Any RC Airplane Experts?

[huntnphool]

 My son is wanting a RC plane so I'm looking to get him into it for Christmas. With the advent of foam/electric planes out there nowadays, I think it's a great way to get him started.

 What do you recommend for starting out?

[quadrafire]

No advice here, but looks like great fun. Good luck

[jackelope]

Send LndShrk a pm and ask him what he knows. He dabbles in them a little I think.

[stew pidasso]

If you want to pm me I'll give you my father in law's #. He has built and flown models for years. He could fill you in.

[dmv9]

I've built and crashed MANY RC planes and rockets in my day

How old is your son? Do you want to build or just fly?

Plane or helicopter? There's a ton of cool quadcopters out their that you can fly in your house.

Electric or gas?

Where do you plan to fly this? They need a lot of room (a football field is good).

http://www.towerhobbies.com/
http://www.thinkrc.com/

[huntnphool]

 Thanks for the replays guys.

 My son is 13 in Feb. I don't think building one first is the way to go, I'm quite sure there will be several crashes in the learning process so think the electric foam planes, with cheap replaceable wings/parts will be first.

[dmv9]

Then checkout amazon and get an inexpensive electric.

Stick with a simple 2 channel one for now.

https://www.amazon.com/Top-Race-Electric-Infrared-Airplane/dp/B006J285CI/

As he masters (or get's bored), then flip over to a 4 channel airplane.
https://www.amazon.com/Hobbyzone-Sport-Airplane-SAFE-Technology/dp/B00LOC0BSE/

After a few years go for this one!
https://www.amazon.com/Tomcat-Blade-Ducted-RC-Airplane/dp/B01I9F57UA/

[Huntin Hounds]

I just got into this recently and after quite a bit of research I narrowed my search down to 3 planes.
http://www.horizonhobby.com/airplanes/ready-to-fly/champ-s-rtf-hbz5400
 
http://www.horizonhobby.com/product/airplanes/learn-to-fly-on-my-own/ready-to-fly/sport-cub-s-rtf-with-safe-reg%3B-technology-hbz4400

http://www.horizonhobby.com/product/airplanes/are-you-new-to-flying-remote-control-aircraft/ready-to-fly/champ-rtf-hbz4900

I ended up getting the champ s+ and it seems to work fine. I was able to fly it at my local school field without issue. The wind is the biggest problem I found with this small plane. I have only got to fly it once so far and the wind made it kinda tricky. The weather this fall has just sucked but I am hoping to try it again this weekend if the wind quits. I will give an update if I make it out.

[PA BEN]

I've flown R/C for years. I would recommend finding a R/C club in your area. Hook up with an instructor and fly with a buddy box. It's not fun crashing your first plane and he will. This day and age I would go electric and a high wing trainer. All my planes are nitro. Good luck and if you have more questions shoot me a pm, if you still have my phone number call me. Look at RTF airplanes ready to fly.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com

[lokidog]

Had a lot of fun in HS flying airplanes, but haven't done it in years.  As mentioned, high wings usually make better trainers.  I built my first one from scratch... and rebuilt it many times, but that was part of the "fun".

I still have one, Sig Komet that I started to build and have mostly finished. He would be welcome to it, no radio/engine though.  However, it is not a beginner plane. keep it in mind sometime down the line.

[wildweeds]

It's a fun thing to do, when I was about your boys age my dad  thought it would be a good thing to keep us out of trouble. We started with gliders and honestly I thought the best part was the building and repairing . We started with gliders I'm guessing because everything happens in slow motion as far as the controls go.

[Dead-Eye]

Go to the RC Universe website, and you'll be able to find anything you need to know.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/

I'm an RC Airplane expert (almost 40 years of flying). There's a plane/ plane setup for everybody.  Feel free to PM me.

Jim

[PA BEN]

Go to the RC Universe website, and you'll be able to find anything you need to know.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/

I'm an RC Airplane expert (almost 40 years of flying). There's a plane/ plane setup for everybody.  Feel free to PM me.

Jim

[Jeeper]

I started in about 1970 flying .049 U Control planes in a circle on strings. Not just the COX plastic, but built up balsa as well. Started RC in 1980. Been at it on and off ever since. I like to build and fly two stroke stunt and pattern planes. The technology today is overwhelming.

 If I were to start a kid today I would go with an electric ARF. Like a cub. Stable and flat bottom wing, self corrects a bit. Go to small and the wind can ruin your day. A friend of mine has a  Sport Cub From Horizon. Nice! Full package w/ radio for 130$.   http://www.horizonhobby.com/sport-cub-s-rtf-with-safe-reg%3B-technology-hbz4400.  It helps if you have an experienced pilot with a buddy box. Saves a lot of time - and grief. I have been thinking of going electric,  so I can fly in my local park. But the thrill for me is that screaming 14" prop with a tuned pipe going vertical - with a hint of castor oil in the air!!!

[Huntin Hounds]

Disregard my above post. Get him one of these instead! 

[JohnVH]

Im an expert, little indoor electrics to turbine powered jets.

Finding a local club is a great idea, whats your nearest city?

As for simple teach yourself to fly stuff, thats difficult, how big of a space do you have?  Otherwise what about a quad copter? They make indoor ones with altitude holed and what not now.

Here is a pic of my old 43% 132" wingspan, 42lb, 18HP Yak55sp from when I was sponsored by a few places.

[JohnVH]

Hovering it over water

[JohnVH]

http://www.horizonhobby.com/mini-apprentice-s-rtf-hbz3100

[huntnphool]

 

[lamrith]

Might be worth trying one of the PC trainer programs too.  One of the big challenges with RC is the control reversal when flying toward yourself and even side to side.  The PC trainers let you get thru some of the initial (expensive) trial and error period and let you practice regardless of the weather.  Nothing will replace actual flying, but it can help early on.  Problem is many of them seem to be just as expensive as the cheap trainers people have shared here, but at least you get more than one crash before you have to spend more $


I will check and see if I have one at home still  I used to have a cheap one.  I also used Dave Brown Sim years ago and enjoyed it.

[huntnphool]

 Lots of space in my area, NE Tacoma, but would be interested in getting him to a place with a buddy that could help him.

[predatorpro]

Might be worth trying one of the PC trainer programs too.  One of the big challenges with RC is the control reversal when flying toward yourself and even side to side.  The PC trainers let you get thru some of the initial (expensive) trial and error period and let you practice regardless of the weather.  Nothing will replace actual flying, but it can help early on.  Problem is many of them seem to be just as expensive as the cheap trainers people have shared here, but at least you get more than one crash before you have to spend more $


I will check and see if I have one at home still  I used to have a cheap one.  I also used Dave Brown Sim years ago and enjoyed it.

Was just going to say this! Get him a simulator first before you get him a plane unless you only want him to fly for about 5 seconds and ruin a plane...once he gets good at flying and landing on a simulator it will make a world of difference!

[JohnVH]

Lots of space in my area, NE Tacoma, but would be interested in getting him to a place with a buddy that could help him.

Go to the RAMS field and talk to the guys, tons of RC in that area, club in shelton where I used to fly jets, couple other ones around there too.

I reviewed a plane called a butterfly that was pretty good about self righting.  Alot of clubs have a trainer that will let you learn on with an instructor for free, I think you need to join the club, but its a cheap way to get into it and see if you like it.

Also, a flight sim is fun too, but treat it as a tool, not a toy.

Here is a club finder

http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx

[JohnVH]

Me flying my old BVM FJ-3 Fury with a Jetcat P70 Turbine at a buddies.

[jb101]

GWS Slow Stick.  Probably the cheapest, most gentle handling trainer on the market. ARF, all stick and foam, easy to repair, lots of mods available.  http://store.gwsus.com/shop/airplane/electric/gws-slowstick/

[huntnphool]

Me flying my old BVM FJ-3 Fury with a Jetcat P70 Turbine at a buddies.

 That is crazy!

 Thanks for the links guys.

[lokidog]

Cool video JVH.

Agree, an electric motor would be good for a starter plane, it was always a hassle trying to troubleshoot the gas engines.

It seems with the slower flying electrics learning might be a lot easier than it used to be.

[huntnphool]

Cool video JVH.

Agree, an electric motor would be good for a starter plane, it was always a hassle trying to troubleshoot the gas engines.

It seems with the slower flying electrics learning might be a lot easier than it used to be.

 We were watching a couple guys out in Lakewood fly theirs, the planes were large and seemed to have a really good maximum glide and were not going so fast that my son might panic. Even when coming into land they seemed to float and not want to drop to the ground if power was not perfect.

[lokidog]

Cool video JVH.

Agree, an electric motor would be good for a starter plane, it was always a hassle trying to troubleshoot the gas engines.

It seems with the slower flying electrics learning might be a lot easier than it used to be.

 We were watching a couple guys out in Lakewood fly theirs, the planes were large and seemed to have a really good maximum glide and were not going so fast that my son might panic. Even when coming into land they seemed to float and not want to drop to the ground if power was not perfect.

The high wing trainers are good at floating. The wings generally have a lot of dihedral (the 'V' shape), which helps keep them upright and makes them very stable flyers. I learned to fly by taking over one of my friends' plane after he took off, flew for a bit then let him land.  in the beginning, I usually had someone standing next to me to hand the controls to if needed.  I crashed my plane a lot, and rebuilt it, a lot. I usually flew in areas with no runway, like over my grandfather's alfalfa field. I would hand launch and then try to catch it as it landed. It was a lot of fun.  And now, with the cameras available, oh my, it could be a blast.

[PA BEN]

The crash one of many

[PA BEN]

[PA BEN]

[PA BEN]

[[URL=http://s154.photobucket.com/user/PABEN07/media/2008_0712007.jpg.html]IMG]http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s276/PABEN07/2008_0712006.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[PA BEN]

[huntnphool]

 Those are awesome, love the Mustang and Corsair!

[huntnphool]

 Thanks for all the help guys.

 I went with the Horizon Apprentice S http://www.horizonhobby.com/airplanes/ready-to-fly/apprentice-s-15e--rtf-w-dxe-efl3100e and purchased 3 extra batteries, that should last until the first crash that requires rebuilding.

[lokidog]

   It's all part of the experience.   

[Fl0und3rz]

Hovering it over water

Im an expert,

Um, understatement.

[Wacenturion]

Awesome experience for you both.  I did a lot of flying, mostly gliders way back when I was in college at Moscow with a friend.  Loads of fun.  Looks like you made a great choice to start with.

[huntnphool]

 The maiden flight resulted in a crash that required minor rebuilding. Got it all fixed up and went out today after school and he is taking off, flying and landing like a pro.

 Thanks for all the help guys, you were spot on with your suggestions, he is a happy camper.

[Wacenturion]