I finally got through a battery

[Oozamalak]

Both boys will be away at school next fall and I was looking for another hobby to keep me busy so here I land.

Every since I was a kid I wanted to get into RC plans. It started in the 70's when by great uncle gave me a fly by wire plane. I spent many an evening in the back yard with that ol' plane. Fast forward a lot of years I finally have the time and means to get into the hobby. Like many searching the Internet and YouTube I came a cross Flight Test. Having built a lot of models when I was a kid I like the building aspect that Flight Test has made available, plus the cost was right. I started in February building some scratch Tiny Trainers I have now built 4 gave 2 away to my bosses kids to toss around the yard and have one powered for my enjoyment. I have also built the Bloody Baron, Bloody Wonder, FT Flyer, Nutball, and FT Delta. Yea I got bit by the bug.

Anyway I built my Tiny Trainer speed build kit and have been trying to fly it. I do great on the sim but real life adds that extra something the computer doesn't have. My routine the first two times out was not fly, crash, repair. It was more like crash and repair. 11 seconds in the air is hardly a flight in my book. Well tonight I finally remembered to use tiny stick movements and was able to burn through my first battery! I need a lot more experience with the TT before I tackle one of the bloody planes, those will come later this summer. I am stoked to have my first flight under my belt!

A big thanks to Flight Test and what they are doing to make this hobby accessible! Without them I do not know if I would have taken the plunge.

 

[cranialrectosis]

Welcome to the forums, Oozamalak.

Odd moniker you got there. Is there a story for that?

Congratulations on successful flight. Hopefully this weekend allows for a few more.

I started in the '80s and had to fast forward quite a few years too. I concur, FliteTest made it all accessible again. It's a kick @$$ show and the forums are fantastic.

Post some pics of your builds.

We like pics and video here and love it when someone gets in the air for the first time on a new build.

 

[Oozamalak]

I used to live in Kalamazoo, MI. I thought saying it backwards was funny so it kinda stuck.

 

[PsyBorg]

hehe cool way to come up with a name. Welcome to FT!

Another thing that may help you with flying is to go a tad higher with expos to help smooth things out a bit. Usually 30% is normalish range but It wouldn't hurt to go to 40% to ease the newness nerves a bit. You can always adjust as you get better. I too am transitioning back into fixed wing. I found I really am bad with bank and yank without a rudder after flying quads so much. Will be putting my dynam pitts in the air soon to get some of the fixed wing feel back.

Be careful around here as there are many enablers in here to gas you up into trying things hehe.

 

[jjthrash]

From a fellow newbie, congrats on your milestone!

 

[SlingShot]

Another thing that may help you with flying is to go a tad higher with expos to help smooth things out a bit. Usually 30% is normalish range but It wouldn't hurt to go to 40% to ease the newness nerves a bit.

I like 40%. Even 50%. Also go with minimum throws. You generally don't need much to control the aircraft. After you get the hang of it, you can increase the throws as desired.

 

[PsyBorg]

I only went to 40% as the last time I brought up higher expos CraftyDan explained why that is not always the best practice on fixed wing like I would have thought. I can't remember exactly what thread it was but he had valid points when he explained it.

 

[SlingShot]

I only went to 40% as the last time I brought up higher expos CraftyDan explained why that is not always the best practice on fixed wing like I would have thought. I can't remember exactly what thread it was but he had valid points when he explained it.

Could be. I don't know. I do know that they are a lot easier to fly when you DON'T put 50% reverse expo in I flew my first 4 like that.

In around 1981 I had an Airtronics radio with expo. It was just a switch that went from linear to "expo". I have no idea what that would translate to in modern percentages.

 

[PsyBorg]

Better then my first "Air" radio. I had a Cox/ Sanwa radio system that came with an arf Cessna with an .049 glow fuel motor. It had a power switch, two gimbals and trim tabs and that was that. Oh yeah and a REALLY long extendable antenna that was longer then I was tall at the time. Can't forget the mandatory frequency flags to hang from the antenna either.