R/C hellcat

[legoman]

I was impressed by the F6F in the game so i decided to look for a R/C model, i have a post link and want your opinion on wither or not i should get the plane. By the way i am also new to this hobby so i may wreck it on the first try. Sorry about the different language, but this was the only video i could find with my exact plane.

                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agqo58y16dI

[Stratocaster]

This post is going to be very general (I dont know what you have flown)
But from what I hear the freewing planes fly nicely (They design their EDFs carefully so this should be the same) I would not recommend you get one at all for if this is your first plane. I have been flying r/c for years but at the beginning fought temptation to start out with a P-47. It was the best decision I ever made in the hobby... I would say go for it, but get a parkzone high wing plane at the same time and fly that first... That is, if you must have one that is ready to fly. There is a learning curve, even for most experienced sim addicts and real life pilots when it comes to flying R/C. Look me up on www.rcgroups.com (username: 68Strat)

If you have flown before and have a good record with an easier to fly craft, I say go for it but keep the rates low.

[legoman]

My first plane was called the wild hawk. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2fNh08HNz4 sorry these are video's but i can't post pics for some reason, and i can fly it for over 3 mins at a time in a very confined space.

[Stratocaster]

Perfect first plane there... Can you fly through a charge in an open area? I think you would do ok with the freewing. I hear they are pretty forgiving as far as warbirds go and the stock gear is pretty light.

[legoman]

i fly in very confined spaces, so a wide open field would be pretty new to me. but flying in confined space does provide problems if you loose control, just the other day some wind took the controls away from me and sent it into the natural spring my my house. I was able to land it on some solid ground but it took us 45 minutes to reach it and by then we were soaked wet and had thorns in places they shouldn't be. plane is fine though for now......

[PFactorDave]

I've been teaching people to fly R/C airplanes since about 1988...  I would never ever ever ever ever recommend a plane like that for a beginner.  You will destroy it.  

R/C flying is a great hobby, but it isn't a cheap one.  It also has a bit of a learning curve.  Trying to jump into the hobby with a plane like that will lead to nothing but grief for you.

Do it right and start with a high wing trainer.  Something like a Goldberg Eagle 2, or Sig Kadet LT40...  Build your first plane, don't buy one that is ready to fly.  You'll learn a lot about the hobby during construction.

Then find a local club and an experienced trainer.

[legoman]

I was told the wild hawk was the best trainer to get so i got it and after a few months i'm really good with it, only problem is the battery and charger suck, thus limiting my flight times, but other than that i'm the best in miles.

[PFactorDave]

I was told the wild hawk was the best trainer to get so i got it and after a few months i'm really good with it, only problem is the battery and charger suck, thus limiting my flight times, but other than that i'm the best in miles.

For the record, I was talking about the F6 model in the first video clip.  The thing you have is better for a beginner, but it's still just a glorified toy.  If you really want to learn the hobby you need to get into the bigger, balsa models. 

As long as you are having fun though, I guess.

[legoman]

Well i'm doing the best i can and feel the f6f given i go at it slowly in big area's it should last. but i'm not going against your advice i totally agree with you.

[legoman]

Here is another video off of youtube that i though would be cool to watch. The mans name is Billy D and he's the best at flying the wildhawk, also another reason i bought the wild hawk in the first place.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv_i90pyrdY

[Stratocaster]

For the record, I was talking about the F6 model in the first video clip.  The thing you have is better for a beginner, but it's still just a glorified toy.  If you really want to learn the hobby you need to get into the bigger, balsa models.  

As long as you are having fun though, I guess.

I have built and flown about 5 built up balsa stick models and hundreds of my own foam designs... As fitting your definition the balsa birds are toys which are glorified even more due to the fact they like to explode. I love it when I take my electric foamies (or the occasional built up balsa project) to the flying field and the nitro guys give me dirty looks... Then I realize I am having 5x as much fun as them and my designs are much more intricate and original than any kit on the market.  

[PFactorDave]

I have built and flown about 5 built up balsa stick models and hundreds of my own foam designs... As fitting your definition the balsa birds are toys which are glorified even more due to the fact they like to explode. I love it when I take my electric foamies (or the occasional built up balsa project) to the flying field and the nitro guys give me dirty looks... Then I realize I am having 5x as much fun as them and my designs are much more intricate and original than any kit on the market.  

Would love to see some photos of some of your designs...  Here is a photo of a 1/12th scale P51 that I scratch built last winter (this photo is before it was finished).  I'm going to do an F4U next.



I like the 1/12th combat scale planes because they are fun to fly but will still fit in the back of a smaller car.

[thndregg]

Do it right and start with a high wing trainer.  Something like a Goldberg Eagle 2, or Sig Kadet LT40...  Build your first plane, don't buy one that is ready to fly.  You'll learn a lot about the hobby during construction.

Then find a local club and an experienced trainer.

What he said! Here's my Eagle2 ARF (Almost Ready to Fly). I've built planes from kits, but this purchase was one was more out of convenience. I did have a Thundertiger GP .42 engine on it, but it needs rings, I think. Compression is lacking. Now I have a 20 year old ringless O.S. SF .40 on it. Waiting for better weather at this point.


I would recommend visiting www.towerhobbies.com as well. Good information there if you are considering this hobby.

[Stratocaster]

Nice 51!

Probably the most interesting craft I have designed and flown on a regular basis was my lifting body AP plane which I used to map the watershed of a local pond as well as look for seaweed density off shore.

My latest scratch builds are 2 Dr.1s the large off scale blue one is a favorite, but the smaller 20" version is a hoot to fly on 3 channels. It will do an axial roll on rudder input alone! I added ailerons to the bigger blue one though but found I needed to extend them onto the second wing to get an enough roll authority.






before adding cockpit detail and guns

You can download the Beta plans to my 20" version if anyone is interested



 

[Stratocaster]

Probably some of the most fun I have had in R/c comes from just experimenting. This little flying wing may not look like much to a real modeler, but to me it satisfied a thirst to build one that flew without any vertical stab/s

I used a spreadsheet I found for the Pankin twist formula and used a heat gun to warp the wings accordingly. It flew amazingly well!





Another quick project that was fun, was my airco inspired vintage bipe.



An old old shot, of my scratchbuilt "edf-40" He-162. This was just after the low powered GWS fans came out... I think I was about 14 when this was taken back in 03



This hobby is about having fun, whether it be showing off amazing scale detail work or a quick from brain to foam design