rtf electrics for a beginner

3 channel go with the Multiplex Space Scooter (aileron) or Easy Sta

(rudder). Four Channel, go with the Multiplex Magister.

-- Solca

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Since you already know how to fly, and have a xmitter and probably a spare receiver lying around, for the price of an ESC, two 9g servos, and a J250 motor, you can make a fanfold wing in a couple of hours and try it out. Assuming you've already got an Xacto knife, tape, a few bamboo skewers, soldering iron, etc., the total cost in new parts should be about ... $40. ($15 ESC, 2 @ $13 servos) (I recommend something like the GWS ICS 300 LIPOLY READY SPEED CONTROL, and the AllERc 9g servos. This *does* assume you've already got a LiPo battery, or can borrow one for a day, along with a charger.

Downside: you need to actually build the thing, which takes a few hours. With my kids helping, it took me 4 hours (and it was the first plane I ever built). Without their help, I built a second one in 2 hours, and a third one in 1.5 hours.

Upside: having built it yourself, you'll have no trouble fixing it, and since the easily-damaged part is worth about $1, you won't get upset either.

Which wing? The one I was describing above was the Jerbear Simple Wing, which you can read all about at rcgroups.com. (Mine's survived a number of nose-in landings by me and my kids...but it's good to bring a roll of packing tape to the field...) After building it, I even wrote up a build-guide that's there in rcgroups, listing all the parts, etc.

Money spent on an RTF seems likely to be lost, unless it's pretty clear that you can scavenge the parts later...

--John

great planes ryan EP or super sporter. the space scooter and easy star ar just to much beginner planes.

you are more a electric newby rather then a plane newby. find yourself a decent 40A brushless esc and a 3a4 once outrunner motor.

TM

"Solcat" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@rcgroups.com...

All of the Multiplex planes are available as ARF's also. Right now yo

can get a RTF Sky Scooter II at Hobby People for only $99:

-- Solca

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Get a Slo-V! Made by Parkzone. AWESOME!

If you've been flying 39 years, a Slo-V, although a great flyer, is going to bore you. There are now a few RTF 3D and aerobatic offerings out there from Parkzone and Parkflyers.com .

I just came from a big electric fly in at my local(e-only)club. There isn't much you can do with glow that can't be done electric these days, although the price does go up exponentially with size.....

PCPhill

Thanks for all your replies.I now have some ideas.multiplex has som

good rft models.Has anyone flown the skyshooter?Normally i would buil but have an 80"ad skyraider on the bench.An electric rtf would b something diff and require very little time and a lot less fuss thanks ke

-- kroflite5

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| If you've been flying 39 years, a Slo-V, although a great flyer, is | going to bore you. There are now a few RTF 3D and aerobatic | offerings out there from Parkzone and Parkflyers.com .

I haven't been flying for 39 years, but I have been for 5 years. And while I have flown 3D planes, and aerobatic planes, and planes with seven channels or so and helicopters and other stuff, I still find simple three channel planes to be fun.

I guess it's mostly variety that I crave. Aerobatic planes have their charms, but so do lazy, slow fliers.

Lately I've been flying thermal gliders most of the time. And while the plane I've been flying most of the time (a Spirit Elite) does have six channels, really a RES (rudder/elevator/spoiler -- three channel) plane wouldn't be signifigantly different.

In any event, this glider flies nice and slow and is very stable. But yesterday I managed to get a 79 minute flight going --

(The flight was recorded with a RAM2, Recording Alitimeter for Models. I was quite surprised that I could still see the 2m plane at 1/2 mile up, though that's where I brought it down, because it's a bad thing when you lose sight of your plane while looking right at it, repeatedly.)

Back to electrics, I've had a good time with my Slow Stick. However, with the motor up front, it's relatively fragile, and so I'm not sure a plane like that is ideal for a beginner. I'm very fond of having the motor in back on a foamie for a beginner ...

I was looking for a plane and I intend of learning by flying by myself in the back yard, trial and error, I was looking at the Aerobird Challenger/Xtreme, Parkzone Decathalon and also Parkzone Stryker, What would you reccomend aside from these, mostly these are the only 3 planes I could find at the LHS that would be decent for a beginner, ATM I'm thinking I would like to get the Stryker but I'm not sure now that you mention slow flyers have their charms as well maybe Id like the Xtreme although the RTF kit comes with a NiCad and I would def. want to pick up a NiMH when I buy it. What would be a good charger for it as well? Could I just use my car/truck charger, it is a 4-8 Cell Peak Charger and can be switched between

1-2-4 Amps, It is a Megatech charger.

I had seen a link to a plane on here and I was looking at it, I believe it was a Multistar something or other. My budget is around 200 bucks. I definately want 3 channel and Electric. Other than that I would prefer a larger plane for better visibility in the air and also something that can handle windier days since I don't want the wind telling me when I can and can't fly. That's one reason I was looking at the Xtreme.

| I was looking for a plane and I intend of learning by flying by myself in | the back yard, trial and error, I was looking at the Aerobird | Challenger/Xtreme, Parkzone Decathalon and also Parkzone Stryker, What would | you reccomend aside from these, mostly these are the only 3 planes I could | find at the LHS that would be decent for a beginner, ATM I'm thinking I | would like to get the Stryker but I'm not sure now that you mention slow | flyers have their charms as well

Well, I'm not a beginner any more (I'm well into the `I know enough to be dangerous' part of the hobby), so I'm not really the best source of suggestions. I was just saying that you don't need an aerobatic or 3D plane to have fun, even once you know what you're doing.

Slow planes with lots of dihedral may not do all the aerobatics, but even though you can fly the fancier planes, being slow and lazy is fun too. Relaxing ...

But for a beginner, you don't want something that's really fast. You want something that's slow and stable -- something that will generally right itself if you let go of the sticks.

| maybe Id like the Xtreme although the RTF kit comes with a NiCad and | I would def. want to pick up a NiMH when I buy it.

NiMH isn't automatically better than NiCd. What's likely is that NiMH cells will give you somewhat longer flights -- perhaps 30% longer.

But you'll want more than one battery pack, so if you want to get another pack that's NiMH, that would be fine.

| What would be a good charger for it as well? Could I just use my | car/truck charger, it is a 4-8 Cell Peak Charger and can be switched | between 1-2-4 Amps, It is a Megatech charger.

As long as the batteries you're charging are between 4 and 8 cells, that sounds great. (I assume the Megatech charger can do NiMH.) | I had seen a link to a plane on here and I was looking at it, I | believe it was a Multistar something or other. My budget is around | 200 bucks. I definately want 3 channel and Electric.

Good choice. The two channel planes really don't fly well, unless they're gliders or they don't give you any throttle control.

For a `real' plane, you need two independantly controlled control surfaces -- an elevator and a rudder, an elevator and ailerons (the ailerons are controlled toghether), two elevons or two ruddervators. Planes where you replace the elevator with the throttle or the rudder with differential thrust between two motors just don't fly right.

| Other than that I would prefer a larger plane for better visibility | in the air and also something that can handle windier days since I | don't want the wind telling me when I can and can't fly. That's one | reason I was looking at the Xtreme.

I've seen the Aerobird Xtreme fly. I was quite impressed -- it was very aerobatic for that sort of plane, had plenty of power, yet was quite stable when you wanted it to be. I think it would be a good choice, though it's a bit faster than might be ideal. A little help for your first few flights would be a good idea.

I've not seen a stock Stryker, but I did fly (and destroy later on :) a similar plane called the Projeti Reno-Racer. It was very unstable (maneuverable) and fast. I'm guessing that the Stryker wouldn't be ideal for a beginner, but maybe later. However, with nothing but foam up front, the odds are good that it'll at least survive most crashes without damage.

I've never seen the Parkzone Decathalon, though it looks loke it should be a simple enough plane to fly. However, with the motor up front, crashes will break props, motors and motor mounts.

I didn't like the idea of having to worry about discharging and charging a certain way and from what I understand NiMH you don't have to worry about it like you do with NiCad

Yes it does.

The other plane I was looking at wasn't multistar lol, sorry I just looked it up again it was Multiplex Easy Star ARF. Would this be a better choice than the Aerobird Challenger or Xtreme?

I'll probably get the Easy Star or the Xtreme but have about 4 weeks to decide (still saving up the cash).

I think that the Easy Star is better than the Aerobird. I owned both.

The ES is tougher, flies better, can handle more wind and it' equipment can be used in other planes. The only advantage of the Aer is it comes with landing gear

-- Solca

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| > NiMH isn't automatically better than NiCd. What's likely is that NiMH | > cells will give you somewhat longer flights -- perhaps 30% longer. | | I didn't like the idea of having to worry about discharging and charging a | certain way and from what I understand NiMH you don't have to worry about it | like you do with NiCad

As long as your charger does both NiMH and NiCd, you're good.

What you may be thinking of is voltage depression, or it's often called memory, though that's not really the right name for it. Ultimately, when a battery is overcharged at a slow rate for a long period of time, the voltage (and therefore power) goes down until it's fully discharged and then recharged.

This really isn't a problem with a power pack on an electric plane, however, as it's nearly fully discharged every single flight. It's really only a problem if you only discharge it 10% then charge it up as if it were 100% discharged, over and over.

And modern NiCd packs don't have much trouble with it.

For your purposes, a NiMH pack will probably give you slightly longer flights than the NiCd, and the NiCd pack can be charged faster (probably at 2C rather than 1C.) Beyond that, they'll be about the same.

| The other plane I was looking at wasn't multistar lol, sorry I just looked | it up again it was Multiplex Easy Star ARF. | Would this be a better choice than the Aerobird Challenger or Xtreme?

The Easy Star looks like a great beginner plane. But it's not as aerobatic as the Xtreme, so you might get bored of it quicker.

But as for which is better for a beginner? The Easy Star, definately. Unless you live somewhere that's really windy, in which case a faster plane is better.

I live in Columbus, OH, it isn't really that windy here except for spring and fall when the temperature starts to change.

i am planning on making a trip to local hobby shop ,just to see wha

electrics they have.The space shooter for 99$ from hobby people look like a good deal .Has anyone flown the space shooter?i also like th looks of the warbird electrics to .

ke

-- kroflite5

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