Another beginner

| I only have a couple of questions. My main one is if I go out and buy a 7 | Channel Remote, could I just use it on all of my rc planes that I make/get?

Yes. For seven channels, I'd suggest the Hitec Eclipse with a Spectra module. $220 or so from Doug's Hobby shop by itself, or you can get a package deal with a receiver and servos.

| Like is it easy to take the servos and what not from one plane and putting | it into the other?

Yes and no. If it's the same general class of plane, like an 0.40 or

0.60 sized glow plane, then yes. But once you start getting into the small electrics, there's lots of different sizes of servos, and each plane may use it's own.

If you like the 0.40 - 0.60 sized glow plane, you can get standard servos for about $9 each from servocity.com. The quality is pretty good, so if you need 4 that's $36 -- cheap enough that you won't want to remove them until the plane is toast.

For the smaller planes, which are probably either electrics or gliders, the costs of the servos go up, around $20-$30 each though it depends on exactly which one you get. It's quite easy to have a plane where the servos cost a lot more than the airframe itself when you get into the cheap foamies or the spad planes.

For giant scale planes, the costs of the servo go way up again, but at least in that case it makes sense. :) [these probably aren't what you want anyways.]

| My next question is what would be the best website to buy | planes? I'm not to picky, it is just price wise. Thanks in advance.

That's a tough one ... but some of my favorites are :

for just about anything. for batteries, receivers for servos for a bare Eclipse transmitter for some nice slope gliders sort of like Tower, but smaller. Different stuff, however. lots of park fliers, if that's what you like. Not a good place to buy, but it's a good place to see what you might want to buy elsewhere.

... it really depends on what you want. Note that the correct answer is NOT eBay. eBay is *not* the place to buy R/C equipment unless you really know your R/C stuff.

Yup.

Yes you can, to some extent, provided the servos are suited in strength, size and weight to whatever plane they're going in. However, in reality, as you get more planes, most people tend to keep flying the previous ones, the exception is one's trainer, (which a lot of people do keep) and planes which turn out to be a dog to fly. So generally, you'll get a new flight pack (reciever, servos and battery) for each new plane.

A 7 channel transmitter will suit the vast majority of R/C fliers and can be used for multiple aircraft. Most transmitters have memories to allow you to store each planes setting so you can simply switch between them as required.

Moving a receiver and/or a battery pack from one aircraft to another isn't a big task but, it's one you'll get very tired of if flying different aircraft all the time. Best to buy additional receivers and battery packs for each aircraft (which is what I'm about to do now I have 3 aircraft).

As for swapping servos, obviously it can be done but the question is for what reason? Once an aircraft has it's servos fitted and all the control rods setup etc you usually don't remove them until you destroy or get rid of the aircraft.

If you're thinking of buying one set of servos and constantly swapping them between planes it's not practical at all and will inevitably lead to a failure/mistake that will destroy the aircraft.

Simple answer is to stick to the known reputable dealers and buy name product that fits your budget. There are too many internet dealers around the world to make an single recommendation.

A word of advice though, for beginners it's best to buy from a local hobby shop. A local hobby shop is your best source of help and they will be more likely to assist you with a product you bought from them than if you show up with an internet bargain wanting free help. Any assistance you can get is invaluable and often far more important than saving a few bucks buying from the internet.

Yes. Hitec and Futaba both make excellent 7-channel radios. Pick one that has separate memories for each model. That way, you avoid trim and direction changes every time you change models.

Not really. For receivers and batteries to be secure inside the fuselage, they have to be clamped or strapped into place. Servos are held in place with screws. As you loosen/tighten the screws, the holes in the mounting beams are "wallowed out", or enlarged. Moving them from model to model can become cumbersome and aggravating. You will also be constantly retrimming your planes every time you move the servos. Unless each plane is trimmed identically and the servo movement is the same, you drastically increase your chances of crashing your models when you swap out the servos. It's much safer and easier to install a separate flight pack in each plane.

Dr.1 Driver "There's a Hun in the sun!"

That is so true. I have one transmitter, abourt 4 e-flight LIPO batteries, but about a dozen receivers, almost 50 servos, and loads of little motors and ESC's....and 7-8 planes in varying degrees of repair and construction.

There are so many websites for purchasing RC planes and equipment. towerhobbies.com would be a good place to begin.

John VB

Most of the people that I know at the field and elsewhere go with the Futaba 6XA.Pretty reasonable and can be used with just about anything. It's pretty dang versatile.Tower has those. Just my 2=A2

OK, that is understandable. But can I use one controller for multiple planes? Will I be able to use multiple receivers and servos with one remote controller?

So I oculd use one remote for multiple planes?

OK thanks for the info. Very informative.

OK, know I understand how it works. I just wasnt sure if I could use one remote for mutiple receivers. That is why I was wondering if you could just more servos and receivers from one plane to the next.

Yes.

You should make sure the kit is all the same make if possible, certainly the Transmitter and Receiver(s) especially when starting out (like me) :-)

I have a JR X378 (7ch) Transmitter and use it with three glow planes and one Helicopter. Regards, Jeff.

Absolutely. Just switch the radio to the appropriate memory to match the aircraft. My radio supports 5 memories, one for each aircraft. At the moment I have three aircraft and use three memories.

I'm relatively new to all this myself. Learning as I go along and reading anything that will help me. Good luck.

Ok, now I have one more stupid question. Would you suggest a beginner to start out with a kit plane, or a ARF? Which would leave the wallet more intact when I got a completed plane?

[snip]

Prices will differ from location to location but my basic analysis of trainer aircraft shows the prices to be about the same.

I'm a relative newcomer and initially started by building a kit glider which I was given for free. Working whenever I could I had it finished in a month. Still waiting, after 5 months, for ideal conditions to fly it but that's typical for this time of year (in Australia).

I also was given a kit of a standard 40 sized trainer. Nice kit with a retail price similar to ARFs. I could spend a few months building it (more to it than the glider) but decided to just go out and buy a reputable ARF. Had the ARF in the air in under a week....

Why I would recommend an ARF for a beginner:

1. Get flying faster.
2. Less building, less chance of mistakes.
3. Less emotional attachment should your aircraft suffer a disaster. Wrecking a kit you spent several months building tends to put you off. An ARF can be easily replaced (if you have the money of course).
4. Costs almost the same for both.
5. Most ARFs are assembled far better than what most experienced people can build from a kit.
6. Good ARFs contain everything except the engine and radio gear. A kit rarely has all the bits and pieces you will need so, you'd end up spending more buying those bits.

In summary, buy the ARF. They really are quicker and cheaper to get into the air. Once you learn to fly without constantly breaking things, then you can worry about building kits.

Yes, but beware of thginsg like having to reverse servos for different planes, and hving different trim settings.

I discovered this, and, needing elevon mixing for a flying wing, bought a futaba field force 6 - with 6 model memories, that store servo directions and trims, allow exponentisl, and other mixes as well as elevon mixing.

It's served me well for three years - the basic transmitter barely lasted me a year.

You can in theory: In practice its a pain.

IF you are flying more than one model regularly bite teh bullet and get a basic computer tranny, and servos and a receiver for every plane.

You can get a second hand Futraba basic computer tranny for less than

100 dollars S/H.

Receivers are about 50 dollars, and servos around 15.

Cobblers. I have 3 makes of receiver running currently on a futaba tranny.

As long as the same make of crystal is fitted to the same make of receiver, it will work - though in the USA you need to be aware of FM shift direction.

Servos have standardised plugs, and are mostly freely interchangeable.

Maybe it is TNP but like me he is a beginner. READ the questions he is asking. Also, I did say "if possible". IMHO (in MY honest opinion) he is likely to come to less grief if at the start his gear was all the same but yes, he is free like you, and I to mix and match. Just my opinion . For the record though, my answer (Yes) was the correct one. You're just looking for an arguement

Of course, perfectly true.

Strange, I have to slice off a small tang on Futaba leads to make them fit my JR Rx :-(

Regards, Jeff.