Anyone here fly model planes?
Discussion
I've always had a thing for flying and have always been good on simulators and flying lessons. Now, its not something I want to take too seriously but I'm thinking of getting an rc plane to test my aptitude with smaller craft. I don't want a 'diy' balsa kit as they are pricey and are very time consuming. I have however seen some ready to fly, fan powered planes for very little money and are made from bouncy polystirene so it should be cheap to run. The one that's got my attention is a Eurofighter model made by Art Tech. I've also seen a red arrow by Top Flite. Anyone got any advice? As I said, it won't be a hobby, more a bit of weekend fun.
Eddie
Eddie
I used to build and fly the petrol ones, it takes a long time to be able to fly them well, or fly them at all. Its easy to take off, but keeping track of the plane in the sky can be tricky, its easy to think your flying one way, when your actually going the opposite way and you lose your plane. landing is near on impossible unless you have some idea about what you are doing. I joined a club where you get the highly necessary tuition.
The ducted fan planes are seriously quick so if I were you I would give them a miss until you have more experience, or it will probably end in a million bits. Your best bet is probably get a cheap electric one to learn with and work your way up from there.
The ducted fan planes are seriously quick so if I were you I would give them a miss until you have more experience, or it will probably end in a million bits. Your best bet is probably get a cheap electric one to learn with and work your way up from there.
Edited by P101 on Monday 28th March 01:19
The Mrs bought me a petrol remote controlled helicopter a good few years back. Joined the flying club over near the bakers arms pub. They used a field there and had loads of really experienced guys who helped with the setting up. One piece of advice is get a controller that can accept a master line in. That way someone can stand next to you and help out when you are learning. I've still got all the gear in the garage somewhere. May dig it out again
Mainly gliders many years ago.
Ducted fan types are going to be way out for learning on apart from how much it costs when you break them.
An electric glider style will offer you the best chance of getting through the early learning stages.
Clubs are good as someone else can do the takeoff and landing for you so you can make all your mistakes with a little altitude and the chance to recover from those mistakes.
Steve
Ducted fan types are going to be way out for learning on apart from how much it costs when you break them.
An electric glider style will offer you the best chance of getting through the early learning stages.
Clubs are good as someone else can do the takeoff and landing for you so you can make all your mistakes with a little altitude and the chance to recover from those mistakes.
Steve
Thanks for the advice guys. I hear what you are saying ref the learning part of the game. Trouble is I don't want to fork out for a trainer plane and then pay for a proper one later on. Its only going to be a bit of fun. I do have experience in the rc world already, I used to race 1/12 scale cars and am also well practiced on a friends rc plane simulator. I'll phone around some model types today to get some more opinions and take it from there.
Eddie
Eddie
I have been flying r/c for 20 years or so now, from low cost cheap trainer aircraft to helicopters and even UAVs. To this day, I fly several hours a week. I had one of the little electric ducted fan aircraft you mention (mine was an F/A-18) and they are in no way shape or form suitable for a beginner. My justification for this is multi-fold :
- They have a very small airspeed 'window'. Yes they fly quite quickly, but they will not fly slowly. At all. Related to this, you need around 25-30m of concrete / ashphalt to take off an land on (forget grass - we have a bowling-green-like grass field at my flying club but it's a no-go). Factor in also a good 50m either side of your runway for approach and climb-out. These things are fairly marginal on power on the climb-out. You can get someone to hand launch them. They take a good run and shove but it works fine.
- They do not glide. When the battery quits (you get 5 mins from a battery), it quits fast. It's almost like auto-rotating a helicopter. You have to get the plane's nose down and get it on the ground immediately. From a typical 30m flying height you have 7 maybe 8 seconds tops before it's on the ground. Any agressive manouvres to get it back to the field will more than likely result in a stall and it's game over.
- Yes, they are made of EPP/EPO, but manufacturers leverage the light-weight property of the material rather than it's strength in volume. Anything other than a decent landing and bits will break.
Beware that r/c car skills do not necessarily translate to aircraft. A good friend of mine has raced r/c (1/8 on road, off-road, 1/12, 1/10 TOCA 1/10 off-road) for donkey's years. Having started out this way when I was 5 years old, I'm, not a bad hand with an r/c car but this guy is way ahead of me and competes at a national level. He's recently got a little r/c trainer aircraft - a foam jobbie and can't land the thing without tipping it up. He can fix this by righting it, taping up the damaged bits and tring again. With a electric jet it would be in several pieces. Trust me it's not worth it as a beginner. It'll end in tears very quickly...!
You may have noticed I said 'had' an electric jet. My F/A-18 was taken down during an inverted high speed pass when a dude with an Easystar decided to fly the circuit in the wrong direction. The a/c was completely destroyed. Will I get another - yeah, at some point.
- They have a very small airspeed 'window'. Yes they fly quite quickly, but they will not fly slowly. At all. Related to this, you need around 25-30m of concrete / ashphalt to take off an land on (forget grass - we have a bowling-green-like grass field at my flying club but it's a no-go). Factor in also a good 50m either side of your runway for approach and climb-out. These things are fairly marginal on power on the climb-out. You can get someone to hand launch them. They take a good run and shove but it works fine.
- They do not glide. When the battery quits (you get 5 mins from a battery), it quits fast. It's almost like auto-rotating a helicopter. You have to get the plane's nose down and get it on the ground immediately. From a typical 30m flying height you have 7 maybe 8 seconds tops before it's on the ground. Any agressive manouvres to get it back to the field will more than likely result in a stall and it's game over.
- Yes, they are made of EPP/EPO, but manufacturers leverage the light-weight property of the material rather than it's strength in volume. Anything other than a decent landing and bits will break.
Beware that r/c car skills do not necessarily translate to aircraft. A good friend of mine has raced r/c (1/8 on road, off-road, 1/12, 1/10 TOCA 1/10 off-road) for donkey's years. Having started out this way when I was 5 years old, I'm, not a bad hand with an r/c car but this guy is way ahead of me and competes at a national level. He's recently got a little r/c trainer aircraft - a foam jobbie and can't land the thing without tipping it up. He can fix this by righting it, taping up the damaged bits and tring again. With a electric jet it would be in several pieces. Trust me it's not worth it as a beginner. It'll end in tears very quickly...!
You may have noticed I said 'had' an electric jet. My F/A-18 was taken down during an inverted high speed pass when a dude with an Easystar decided to fly the circuit in the wrong direction. The a/c was completely destroyed. Will I get another - yeah, at some point.
Been toying with the idea of a small rc plane for the summer. With my rc cars I always end up with an expensive model ("yes dear, I do 'have' to have that nitro buggy. Those electric ones are for sissys") but I am trying to be sensible (as it WILL end up sitting in the garage most of the time) and just buy a robust trainer type. Will be for fine evening flying over the farmer's field next to my house, or at my parents place as they have a BIG garden. Problem with the farmer's field, especially in the summer, is the grass can get fairly long, so need something that I can 'flop' down, if there is such a thing (the long grass would give some sort of cushioning)?
I see some cheapy £25 jobbies but Im guessing if a sparrow farted nearby it would affect the plane? Would something like this be suitable? (loving the 'Anti Crash Technology gumf, but Im guessing in reality it's not going to stop me breaking the damn thing
)
I see some cheapy £25 jobbies but Im guessing if a sparrow farted nearby it would affect the plane? Would something like this be suitable? (loving the 'Anti Crash Technology gumf, but Im guessing in reality it's not going to stop me breaking the damn thing
)FUBAR said:
Been toying with the idea of a small rc plane for the summer. With my rc cars I always end up with an expensive model ("yes dear, I do 'have' to have that nitro buggy. Those electric ones are for sissys") but I am trying to be sensible (as it WILL end up sitting in the garage most of the time) and just buy a robust trainer type. Will be for fine evening flying over the farmer's field next to my house, or at my parents place as they have a BIG garden. Problem with the farmer's field, especially in the summer, is the grass can get fairly long, so need something that I can 'flop' down, if there is such a thing (the long grass would give some sort of cushioning)?
I see some cheapy £25 jobbies but Im guessing if a sparrow farted nearby it would affect the plane? Would something like this be suitable? (loving the 'Anti Crash Technology gumf, but Im guessing in reality it's not going to stop me breaking the damn thing)
Little super cubs are an excellent choice for a first model. My step-brother has one. One thing I'd say is defo get some spare battery packs (or see if there is a version that uses Lipo battery instead of NiMH). The NiMH type battery packs are a bit marginal.I see some cheapy £25 jobbies but Im guessing if a sparrow farted nearby it would affect the plane? Would something like this be suitable? (loving the 'Anti Crash Technology gumf, but Im guessing in reality it's not going to stop me breaking the damn thing
)DOH. Just read the spec. Seems they upgraded it to Lipo. Brilliant little plane then...!
daydotz said:
id love one my only concern id loose it or crash it 
A neighbour of mine bought a little r/c helicopter. First flight he gunned it and it flew away in the breeze never to be seen again. The pillock didn't think to let off the throttle. It's thought to be in a field about half a kilometer away... Roop said:
Little super cubs are an excellent choice for a first model. My step-brother has one. One thing I'd say is defo get some spare battery packs (or see if there is a version that uses Lipo battery instead of NiMH). The NiMH type battery packs are a bit marginal.
DOH. Just read the spec. Seems they upgraded it to Lipo. Brilliant little plane then...!
Cheers Roop. One more question. For about £10 more, would I be better off getting the Super Cub instead of the mini? (see, I've started upgrading already DOH. Just read the spec. Seems they upgraded it to Lipo. Brilliant little plane then...!
)FUBAR said:
Cheers Roop. One more question. For about £10 more, would I be better off getting the Super Cub instead of the mini? (see, I've started upgrading already )
Provided it's still Lipo powered, yes. Generally speaking, the bigger the plane the more stable they are. They also have a bit more inertia so are less affected by winds. I'd get the bigger one. )Well i bit the bullet this morning. I had a chat with some RC Modelers and they told me pretty much the same thing you guys did. So i went and ordered an Art Tech EF2000 EDF Jet anyway - what the hell! LOl. All was going well until the supplier told me that they were on a 6 week wait. The dissappointment was enough to see me straight again and i came away from the whole 'need / lust' session with an indoor helicopter. Went to Maplins at lunch and bought a Ninco Air Alupro 180. Haha! s
ts and giggles galore. Great fun and only £40 so no worries about breaking pricey parts. You even get spare blades to keep the dream alive a little longer.
The jet / plane thing will have to wait for now as im busy tearing up the house with my micro heli. The dogs love it too!!!
Eddie
ts and giggles galore. Great fun and only £40 so no worries about breaking pricey parts. You even get spare blades to keep the dream alive a little longer.The jet / plane thing will have to wait for now as im busy tearing up the house with my micro heli. The dogs love it too!!!
Eddie
Eddie when you get the hang of the heli I have a Twister V2, that you can buy off me! Got bored of it a while a go!
I've got a carry case and a few extras too
Same as this one...
http://aabt.co.uk/prd459-4434.htm
I've got a carry case and a few extras too
Same as this one...
http://aabt.co.uk/prd459-4434.htm
ecain63 said:
In all fairness Eddie the contra-rotating blades makes it much stable 
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