. Made some mistakes along the way not purchasing the right equipment in the beginning then being faced with having to spend more money to correct what I should have done in the first place.

My advice would be to visit the local club before buying anything! Talk to an instructor and take his/her advice to heart and go from there.

Hi Steve,

Thank you for your extensive answer and pertinent advice.You are right about buying the wrong stuff.It happened to me with a 2ch P51 Mustang from Raidentech which I bought 2 years ago and crashed it,nose down.This is the reason I did all this research.

I already ordered that Sky Hawk but I think I can eventually resell it because the price was good. If not,keep your fingers crossed for me [sm=regular_smile.gif]

Congratulation for your grandson.I would like to post something about him in my web site,[link=http://www.aviation-for-kids.com]Aviation for Kids[/link] . Also,I am working to a new page with thoughts from different people about aviation and it's potential in motivating kids to learn science and math.Maybe you might be interested to share with other parents something from your experience.

Have a great day,

George

George,

I'm sure that you and your son will get many hours of good flying out of the Sky Hawk it will certainly will be a step up. Being a hand launched airplane you will most likely want a some kind of other trainer later to complete his training.

I took a look at your website, very interesting! I concur that taking an interdiscipline approach to education is important. I feel there would be a greater interest in learning for students if teachers approached education differently. Just telling a math student that memorization of a formula like the Pythagorean Theorem will be important to them someday certainly is not convincing. However showing the students its application in how to compute the correct length of a rafter using the formula on the construction job would certainly mean more.

BTW- A short edit for you..............Was it not Icarus the son of Daedalus who flew to too close to the sun which melted his wings of feathers and wax?

I may have a book your son may enjoy looking at if I still have it Aviation History a lot of great pictures.

Steve

Steve,

Thanks for the note about Icarus.I have already corrected the mistake.

I have stared [link=http://www.aciation-for-kids.com]Aviation for Kids[/link] as a game and I believe in the potential of aviation technology in children education.I would love to continue this dialog with you but I don't want to clog the space of this forum with a topic that might not be of interest for other readers.You can contact me through the Feedback page of my site.

George

Steve and George:

I believe this thread is an excellent opportunity to enrich George's web site with the experience of RC pilots that have been involved with training of children regarding the best methods of teaching and the equipment more suitable for children of different ages and gender.
Most instructors at most of the RC clubs will recommend a four channel traditional glow powered trainer; however, I doubt that package suits the maturity level and understanding capacity of very young trainees.
I am inclined to sacrifice some of the advantages of a regular traditional trainer in order to provide a training that can be safer and more enjoyable for a very young trainee and the members of the club sharing the field.

As I wrote above, I agree with the choice of an electric midsize sailplane for an eight years old trainee.
He will be able to learn maneuvers, proper approach and pinpoint landing on grass, in calmed or windy conditions, using four standard controls, during the time the model last.
That will produce minimum hazard for the pilot, properties and spectators, because of the weight and speed of such a model.

With that flying time under his experienced wings, it would be a better time for the student to jump into the challenges of a regular trainer flown at a RC club.
I understand that supposes extra expenses, as I believe that there is no price for step by step training and flight safety.

Regards!

lnewqban,

I agree with what you have said Without knowing George Jr. its hard to give definative choices about an airplane.

Just this morning a father with his two sons, one about eight George's age were at the field to fly. Both these kids are very lucky to have a father with the finances to support their airplanes which are in the 27-35% range of the 3-D/IMAC aircraft with gas engines. The eight year old flies very well with his older brother about 12 doing 3-D at an accomplished level.

Realizing that those kids are the exception enhances our responsibility to PASS IT ON where we can! Not every kid has wealthy parents, but we can sure help to make their dreams of flight come true.


Blue skies and soft landings[8D]

Steve