Well it seems there's not too many fliers and boaters 'round here... so I'd like to try to convert you'all!

I am offering my services to answer questions and make reccomendations.

I have flown many planes, nitro and electric, trainers, advanced, arfs, kits etc

I have a few boats, one quite fast, and I've helped build custom boats and done lots of hopping up of rtr boats

BOATS AND PLANES RULE!!!! (i guess cars are okay, too...j/k they rule too!!)

know anything about helis?

Just the basics:

Helis are much more demanding of pilot and mechanic. Anyone who can drive a car can learn to fly a trainer airplane with a little help, but helis are another story. They are difgficult to control compared to planes, and more difficult and costly to fix and set up.

I would strongly reccomend a rc heli simulator as a first step towards getting a heli.

They can be more 'work' and less 'fun' ie. you can't skip bench time and must be meticulous and patient when it comes to assembly, setup, maintenance....

-rcnerd

hello all,
As far as heli's being harder to fly, and setup, that is true. after a crash they are similiar to cars and trucks in that you buy replacement parts and change them out with the damaged parts and its good as new. with airplanes it's not that easy. most planes above trainer models don't have replaceable parts,well they do but because they are exopied on, it's difficult to replace that item.
most of us are in the car racing for the competitive side it offers. the helis, and airplanes are more of a you against the elements type of challange. and IMO learning to fly will make you a better r/c car driver/racer.

know anything about helis?Talk to me what do you need to know I am an avid Heli pilot as well I have many friends who are sponsered heli guys and if i cant answer the ???? I will ask them for you

Well it seems there's not too many fliers and boaters 'round here... so I'd like to try to convert you'all!

I am offering my services to answer questions and make reccomendations.

I have flown many planes, nitro and electric, trainers, advanced, arfs, kits etc

I have a few boats, one quite fast, and I've helped build custom boats and done lots of hopping up of rtr boats

BOATS AND PLANES RULE!!!! (i guess cars are okay, too...j/k they rule too!!)i too can help in this area for ????. i have been flying r/c planes since i was 10 (now 32yrs old) and Racing boats and cars for almost as long.I am an IMPBA Race director(boat related) Just started the heli thing about a year ago. So ask away and i can help as best I can lets get these threads going!

OK, I'll start out with the first question. I've raced cars and trucks for more years then I can remember but have been thinking of giving planes a try. What would be a good recommended setup for someone learning to fly in somewhat limited space?

OK, I'll start out with the first question. I've raced cars and trucks for more years then I can remember but have been thinking of giving planes a try. What would be a good recommended setup for someone learning to fly in somewhat limited space? When you say Limited space, do you mean indoors or lots of trees in your area? do you want ease of electric or gas(small spaces are great for electric indoor and out) what kind of budget do you have in mind? And then I can better answer your question. I am also assuming trainer type/like as it sounds like you have never flown before.

My limited space is a field next to my house that is about 5 acres. I would most likely like to stay with electric since it is quieter. I have flown once or twice with an Aerobird but it almost seemed too big for the limited space that I have... but maybe it was just me and trying to learn on my own.

My limited space is a field next to my house that is about 5 acres. I would most likely like to stay with electric since it is quieter. I have flown once or twice with an Aerobird but it almost seemed too big for the limited space that I have... but maybe it was just me and trying to learn on my own. The aerobird was most of the problem, There are alot of great electric trainers but in my opinion, the E-Starter by GWS is probably one of the best and cost effective "park flyers" on the market It look like a plane it flys well and is forgiving to the newbie. here are some of the specs and requirements:Its an "ARF" almost ready to fly
30.5 in (725 mm)wingspan
260 sq in wing area
EPS300C Power System (motor and prop assembly)
3-Channel Minimum radio
35.9 in length
2 micro or mini servos, micro electronic speed control(10 amp), micro receiver, and 270mAh or 600mAh 7.2V battery pack( or Lipo)
GWS has the most affordable radio gear around(including transmitters which I would recommend a 4 channel because you will get hooked on flying, and most of your advanced planes require 4 channel operation) and its good quality,
This plane is a great introductory park flyer that is at home in neighborhood parks or a large backyard. With the included EPS300C motor, the E-Starter packs plenty of power yet maintains stable flight characteristics ideal for new pilots. Street price is around $40.00 to 60.00 depending on hobby shop, I work at Hobby town USA in Strongsville Ohio if you are interested in purchasing, or your local Hobbyshop. So forget what it was like to fly the aerobird except for the fun part and enjoy real flight with a real looking plane!Hope this helps! after you master this plane the sky is the limit! Then we can talk about brushless power and 11.1 lipo, and the aerobatics! LOL :wave: Have a good thanks giving if i dont hear form you before then! Oh also if your looking for an even more gentle plane to start with check out the Slo V from hobbyzone its about $150.00 complete with radio battery and charger, THat just might be the ticket for your 5 acre lot. it flies at a walking pace where the E starter flys at a brisk walk to a good running pace but they are both gentle flyers! here are some websites http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes.htm thats for the slo V and here for the e starter http://www.hobbytron.com/E-Starter-ARF-Park-Flyer.html

Thanks for the info. Will have to look at the info a little more this weekend. Might have to go with the Slo V and if I get more interested I can just get something better. $150 bucks ain't bad to start and if after a while I don't want to continue (or move to something better) it's not that big a loss.

Thanks for the info. Will have to look at the info a little more this weekend. Might have to go with the Slo V and if I get more interested I can just get something better. $150 bucks ain't bad to start and if after a while I don't want to continue (or move to something better) it's not that big a loss.This is true! also after you graduate from the slo V they have a combat fighter thats very forgiving and tons of fun!!!!!Especially with brushless power!!! and is about $170.00 complete! its called the f27 stryker. You can check it out on the hobbyzone web site as well. if you have any other ??? send em to me!

the slo-V would be a great choice, also the GWS SLOW STICK if you prefer to build your own.

another thing, a good flight sim, such as Real Flight G2, or the new G3 version.
http://www.towerhobbies.com/products/realflight/gpmz4400e.html ($199)
or Aerofly http://aeroflypro.com/purchase/ ($119) both work well, and can teach you how to fly. i learned how to fly helis with real flight!
you could crash hundreds of times and it won't cost a thing. may be just the thing since winter has just about set in.

the slo-V would be a great choice, also the GWS SLOW STICK if you prefer to build your own.

another thing, a good flight sim, such as Real Flight G2, or the new G3 version.
http://www.towerhobbies.com/products/realflight/gpmz4400e.html ($199)
or Aerofly http://aeroflypro.com/purchase/ ($119) both work well, and can teach you how to fly. i learned how to fly helis with real flight!
you could crash hundreds of times and it won't cost a thing. may be just the thing since winter has just about set in.only problem with the slostick is its in ability to handle almost no wind at all! but it is a good flyer on a calm day or indoors! the slov is still a better value and a larger aircraft that flies in small space

you may be right, i got into aerial photograghy a year or so ago and found that everyone recommended the gws slow stick, at first i took other routes and didn't listen. i finally came around and tried one, i was amased at how well it flies with a heavy load. mine hauls a blackwidow 200mw downlink and a olympus d560 digi camera. using a himaxx 2025 4300kv brushless motor and thunder power 11.1 ly-polys imo there is no better plane for AP than the slow stick.

heres a pic taken at a local ballfield.

http://www.ninja7.rchomepage.com/hotshotzaerialphoto/ballfield5.jpg

you may be right, i got into aerial photograghy a year or so ago and found that everyone recommended the gws slow stick, at first i took other routes and didn't listen. i finally came around and tried one, i was amased at how well it flies with a heavy load. mine hauls a blackwidow 200mw downlink and a olympus d560 digi camera. using a himaxx 2025 4300kv brushless motor and thunder power 11.1 ly-polys imo there is no better plane for AP than the slow stick.

heres a pic taken at a local ballfield.

http://www.ninja7.rchomepage.com/hotshotzaerialphoto/ballfield5.jpg Like the pic! the amazing things brushless motors can acomplish power wise, I run a brushless in my heli with 11.1 lipo and can lift some hefty loads wiht a set of carbon blades on it, have yet to get a camera! but i think you just convinced me!

i started out getting a heli thinking i would use it to take pics with but soon found that you almost need two people and two radios, one to fly the heli, and one to operate the pan, tilt, and shutter on the camera. not questioning youre heli flying skills at all but you need to be one heck of a pilot to do both.

the video downlink i recommend is here. http://www.blackwidowav.com/
200mw, or digi live. remember you get what you pay for in this department!
this will hook up to a tv on the ground and let you see what the camera on the plane sees in real time. this is worth it's weight in gold. if you think of getting one of these systems make sure that the digi camera you get has video OUTput!
their is a lot of info on other sites but in order to keep this forum growing, i'd like to keep it here.
heres another of a friends house, it took about 6 minutes to take 20 shots and3 or 4 throw aways. before the downlink i have made flights and didnt have one single pic worth keeping.

http://www.ninja7.rchomepage.com/hotshotzaerialphoto/sh2.jpg

hey...I gotta come to the defense of the slow stick...can't fly in wind???? sure it can...all you need to do is increase power and wing loading.,...it flys better like that anyway. solder up 8 cheap nicad 600 cells or 500 ar cells and the slow stick will handle some pretty heavy winds. It is in my opinion one of the easiest, best and cost effective trainers available today!

Now, about the Slo-V , J-3, etc.....I could be wrong, but I recall these as having an unusual4-wire servo that basically makes the radio useless for any other plane but the one it comes with reduces the value in my opinion.

The absolute best value for starting out is a Slow stik and A gws radio. Although the GWS radio is a tad ugly, it is reliable, 4-channel, cheap, and comes in some versions where everthing needed to fly comes w/ the radio at a very cheap price. And their rx is freakin tiny...for like 20 $$!!!

The slow stik is easier to build and fix than any non-stick type plane. even a newbie can build in 2hrs.

Sorry to dis those "4-wire servo" planes....they're good too.....but you'll throw away the radio in 6 months....:-)

I agree the GWS Slowstick is the right choice for a beginner getting into electric or glow powered r/c aircraft.The main thing to remember when it comes to almost all of the park flyer type aircraft.Try to fly early in the morning or late in the afternoon.That is when I fly mine.That way you stand a better chance of fying in little or no wind situations.Park flyers derived from indoor flyers.They just dont really show thier true colors in windy situations.
The original Slowstick with the 300 motor is all you will need.Most hobbyshops that specialize in r/c aircraft have a good patrs support for the Slowstick.I bought the gws pack for the Pico sticks.This package included:reciever,speed control,250mil 5 cell nicad batt. pack.and two servo,s.This package was cheaper than buying a reciever and two servo,s seperatly.The speedo and batt.pack are too small but,I used them for something else. I bought a Futaba Skysport transmitter a coulple yeras ago for 29$ it included the transmitter and the battery pack and the box it comes in as a complete unit .It was sold as a trainer box .So if someone can find it for sale again:{Slowstick kit with included motor and prop 39$ ,the GWS package I mentioned above 80$ and the Skysport trans.29$ also the Electrifly speedo 25$ and the 1200 mil. nimh batt. pack 29$}the total would be around 205$.I forgot the crystal's so another 25$.TOTAL:230$
It is a good,cheap and safe way to get started in r/c airplanes.My thing is catching thermal's.I have stayed up for over thirty minites floating around in a thermal. on my setup.It stays up so long sometimes my neck gets so tired I have to land with enough juice in the batt. to go up again. .I am lucky enough to have an school around the corner with a large smooth soccor field and a newly paved asphualt parking lot.It is within walking distance.On SuNdAyS I take my Slowstick,TC3 and my Losi XXXT and just play with r/c stuff till dark.

Here is my setup:Slowstick with included motor, prop & gearbox
Electrifly 1200mil.nickel metal batt.
Electrifly 10amp speedo
2 GWS Pico standard servo's
GWS receiver
Futaba T6XAs transmitter

well at least my bnack 5 acres isent that bad but I do have some obsticals
border trees,but it lookes great to me now.I love the new threads and am sure that lots of others will be in here to see these threads. I fly an old Skyscooter pro from Hitech it comes with a nice 3 channel radio,
and some times a trainer 40 some times ,I just replaced the radio in the trainer but havent flowne it yet with the new narrow band radio ,trying to set up the programs on the digital thing!!!!!!!! Have fun live long and happy flying Scott :wave:

Hey guys,
I'm thinking about buying my first plane in April.

What's a good one for a beginner?
Is this one any good? http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHPC0&P=7 It's made of foam, which I guess could be a bad thing, hence the lower price.

I love the Corsair design and the generic park flyers don't really do anything for me, design wise. Also, I was looking to stick with electric.

Would this one be too advanced? http://www.towerhobbies.com/products/greatplanes/gpma1160.html

Thanks for the help. :wave:

Ok, your kinda comparing apples to bricks with those 2, Neither of those are godd "Beginer type" planes, They are electric but really dont fall into the "park flyer" or Beginer category. The F4U would be difficult for a newbie for several reasons, First Its Dual Dihedral(spelling) makes it wash out(wing tip falls towards the ground) at slow speeds very easily, I am sure that they have taken it into account for electric and corrected it a bit, but still would be twitchy. Second thin wing and short chording(distance between leading and trailing edge) make it not an easy plane to handle, and third its a low wing. Now the other plane the super sportster, Is a fully acrobatic electric flyer, that will be fast, Would be a better choice for the begginer between the 2, but still not a beginer type aircraft, one reason besides what I mentioned is, Its a low wing again back to the washout problems, but this one is better than the corsair because its wing is longer and single diehedral. Chording is a bit better also. I would look at the Rascal By I beleive SIG manufacturing, or Great planes electricub ARF if yrou looking for a more scale begginer type aircraft, I hope this helps!

Ok, your kinda comparing apples to bricks with those 2, Neither of those are godd "Beginer type" planes, They are electric but really dont fall into the "park flyer" or Beginer category. The F4U would be difficult for a newbie for several reasons, First Its Dual Dihedral(spelling) makes it wash out(wing tip falls towards the ground) at slow speeds very easily, I am sure that they have taken it into account for electric and corrected it a bit, but still would be twitchy. Second thin wing and short chording(distance between leading and trailing edge) make it not an easy plane to handle, and third its a low wing. Now the other plane the super sportster, Is a fully acrobatic electric flyer, that will be fast, Would be a better choice for the begginer between the 2, but still not a beginer type aircraft, one reason besides what I mentioned is, Its a low wing again back to the washout problems, but this one is better than the corsair because its wing is longer and single diehedral. Chording is a bit better also. I would look at the Rascal By I beleive SIG manufacturing, or Great planes electricub ARF if yrou looking for a more scale begginer type aircraft, I hope this helps!

That helps, thanks!
So for a completely new pilot, those planes you listed would be good?
And how much would a radio cost for either of those you listed?

That helps, thanks!
So for a completely new pilot, those planes you listed would be good?
And how much would a radio cost for either of those you listed? Well again there are better "trainer" or Beginner type planes out there but you had mention the asthetics of the "parkflyers" being less than desirable. So that limits your choices, but yes both of the ones i mentioned look good and fly very well! Just remember one thing they all crash, just some crash faster than others!:cool: Any of the 4 channel radio systems that are out there are good, But probably best bang for your buck is the JR 4 channel with mini receiver and mini servos usually sells in most Hobby shops around $114.00 you really cant beat that deal with the kind of quality I think the model # is like 6214 or something close,

OK, thanks again.
I remember reading one of the past threads and someone mentioned a plane that was more of a "wing" design rather than a plane with a fuselage, and I can't find it or remember the name. It had fighter plane graphics and had two flight modes, one for beginner and one that would allow more control of the rudder, airlerons, etc once you were more experienced.

Do you know what I'm talking about?

********Nevermind, I found the plane. The F27 Stryker. :)