Electric RC Planes - Newbie questions

Crash,

I do have some experience in flying real ultralight aircraft (Titan tornado, I think). Although I flew as a passenger in that ultra light few times, It gave me lots of info on flight mechanics and other things.

I agree that this is in no way going to help me to fly my rc plane but I think I have the confidence to try it out without flight sim. My be I'll crash it under 30 secs, but may be I can brag about flying a Su XXL foamie as a newbie without any prior rc experience.

Lets see :)

CRaSH wrote:

You spend the time on flight that the Wright brothers did before they mounted one of their kites and you will do just fine. Be sure and make a laminar flow wind tunnel, as they did. And remember, they had to pretty much develop their own airfoils and control systems. They even had to design and build their engine. I am being a smart aleck -- and yes, you can learn to fly without an instructor. With the correct airplane, many of us did just that. We started with basically a free-flight that we knew how to trim to fly without us telling it to do anything. Some of our first models were only radio-control interrupted free-flight. I still have the wing of mine, 46 years later -- as well, as the engine, and it runs fine.. Good luck. You've gotten some good advice here. I will add one more. Start with a sailplane under 72" so a direct-drive prop will work OK. Or better! Yes! Get a "Rookie" from Hobby People...$30 bucks ready to fly with xmitter and LiPo battery. That is a good flying lesson. If you can't master that on the first flight, think how much time and money you will have saved over what you are thinking about getting to learn on. I am serious about the "Rookie." I love mine, and I am not exactly a rookie...well...not at model airplanes, that is.

Ken

On 11 Feb 2006 11:43:03 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote:

I like redundancy. I use each of my xmitters to fly maybe three models. I have labels on the xmitters saying which models it flies. I have a little "R" beside them if I need to move some switches to get the directions right. Everything I have is on the same channel/band/frequency. If I screw up and leave a xmitter on in the car or don't charge it like I thought I did, I just use one of the others. If I have a glitchie airplane at the field, I can switch xmitters to figure out what needs to be done. I have a computer radio, the cheapest Hitek, because I was flying e-wings and wanted to change the elevons to differential throw. I was using the mixer portion of the xmitter but I found that it was easier to plug in a $19 mixer in the model and then I could use any of my xmitters. I just realized that the two models I am flying on that computer xmitter, are not wings and I have no mixing. So I am using it as just another xmitter. However, I like feeling of the trim on the sticks. I like looking at where they are when I get ready to make a high-powered climb and then change the trim for soaring. With the computer radio, I look at it and the little electronic trim button tells me nothing...it is always in the same position. I can turn it on and look at the control surface trim but that is hard to remember where it should be for what proportion of flight. None of these things are important...considering the advantages of a computer radio, but I have seen many fliers, good fliers, standing in the start-up area staring at their xmitter, punching buttons, and watching the plane's control surfaces...on a Sunday...when there are a lot of guys out...and flying time is limited... and the frequency clips sought after. When I was flying sailplanes, I had to learn to coordinate the pitch control when I would put flaps down or spoilers up. I did this OK. Later, I put a walking beam in the model so the neutral of the elevator would change as the amount of flaps went down. I enjoy the tinkering. That would have been a perfect application for a computer radio.

Good. Knowing what you are doing helps in learning the codes of the buttons...which two need to be held down when you turn on power, which other two need to be held down to go into another function. The computer radio was the first radio system I ever had where I needed to take the instruction manual to the field. But I guess we have to put up with some things for all that convenience.

Please do. I am not the only one who is curious over this. And remember to keep track of what functions you are using on your computer radio that could not have been done with a non-computer one. I will say, however, that the time will come when all xmitters will be computer types.

Ken

Well, if you're going to try it, the Su-27 foamie should be a good test bed. The complete outfit from Hobby Lobby (nice folks!) won't break the bank, and if you break the foamie (and you WILL :), they patch very easily.. You might stock up on 5 minute epoxy and some carbon fiber rods for significant extra strength at low cost and negligible weight.. Good luck!! d:->))

That's a clever idea, I'd never have thought of that.

| The following question are relevant only to Electric RC planes

This really isn't true ... but I'll answer in the context of electric R/C planes.

| 1. Is there any ARF electric plane currently in market that uses more | than 6 channels?

Here's one -- the Ultra Stick Mini --

If configured with quad flaps, you'll need seven channels for full functionality, but you can put the flaps on a Y cable and get by with six. (But you'd be giving up full span ailerons, which I guess isn't a big deal.)

Of course, this plane could be configured to work on four channels too. Or even three, if you were willing to give up rudder control, but I wouldn't suggest that.

| 2. Is PCM radio worth for electric flying for weekend fun. Does PCM | radio need expensive or special servos or receiver?

This has already been covered, but PCM isn't used much in electrics, since the new DSP receivers offer many of the benefits for a lot less money and weight.

| 3. When I buy a radio, should I buy receiver / servo / from the same | brand / company?

You don't have to, but it's not a bad policy if you don't know what's compatibile with what. Personally, I have a Futaba 9C TX, and have it talking to receivers from Berg, FMA, Sombra Labs, Hitec and Futaba.

| 4. Will any servo (brand, size, torque) work with any radio / receiver?

Generally, yes. | 5. Can I use a brushed or brushless motor on any type of lipo battery | pack? I'm plannning to buy a lipo that would give me longer fying time | ( > 15 minutes). Does high capacity lipo require special motors?

That's two questions. Yes and no are the answers.

| 6. I'm convinced on a 6 channel futuba / JR / Hitec. Your | recommendation? I will be flying only electric planes / glider / simple | helis in the near future. Should I go for the ones with more channels?

Seven channels will give you even more flexibility, but six isn't bad.

Given that you want to fly electrics and six channels is probably enough, the Spektrum DX6 might be just perfect for you, and the price is right. And you'll never have to worry about channel conflicts with it ...

| 7. Will any ESC work with any receiver / motor?

Two questions again :)

Will it work with any RX -- usually yes.

Will it work with any motor -- no. Brushed motors need brushed ESCs and brushless motors need brushless ESCs. And of cours the ESC needs to be able to support the current draw of the motor, and sometimes there's issues about the timing or frequency of the ESC needing to match the motor (but they're rare.) Getting a ESC and motor as a matched set isn't a bad idea if you don't know the specifics.

| 8. I know what BEC is, but Is this a part of the receiver or something | else?

It's usually part of the ESC, but can be seperate. It's almost never part of the RX.

| 9. What is a synthesizer? Does it mean I can fly my plane at the same | time when someone else is also flying?

Already covered nicely ...

| Also I'm going to go without any instructor or any rc flight simulator.

Google for FMS -- Flight Model Simulator. It's a free R/C simulator and will help you get the perspective down.

If you have Microsoft Flight Simulator or something similar, you can fly the plane from the tower view, and that's somewhat similar to R/C flying, but FMS or another dedicated R/C simulator will be better. It's best if you can use a controller like an R/C controller, but it's not essential, and a standard joystick will help somewhat.

But flying a flight simulator with a cockpit view like you normally do will do little to prepare you for R/C flight.

| May be I'm stupid and end up crashing my plane uder 30 seconds. But I'm | thinking "Where did Wright brothers get their training or simulator?"

The Wright Brothers started with kites and gliders and learned from the people who had come before them. They did not start from scratch.

Also consider that many aviation pioneers died flying, often because of things like not knowing how to get a plane out of a spin, or not knowing that having the center of gravity far back was dangerous, or not knowing that sheet metal screws just aren't that strong -- things we take for granted now.

Goedendag Jay,

(Your words) Yes, you would be

If you have access to a club or an instructor, please use them.

Vriendelijke groeten ;-) Ron van Sommeren

14th. int. electric RC fly-in, June 25, Nijmegen, Netherlands see

| I'm convinced in buying a basic 6 channel computer radio. No pcm.

Oh, by the way --

Most modern TXs that do PCM can also turn the PCM off and talk to standard PPM RXs. Just because the TX says PCM, that doesn't mean you need a PCM RX.

(TX = transmitter, RX = receiver, if that's not clear.)

If you do go PCM, know that PCM only works within a given brand -- Futaba PCM TXs requires a Futaba PCM RX, JR requires JR, etc. For non PCM, you can mix the brands up (Futaba/Hitec work together, JR/Airtronics work together) but not with PCM.

| I'm sure I don't need a 6 channel computer as a beginner but I'm | thinking 2-3 years from now. I want to use the same radio for all my | planes (Electric only for next 2-3 years).

The price difference between computer radio and non computer radio is pretty small nowadays.

| Another reason I think a computer radio will suit me better is that I'm | a systems architect in .net. I work in computers all the time and I | guess using computer radio is not in my worry list at all.

The RC TX may have a computer in it, but it's still a consumer appliance. Knowing how to program a computer is no more essential or even useful in regards to it's use than it is with knowing how to use your Tivo or microwave.

(Though it may help you realize that the interfaces for the computer radios really do generally suck. It's like they're mostly designed by computer people who have never flown R/C ...)

| Sure I'll post my comments once I buy the radio but it won't apply to a | person with little computer skills in the real world.

Don't forget that most of the posters to this group have at least some computer skills, and plenty of us know how to program computers too.

They would have been far better pilots if they had ..I mean if you want to catapult launch and fly three feet off the ground for 50 yards, be my guest :-)

Spektrum DX6 tx, E-Flite Celectra lipo charger, E-Flite Park 370 outrunner, E-Flite brushless esc, Thunder Power 1320 mah 3s lipo. As for the plane: Go to

and download some freebie plans. Scale them down a bit and go to WalMart and by some foamboard, soak it some water to remove the paper.........build as many planes as you like!!

Check out this site to give you some ideas

good luck

Mike

Or select a model that will permit you to fly more, sooner than getting a trainer and relying on open frequencies and an instructor pilot.

Ken

I think you are guilty of "presentism." He wants exactly the same thrill that the Wrights had. Flying as you describe might have been more exciting for the Wrights than doing five axial rolls in 3 seconds, 12' off the ground...with an r/c.

Ken