hi guys how many channels would u recommend on a transmitter for a setup on a jet

cheers

I have many models and Jets and I can quite easily manage all of them on 9 channels. Others will say more and of course it generally depends on how much money you have available for a radio and receivers

The question can not be answered. I have flown a 3 channel trainer jet, no ailerons, just rudder elevator and throttle! I have jets with 18 or more servos/devices. The answer depends on which types of jets, and that is not specified in the question.

For a basic jet with retracts, flaps & a radio operated fuel shut off (as per NZ turbine rules)
you will need a minimum of 7 channels. This would require Y leads for some servos.

Lots of guys use many more channels to avoid Y leads by plugging into the extra channels &
using the radio's mixing functions to couple the servos together. This gives flexibility & allows
methods such as 'çrow' on the ailerons to aid landings.

The NZ rules like the Oz rules require brakes if the model will not stand still on the runway at idle.
You can operate brakes off full down elevator but lots of pilots prefer to have a separate control -
another channel.

Get some more local information from the NZMAA:

http://www.nzmaa.org.nz/interest/NZJMA.htm

John.

If you do everything with "Y" harnesses.... you can generally get away with 6 ch. (ail, ele, rud, throt, flap, brakes)

If you have an older engine... You may need an extra ch to be able to "kill" the engine, like on the AMT's. (so 7 ch)

AND......... Many jets have retracts. (so possibly 8 ch)

But most guys like to have a separate trim on the nose wheel, or set up the ailerons on separate ch so they can be used in a crow configuration.



With that all said... if you are looking for a new radio... I would target a 9 ch for a jet.

Spend as much as you can on a radio!

We tend to use them for quite a few years and you can get double digit channel numbers from most of the major players for a reasonable price.

What he said.
I always tell people to get the best transmitter they can afford,
It is not always just the number of channels that needs to be looked at.
Usually the radios with more channels also have more other features. They usually have more mixes to work with, better programming options and other features that are hard to put a number on for comparisons. They often even better hardware like ball bearing gimbels instead of bushings, faster processors, more memory.
It is just that the number of channels is an easy thing to quantify and advertise, so many people just can not look past the number of channels.

It’s easy to need more than 9 servos even on fairly “simple” sports models so limiting yourself to a 9 channel tx isn’t a good idea. Yes you can use Y leads say on rudder and steering but sometimes servos don’t work well on Y leads and sometimes you need to reverse one of the servos, or adjust its centre or travel independently of the other. Having a channel per servo makes setting up and adjustment so much easier.
1. Throttle
2. Elevator
3. Aileron
4. Aileron
5. Flap
6. Flap
7. Rudder
8. Steering
9. Retracts
10. Brakes
11. Maybe another rudder e.g. all twin boomers

I would say that depends on what you plan to do, if your a sport jet or trainer jet 9 would be fine. If you dont mind using match boxes and Y harnesses 9 would do it for you as well. I save a lot of weight by not using all that stuff plus its more failure points. The more complex jets that have more features require more channels for things like speed brakes, canopy, canopy locks, stuff like that. I also like having enough channels for each servo so I can adjust end points, curves and things like that, but thats all personal liking stuff. Radios have come down quiet a bit and getting a 14 channel radio is not much more than a 8/9 channel, so pick what works for you and your plans.

+ me on that. If you are serious about jets then you can never have too many channels,it's surprising how you will start using them up. Also if you are using 'Y" leads on important control surfaces ie. two elevator or aileron servos its possible if you get a failure you can lose power to both.At least there is a chance if they are independantly wired.

Agree.. 4 matchboxes or so covers the price diff between a dx9 and a dx18.... I would get a DX18 no doubt

If you watch and talk to a very skilled older modeller thay can do incredible things with a very small number of channels. Reason being that years ago they had to.

Also in my view a models servo should be set up correctly mechanically and geometrically first before you start clicking away on the radio

I learned a long time ago that if all I can afford is to go "minimum" on any part of a project then I really can't afford the project.

Very good info here, I myself have asked the same question, specially last years when I was shopping for a new radio since my old one has been with me for over 10 years without a single problem, so after doing some thinking on what I wanted to do as far as jets go, I came to the conclusion that I was going to be ok with 10 channels radio, so then I got me the Futaba 10CAP one step above the 9 CAP, I conceder what I was going to do with it, another thing to conceder is that some servos like the Hitec ones are programmable and that could eliminate the use of a channel by pairing two servos the same way.

So for now for me a 10 chls is more than enough,

I don't agree with that at all. Not everyone wants a super scale, high end, $10k Jet. Not to mention, guys in this end of the hobby go overboard on basic set-up's. Guys will spend $500 on an iGyro, when it will fly without it. They will spend $300~$500 on a power board, with regulators... and it's not needed. They will spend +$200 on digital air valves, when a $15 one will work

Yes, the engines are expensive, but that doesn't mean that you have to spend $100 each for Ti gear, digital servos, when $10 metal gear, analog will work. AND... more importantly... still be safe.

Personally... I like turbines, but I'm a sport flyer at hart. All of my stuff was built on a budget. (used airframes, used engines, inexpensive servos, etc) The jet I built to get my waiver on was flown on a 7ch radio, with A LOT of Y-harnesses. It was flying for around $1200.


To the OP:

Since the DX9 came out... you can find great deals on the JR 9's. (9303 or 9503) Also... some guys just don't like the DX18, and I have been seeing them for under $600 in the used market.

I have a 12X radio and I'm using 11 channels on a sport jet. I could get away with less (maybe 7), but I like the added programming options.