Hey all. I know i am way out of my league here as a begginer that has never flown before but i have a few questions because in the future when i am ready.. (year or two maybe) I would like to get into jets. I'm sure most or all of you started with regular single engine prop planes, and i'd just like to know...

1: How much different are jets form regular RC planes?

2: What is the US dollar amount spent on a complete aircraft from purchase to first flight?

3: Seems like BVM has the best program for getting people flying jets, How would you all rate that assesment?

4: What is the dificulty level in flying a jet vs a regular plane? i know its more involved on the technical end but i am refering to actual flight. With the speeds that can me reached and the altitudes, how hard is it to stay oriented to your plane and keep track of its direction, pitch, roll, and yaw?

5: At what point of experiance would you recomend some one getting into flying jets? 1 year, 2 years?

Any other info you all could provide would be great. I just spent the last hour or so searching the internet for pictures and videos of jet flight most of what came back was BVM stuff and I have to say, I'm hooked and definatly want to try it at some point.

There is a lot of info in this thread

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_11...tm.htm#1109761

As for BVM, he's got some great stuff, but I wouldn't agree with your comment about being best, he's expensive and his stuff works, but there are lots of other great jets out there.
Dollar amount, probably $4000 on the low end (if you have nothing already) to as much as you want to spend.

I assume you mean in the way they fly? Not as different as you'd think, but in fact they actually fly better.

I can't comment on these questions as I'm not in the US and I don't own a BVM jet and no immediate plans to do so.

There is no question that your ability to fly accurately is key but only in the sense that the element of risk in causing harm or damage with a big (expensive) model with the potential to travel at very high speeds is possibly greater, but that could be disputed. In reality there isn't really anything "difficult" and not everyone that flies jets are "public display" grade flyers, although the general standard of jet fliers as opposed to other disciplines maybe higher - I've also seen people that fly jets week-in/week-out that you wouldn't trust with a 40 size high-wing trainer. At the end of the day the bywords are "responsibility" and "respect" for your model and surroundings (people and property) and the only way that can be proven is by experience and an ability to demonstrate it. I found that building up confidence is a big part and that I had quite a large mental hurdle to negotiate before I felt "right" and could go for it myself. I also had a lot of help and advise from some very experienced people without whom I certainly wouldn't have achieved it.

I've only been flying for a very short time and only solo'ed my Harpoon just a few weeks ago. I had a lot of anxiety on the run up to my first flights but afterwards I was wondering what all the fuss was about. I've found that flying, orientation, etc, is easier than with some of my small, twitchy, IC powered models - simply because it's a bigger model. It doesn't get buffeted by the wind (quite so much), it flies much smoother, and you can see it much easier. Judging "depth of vision" is going to take a bit of work because if you've been flying smaller models then I found that you tend to fly larger models further away from you - on the finals before landing I found that I was not even over the strip and that I was actually on the other side of it and had to go around and line up again.

Probably one of the main differences is that jet models need airspeed in order to fly. There is no prop wash and the throttle response isn't near instantaneous like it is on an IC prop model. If you decide that you need to go around after a botched approach then you have to resist the temptation to whack the throttle open and simultaneously haul on the elevator - you have to throttle up, wait a bit, and then be gentle and climb out smoothly. Fly with deliberation.

I started flying in May '03 and bought my first jet four months later. Despite being an ARTF I took my time in assembling it and setting it up. In fact, it didn't have it's maiden flight (not by me) for about five months. This gave me plenty of time to get my own flying upto scratch and pass the A and B tests that are required to fly jets here in the UK.

Well, this might wet your appetite further still and show you that you don't need a BVM jet to get you going. Here's a video of my first solo flight with my Harpoon. It's just under 14Mb.

http://www.rainman.uklinux.net/movies/Harpoon_solo.wmv

Good luck!

Phil

Thanks guys and that was a good video Phil. I found that i lost track of the plane several times and that is what i would be afraid of doing if i was flying it. I guess with time one gets better.

Thanks again for the info. If any one else has anything to add please do. I would love to read others thoughts.

Shadukar,
Don't let the video fool you. I lose track of them in video's as well. BUT, a video is not life size. It's very different when you are at the flying field watching these fly. They are much easier to see at the field than compared to the video. My .02.

It is not very different at all, the problem is to develop the "sixth sense" to properly fly a jet at a greater speeds and distances without a big wing as a visual reference, and know how to control at low speeds a airplane with a higher wing loading , turbine lag time and no propeller airflow on the control surfaces... You can give a try in a flight simulator like Realflight g2 and fly a extra 300 and later a F-16 to have some idea.

Rgds, Enrique