My new nagging addiction.

[Candyman]

OK, well I have to confess that my nitro burning has been limited so far this year. Yeah, all the rides are clean and ready. Just haven't taken much time to run them. Why? Well let me tell you. Thanks to Revo Rancher showing off his Combat Wing here this spring. And digger and his stick. I've become horribly addicted to flying. I built 2 new planes this year. And smashed 1 old one. I had a Hitec Sky Scooter that I was just learning on. Got a bit psycho and decided to mount a mini-camera to it. And when I went to go take some aerial photos, it went lawn dart on me and erupted into a ton of worthless pieces. It's ok, there was more hot glue and epoxy on it than foam. It was time to retire it. So I bought a Combat Wings XE2 flying wing and a Mike Glass Matrix profile flat 3D foamy. Man, I just can't seem to get enough. Too bad it's been windy as hell here so I have only gotten a few flights in. Anyway, here they are:

Oh, and at the bottom of the bottom picture is my Hitec Eclipse 7 w/synth module transmitter. It rules. It has airplane, glider and heli mixes as well as selectable shift, Quasi-PPM and synth so I can pretty much fly any plane with any receiver. It rules!

 

[Karl M]

Nice birds Bud! I don't mean to hi-jack your thread, but what would you recommend for a complete newb to enter flying on a tight budget?

 

[Candyman]

How tight is your budget?

 

[digger]

Hey man, I'll go there. One of these. http://www.spadtothebone.com/freeplans.htm Look at the BUHOR
Costs about 15 bucks for the airframe? Won't find anything uglier on the flightline. But they fly sweet.
Might look at one of the parkzone? electrics if ya don't want to build. Seen some of those that were sweet fliers. About 150 bucks for everything? Don't know what they have for trainers though.


Candy, glad to hear you got the bug!!!
I've been to the field several times this year.
I still haven't flew anything.
One of the guys asked me about the radial I bought so I took it out Sunday. http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=SAIE090R3 We ran it on a test stand. Got me wanting to build something around it. (I bought it new for a hell of a deal, but nothing to put it in.) Man that thing is sweet! I'll be back into it before long.

Maybe we could post a build later on? I have about 3 started. pps:
Good luck bro.

 

[Karl M]

How tight is your budget?

About $300 give or take a couple of $$. Like I said, I'm a complete newb. I've been involved in aviation my whole adult life so I know the theories and princples involved, just never tried to fly one. Closest I have come is paper planes. Thanks for the link digger, I'll look into it.

 

[digger]

About $300 give or take a couple of $$. Like I said, I'm a complete newb. I've been involved in aviation my whole adult life so I know the theories and princples involved, just never tried to fly one. Closest I have come is paper planes. Thanks for the link digger, I'll look into it.

It's not as hard as everyone thinks. Start out with something high wing and get a little help.
As with anything, the more ya do it, the better ya get.
My cars cost a lot more.

 

[Candyman]

$300 is a pretty good bankroll to start with. A few things to consider. Are you thinking of joining a club? I am not a member, but I'm considering it. Because it's too much of a pain in the ass to try to fly between little league games and football practices in my park. Plus you get the benefit of people who know how to fly and I'm sure there would be someone happy to teach you.
The next question is nitro or electric? I am all electric at this point. Clean, quiet and easy. There is a little bit extra invested in batteries, but for most modest sized planes, the batteries are affordable. A 3s Lipo costs twice as much as a gallon of fuel. But you can use it for a long time. So it pretty much averages out.
digger's right as far as the high wing trainer goes. If you're going electric, 1 comes to mind.
The Multiplex EZ Star (http://www.hobby-lobby.com/easystar-rtf.htm) is a great starter. Big wing span so it floats well and is slow enough to get the hang of. It's only 3 channel so you won't learn ailerons on it. But it will really get your thumbs trained. And it won't break the bank. It gets awesome reviews from people who have learned on it. And it's easy to repair after you crash (yes, you will crash. Get used to it.).
Or if you want 4-channel control, consider the Cessna 182 (http://www.hobby-lobby.com/cessna182.htm). It has gotten some pretty decent reviews also and looks like a reasonable platform to learn on.

Oh, and as silly as this sounds, if you're still not sure but want to get some basic time in, go to Target and get an Air Hogs Aero Ace biplane. They're cheap ($30) and simple but an absolute blast to fly around the yard. And it gives you the chance to work on orientation skills right at home.
And always keep in mind getting a simulator for your computer. There are some cheap ones like FMS. The software is free. You'd just have to buy a link to use your transmitter. Or you could get a pro-level sim like Aerofly Pro, RealFlight or Reflex XTR (which I have). They will all give you tons of practice without actually destroying a plane.

 

[Karl M]

Thanks for the info guys, think I might look into a simulator first.

 

[FastEddy]

I'm learning to fly with a Slow Stick. Nice little unit to learn with. Its slow and pretty much flys itself if you get in trouble.

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=GWS1040

 

[digger]

I'm learning to fly with a Slow Stick. Nice little unit to learn with. Its slow and pretty much flys itself if you get in trouble.

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=GWS1040

A buddy of mine had one of those. They are a hell of a flyer.

A lot of choices for a first one Karl. Main thing is get something slow and stable. You may like a Pitts or a Mustang, but stay away from them.
Get some help if ya can. You are going to crash. Some will be fixed. Some are going to be kindling and a garbage bag... Good luck. Hope ya get one.

Candy, what about that build post? Maybe next winter?
If I can get back into it, I'll build one from plans. Got one started and one that I want to try...
I want to get back into it.

 

[Revo Rancher]

Hey, CM, missed this thread early on, but great job on those two flyers! I've been doing the same thing. Have not fired up nitro for 4 months, but have been flying almost every weekend.

I also commend your choice in Tx's. The Optic 7 is a great Tx. The AT is about the same as the Optic.

I also agree with the Slow Stick. I built one with a BL motor after I burned out the stock one. Besides the fact you can walk next to it while flying, with BL you can do 3D.

The EZ Star is also a great starter plane. If you run low on power you can kill the motor and still fly into a landing with the last of the power as a glider. I see guys flying all the time sitting in lawn chairs, talking, not even really looking too much as to what they are doing.

 

[Candyman]

Thank, RR. I've really been having a ball with the wing. It takes a bit of getting used to because it pitches and rolls incredibly fast. Even with low rates. But once you get used to it, you can really kick ass with it. I'm a real low flyer. I just always have been. I love bringing the wing down right on the deck at full tilt. Just a killer rush doing that. Right now the wing is dismantled because I noticed a few flaws in my original build that I corrected. While it was down, I tried a resurfacing technique that is designed to smooth the foam and allow the wing to be build without tape. I just finished the top this morning and I'm waiting to see how it cures. Should be ready when I get home from work. If it works, it will leave a nice, smooth finish when covered. Thanks again for hooking me up.

 

[Revo Rancher]

Yeah, they dedicated a lot of surface area to the movable surfaces. I have set my rates down pretty far, too, as I am not yet quite up to any real hardcore flying moves. I love the way it rolls, though. Next step is to go Lipo and BL combination. I have seen vert climbs for over 100'.