first time gas powered trainer

The Tower Trainer .40 is a great airframe and is highly rated by folks who have bought and flown them. The Tower .46 engine that is bundled with it is a high quality engine and also highly rated by most users. The radio that Tower includes is actually a rebadged Futaba 4YF transmitter, and is very high quality as well.

The Tower Trainer .40 RTF package is one of the best values in RC flying. I'd recommend you buy it and spend 2006 learning to fly it with a qualified instructor at a local RC club. Once you're comfortable flying solo, you can start shopping for a nice computer radio and a low wing ARF for your second plane. You'll know a lot more after flying for a few months and you'll be able to make a more informed decision.

If you're comfortable flying an electric, there's no need to have something that's labeled "trainer" as your first gas plane unless you just want to.

A newbie at our club, after spending many winter hours on a simulator, got an Ultra Stick 40 as his first plane, and soloed before finishing his first quart of fuel.

Yes. That's a very nice airplane, engine and radio... I bought the same set-up about six years ago. :-) The Tower Trainer is an airplane I loved to fly, even when I started flying more advanced models. I'd always take it up at the beginning of a flying day to warm up, or I'd fly it when I just wanted to relax and float around the sky.

Good luck, desmobob

Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes not so great) words of knowledge:

Yes, it is a nice setup. Tower radios are rebadged Futaba radios and the airframe is a good one.

One caveat though, the engine. The tower engines (especially the TH46 ) is a hit or miss proposition. There are numerous reports of the engine NOT SHUTTING OFF. Do a search on RC Universe

I have had 2 Tower 46 engines. They both had awsome power and excellent transition (going from idle to full throttle ), however, neither one would shut off in less than 30 seconds. And before anyone chimes in, I went through the engine and sealed all the usual airleak spots (backplate, O-Ring under the carb, carb hold down bolt,remote needle valve gaskets, making sure the throttle barrel was fully closed ). I finally gave my engines away because I felt the not shutting down was a major safety hazard.

On the other hand, a couple of people at my field have the TH46 and have not had the shutting down problems that I have had.

I suggest again, that you check the threads on RC Universe on this engine and form your own opinion.

FWIW - 3 of the most user friendly, trouble/problem free engines I can recommend (in no particular order ) are: OS 46AX, Thunder Tiger Pro 46 (front needle valve ) and the Evolution 46.

Hope this is of some help.

I second, what SJS stated. No reason to fly a "true trainer". Maybe an "advanced trainer" ?

Sizewise, you could go anywhere up to maybe a decent 60 sized plane. Just remember that "the bigger the plane is, the easier it is to fly it". And if you are like some of us older geeks, you can see it better .....

What kind of radio do you have now ? You may not need another one yet, if it is a decent four channel unit. Otherwise, I'd say, go for at least a good six channel unit. If you do not like it, you can sell a six channel unit faster than an four channel one.

As always, your budget limits you to what you can work with. Just my personal advice -- do not spend money on simulators, just to learn. There are plenty freebees around. Do not spend money on gadgets that come with a plane such as those that come with the Nexstar. They really should sell that plane as a basic version, because it is a nice looking plane. Look for a plane that does NOT have a flat bottom wing, or has so darn much dihedral in the wing set-up. Hi wing or Lo wing ? Either one can be a lot of fun to fly. Nose wheel or tail wheel ? Whatever fancies you. You can fly already, so go for your choice of looks. So look around and then ask for opinion here about what people like or dislike about them.

HTH