Author Topic: Rc airplane (noob) (Read 435 times)

nirvana · « **on:** November 17, 2005, 08:10:32 PM »

So me and my friend are looking at getting a little sailplane kit. We don't want anything extravagant, we're only 16 after all, we're just looking to do something to keep us out of trouble. we were looking at one of these http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDJB2&P=0 http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXJ597&P=0
We'd like to have something with a motor, just in case we can't catch any thermals. I WAS planning on replacing the electric engine to glow fuel until i realized the cost. Any help appreciated, thanks.

Hangtime · « **Reply #1 on:** November 17, 2005, 08:26:17 PM »

ahh. my area of expertise.

Whatcha got picked is a kit... lotta building, lotta covering. (lotta time) By the time you finish buying the covering materials and tools to build it and apply the covering material it'll cost more than the equivelant ARF..

Spectra ARF

You'll need a radio setup... about 100 bucks. Also a motor controller, battery, battery charger, connectors.. annuther 100 bucks or there abouts.

Lotsa fun, but highly reccomend you join a local club so you can get some instruction time; otherwize, you'll turn it into a kit on the first flight. Joining a club and 1st year AMA dues.. about annuther 100 bucks.

Figure on about 350-450 bucks in the air..

Still intrested?

nirvana · « **Reply #2 on:** November 17, 2005, 08:29:52 PM »

My friend has built one before. I have a charger, and some batteries around here somewhere. He has some scrapped airplane parts, servos and stuff. We have most of the expensive stuff I think. He has some monokote. We know it's gonna take time, it's almost the dead of winter here in Colorado so no biggie. Probably only do about 2 or 3 hours after school and a bit more on the weekends (until I get a job). We know we're not going to throw it together in 5 hours and go out and fly it around like it's nothing. Like I said, we might scrap his old one for parts.

Hangtime · « **Reply #3 on:** November 17, 2005, 08:38:00 PM »

Gotcha! Ok, The Goldberg Electra is a true classic.. been out for about 25 years or more. Good bird in it's day but not such a hot kit comapred to the Great planes Spectra. The Spectra has a better airfoil, a lil stronger wing (and it's desigined as a two piece so it transports easy) and a bit more robust fuselage. Will accept a greater range of power systems. Better instructions and plans too.

Go with the Spectra.

Before you spend any money on batteries, motor controllers or Radio gear.. check with me, cause I can save yah some money and get yah better stuff than most hobby shops push. http://www.hangtimes.com

Don't order off my website.. gimmie a call, I'll cut yah better deal than the Cart System will.

Have fun.. the sailplanes are a hoot.. and welcome to the hobby!

nirvana · « **Reply #4 on:** November 17, 2005, 08:39:54 PM »

Thanks Hang

I was thinking that there would be some older more experienced guys at the flight field that could show us the ropes and such. Dues for a club membership are too darn expensive.

Hangtime · « **Reply #5 on:** November 17, 2005, 08:50:50 PM »

If you've spent a fair amount of time with R/C cars chances are yha got the control reversal issue knocked. Next hurdle is over controlling and trim.. for that a lil bit of experienced help is a plus. These are very stable when in trim.. if yah get in trouble just 'release' the sticks and she'll sort herself out, providing you have a bit of altitude.

Specking of which, two biggest newbie mistakes are flying too high and flying down wind. Stay up wind, stay fairly low so you can eyeball orient on the plane better. Use the motor ONLY to climb outta trouble, glide the resta the time. When it's less than 3 feet off the ground get the hell off the elevator, let her settle by herself.

Oh.. and trees are the enemy. Stay the hell away from trees.

The bigger the open area the better. 3 football fields upwind is minimum distance for a landing area with novices flying a sailplane. If it goes past you upwind higher than your shoulder with less than three football fields available for landing, yer gonna miss and overshoot.

G'luck Buddy! welcome to the silent birdmen.

Golfer · « **Reply #6 on:** November 18, 2005, 12:55:17 AM »

JK Aerotech

Can't be beat on the 2610 Scale Combat circut. Can't find a better plane to learn to fly because if you wreck the steps are:

1.) Pick up
2.) Dust off
3.) Fire up again

mora · « **Reply #7 on:** November 18, 2005, 02:20:01 AM »

How can an RC-"club" membership cost $100? Do they have a frigging country club? It sounds like a business to me, a real club is run by volunteers and a typical fee would be $20 at most. Anyway I started by buying an used GWS Beaver with full radio setup etc. for $200, and started flying. I've never had a need for a club membership. Flying a flightsim from tower view was enough training for a gentle plane without ailerons.

Hangtime · « **Reply #8 on:** November 18, 2005, 02:45:49 AM »

Club membership is not possible without AMA membership. Thats 52 bucks. Most clubs annual dues are about 50 bucks. For all that you get use of a flying field, access to instructors, time with like minded modelrs, exposure to all diffrent kinds and types of models, a 1 millon dollar insurance policy in case your airplane winds up in the winsdshield of a car on the freeway causing a 12 car crash...

Of course, you can buy a lil toy foamie and fly at the local park till the cops chase you out or some soccer mom shrieks at you...

Lifes fulla choices.

mora · « **Reply #9 on:** November 18, 2005, 04:21:38 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Hangtime
Club membership is not possible without AMA membership. Thats 52 bucks. Most clubs annual dues are about 50 bucks. For all that you get use of a flying field, access to instructors, time with like minded modelrs, exposure to all diffrent kinds and types of models, a 1 millon dollar insurance policy in case your airplane winds up in the winsdshield of a car on the freeway causing a 12 car crash...

Of course, you can buy a lil toy foamie and fly at the local park till the cops chase you out or some soccer mom shrieks at you...

Lifes fulla choices.

Well wasn't he just planning to buy something like a lil toy foamie? Anyway I guess it's just a difference of culture. There are many natural flying fields here(and no one can deny you the access to it, unless it's on someones back yard), and the more official ones are usually given to the clubs use for free. I've never had a problem with cops or soccermoms at a public park or sportfield, most people are just curious and interested.

Chairboy · « **Reply #10 on:** November 18, 2005, 08:08:26 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Hangtime
Club membership is not possible without AMA membership. Thats 52 bucks. Most clubs annual dues are about 50 bucks. For all that you get use of a flying field, access to instructors, time with like minded modelrs, exposure to all diffrent kinds and types of models, a 1 millon dollar insurance policy in case your airplane winds up in the winsdshield of a car on the freeway causing a 12 car crash...

So you're doubly insured? What's the use of that? AMA membership is also insurance.

Hangtime · « **Reply #11 on:** November 18, 2005, 10:41:47 AM »

Yah missed the 'gotta be an AMA member to be in a R/C club' part.

Frankly, your homwowner insurance would cover most forms of tragedy associated with a model incident, and in fact AMA's coverage starts where your homeowner liability coverage stops. Clubs are AMA insured, and as such require all members to be AMA members as well.

In rural locations, club and AMA nonsense is kinda superfoulous. On the other hand the Hobby is vast.. spanning everything form 10oz hand launch sailplaines and foamies to massive R/C giants that rival military RPV's. AMA's umbrella and club membership makes sense if your in a suburban enviornment and/or your commitment to the hobby runs beyond the lil foamies.

Not too long ago, some guy lost a pretty expensive airplane due to radio interference. It was noted that there was somebody flying a foamie at a closeby suburban park. Turns out that the foamie 'shot down' the giant scaler, flying on the same radio frequency.. and things got very ugly for bandit flyers in that park shortly afterwards. Clubs don't take kindly to tightwad pinheads flying toy foamies inside their radio range.. so if you do decide to go bandit, pick yer flying site very carefully. If you shoot a Model Clubs planes down it's likely a trip to the hospital or court is in your immediate future.

mora · « **Reply #12 on:** November 18, 2005, 10:57:36 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Hangtime
Turns out that the foamie 'shot down' the giant scaler, flying on the same radio frequency.. and things got very ugly for bandit flyers in that park shortly afterwards. Clubs don't take kindly to tightwad pinheads flying toy foamies inside their radio range.. so if you do decide to go bandit, pick yer flying site very carefully. If you shoot a Model Clubs planes down it's likely a trip to the hospital or court is in your immediate future.

Bandit? What's the crime in operating legal radio equipment? Of course it's the operators responsibility to ensure that there's nothing else using the same frequency. If the equipment is that delicate, then it should be illegal to operate it in an urban area in the first place.

Hangtime · « **Reply #13 on:** November 18, 2005, 01:14:34 PM »

Sorry Mora.. the club forms to ensure safe operations, applys for and obtains legal status for the intended activities when that activity is conducted on public property. 'Bandit' flyers operate outside established saftey proceedures, often in violation of city ordinances prohibiting flying radio controlled model aircraft from parks and schoolyards and over private property not owned by the flyer.. Such an ordinance was in place in this circumstance and the 'bandit' carried full responsibility, financial and legal for the destruction and damgae caused by his illegal use of city property.

nirvana · « **Reply #14 on:** November 18, 2005, 09:00:49 PM »

I was worried about radio interference, my friend said if you go to a public flying area, you pray.