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Powered glider for beginner??

Howdy. I'm a very, very rank beginner here...not even sure you could call me a beginner being as I have no flight time, but...

I'm interested in putting together a powered glider. I live in south Alabama so I don't think we have the fancy thermals like someplaces do, but the buzzards say we do have some of 'em! My interest is in putting together an electric plane that I can send to a lofty altitude and then hunt for the thermals. The ability to carry a small camera would be very attractive.

All the ESCs, cobalt, brushless, foam, balsa, pico servos, mini-servos,

3-channel, 4-channel, etc., have got my head swimming. What I'm hoping for is for someone to point towards a kit, ARF, or maybe even a RTF that would be a good one. Something solid and power efficient that is good and stable in flight and that a newbie could put together and with concentration fly. Practical and functional are much more important to me than "pretty". :) I'm fairly handy with tools and can follow instructions so a not-to-complex kit would work good for me in keeping the costs down.

Basically, I guess I'm trying to figure out what specific parts, kits, etc., would be a good one for me to look at. I'm trying to get out with less than $350 total. Currently looking at the JR XF421EX or maybe the Quattro Lite transmitters which will leave around $200 for the plane.

Help is MUCH appreciated at this point!

Thanks! Ed

Reply to
intheswamp00
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will help you sort out the bits and pieces.

In general most electric gliders don't climb that well 'out of the box' biu spending a little extra on e.g. most usefully a gearbox, will get you what you want.

Having been in your position, and bought a Protech Alpha, the first thing that improved it was simply one more cell on the battery pack. That took it from 'barely flyable' to 'does in fact go up as well as down'

If I had kown then what I know now, I'd have stuck a gearbox and a bigger prop on it too.

You can get prefectly acceptable results from that without having to plunge into expensive motors and Lithium batteries.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Thanks for the reply and the tip on the gearbox. I'll certainly keep that in mind. I've almost decided to opt for a non-motorized plane (see my new post to the group)...and of course have some question on it, also. Ed

not-to-complex

Reply to
intheswamp00

Beginner Parkflyers

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Reply to
aeropal

Reply to
jim breeyear

Check out a Hobby Lobby Miss2.

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I've had one for three years now. Flies well. I was chasing a turkey vulture around with it this weekend. I can get over 20 minute flights with the standard setup.

John VB

Reply to
jjvb

I hope you don't ever catch a turkey buzzard. He'll eat that llittle thing!! LOL I chase buzzards and stuff a lot and have never hit one. I hope not to. Just a little fun harrassing the wildlife. Flame suit on for you PETA folks. Eddie Fulmer

Reply to
Efulmer

| I hope you don't ever catch a turkey buzzard. He'll eat that llittle thing!! | LOL I chase buzzards and stuff a lot and have never hit one. I hope not to. | Just a little fun harrassing the wildlife. Flame suit on for you PETA folks.

I hit a buzzard at the local slope (Mansfield Dam) about a year ago with a foamie flying wing. I guess I snuck up behind him and collided with him. Certainly, it wasn't intentional.

He squawked, dived and got the hell out of dodge. I guess I scared him -- he must not have been paying attention. I just barely bumped into him, the plane barely reacted. But he certainly did :)

I don't see how you could ever actually hit one intentionally. Generally they fly much better than we do, and are very alert. They seem to ignore our planes mostly, but do move if we get too close.

(Unlike the swallows, who attack unmercifully if you get too close to their nest (?). Of course, they really can't do a thing to the plane, never mind the fact that it's like 10x as big as they are. But it's funny.)

Reply to
Doug McLaren

We have a hawk were I work and that bird slaughters the squirel and rabbit poplation. Never attacked my SS.....but whats funny is that the crows will pester the hell out of him ....yet he has the andvantage. He could easily slaughter those crows.

Reply to
Mike R.

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