hello. I've been wanting to start up in rc planes and just found out we
have a nice field near by with a club.
I've read the slow stick is a good starter plane but wanted to ask here
first. Also which servos, speed controllers, etc should I get?
Do I need a fancy radio I can expand with or just something cheap enough
to run this plane? after i master this plane i could let friends
practice with it so having 2 transmitters later on might be nice.
A few other questions. should I wait for help or just give the plane a
fly with no previous experience? how difficult is it to repair a slow
stick after a crash?
thanks
Jim, not sure where you're located, my answers are biased toward the US
since that's where I live. It's also important for you to decide if you
want to go electric or glow. Your questions make me think you've chosen
electric. If you are doing this because you plan to stay with electric,
that's cool. However, if you are thinking of starting with electric,
and then moving to glow, be aware the total cost will be higher. Much
of the stuff you buy for one does not apply well to the other. For
example, the (really small) servos, batteries, speed control, and field
chargers you need for electrics are not necessary, or don't work well
for glow. The glow driver, engine, larger servos, fuel pump, glow plug
wrench, starter, etc that you buy for glow is not necessary for
electric. Learning on electrics and then going to glow also requires a
period of transition since glow planes are usually larger, faster, and
you need to learn how to make a glow engine run properly. So, be sure
you know where you want to go before you start buying. Either choice,
glow or electric, is good.
My first recommendation is that you check out the beginners forum on
RCU,
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The questions you asked have been discussed at
length. You'll find lots of good info there and a bunch of people ready
to help.
Before getting into equipment, here's a few words about trying to learn
on your own. I'm sure one or more people will respond saying they
learned without help. Perhaps they did. Most self attempted beginner
flights last 5-15 seconds. Then they take the pieces home for repair.
The next attempt may be a little longer. After several rounds of
takeoff, crash, repair, the person will either give up, see the light
and get help, or occasionally someone actually figures it all out and is
flying. In case it's not obvious yet, my answer to you is get help.
You will:
1) have more fun, unless you think crashing and repairing is fun,
2) spend less money, sometimes a part is broken beyond repair so you end
up buying a new part,
3) learn to fly quicker, the instructor will do his best to make sure
your plane stays in one piece, which means you get more time in the air,
4) put yourself and the people and property around you at less risk of
being hit by an out of control plane.
For your radio you can get a basic 4 channel setup from one of the major
manufacturers, Futaba, JR, or Hitec. Any of them will work well. You
should check with the club to see what's most popular there. This will
make it easier to be sure they've got the right trainer cords. If you
are going with electrics, you will need to buy a package with small
servos and receiver. For glow, the servos and batteries that come with
the standard radio package will be fine for a trainer, and most sport
planes.
If you decide to stick with the hobby, you can get a radio with more
functions, such as a 6 or 7 channel computer radio, later. Choose one
that's compatible with the receiver from the first radio, and on the
same frequency, and you'll be able to fly both planes from your new
transmitter.
I'm a slimer (slang for a person who flies glow planes since the oil in
the fuel ends up on the plane). If you have decided on electric, read
no further, it's about glow planes.
Assuming you are considering glow, for a plane I recommend a high wing
ARF trainer, such as the Tower Trainer, or similar. Unless you don't
want to research the options, I say stay away from the often suggested
RTF or package deals. They are ok, but often include very basic
components. They also offer little to no price advantage.
A reasonably priced .45 size ball bearing engine will do well for a
trainer and many more planes. Good brands include OS, Thunder Tiger,
Super Tigre, and a few more I can't think of off the top of my head.
Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes not
so great) words of knowledge:
Welcome to the insanity.......I mean hobby {:-)
First of all, I STRONGLY suggest having an instructor. While people
have taught themselves to fly, it is usually an expensive and very
frustrating way to do it. Your local club(s) will provide instructors
at no charge. Your LHS (Local Hobby Shop) should be able to provide you
with the names of clubs in your area and who to contact.
You may also want to check and see if the club(s) you are interested in
offer a program by the AMA. With this program, the club provides the
instructor, plane, fuel, etc. at no charge to you for 30 days. The
program is designed to let people find out if RC flying is really for
them or not before they spend the money for equipment. Not every club
offers this program though.
Two links you should definitely investigate are:
RC Universe
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Both links have excellent forums and a multitude of people that will
provide (usually) excellent information and advice.
As for starting with an electric plane, there are pros and cons to
electric as well as to glo powered planes. There have been several
discussions on this subject at RC Universe. If you do a search in the
forum section you can read up on it and perhaps be able to make a more
informed decision.
In any case, I strongly recommend talking to a club (and several of the
members), and join a club. I feel you will find the experience much
more pleasant, less frustrating and definitely less expensive than doing
it on your own.
Campy
I can't imagine the hobby industry getting behind such a program. In fact, I
would have thought they would have fought its implementation heartily. Just
imagine all of the money they would not make if such a program proved
effective.
Furthermore, I know of several perpetual beginners that obtain all of their
flying gear from beginners that have dropped out. These folks would be
forced to actually buy something new, if such a program caught on.
Ed Cregger
| |
| >You may also want to check and see if the club(s) you are interested in
| >offer a program by the AMA. With this program, the club provides the
| >instructor, plane, fuel, etc. at no charge to you for 30 days.
...
| When did AMA start this program? There has been no publicity given
| it. Sounds like a major expansion of the Intro Pilot program, for
| which AMA only provides liability insurance (as mandated by AMA) for a
| 30 day period, and the club pays AMA to have an instructor designated
| an Instructor Pilot. The plane, fuel and equipment are provided by
| the trainee.
I think you two are talking about the same program, but have some
details wrong.
It was publicized a little bit in the MA magazine, not sure about
anywhere else. (I knew about it, and I don't watch the AMA that
carefully.)
Ultimately, a person is designated as an `Intro Pilot' and they pay a
bit extra to the AMA ($5/year) and do some extra paperwork. In
exchange, they can train people to fly who are not AMA members (but
only for 30 days), and they get the benefits of AMA insurance (which
is what this is all *really* about -- insurance.)
More details here --
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It sounds like a good idea to me. Especially if the club or
instructor can provide planes for the people to fly, though the idea
of a `club trainer' is another can of worms with good aspects and bad
aspects.
| I think you two are talking about the same program, but have some
| details wrong.
Correction: Abel didn't have any details wrong. And neither did Ted,
really. But I don't think the AMA has expanded this program.
Ideally, the club will provide a plane for this, and that's probably
what Ted was thinking of. That way, people can get a feel for R/C
flying without spending hundreds of dollars.
Ultimately though, the `Intro Pilot' program (at least the AMA part of
it) is really about insurance. The club (or instructor) is what makes
it really work, by helping out and providng the place to fly and
ideally providing some hardware too.
If the program proves effective, there will be more poeple in
the hobby. That's good for the industry that supplies the hobby.
Who provides more profit to the industry: the beginner who buys
one set of entry-level stuff and then crashes and gives up, or
the beginner who learns using borrowed gear and spends the next
30 years buying ever more stuff?
Giving away a free taste of something addictive has always
worked for other industries.
That again sounds like it would be good for the industry.
"Grant Edwards" wrote
There are two views toward R/C recruitment. There is your view, the one that
says we should entice folks to join. Your type will invariably get on the
phone and coax someone that tried it once and didn't like it into coming
back out to the field. Of course, lots of guys of your persuasion, not you
necessarily, usually find another instructor's time to waste with the
trivial details of teaching someone to fly. Someone that would be better off
somewhere else. PR guys are too busy running the PR deal to be bothered with
instructing. BTDT.
Then there is my point of view. I say make it hard for folks to join. Prove
that you have what it takes, or be turned away.
I am not the local weekend babysitter for every parent that is too busy to
raise their children. I won't build your model for you. I won't do the
modifications that I have suggested that YOU do to your trainer. In my book,
you pay as you go and you don't get any free rides. I'm not into coddling
newbies, nor am I an R/C evangelist.
With all of that said, I will do my best to help anyone that has a burning
desire to fly. I don't have time for the others. My life is going to be too
short as it is. I have an agenda.
Ed Cregger
I _never_ said that. I said that in my opinion such a progam
would be good for the industry. I exressed _no_ opinion on
whether I wanted more people "to join" or not.
I've no idea where you're getting that from. I've never tried
to talk anybody into flying RC.
You don't even know what my persuasion is -- you seem to be
just pulling an opinion from thin air and ascribing it to me.
Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes not
so great) words of knowledge:
I am not sure of the exact name of this program. I belong to the RC
Propbusters in Waterford. CT. I know we have this program. There are
designated instructors to do this and the club provides the trainer,
fuel, etc. The program allows the person to fly for 30 days without
having to join the AMA or the club. Unfortunately, our club does not
promote/advertise this program as much as I feel it should be promoted.
On a personal level, I think it not only is an excellent idea/program,
but in our club's present situation it could be a big plus.
The flying field the club has leased for over 20 years, now has $500,000
homes going up within easy viewing distance of the field. We have been
STRICTLY enforcing the 96 db rule and are telling the people not to fly
in the direction of the new homes. The club also hopes to be able to
put in a line/screen of fast growing trees this spring to not only block
the houses view of the field, but to act as a sound barrier.
So far, there have been no complaints, BUT, I don't expect that to last
too long. Unfortunately, when people buy homes that expensive (average
home in the area is $250,000 - $275,000), they don't want to hear or see
some "working slob's toy" on the weekends.
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