Noob Question - First Build

rksix01

Member
I fell down the rabbit hole of FT youtube vids and after some research I'm about ready to commit to my first build. I think I'm going to narrow it down to 2 or 3 options and let my daughter make the final choice. I'm smart enough to know not to jump into something over my head but I've got a reasonable amount of confidence in my abilities and willing to learn from mistakes. That said, I'm leaning towards the Simple Cub given the cubs ubiquitous history and ease of flight / build; I'm also considering the Explorer and the Storch but open to suggestions. I ultimately want to do scratch builds but I'm not sure if a kit would be better for a first go or not. I'm a pretty handy guy (read engineer) but don't have foam build experience. I've got lots of other questions that I may get around to asking but this post is already getting too long ;)

TLDR:

What is the best first build plane?

Kit or scratch for a noob?

Kit for sure. You will learn a lot and can apply it to your own design knowing its founded in success
 

Wildthing

Legendary member
I thought about that 4 bank system, but I couldn't justify the additional $100 cost. It's great to have, and I can see the benefit for other people, but for me? I couldn't justify it for MY needs.
It's nice not only when you decide you are going out and start throwing batteries at it and the same for putting them into storage, I am very impatient :D :D
 

Marty72

Elite member
The Simple Scout is a great choice. I did a lot of research before I picked my first FT plane, and that's the one I picked to scratch build. After I got my crashing out of the way, I built another one to replace it. I stuck to the spec, I would recommend that as a first build.

Lots of threads on here regarding it and you tube videos as well. A big thread "life of the simple scout".

Have fun!
 

FL_Engineer

Elite member
I'll go ahead and ask here for clarification but as far as flying goes I just need to be outside of the UAS zones (5 mi from airport etc.) And register with the the FAA correct? I've read up on the new restrictions including the 400ft ceiling and staying away from towers. Want to do it right but the gov doesn't make it easy. Reading about the updated rules in the pipeline things may get more complicated. The only AMA field near me is on the other side of town and they seem to fly mostly balsa/ gas and not super receptive to newbies.
 
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sprzout

Knower of useless information
Mentor
I'll go ahead and ask here for clarification but as far as flying goes I just need to be outside of the UAS zones (5 mi from airport etc.) And register with the the FAA correct? I've read up o. All the new restrictions including the 400ft ceiling and staying away from towers. Want to do it right but the gov doesn't make it easy. Reading about the updated rules in the pipeline things may get more complicated. The only AMA field near me is on the other side of town and they seem to fly mostly balsa/ gas and not super receptive to newbies.

The answer is that it depends on who you ask. Some will tell you to heck with the rules, fly where you want, some will tell you that you can't fly anywhere, some will tell you that you can only fly in certain locations.

My response?

Ask your local government. Some cities have ordinances against it; some do not. Some may allow flying, but only on certain days, or at certain times. For example, in San Diego, there is a park where there is designated flying. However, you MUST belong to the AMA to fly at this location, as the city requires it for insurance purposes. In addition, if there is a "red flag" warning, indicating there is a high risk of fire danger, you CANNOT fly per the county, as they do not want to risk a potential fire. That goes for ANY aircraft at this park, whether it be a drone, helicopter, glider, gas or electric plane.

If you are flying at my AMA field, you can't fly jet turbine fields due to fire danger, and you can't fly with a loud plane - it has to be under a certain decibel limit, meaning you need a muffler. At other fields in the area, you can't fly multi rotors or helicopters or any kind; if you fly at Torrey Pines Glider Port, you can only fly gliders, no powered planes, AND that's at an actual airport where manned gliders and paragliders fly from. So, it's kinda tough to say where you can and can't fly.