New to the Hobby

[LotsOfCoffee]

So my kiddos (4&6) found my old plane (Harbor freight Yellow Bee) that i could never get to fly. Back then I crashed it and broke the wing, ordered a new one and then it just collected dust for like maybe 10 years idk it was college. Well took it out with them and crashed and burned, working on repairs now. But all it will do is take off nose up, stall, and crash. Anyways now my son really wants to fly planes (at least that's the excuse I'm giving the wife). So i was researching how to fly my Yellow Bee and found this community and hoping I could get some help. Thank you!

 

[FDS]

If your old plane is dead, get a cheap three channel trainer, there’s one everyone gets from Banggood for not much, I think it’s this one.
You can also build chuck gliders from Dollar Tree foamboard, Nerdnic RC does the Chuckstang that’s great to build and fly with kids, you can bungee launch them for longer flights too.
Then you can get into making Flite Test designs and start RC flying.
You can re use the electronics from that Harbour Freight thing for other Depron designs that will fly better.

 

[LotsOfCoffee]

I have never heard of Banggood ill check out that plane. But I love that Chuckstang! I was looking at building the FT Mini trainer and make it a glider to throw back and forth, but the Chuckstang looks like a better 1st step.

Thank You!

 

[FDS]

I have built the simple chuck gliders with groups of kids for work, they are better IMO since the construction is simple, accessible and fast. They like decorating and flying the planes more than building them in my experience and getting into that helps fuel their interest. Plus it’s only a single sheet of cheap board and is super fast to fix.
The WLtoys model is available on Amazon and EBay.

 

[mrjdstewart]

don't worry about the yellow bee, that thing is worthless. it is flown with diff thrust an if you are new and don't understand how that works and how to use it to your advantage, it will not end well. plus, chances are your battery is already crap. HBF doesn't supply the highest quality parts in case you didn't know.

save your money and spend it at the FT store and get something that will actually help you learn to fly.

my $.02,

me

 

[JTarmstr]

Welcome to the forums!

 

[Tonero311]

First of all. Welcome to the hobby and the community.
For a simple chuck glider to get my son interested(coming 5 years old), I built the FT EZ Glider with him. Mainly me building it as he got curious and burnt his finger on the glue gun. He absolutely loved standing at the top of a hill and throwing it. Tired him out a treat too.

 

[sprzout]

So my kiddos (4&6) found my old plane (Harbor freight Yellow Bee) that i could never get to fly. Back then I crashed it and broke the wing, ordered a new one and then it just collected dust for like maybe 10 years idk it was college. Well took it out with them and crashed and burned, working on repairs now. But all it will do is take off nose up, stall, and crash. Anyways now my son really wants to fly planes (at least that's the excuse I'm giving the wife). So i was researching how to fly my Yellow Bee and found this community and hoping I could get some help. Thank you!

Well...The Yellow Bee is "flyable", but with the way it flies, it will NOT prep you for flying any of the FliteTest planes or a more advanced RC plane. Here's the problem with it - it uses thrust to climb and fall (essentially, you have to give it throttle and it'll climb, let off on the throttle and it noses down) and it also uses differential thrust to turn, rather than ailerons or a rudder. This may be why it's nosing up and stalling - it needs more finesse on the throttle to get it to fly level.

I would honestly move on from that plane into something more suitable, such as a Simple Cub, SImple Scout, or possibly the Tiny Trainer, for learning how to fly - you'll find these planes to be MUCH more responsive and will allow you to graduate up to something nicer if you decide you want to go for say, a warbird like the P-51 Mustang or Corsair, or maybe a jet, once you've gotten some flight time under your belt.

 

[LotsOfCoffee]

Thank you all for all the responses. This is the most I have ever gotten on a forum and this is the welcome page!!! I think I’ll start with those chuckstangs and then try that FT tiny trainer as a glider. This should give me some time to figure out the transmitter options.

 

[kilroy07]

I think I’ll start with those chuckstangs and then try that FT tiny trainer as a glider.

That's a great place/plan to start!

If the Tiny trainer survives, you can get a power pack (from Flite Test) and a radio (I suggest the FlySky i6X).
There are quite a few FT designs that will work with that motor, since when it crashes... (and it will! ) it's just usually the prop and foamboard that gets ruined. (that's a hint to get a bunch of extra props...)

And, welcome to the family!!

 

[sprzout]

it's just usually the prop and foamboard that gets ruined. (that's a hint to get a bunch of extra props...)

Foamboard and props are cheap. Foamboard is easy to find; popular prop sizes tend to sell out. Get at LEAST two props when you go to buy them. Also, I'll recommend APC props if you can find them. The HQ Props that FliteTest has in their kits are ok, but they don't last very long. I had my first iteration of the Sea Duck that I flew for almost 2 years off and on, and I had two sets that came with my Power Pack C for the props. Mysteriously, the props got chips in them along the edges of the blades - nowhere near the tips, where you would think it WOULD happen. Switched to APC props, didn't have that problem again.

 

[JTarmstr]

My friend sent me this site when I was looking to buy props. I have purchased most of the props I currently have from this site, they say they aren't balanced when they send them but the batch I got was already balanced.

Generally the local hobby shop will sell them as well.