[- Paul -]

I'm thinking about buying a plane and would appreciate any advice.

[dxb335d]

Apparently there quite hard to fly, my advice would be ''buy a cheap one'' for practise!

[uberschnell]

Heli's can be tougher then planes to learn on. Find a 2-channel plane that uses rudder and elevator and built in dihedral in the wings to maneuver. Try and buy a "kit", one that comes with radio/plan/hardware, just avoid the planes that use the motor speed to control climb and descent. These won't give you the feel of flying a "real" performance plane which you would eventually want to step up to. Also - electric planes fly great.

[- Paul -]

I've been practising on a simulator I can't fly a heli to save my life but feel ok about trying a plane.

I was thinking about this one

[ChrisMWard]

I've got a Kyosho 40 trainer. Five foot wingspan, 6.5cc IC engine and 4 channel radio. Quite a good model to learn on, large wing area, fairly slow flying and stable. Scale or near scale models are much harder to fly.

I've also three helicopters, one three channel which is pretty crap, a four channel contra rotator which can be flown indoors and a six channel 450 size copter which is very well engineered but more difficult to fly. This would be fully aerobatic in the right hands but I'm happy enough to hover around the garden with it.

Regards

Chris

[- Paul -]

So Chris - do you think the electric spitfire would be a good starter plane? - it's not too expensive and spares are readily available. It also has a special learner mode!

[ChrisMWard]

Paul

The ad did say "We highly recommend the Parkzone Spitfire for the advanced R/C plane fan who wants something a bit special."

Being scale or thereabouts it will be quite twitchy and sensitive to inputs, so I think an electric trainer would be more suitable as a first time fly and then maybe progress to something like a spit when you have a few hours notched up.

Regards

Chris

[- Paul -]

Cheers for the input.

[Chris33]

Hi Paul,

I started flying heli's about 6 months ago. Fantasic hobby! but very hard.

I started on a 30 class Thunder Tiger Raptor and now have a 50 class and a 60 Scale.

Flying lessons a must! but as I said, great hobby.

Planes are great fun aswell, I had a 45 trainer but as a kid always wanted a helicopter

[CrimsonRedE93]

I have car, plane and heli, it depends what you want and where you are going to fly it i guess.

If you are going to fly a plane as a first thing it will have to be high wing to make it stable and preferable a pusher prop (so you dont break it) and a rubber nose for those er heavy landings.

Something like the Aerobird 3 (I have one of these) they only have three channels so are good for a first plan and can be used as a glider if you feel the need.

http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_h...aerobird_3.htm

It has two modes of operation one for learning and then aerobatics mode, also i think this one has anticrash that if you are high enough will try and stop it dropping to the ground fast.

I think you should use a simulator to help you learn, FMS is free and G3 is really good and you can download a errrr copy .

I remember you can use the XBOX360 controller from memory witha little software application.

I hope that will get you started on the plane, Helis are the in thing and it is easy to buy soemthing so hard to fly it lasts 10 seconds every time you fly it.

Have fun

[- Paul -]

I'm using a 360 controller for the aerofly software - works well!

[!Xoible]

i have a couple that i bought for cheap, never used em yet

[CrimsonRedE93]

Originally Posted by 1stnewcar

I'm using a 360 controller for the aerofly software - works well!

Glad your getting some practice in The only thing with the sims is that you lose the relation to the ground which makes it harder and because of screen res when its in the distance its harder to tell what the plane is doing.

When you can land properly give yourself a gold star, When i flew my plane for the first time i nearly lost it completely as i was so nervous about making a turn it went off into the distance !

[CrimsonRedE93]

Originally Posted by mantis

i have a couple that i bought for cheap, never used em yet

I believe you call them park fliers ? Have you not had time yet or just bought them as an impulse mantis ?

[NFS]

Originally Posted by 1stnewcar

I'm thinking about buying a plane and would appreciate any advice.

I was just browsing on ebuyer.com and saw this:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/136416

£27 for a 'proper' full control helicopter.

Am tempted to get one myself.

[ChrisMWard]

I'm pretty sure that's a three channel copter, which uses a small vertical rotor in the tail to provide lift allowing forward and reverse movement. I had one of these at first and it was a trickier to fly than the four channel contra rotator that effectively replaced it. The three channel coptors cannot fly sideways like the real thing but can still provide entertainment. A four channel with a working swashplate is easier to fly IMO and will then lead you on to the real thing (same basic control method) a collective pitch, single rotor machine.

Regards

Chris