Hello: I am interested in learning flying an RC airplane. Here are my > questions:
>
> What would be a trainer for me to buy? From where? And cost?
>
> How do I match a controller to an airplane?
>
> What is the propeller made of?
>
> How many feet of runway is needed for take off & landing?
>
> Can a trainer land on the sand of a beach? Fly over water?
>
> Do they have rubber wheels for hard surface?
>
> Can I fly in rain or winds?
>
> How much area in the sky is needed for a trainer airplane?
>
> If two pilots are flying airplanes in the same field, how far apart must > they be?
>
> How long is the fight? Another word, how many minutes of flight would a
> battery pack give me?
>
> Are RC airplanes noisy? How about gas types?
>
> Do any of these airplanes have lights on the them?
>
> Does the controller have information such as ALT, SPEED, N,W,S,E? >
> Where is the antenna on the craft?
>
> What is the longest range between an airplane & the controller?
>
> What books & magazines are good for a newbie?
>
> Are there any clubs in the New York City, New Jersey area?
>
> Where are the flying fields in the New York City, New Jersey area? >
> Is their a good FAQ web site around?
>
> Do I need a license or insurance?
>
> Thank you all!
You should be able to access your ISP's news server from your e-mail program. Look in "Accounts" and there should be one that starts with news, followed by a period and than your ISP's name.
There are dozens of good trainers out there, either from local hobby shops and mail order. It also depends if you want to start out wtih a glow-powered plane or an electric. You'll pay from about $150 to $175 on up.
Simply by buying the radio. Your LHS will help. Some models are pre-packaged with radio gear.
The most popular type is glass-filled nylon, followed by wood.
Depends on the plane. Park flyers are designed for smaller areas and are usually hand-launched. Typical glow trainers take off in about 25 to 100 feet.
Sure, although sand can play havoc with the engine's innards, and water doesn't do much for the radio gear. You can actually fly off the water with an RC seaplane, although I wouldn't recommend one for a beginner.
Yes.
If you can waterproof your transmitter, you can fly in rain. I've had friends fly in the rain with a grocery bag around the transmitter with the antenna sticking through. Park flyers don't like wind all that well, but glow planes can handle fairly stiff ones.
Again, it depends on the plane!
The trick here is radio frequencies. Two people on different channels can fly right next to each other. Most clubs have a frequency board that tells each flyer what radio channel is in use. However, two folks on the same frequency need to be at least two or three miles apart.
Glow planes can usually fly for about 10 to 15 minutes on a tank of fuel. With modern battery technologies, electrics can match or exceed that.
Any fuel powered plane is a bit noisy. Electrics are quieter.
Yes.
No. They just control the plane. There are telemetry systems that will tell you this stuff, but it's fairly expensive and you're not going to be out of sight.
It's a thin wire that runs out the receiver, and often runs the length of the fuselage or attaches to the top of the tail.
Let's just say you'll lose sight of the plane before it runs out of range.
Most magazines are mostly ads, although they can have some good information. They also publish how-to books mostly culled from their articles. Other sources of information are the forums such as
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or
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Check out
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to find a club in your area.
Allen Tong has a very good one.
Liability insurance is a very good idea. Join the AMA
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