RC plane faq

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

Go to RC Universe

They have forums (discussion areas ) for beginners, questions, electric, etc. It is an excellent site and the members there can provide first hand information on just about anything to do with RC.

Campy

I've found the AMA's Sport Aviator website to have a lot of really good information for novice pilots:

Everything there from construction and engine tuning tips to airplane reviews to a glossary to descriptions and diagrams of basic aerobatic manuvers.

Heck, once in a while I even learn a thing or two from this newsgroup!

Thanks for all the feedback guys. It'll be a big help. I don't know why I didn't think of the AMA website.

I really enjoyed the sailplane and I was very excited when I finally found thermals. I guess I just wasn't any good at it. Plus the hi- start takes a mile of land.

I want to replace the radio because it's old, old. It was well used and free in like 1993. The servos are huge and it's all transistorizs with no options at all. AND I'd like to use one radio for multiple planes (not at the same time obvioulsy) cause my Spirit still has some life left in it.

I'll research the USB thing. I have, and have used FMS lots. I just thought it'd be swell to use the same sticks for training and flying.

ARF sure seems to have dominated the market since I was last in it all.

Our old club, long ago in 84, had a fun fly meet. One of the participants was flying an original Balsa USA Phaeton Biplane, powered with a .60 two-stroke. It was not a particularly light, low drag type of model.

One of the events was a timed glide sort of event. The owner of the Phaeton flew it up as high as he could get it in the alloted time. Being a biplane, one had to keep the nose about 20 degrees below the horizon in order to maintain sufficient airspeed for lift and control. When the model reached an altitude slightly below two hundred feet, the most amazing thing happened. With its nose still pointing downward, the model began to rise at an unbelievable rate. He ran smack dab into a boomer of a thermal. I think you could have tossed a spare tire in there and it would have risen. We were all laughing as we watched his model shoot up to about 300 feet before beginning to descend again at a normal rate. So, not only the glider group gets a charge from a thermal sometimes.

Ed Cregger