I am a newbie to R/C flying. I have seen some postings, positive and negative, about the hobbico nexstar and thought I would post my experience for anyone that may be interested. I will try to keep this short. I purchased the Hobbico from a local hobby shop on the recommendation from the owner. Not knowing much and seeing the kit was complete from transmitter to flight simulator it sounded like a good buy. The hobbyshop owner, in his role as educator to a newbie, prescribed some tasks for me to complete prior to learning how to start the engine and subsequently flying. He had me remove the engine and apply additional epoxy to the firewall, then he had me apply locktight to all screws on the engine, from the mounting bracket to the muffler. He also had me apply copper sealant to the exhaust manifold. I was glad I did this, not only for the learning experience, but the screws were not all tight, so much for flying out of the box. The owner also had me apply some clear coat silicon around the landing gear to keep the exhaust from entering the fuselage and to epoxy the tail to the plane. The engine is stated to be broken in at the factory, the hobbyshop owner had me run it as if I were breaking it in myself, just for the learning experience. All this done and with some time on the simulator, it was time for the first lesson. The owner trimmed the plane, the elevator had to be moved a notch from the recommended setting but not much else in the way of trim. The plane appeared to handle well with my limited knowledge. The owner indicated that he was impressed with the way the plane handled. I managed to finish the lesson and the plane went home in one piece. I don't believe the plane is as 'out of the box' as the company indicates. I do however believe it to be a great training plane, very forgiving with the AFS turned to about 30%. The wind was kicking up to about 20-30mph and the plane handled well, didn't crash. The simulator software if very helpful for learning the use of the transmitter and reactions but not with depth perception. It is like hitting golf balls at a driving range then actually playing on a golf course, two entirely different experiences. I would recommend to any newbie that he/she get sound lessons in a structured manner. I learned to ski by myself and have since mastered all the wrong ways to do things.
- posted
19 years ago