TheFlyingBrit
Legendary member
Word from the wise, when balsa planes crash or land hard they are more difficult to repair than foam planes.Hi, I'd like to get myself a balsa plane that'd be easy to fly. I only had one plane(FT scout) and one glider in the past. And I found this balsa kit on hobbyking. Is it fliable for a beginner ? If not do you have any recommendations for any kits ?
When I started flying again 18 months ago, I bought a Volantex Trainstar Ascent from Banggood. I think it cost me about £120 (GBP) at the time , Its a plastic body with foam tail and wings. It was PNP which means it came with everything except the radio gear and a lipo battery, this was my main trainer plane while I was learning to fly solo. Its still is a great flier and very forgiving so perfect for learning or throwing around the sky doing basic aerobatics. I have had a few rough landings and one was even 30ft up a tree. It survived all these mishaps with minor scratches and one new control horn.
I have now progressed to a balsa WOT trainer, which I converted to electric from a nitro engine. I can fly it now with ease and confidence, but I am well aware that it wont take the same abuse as my Volantex took when I was learning.
So my advice would be, dont be to eager to by a balsa model. There are some excellent foam trainer models on the market, they are sometimes cheaper, easier to fly and more resilient when your learning.
Ive lost 2 balsa models in crashes both of which now reside in my attic in pieces and are likely to stay that way for some time. However, all my foam planes are still in perfect working order and ready to fly, even though some have had some rough landings and bumps. At the end of the day its your choice what you decide to fly, but dont forget crashes are part of the hobby and what you break you have to fix.