Hey guys need help , In your experience what model and manufacturer should i go for, this will be my first jet, but I've been flying for about 7 years now so I have some experience but none on turbines.I've been looking at the F-16 1/6, made by FBjet, Flyeaglejet and Jet legend, what I wanted to know was which one has the better quality, I know they are all made in China but isn't everything ??

Any input or advise would be great

Read the mail about the Chinese ARFs, dont waste your money. Want a good 16 look at Avonds, you have to build it but it is easy. The Yellow Aircraft kits are very good also but there again you have to build them.

Stay away from the fly eagle.

The new BVM F16 somes pretty much ready to go so it would be very easy for you to get airborn and learn how the systems work. Also its built very light so its easy to fly and does not need a big block engine.

Make sure you seek out help from someone with experience in turbines around your location also. The is the biggest thing.

Do yourself a favor and contact Dustin at BVM/Skymaster and/or Mike Lin at Global Jet Club. They will help you select the right F-16.

Ok no worries I'll e-mail them today,
I had a look at the BVM f-16 and they have it advertised for $6,995 that's double what FBjets or the other chinese brands sell for !!! is there really that much difference in quality and reliability ??

Im happy to buy good quality even if it takes a little longer to have a working jet if it means it wont let me down. Chances are I'll let the model down before it does

From the three you mentioned I saw the the JL recently... it seems to be well built and flew very well.

The BVM is pre-built with servos and lights installed. I've seen this plane fly and I'm very impressed with it. I'm very tempted to get one myself.

I've personally owned the Skymaster and Fei Bao 1/6 F-16. The Skymaster landing gear is the gold standard for ARFs.

Yea the BVM one is a little expensive but when you factor in it has the lights servos all wiring and the entire air system with sequencer and gear failsafe built in its not to bad.

Yes, God forbid someone actually have to make an effort to put something together these days....I don't care what ARF it is....If you don't take the time to go through it it all on you.

Do yourself favor and buy a boomerang or a bvm bobcat for your first jet. You don't want to start out with a heavy, hard to land, nice jet thqt you have invested a lot of of money in. And lastly, do not even think about buying a fly eagle jet.

What did you think of the FBjet ???
That's what I was originally looking at before I started this thread!!

Do you think I need to start with a boomerang ?? im not learning to fly ??

Even if it is fine to start with a boomerang or else, the guy with this JL F-16 started to fly jets with one of this without any problems, so I guess is very doable considering all the knowledge shared this days on the web on the correct setup of this kind of jet.

In my opinion, a well built and set 1/6 F-16 is easier to fly than many so called jet trainers...

What about Skymaster ?? if BVM sell them is that a good indication on quality ?? and what's the difference between X-treme jets and Skymaster ARF pro ????

Grim,

You are poo-pooing planes like the Boomerang that actually fly very well. You say this is your first jet ... do mean your first turbine jet, or your first jet of any kind? How about complexity - scale warbirds with retracts and flaps? Anything that flies fast? F16's and F15's fly very well but have narrow gear with touchy ground handling.

Skymaster has the best F-16. Period. Xtreme jet is Skymaster's brand for smaller planes.

"poo-pooing" never heard that one before............ !

This is my first Turbine jet yes. I currently fly various war birds like the top flite P-51 giant scale and Sbach with a 50cc gasser, Hawker typhoon, but I haven't flown a turbine jet before and actually never a EDF !

When it cones to F16's most of the Chinese Jets are ok, Just don't get one that is too big as these can have problems with the full flying elevators

Do you mean the 1/6th scale jets ??

Try the Jet Legend Viper. Very good jet, aerobatic and very easy to fly. Would make a good first jet.

MH

He is talking about the 1/5 and 1/4 scale jets from FEJ. Do a search and decide for yourself.

my first jet was a boomerang, which will give you the flight time you need when getting into jets, just because you have flown other models they will not give you the knowledge you need and a boomerang will always be fun to fly and be with you for years I got mine in 2008 and have over 50hrs on it
once you have gotten use to the throttle delay and not having air blown over the wings by a prop then go to a f15,f16 my second jet was a JL 15 and the rest of them are also jetlegend 1/6 f16 L39.
don't be put off by scare stories about arf's from china the good ones have been around for years and have good reps in all country's I personally cannot fault JL none of them are perfect but JL have structurally good airframes and the new lightweight f16 and yak 130 are a huge leap forward which brings them in line with more expensive makes.
I personally have have seen the JL viper jet up close and they fly very well and I am tempted myself but at the moment I am out of space, just keep it light and it will serve you well

Well I had been flying RC for 30 + years but still started with a Boomerang. The ease of access and helps when you are learning how to install and start the sucker.

Also the Boomerang is a LOT of fun to fly. Watch Ali wring one out.

http://youtu.be/Hv1j2u5NTqc There are lots of used ones around and they seem to sell quickly if you don't want to keep it. If I had decided to invest in a second turbine I would have kept mine.

I am currently finishing up my first jet, a Shulman Aviation Turbinator w/K-100 turbine. I have been flying since 2008 and have been progressing through the hobby in the traditional manner.(glow planes, gassers, giant warbirds, high power/speed edf's, etc..)
Not sure about Oz, but here I will also need to earn my waiver with my first turbine jet, and prove to my peers that I can operate it safely. Even though I love F-16's, F-18's Vipers, Hawks, and L-39's, why would I want the extra pressure of learning the in's and outs on a very complex jet? I don't, and most others don't want that kind of pressure either nor recommend it.
Anybody ever seen the guy that shows up to a flying field for the first time and has something like a Habu and he wants to learn to fly? I see no difference in this situation where you want an F-16 for your first jet.


Just my 2 cents, and that's exactly what it is worth.
Good Luck....

My first turbine jet was a 1/8 F-16. I had been flying 40% gas IMAC planes and giant scale warbirds until that point. I had my waiver in a few days, but I feel the experience would have been less nerve wracking had I started with a trainer/sport plane of some sort. In hindsight, I should have started with a CARF Flash or Eurosport.