jrhyne

Hi, I'm brand new here, and would like to find out my options for an electric motored P-38, preferably ARF. I am just now getting back into (into in the first place?), flying (30ish years ago I flew planes in a circle, tethered).

Anyway, the P-38 has always been my favorite plane, and I've decided that I have to have one. Being new to this hobby, I will be getting a stable beginner plane, but I will NEED a Lightning, and I don't know of a better place to ask for advice.\

So, I guess that my basic questions are:

Are electric motors powerful enough to fly a P-38 well?

What kits or planes are out there?

There is an outside chance that I'll consider gas engines, but would prefer to go electric if possible.
I know that there is a bunch of questions that haven't come to mind yet, but I'll consider this a start.

Thanks in advance for the help, any links that have already covered this would be great as well as any basic stuff that I should know.

I'm psyched!!

Jeff R

Pilot44

My Feedback: (20)

Horizon Hobbies has a P38 coming in the next couple of weeks, electric, do a search for P38 on their website

FSK has a P38, a bit more involved, excellant detail. I have one of these. Hobby Lobby carries this one.

There are some profile models as well out there. If you like profiles.

Jim

jrhyne

So, Pilot44, do you like the performance of your FSK P-38? What kind of flight time do you get with it?

TIA,

Jeff

perttime

Does this mean that you have not flown a RC plane before?

edit: read your post again...

You need a trainer plane. To get started in electrics something smallish might be the least painful way if you can wait for calm weather for flying. Large electric power systems still tend to be expensive.

A GWS Slow Stick or Beaver (elevator and rudder control) or E-Starter (ailerons too) are pretty good low cost starter planes if you like EPS foam as building material. Mountain Models makes some pretty good kits if you prefer balsa. There are others out there.

I hear that GWS Corsair and Zero are fairly forgiving as first warbirds. I took the GWS Formosa (an aerobatic design) as my first low-wing plane.

You might consider a twin warbird as your third or fourth plane if you are good. GWS also makes a foamy P-38 which might be a good low cost entry into P-38s.

In electrics, the power for anything in modeling is available and if you keep it small the cost is quite reasonable. You need to study the electrics world a little. It is not really more complicated than internal combustion but it is different. And, again, the cost goes up pretty steeply with the size and weight of plane.

jrhyne

THat is correct, I haven't flown an RC before. But in my grand scheme of things, the first plane that I will be acquiring will be a very forgiving single engine trainer plane. I figure that here in Baltimore, I can find a club and get some help getting some hours in with my trainer.

Having said that, at some point I'll have to have a Lightning, or several. I've been trying to do a bunch of reading on the electric motors, and I just wanted to find out what experience people had had with them, whether the electric motors very powerful enough, etc.

I'll keep reading all of these posts, and any and all advice is greatly appreciated, thanks,

Jeff

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

By the time you are ready to fly a P-38, all this info will be "old & outdated". Everything, from batteries to kits available, etc will change. Don't run out grab something now, because chances are there will be better choices at a lower price when you are ready. The quality of electrics is rising fast, and prices are coming down all the time. 2 years ago, a small 2cell lipo battery was $50. Now they are half that. Same with brushless motors and speed controllers.