I can't contain my excitement!!!

Matthew Sanders

Elite member
Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!! I can't even begin to explain myself so please bear with me. If any of you have watched me grow in the hobby, you know that my first foamy was the FT long EZ. I built it as a chuck glider back in March. I built another chuck glider on March 17th. Long story short in May I got the speed build kit to be my first FT RC plane. Josh said in the release video that it was almost a Trainer. Well, on May 25th, I had a different story. It kept nose diving. I finally found success after all the crashes and did a lap around my flying field. I crash landed it like most people do in the beginning. The next day I had similar luck, crashing before a lap. I was getting tired of this, so I set the Long EZ aside in favor of a Tiny Trainer I was scratch building. In like July or something I tried to fly the Long EZ I'd built on St. Patrick's day as an RC plane. I crashed it on all 3 flights resulting in the need to re build it all 3 times. The last time totaled it. So in august, I threw that airframe in the trash, having had limited flight success. Then November 3rd rolls around. I'm sitting around watching football and reflecting on my plane journey. I decide to get the SBK plane out and put in electronics. My dad said when you have a problem, only fix one thing and isolate what you did wrong. Well, I changed 3 things. I put in a new power pod, used new electronics and moved the battery forward. Success. Maiden on Nov 3, subsequent flights perfect! I've finally tamed the Long EZ! Now I can rest easy. Gotta admit it kept me up at night for a couple of nights thinking about it not working. Months later, the bird is sitting in its well deserved slot on the flight line, alongside my younger Spitfire and Mustang. For those of you who made it this far thank You for taking time to read this. You're awesome! Just for that, I'll let you in on a secret: I own a Viggen now!!!!! Just waiting on an EDF and then I'm building!
 

Matthew Sanders

Elite member
Fantastic. As someone who is about to fly an rc plane for the first time, (weather permitting, soon) stories like,this are encouraging. Thanks for sharing.

-J
Oh yeah definitely! I have some advice that helped me when I was first flying. You see, I didn't get into the hobby the right way. I just winged it with a trashy homemade design and the wrong battery. That was before the Long EZ being my first FT plane. Anyway the advice was "when you get up and flying for more than a minute, you'll find your heart soaring right up there with the plane" that is so true. I don't know if you've flown simulators but I'll tell you it really is different when actually flying. I was having a bad time with school and such when I was crashing my DIY plane and the long ez. I'll tell you it had seemed hopeless. I swear most people would have given up. I didn't, and fell head over heels into the greatest hobby in the world. Don't think this story is normal, it is very unique and rare to have problems like that. I just wish I'd gotten the tiny Trainer as my first plane! Flying planes is so freeing! Good luck on your maiden and don't worry too much if the first couple of flights don't go perfectly. By the way, what plane are you going to be flying?
 

sprzout

Knower of useless information
Mentor
LOL Sims definitely do not prepare you for lots of things, like wind gusts or thermals and updrafts or downdrafts. But, they DO have their uses - they help you to get the feel of left is right, right is left when the plane's coming at you, or give you a chance to practice when it's dark or lousy weather outside.

As for the Long EZ, it sounds like maybe your CG was a little off, throwing you off and making it more difficult to fly; I encountered that problem myself when I had a battery shift on me, and until you know what it feels like, you can't really know how it really is. Glad you were able to figure it out, though!
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Nice man! I have built several long-EZ’s as chuck gliders. I never really tried to fly them though though. That viggen going to be sweet. @L Edge just finished his super modded viggen and that thing is SWEET! Check it out on my group build (link in my signature). Feel free to post your progress on the build thread.
 

basslord1124

Master member
Awesome @Matthew Sanders ! It's so nice to finally feel success after lots of failed attempts. We have all been there. Just gotta focus on isolating the issues and not to give up on the hobby.

I think a sim is an awesome teaching tool...but yes, there are some things that it won't teach you.

What are some other planes you want to try out?
 

Matthew Sanders

Elite member
Nice man! I have built several long-EZ’s as chuck gliders. I never really tried to fly them though though. That viggen going to be sweet. @L Edge just finished his super modded viggen and that thing is SWEET! Check it out on my group build (link in my signature). Feel free to post your progress on the build thread.
Yeah, I'll post there when I start building it! Right now the kit is still in the box. I also got the nose replacements in case I crash a lot!
It is people like Mr. Sanders who the FAA should learn about before they legislate our great hobby into oblivion. This type of enthusiasm is wonderful.
Thank you! That's very nice of you to say that!

Awesome @Matthew Sanders ! It's so nice to finally feel success after lots of failed attempts. We have all been there. Just gotta focus on isolating the issues and not to give up on the hobby.

I think a sim is an awesome teaching tool...but yes, there are some things that it won't teach you.

What are some other planes you want to try out?
Well, I'm thinking about the Commuter. Ill need a power pack for it though. Also still need to get the mini corsair built. I have the sbk ready and waiting. I have a running build thread for the X-29 called "X-29 Build Thread" or something like that. I need an EDF for it, though. Still waiting on that. In the future, I'm planning to do Ben Harber's F-16.
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Well, I'm thinking about the Commuter. Ill need a power pack for it though. Also still need to get the mini corsair built. I have the sbk ready and waiting. I have a running build thread for the X-29 called "X-29 Build Thread" or something like that. I need an EDF for it, though. Still waiting on that. In the future, I'm planning to do Ben Harber's F-16.
. You’ll love the commuter. It flies SO well! One of my best flying planes. Here’s some video of me flying mine if you’re interested. I did a terrible landing though!

 

Hoomi

Master member
I've always said, Flite Test planes are the most fun anyone can have for $2.
$2 worth of foam and a little hot glue, pretty soon you've got a plane.
Build, fly, crash, repeat.
Hey, I got that t-shirt at the AMA Expo West this past weekend!

Parkjet.jpg
 

Hoomi

Master member
I almost picked it up, but they didn't have any in my size and color that I wanted...As for the plane, what is that? Looks like a UMX F-27 Evolution...

I posted about the plane in a separate topic, and someone correctly identified it for me as the Hobby King Parkjet. The Flite Test crew reviewed it about 8 years ago or so. I grabbed it at the swap section for $10.