Help! Sport cub s for a biginner
- Thread starter TOm V
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FastCrash45
Elite member
If you've never flown before I would get the FT simple cub to start with. It's cheap and easily rebuildable. No matter how good you get, eventually you will have to rebuild. Get a hobby king 4 channel radio w receiver for less than $40. Then you can get the higher priced stuff later when your comfortable flying. In the long run you'll save money. I had to teach myself how to fly and they didn't have foam planes. It was painful seeing 3-6 months of balsa work repeatedly filling trash bags.Hello I want to get into flying. I am thinking about a sport cub s. But i don’t know if I shoud get the rtf version or the bnf with a spektrum dxe transmiter. I am on a small buget and I might want to upgrade to fpv some day...
Do you may have some advice for me.
Thanks.
TOm V
New member
FastCrash45
Elite member
Quite welcome. It can be very disheartening at first so this route would have saved me bunches if money and time. I was just too stubborn to give up. Some people, I knew a couple air force jet pilots, thought because they knew how to fly real planes they could get a $5000 dollar copy of what they flew. In 30 seconds all that money was smoldeting at the end of the runway. They gave up immediately.Fast Crash 45 thanks for your advice.
FDS
Elite member
The Sport Cub S is an excellent trainer, HOWEVER Safe mode does teach you bad habits compared to learning the traditional way. If you have more money the larger Apprentice is excellent, those end up as second hand bargains quite often as well.
I own the Sport Cub S, I did teach myself the basics with it, it’s huge fun to use and not bad value for money, the toy TX that comes in the RTF bundle is fine for learning, you DO NOT need a full Spektrum TX, the DXE is not a good one either. One of the best things about that plane is anyone can fly it in safe, you can just scoot around on one stick once you get throttle control sorted and the CG right. It’s also awesome for touch and goes on calm days. It can have a $20 camera plugged in for FPV but isn’t very exciting on a camera, plus it takes a bit off the flight time. There’s lots of fun and cheap ways of getting into FPV later, like the FT mini Arrow, Scout or almost any plane can be fitted with a cheap VTX/Camera combo and flown FPV.
You can fly the Sport Cub S in very small spaces, it needs tuning to be really smooth, you have to CG it and I added a little nose weight to mine. There’s lots of videos on setting it up. Batteries are really cheap from Hobbyking, you can run the 200mah 1s Whoop type ones, they are $12 ish for 6 packs. The Sport Cub weighs well under 250g so new RC registration legislation won’t apply in most countries, check local laws.
You can’t fly the Sport Cub in higher than 10mph wind, it’s super light nature and low speed means it can blow away easily.
If you want to just fly Horizon Hobby BNF planes then you can use several other, better TX’s to do that. Many are under $100 and just as good (some say better) than Spektrum. If you have a more experienced FRIEND who will BUDDY BOX you and they have Spektrum then it’s easier to buy Spektrum, just get a second hand TX for that.
If you want to build something AND fly it, then FT designs are excellent and can be flown off a $35 Flysky 6ch transmitter very nicely, the Tiny Trainer is much better than the Cub IMO, easier to repair, can be built as a 3 or 4 channel, is easier to mod, can run on 2 or 3s and is cheaper as a speedbuild kit.
I would recommend buying the speedbuild kit if you want to build your first FT plane. Keep the frames from the foam board sheets then you can cut out new parts if you break anything. Get spare power pods and firewalls, you will break a lot of both as you learn.
I own the Sport Cub S, I did teach myself the basics with it, it’s huge fun to use and not bad value for money, the toy TX that comes in the RTF bundle is fine for learning, you DO NOT need a full Spektrum TX, the DXE is not a good one either. One of the best things about that plane is anyone can fly it in safe, you can just scoot around on one stick once you get throttle control sorted and the CG right. It’s also awesome for touch and goes on calm days. It can have a $20 camera plugged in for FPV but isn’t very exciting on a camera, plus it takes a bit off the flight time. There’s lots of fun and cheap ways of getting into FPV later, like the FT mini Arrow, Scout or almost any plane can be fitted with a cheap VTX/Camera combo and flown FPV.
You can fly the Sport Cub S in very small spaces, it needs tuning to be really smooth, you have to CG it and I added a little nose weight to mine. There’s lots of videos on setting it up. Batteries are really cheap from Hobbyking, you can run the 200mah 1s Whoop type ones, they are $12 ish for 6 packs. The Sport Cub weighs well under 250g so new RC registration legislation won’t apply in most countries, check local laws.
You can’t fly the Sport Cub in higher than 10mph wind, it’s super light nature and low speed means it can blow away easily.
If you want to just fly Horizon Hobby BNF planes then you can use several other, better TX’s to do that. Many are under $100 and just as good (some say better) than Spektrum. If you have a more experienced FRIEND who will BUDDY BOX you and they have Spektrum then it’s easier to buy Spektrum, just get a second hand TX for that.
If you want to build something AND fly it, then FT designs are excellent and can be flown off a $35 Flysky 6ch transmitter very nicely, the Tiny Trainer is much better than the Cub IMO, easier to repair, can be built as a 3 or 4 channel, is easier to mod, can run on 2 or 3s and is cheaper as a speedbuild kit.
I would recommend buying the speedbuild kit if you want to build your first FT plane. Keep the frames from the foam board sheets then you can cut out new parts if you break anything. Get spare power pods and firewalls, you will break a lot of both as you learn.
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I'll agree with most of this. The only thing I would suggest is that, if you are planning on flying a lot of different BNF (Bind N" Fly) planes from Horizon Hobby, that going with something like a DX6 or DX8 would be a good long term investment. Yes, they're $200+ (brand new), depending on which transmitter you pick, but they are a solid transmitter.
With that in mind, I would also suggest that you look around at what other people at the field are flying with, especially flight instructors/people who will be buddy boxing with you to teach you to fly. If they're flying with Spektrum, that makes it a LOT easier for them to hook up with yours and do buddy boxing. Some of the newer radios allow Wireless Trainer Links, aka wire free buddy boxing, which makes life a LOT easier when trying to coordinate flying practice.
Also, keep in mind several things when it comes to new flying. Everyone seems to think tiny planes are the way to go for beginner flight, because they can be flown anywhere. I will agree with that to a point; smaller planes don't require as much area to get them to take off and land, and smaller planes can be more maneuverable in smaller areas. HOWEVER, smaller planes get pushed around by wind more than bigger planes, AND, smaller planes are harder to see when they're 50-100 feet up in the air. Think of it like this - there's a little hummingbird whizzing around in the air, and then you have a hawk fly overhead at roughly the same height. Which one's easier to see?
Ultimately, you're going to fly what you're going to fly, but keep in mind the same adages that you would buying something long term: cheaper isn't always better, know the pros and cons before you make a decision, and lastly, IT'S OK TO BE HAPPY WITH YOUR DECISION!
FDS
Elite member
I would get second hand if I was buying a DX6 or DX8. In fact out of the three TX’s I have two were second hand, both were perfect condition. Likewise my FPV goggles were used.
The Sport Cub S is tiny, that’s sometimes a problem. The advantage about small and slow is that bad things happen slowly and the consequences are less smashy.
The Sport Cub S is tiny, that’s sometimes a problem. The advantage about small and slow is that bad things happen slowly and the consequences are less smashy.
basslord1124
Master member
I agree with most all of what was said above. The Sport Cub S is a good starter BUT I found it to be lacking power even in the smallest amount of wind. My Hobbyzone Champ did better in the same wind IMO. FPV is something you can eventually grow into, I'd get more used to flying line of sight first. As for plane choice, I would try and go for something bigger...either an Apprentice as mentioned above, or build one of the FT cub planes (either speed build or scratch build). Now granted it will take some time to build an FT plane but they are extremely durable, cheap, and can be repaired pretty easily. Even in a bad crash, you can just cut out a replacement part if need be. As for the radio, I'd really recommend a good computer radio that has model memory. The Spektrum DX6 or Dx8 would be fine and there are cheaper options if you don't want Spektrum.
evranch
Well-known member
If you are going to buy a plane, I also think the Sport Cub S is too small, you can't go wrong with the Apprentice and as mentioned they are often available on the used market. More power to buck the wind and more inherent stability due to their weight. I agree that SAFE creates bad habits and should be switched off as soon as possible, however even in advanced mode I believe it will add some stability enhancement which helps avoid being destroyed by wind.
If your budget is really small, I guarantee you can find someone who bought an RTF plane, crashed it, and threw it in the garage. The result can likely be yours for free or $10-20. The transmitter will work fine for learning to fly, and the receiver can be swapped into a homebuilt FT Tiny Trainer or Simple Cub. The servos will probably be alright as well, or if not more can be purchased for a couple dollars each, so all you need to buy is the appropriate ESC, motor and prop.
I have found that foamboard builds actually stand up against a lot more than the EPS foam trainers I started with, I think I would recommend one over a purchased trainer any day. Some of the crashes I have had while flying aggressively for fun would have demolished a store-bought airframe, yet the foamboard plane simply bounced off the ground.
Even the famously fragile FT Explorer has not broken at all on me yet, despite some attempts to fly it through places it should not go with FPV.
If your budget is really small, I guarantee you can find someone who bought an RTF plane, crashed it, and threw it in the garage. The result can likely be yours for free or $10-20. The transmitter will work fine for learning to fly, and the receiver can be swapped into a homebuilt FT Tiny Trainer or Simple Cub. The servos will probably be alright as well, or if not more can be purchased for a couple dollars each, so all you need to buy is the appropriate ESC, motor and prop.
I have found that foamboard builds actually stand up against a lot more than the EPS foam trainers I started with, I think I would recommend one over a purchased trainer any day. Some of the crashes I have had while flying aggressively for fun would have demolished a store-bought airframe, yet the foamboard plane simply bounced off the ground.
Even the famously fragile FT Explorer has not broken at all on me yet, despite some attempts to fly it through places it should not go with FPV.
I'd suggest the same, although, around me, "secondhand" is hard to come by for Spektrums. A lot of the guys are keeping their older radios simply for use with buddy boxing, or flying at home with simulators. I don't see any problem with that, except that they're not on the market for me to buy! LOL
jross
Well-known member
Agreed. Or one of their other trainers. Either way, when you crash, (and you will) it's quick to build up the parts you destroyed and have it flying in short order. Lost count of the number of noses I've made for my Explorer. When people start comparing initial costs of FT planes vs RTF or BNF planes, they miss the fact repairing the RTF/BNF is much more expensive and takes time for parts to arrive. Pretty sweet to pull out a sheet of foam and be back in the air in no time.
messyhead
Well-known member
If you want to keep costs down, have a look at the Flysky FS-i6X transmitter. It gets good reviews, and it's hald the price of the Spektrum. The only negative might be buddy boxing as I don't know how popular they are at clubs.
I'm new to the hobby too, and plan to build a foam board plane, and wanted to keep costs down until I know that I've been bitten by the bug.
I'm new to the hobby too, and plan to build a foam board plane, and wanted to keep costs down until I know that I've been bitten by the bug.
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