r/c planes

[elwellnick24]

hi guys, im thinkin about getting an r/c plane, but as ive never flown one before i need one for a beginner. im gonna join a club near to me to learn the ropes so to speak, but can anyone reccomend a plane suitable for me? and exactly how hard are they to fly? cheers, nick!  :)

[Hagar]

Hi Nick. Glad to hear you're approaching this in the right way, by joining the club. I think the members are the best people to advise you on a suitable model. I think you're in the UK & you might not realise that there are 2 separate modes for transmitters which are completely different. Which one you use will depend mainly on which part of the country you're in. When I was involved in the instruction side of things I had to disappoint several propective pupils as I couldn't fly their model on the TX mode they were using. It might be possible to switch modes these days but I wouldn't recommend changing it. Much better to start off using the same methods as your clubmates. They will also know the best trainer available in your area.  Most clubs have a trainer with a buddy-box dual control system so you can try it safely without the expense of your own model & equipment.

As for difficulty, some find it easier than others. I've been aeromodelling in some form or another for most of my life & when I took up R/C it was pretty much a natural progression. Didn't take long to get the hang of it & I was soon showing others how to do it. I've met commercial pilots who found it extremely difficult. Young boys (it's usually boys) tend to pick it up in no time. It usually depends on your age. The older you are the more difficult it seems to be.

[elwellnick24]

cheers for your reply, im in the uk, worcs, i know there are a few clubs around here so i'll check em out. i dont want to destroy

[Hagar]

Hi Nick. I would say the BMFA website is a good place to start. http://www.bmfa.org/
Most clubs in the UK are BMFA affiliated. In this case membership is included in the club subscription.

PS. Clubs in Worcestershire. http://www.bmfa.org/clubs/clist.php
Depends which branch of the hobby you're interested in.

[Gixer]

I fly with throttle on the right stick.  I have yet to venture into the power side though.  I have been flying gliders for years.

However I do have a Yamamoto trainer in the attic and a Piper Cub so maybe its time I thought about having a go at flying powered stuff!

[Hagar]

I fly with throttle on the right stick

Ah, that's the mode I could never get used to. I don't know where you are Gixer but this is popular in the north of England for some reason. I'm south of Watford where we usually have the rudder & throttle on the left. Another example of the North/South divide in this country. I forget which mode that is now but it always seemed more natural to me.* The right stick is just like a joystick on a full-sized aircraft & in FS so I find it instinctive. It would be interesting to find out which mode is used in other parts of the world. I suppose it also depends on whether you're left or right-handed which can lead to other variations of the 2 basic modes.

I've had interesting discussions on this subject over the years. People tend to get very defensive over their chosen method & naturally think their way is right. I think it goes back to the first 2-channel proportional radios that had separate single-axis sticks, like a car TX, & which axis was put on which side by different manufacturers. I suppose it comes down to what you regard as primary controls. Many modellers regard the throttle as most important. Like you, I started on gliders which don't have or need a throttle so (rightly or wrongly) I regard it as secondary to ailerons & elevator. It's possible to do all but advanced aerobatics with no rudder at all so that explains my way of looking at it. Slope soaring is still my favourite branch of the hobby & I would recommend it to any beginner. Usually much cheaper & less messy than powered models with a minimum of equipment. Much quieter too which is another advantage. I always said if you can fly a glider a powered model is a piece of cake. This doesn't seem to work in reverse.

Now I've confused you all I'll shut up & let others have their say.

*PS. I always used Mode 2. Explanation here in case anyone's wondering what the heck I'm going on about. http://www.bmfa.org/faq/radio_primary.htm

[elwellnick24]

i was thinking about starting with a glider, im in malvern so i could fly on the hills(loads of gliders, hangliders etc in the summer!) so are gliders better for a beginner you think?

[Hagar]

i was thinking about starting with a glider, im in malvern so i could fly on the hills(loads of gliders, hangliders etc in the summer!) so are gliders better for a beginner you think?

No question in my mind. Gliders are the best way to start. The Malverns sound ideal but be careful not to fly among those "real" gliders, hang-gliders, paragliders & whatever else. Unfortunately the real fliers generally take over the best spots but life is more important than any hobby. I'm sure there's a local modelling club with members that will know the safest places to fly your models.

There are several sites around here popular with modellers & real fliers. A hang-glider pilot was killed flying from Devil's Dyke (a local beauty spot) some years ago when a model glider collided with him & he lost control. The model was landed without too much damage. I've flown models from Sutton Bank in Yorkshire among "real" gliders & goodness knows what else. It was a nightmare & I soon gave it up as a bad job. The 2 don't mix. IMHO

[Ben_M_K]

Glad to read this discussion. I'm planning on getting one, but not till' my birthday in August. I really just want one thats a RTF, or, ready to fly. Parkzone and Firebird are the only compenies I know of that make them.

-Ben

[Hagar]

Glad to read this discussion. I'm planning on getting one, but not till' my birthday in August. I really just want one thats a RTF, or, ready to fly. Parkzone and Firebird are the only compenies I know of that make them.

-Ben

Good luck Ben. It's a wonderful hobby I'm sure you will enjoy it. Things are probably very different where you live so it would be best to get advice locally.

With the current trend of RTF, ARTF, park fliers etc. etc. things have changed so much now. I was talking about this to our club secretary only this week. Very few people seem interested in what I call proper modelling these days. This is where you get a plan (or design it yourself) & the necessary materials & build it from scratch. (Some people I know get far more pleasure from building the model than flying it.) Then you take it out & fly it. Nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment you get from that. I suppose it's a sign of the times. Instant gratification.

[Ben_M_K]

You know Doug, I would like to do that but this is my first rc plane and I think I want something thats easy to fly and relativley cheap. I'm only 14 you know. But I think it would be great to build my own someday if I find that I really enjoy flying. And right now, a RTF plane in the $150 range is what I want.

Have you built any? How many? Seems like a great hobby. Also, do still fly much?

Cheers,
Ben

[Hagar]

You know Doug, I would like to do that but this is my first rc plane and I think I want something thats easy to fly and relativley cheap. I'm only 14 you know. But I think it would be great to build my own someday if I find that I really enjoy flying. And right now, a RTF plane in the $150 range is what I want.

Have you built any? How many? Seems like a great hobby. Also, do still fly much?

Cheers,
Ben

Ah, as I said it's very different now. I could never afford radio control at your age. In my young days it was single-channel radios working on what was known as the "galloping ghost" system. press once to turn right, twice to go up etc. To go right again you would have to press the button 3 more times. This worked until the rubber band ran out of turns. Very primitive & nothing like the fully-proportional computerised equipment they have nowadays.

I started building model aircraft when I was about 7 years old. These were small gliders & rubber powered free-flighters made of balsa wood & doped tissue. I learned how to trim them so I didn't lose them & I remember one of my towline launched free-flight gliders doing graceful circuits of a local park before landing almost at my feet. By the time I reached my teens I was an experienced aeromodeller flying my own control-line designs on our local airfield in the evenings after it closed. None of this cost very much at all but it was all valuable experience.

After giving it up for a few years, as you do, I built my very first R/C glider in 1980, when I was 37 years old. I've been keenly involved with it ever since right up to about 3 years ago. I would go to the flying site every Sunday morning whatever the weather. Even when I was not flying I kept up my club membership & rejoined last Sunday. Let's hope I regain my enthusiasm this season.

Most of my old friends in the club could tell you much the same. Some of them have come full circle & gone back to those old free-flighters they built in their youth. Indoor flying is more popular than ever now & some are very interested in that. As it happens I'm going to the local area indoor event on Sunday & hope to get some decent photos. As I said before, things are very different now. Young boys don't seem to have the time to learn how it's done properly any more.

[Rifleman]

Modes ?

Mode I  = Right stick is Elevator and Rudder
               Left stick is Throttle and Ailerons

Mode II = Right Stick is Elevator and Ailerons
               Left stick is Throttle and Rudder

In North America (U.S. and Canada) older long time fliers use Mode I and its also used by many of the precision aerobatic modellers......this is due to separating the roll inputs by having them on different hands...(makes rolling circles and most axial rolls so much easier once you have it down)
The trend now is for all new fliers to learn with Mode II so as to replicate full size control config and not confuse what most beginners who already know a little bit about full size flying.  I fly Mode II, but learned it on my own as being very a logical setup for my first R/C glider.....this, like Hagar, after having a strong background in various other forms of aero-modelling......I did years of Controline, intermixed with years of indoor freeflight rubber............many years of fun lay ahead of you if you proceed with this great hobby...........enjoy !  

[commoner]

[quote]hi guys, im thinkin about getting an r/c plane, but as ive never flown one before i need one for a beginner. im gonna join a club near to me to learn the ropes so to speak, but can anyone reccomend a plane suitable for me? and exactly how hard are they to fly? cheers, nick!

[elwellnick24]

im sure there are loads of forums, but i havent looked for 'em yet! i figured there was a good chance of some people on here already involved with it, and i trust you guys!!  :-*  lol