Scooby Roo

I've started getting back into RC cars after a short break of 20+years, trying to relive my youf. A few months ago I bought a Traxxas Slash and as with the scooby have been frantically modifying [tyres, suspension etc.]

However, and here starts the dilemna. Bored at work today checking out more gadgets for the RC car when I choose to investigate the plane section..........now hooked and fancy getting something like this:

http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...ctric-Airplane

Have never flown an RC plane so don't know whether I'm trying to fly before I can walk [sorry 'bout that one]...........Anyone got any recommendations or tips

Cheers

Roo

richieh

Yes-get a good flight sim first such as Pheonix or realflight otherwise you will crash any first plane you have within minutes and it will be expensive and possibly put you off.
Get over to http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/index.php and have a read.
Here is one of mine(mid build) on my mums drive

cheers richie

The Zohan

start with a cheapo trainer first was what i was told, then we had kids and any toys i wanted soon evaporated!

DJ_Jon

iTrader: (7)

Best advice is to join the BMFA (British Model Flying Association) & get along to your local club. Hopefully it should be friendly & they will give you advice on what to buy & where.

From personal experience, a lot depends on how much you want to spend, if you want to get into it properly, then you need to go the glow engine route, that said I have an electric Twin Star that I use when I can't be arsed with the mess of glow fuel.

I would get a glow fuel trainer & some sim software that is compatible with you radio gear, get started with the simulator while you are building the plane & then get along to your local club for some training with one of the instructors there.

stilover

I've always fancied buy a Helicopter one.

DJ_Jon

iTrader: (7)

Another thing, that Spitfire is totally the wrong thing to buy as a novice, you will crash it. Start off with a cheap trainer instead.

Helicopters are even harder to fly & even easier to crash...

richieh

My first plane was a s/h gws spitfire( finally died doing 18in inverted flypasts with a dumb thumbs moment ) but to be fair I did get in a lot of flight sim hours first.
Poor vid here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9zHohSQIEA
cheers richie

Scooby Roo

Living in Adelaide at the moment. I'll have a look for a club, there is a proper flying field near by.

Looking at the advice it seems I need to go to flight school.....Top Gun here I come.

Scooby Roo

Shweeeet the Mustang is a great looking plane

Scooby Roo

Just downloading the Phoenix Flight SIm Demo

Will see if I've got what it takes........

Scooby Roo

Just watch your clip. Not bad for 45mins, what did you train on before or was the 45mins simulator?

Also, looked a bit choppy so hats off for the flying.

Roo

EddScott

A mate bought a really expensive one and every time he used it it seemed to cost a couple of hundred quid just to fix the parts he broke.

Patience lost and ebay'd within a few months. Personally I would prefer heli to planes too. Again theory is to start cheap.

Scooby Roo

That's what started it. Missus said I should start a hooby with my 5 year old........"Why not get an RC cra" she said.............................the rest is history [and so is a proportion of my bank account ]

That said I don't care how old you are RC cars, planes, helicopters are just great fun.....my missus now spends more time using the car than I do.

Roo

Scooby Roo

One of the guys at work fly 'copters just doesn't push the buttons.................Spitfire on the other hand now that's what I'm talking about.

Roo

richieh

It was actually after a bit less than 45 mins flying but was called a liar so I edited it to avoid idiot comments.
just practised with pheonix flight sim during the snow and cold this winter-probabally around 80-100 hrs sim time max maybe a bit less(over 2-3 months)
cheers richie

richieh

Due to the ammount of clone parts/stupidly cheap electronics about now I could smack my 450 align heli into the floor and assuming that major electrical damage didnt occur could rebuild it for 20-25 notes tops
have a look here http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_index.asp
currently have 2 450's one standard f/glass and ali(genuine align) and one all carbon and ali plus a 450 pro to build and a 250 3/4 built (tbh will probably sell the 450 pro as I have so many spares and not enough room).
On the upside I've got about a grands worth of scalextric cars to sell with which I intend to buy a 500 or 600 size heli
pic of similar heli in my garage album thingy that I sold for 90 quid-gold ally plus carbon.
Easily possible to build a very good 450 size(325mm main blades) for around a ton if not cheaper and they are proper fun
cheers richie

speedy steve

+1 for choppers, yes easier to crash but sooo much more fun & if your eyesight is a little "poor" as mine is at long range, I actually find them easier to deal with, maybe thats just me...

allandrick

Holdfast Model Aero Club was where I flew when I lived in Adelaide. Great bunch of guys and gals there - everything from trainers to gliders and heli as well.

They meet several times a month and folk fly just about every day of the week - Sunday morning's are reserved for new pilot instruction, which is great when you're starting out.

Leslie

I used to do a lot of RC 'plane flying and eventually used to take part in national aerobatic competitions.

Believe me its not too easy when you start. Even though I could fly real ones, I found RC models very difficult to start with.

Some on here have said that the Spifire is not the right one to learn on and they are dead right. The best way to start is with a high wing very stable model without ailerons which you can steer around with the rudder. It cuts down the number of controls to use and gets you used to looking at the aircraft while airborne from all directions and controlling it. Once you have got that sorted then you can progress to one with ailerons and eventually to fully aerobatic low wing models. As someone said above, it is less likely that you will have expensive crashes which might put you off.

Once you have got on top of the game you will find it absorbing and very satisfying. If you join a local club, you will get lots of help and good advice.

Les

Scooby Roo

Holdfast is quite near to me and they fly at the field I mentioned earlier. I work near the Mobil Refinery.

Cheers

allandrick

Excellent!

vindaloo

Topical chopper: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srp1p...eature=related

Anyways, back to the planes....

Recommendation to start with is to get a high wing trainer. Or a shoulder wing design. These should have at least some dihedral.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihedra...ihedral_effect

^That mentions vertical CofG. I prefer to think of it as vertical CofG in relation to the wing position. A high or shoulder wing trainer can be viewed as "hanging" from the wing. It's a naturally stable system and tends to revert to that state in the absence of controls.

In this day and age, I think electric is the way to go. As for controls, Throttle, elevator, rudder is the normal beginner setup. Though sometimes aileron can be substituted for rudder.

http://www.channel4models.com/futaba-radios.html

Historically, Futaba and JR are renowned radio systems suppliers.

IMO look into RC flight sims. You want one that will allow you to control the sim from the RC transmitter. This will get you used to using the transmitter controls/sticks. I'd think there'd also be various training regimes you could follow. (I haven't done this for a while).

Also, if you can find someone in the local club to mentor you, RC systems from the same supplier tend to have a "buddy box" or trainer system. This allows an instructor to take control of the situation using a second transmitter. This can avoid expensive OMFG moments and spiral searches out from the impact area for the batteries and other weighty components. Though if the ground is soft, they may be buried in the "crater".


J.

Scooby Roo

Planes gonna have to wait......blew me car's engine this morning [Traxxas Slash].

So gone brushless this afternoon....fitted the thing then had to fit the new speed control and heat sink only to find I'd left the controller in the bloody shop. Going back tomorra to get it.



Roo