Suggestions for a beginner

only1bobert

Active member
So I built a corsair mini and tried to fly it today, needless to say I'm a beginner and it is no longer repairable. I have the power pack F kit now and looking to put it in a plane that is geared more towards beginners. I have the storch as well and can fly that with no trouble at the moment as well. Does anyone have suggestions of a plane I can put this in that would be geared towards a beginner? Not sure if running at lower throttle would make it more like an A pack.
 

kilroy07

Legendary member
The tiny trainer is a good fit for that... (just keep the throttle around 50%ish.)
And YES, there is a range to the throttle (don't be like me when I first started out and fly everything at 100% throttle (On/Off.) ;)

If you really want to have a blast, might I suggest this;
https://forum.flitetest.com/index.p...you-use-the-40-coupon-from-hobby-lobby.57929/
I have the "F" pack on mine and it will seriously fly all day at 25% throttle and is CRAZY fun (as in unlimited loops) at 75-100%

I've got my Storch to help me learn 4 channel flight... Is yours set up for 3 or 4 channel?
 

kilroy07

Legendary member
I've bought about half my props from a local hobby shop and the other half from aliexpress.
(takes about a month from placing the order to arrival.)

In the beginning I think everyone runs through a bunch of props. ;)
 

Jimun

Elite member
is there any better prop than hq burned through four today?
Welcome to the forum. I agree with @kilroy07, The few times out I went through props with some hard landings (crashes) and also was using the throttle like an on and off switch. After uploading some video the guys here seen I was flying full throttle and told me to slow down and my landings became softer and props started to last longer. So try flying at around 50% throttle like Kilroy07 suggested and also make sure you get 3 mistakes high so you have time to recover. Just some of the things I learned here. Get some video up and this group will help you a lot. Build, Fly, Crash, Repeat and have fun
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
Welcome again @only1bobert! I am pleased to see that you made your own thread for your question. That's stepping in the right direction, all by itself.

HQ's are actually pretty good props. My Tiny Trainers and Mini Scouts (plural on both) crashed many times, without burning through props. Then I got better at flying and ironically started breaking props. Then I went to the Simple Scout, and that darn ten inch prop broke every time I nosed her into the ground! The nerve!

It's a learning curve we all have to get through. That hill you see ahead of you? You've gotta climb it. You're going to bust props and break foamboard. That's part of the learning process. So long as you ask questions before you change anything, the expensive stuff can just be swapped from plane to plane, and you can keep on flying until you can land without breaking a prop. Props are cheap. Stupid cheap if you're willing to wait for shipping from Banggood or Ali.

You're doing it right. You're pretty much where I was a couple months ago, only you know what a flaperon is. That puts you leagues ahead of where I was at the time. I fly 100% everything with no expo. I pay the price for trying to learn to fly that way, and I can't really recommend it to a new Pilot. I do, however, love it that way. The rush when flying is just that. It's an absolute rush of joy and adrenaline, and that is why I am out there.

Is flying an F pack at low throttle like flying an A pack? Pretty much. The F Pack is going to have more punch and high end. It's just a bigger motor and you can visualize the differences that would mean. Just like in a car.

If you're that new to flying, I would not do flaperons. I would concentrate on straight up 4ch. Rudder, Elevator, Throttle and Ailerons. You might want to consider some expo as well, unless you like breaking foamboard as much as I do. ;)

You are solidly on the road to success. That big 'Ol hill out there? It's not that big. When you finally climb over and see what's on the other side, it is... indescribable. I've just recently done that. I still can't fly worth a darn, but I've beaten that hill and the rest is just practice and learning. It all gets better from there. :)
 
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only1bobert

Active member
Welcome again @only1bobert! I am pleased to see that you made your own thread for your question. That's stepping in the right direction, all by itself.

HQ's are actually pretty good props. My Tiny Trainers and Mini Scouts (plural on both) crashed many times, without burning through props. Then I got better at flying and ironically started breaking props. Then I went to the Simple Scout, and that darn ten inch prop broke every time I nosed her into the ground! The nerve!

It's a learning curve we all have to get through. That hill you see ahead of you? You've gotta climb it. You're going to bust props and break foamboard. That's part of the learning process. So long as you ask questions before you change anything, the expensive stuff can just be swapped from plane to plane, and you can keep on flying until you can land without breaking a prop. Props are cheap. Stupid cheap if you're willing to wait for shipping from Banggood or Ali.

You're doing it right. You're pretty much where I was a couple months ago, only you know what a flaperon is. That puts you leagues ahead of where I was at the time. I fly 100% everything with no expo. I pay the price for trying to learn to fly that way, and I can't really recommend it to a new Pilot. I do, however, love it that way. The rush when flying is just that. It's an absolute rush of joy and adrenaline, and that is why I am out there.

Is flying an F pack at low throttle like flying an A pack? Pretty much. The F Pack is going to have more punch and high end. It's just a bigger motor and you can visualize the differences that would mean. Just like in a car.

If you're that new to flying, I would not do flaperons. I would concentrate on straight up 4ch. Rudder, Elevator, Throttle and Ailerons. You might want to consider some expo as well, unless you like breaking foamboard as much as I do. ;)

You are solidly on the road to success. That big 'Ol hill out there? It's not that big. When you finally climb over and see what's on the other side, it is... indescribable. I've just recently done that. I still can't fly worth a darn, but I've beaten that hill and the rest is just practice and learning. It all gets better from there. :)

thank you for the advice, the flaperons dont seem too bad im strictly using them as ailerons at the moment. i use 30% expo at 100% and zero at 70% for all surfaces. my next goal is planning where to land a plane like the storch, today i smacked a soccer goal on the front wing edge and split the wing ouch. i never did well with a 3 channel to me theres not enough emergency recovery if you head off track.
 

only1bobert

Active member
Welcome to the forum. I agree with @kilroy07, The few times out I went through props with some hard landings (crashes) and also was using the throttle like an on and off switch. After uploading some video the guys here seen I was flying full throttle and told me to slow down and my landings became softer and props started to last longer. So try flying at around 50% throttle like Kilroy07 suggested and also make sure you get 3 mistakes high so you have time to recover. Just some of the things I learned here. Get some video up and this group will help you a lot. Build, Fly, Crash, Repeat and have fun

i am going to practice using my kill switch if i get in a tight spot thats for sure. i think a lot is trying to throttle up to recover and wham..... a big plane makes it easier to go higher and still see it. still nervous to get 3mistakes high though. it sure is a world apart from the storch and a umx
 

only1bobert

Active member
Welcome again @only1bobert! I am pleased to see that you made your own thread for your question. That's stepping in the right direction, all by itself.

HQ's are actually pretty good props. My Tiny Trainers and Mini Scouts (plural on both) crashed many times, without burning through props. Then I got better at flying and ironically started breaking props. Then I went to the Simple Scout, and that darn ten inch prop broke every time I nosed her into the ground! The nerve!

It's a learning curve we all have to get through. That hill you see ahead of you? You've gotta climb it. You're going to bust props and break foamboard. That's part of the learning process. So long as you ask questions before you change anything, the expensive stuff can just be swapped from plane to plane, and you can keep on flying until you can land without breaking a prop. Props are cheap. Stupid cheap if you're willing to wait for shipping from Banggood or Ali.

You're doing it right. You're pretty much where I was a couple months ago, only you know what a flaperon is. That puts you leagues ahead of where I was at the time. I fly 100% everything with no expo. I pay the price for trying to learn to fly that way, and I can't really recommend it to a new Pilot. I do, however, love it that way. The rush when flying is just that. It's an absolute rush of joy and adrenaline, and that is why I am out there.

Is flying an F pack at low throttle like flying an A pack? Pretty much. The F Pack is going to have more punch and high end. It's just a bigger motor and you can visualize the differences that would mean. Just like in a car.

If you're that new to flying, I would not do flaperons. I would concentrate on straight up 4ch. Rudder, Elevator, Throttle and Ailerons. You might want to consider some expo as well, unless you like breaking foamboard as much as I do. ;)

You are solidly on the road to success. That big 'Ol hill out there? It's not that big. When you finally climb over and see what's on the other side, it is... indescribable. I've just recently done that. I still can't fly worth a darn, but I've beaten that hill and the rest is just practice and learning. It all gets better from there. :)

@buzzbomb my wife helps she says at least im consistent and coming home with at least one broken prop each time. lol
 

bracesport

Legendary member
@only1bobert - l am a reasonably new flier (nube) - I changed to folding props and haven’t broken one yet - done a lot of damage to my planes but the props are good - I run 1000kv motors (@50% throttle) with 11x6 folding slow props on my birds (including my TT).

All the best, Phil
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
I've heard the storch is a really nice bird to fly. Honestly though, you should try the Tiny Trainer. It was poorly named. It's not tiny. It should have been named the Mega Plane, because it does so well at just about everything. I've got threads out there about flying it crazy, flying it upside down, changing the design, flying it in the wind, and you name it. That plane can do it all.

It's called a trainer, but many here will tell you that it is their go-to to get comfortable before they fly a more a difficult bird. Each time they go out. That says a lot. If I remember, it's two sheets of 1$ foamboard. Can't go wrong with that. Give it a shot. The Four channel Sport Wing.

It will work with your F-pack, or an A-pack and who knows what else. I CAN promise, you won't be disappointed! Seriously. Give it a shot. What've you got to lose? I predict that if you build and fly that bird? Love at first flight! :)
 

only1bobert

Active member
I just ordered it online, they have 6x4.5 props 79.5¢ plus shipping at flite test. Since I was paying for the speed build I got like 10 props that'll last me at least through one 850 mah battery lol @buzzbomb yes the storch is a great floater you can go really high and slow very little trim from the maiden if any. Only scary part is with everything is around 2.5 lbs you lose control its so big you've got problems. Without the flaps she takes about 200 yards to land and you know when she hits. Got me some 3 inch dubro wheels the hard foam they are doing great! My wife suggested and I probably will, trace the speed build parts on some foam board, next time I eh hem "land abrupt" I can build again for dirt cheap.
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
i am going to practice using my kill switch if i get in a tight spot thats for sure. i think a lot is trying to throttle up to recover and wham..... a big plane makes it easier to go higher and still see it. still nervous to get 3mistakes high though. it sure is a world apart from the storch and a umx
Kill switch? No. I'm something of a maverick here, and I recognize that, but think about it. Why kill it? Just do your best to land it, and if you can't, then crashing into the ground isn't that difficult.

Roll over and nose-dive. At least you will have tried to save the bird, and the end result is the same. Except you actually had control of where the plane met land, vs. just killing the motor and hoping for the best.

You'd have to dig pretty deep, but way back in the beginning of my personal Journey into RC flight, I wrote about how afraid I was to get three mistakes high. It pretty much scared the heck out of me. With a quad, that was suicide, (lost my best) and that was all I knew.

This is my first ever maiden of my first ever airplane.


Right up into the sky. That's a Tiny Trainer with the polyhedral training wing. She just took off from my hand and I let her do her thing. Unless you've got big trees or other obstacles, it'll be pretty natural to just get the bird high in the air. As your skill progresses, you'll want to bring her lower, but you'll find that higher is easier and more comfortable. Just not as much fun. :p
 

only1bobert

Active member
Sorry, by kill switch I mean to stop the prop right before contact with the ground or an object. If I get in trouble I am already practicing throttle back and getting control avoiding a stall. All of my crashes/prop breaks have been full throttle at contact, I don't ever intend to free flight lol
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
Sorry, by kill switch I mean to stop the prop right before contact with the ground or an object. If I get in trouble I am already practicing throttle back and getting control avoiding a stall. All of my crashes/prop breaks have been full throttle at contact, I don't ever intend to free flight lol
Yep. I understood that. Most everyone has a throttle kill switch programmed. My son and I just try to drop throttle before nose meets ground. We're not always successful, but that's just how we fly.

Personally, I am less likely to be able to find that switch at the exact moment I need it than I am to just push the left stick down. I could tell my son "It's the nineteenth switch over, on the left, just inside the battery compartment." He'd find it and use it correctly. Me. Not so much. I just drop throttle.
 

only1bobert

Active member
Yep. I understood that. Most everyone has a throttle kill switch programmed. My son and I just try to drop throttle before nose meets ground. We're not always successful, but that's just how we fly.

Personally, I am less likely to be able to find that switch at the exact moment I need it than I am to just push the left stick down. I could tell my son "It's the nineteenth switch over, on the left, just inside the battery compartment." He'd find it and use it correctly. Me. Not so much. I just drop throttle.

Good to have either option, I learned this as well. Killing the throttle is important. When I demolished my corsair the prop was in tact lol
 

FDS

Elite member
Your prop will still be spinning nearly at full speed for at least the second or two after you hit any kill switch. It won’t save you any props.
Learn throttle control, if you can’t then tune the throttle curve so it’s not so linear and has a limit of whatever is a sensible speed for your plane. Let the TX set up do the hard work so you can concentrate on flying better.
 

only1bobert

Active member
Learning throttle control during a crash is a lesson that is painful but needed. One of my planes climbs continually until you reach that sweet throttle spot. This has taught me a great deal about how much throttle is needed. Unfortunately that plane didn't bank left at takeoff which is why I lost a lot of props yesterday until I figured out why. I saved the prop on my last crash thanks to this lesson. Haven't played around with throttle curve on my 6e is that like expo?
 

FDS

Elite member
Yes and no. The throttle curve alters the response to stick input, you can also limit the top end. Expo flattens the mid point of stick movement by putting more response into the ends of the travel and “flattening” the middle.
If you are messing with throttle response on the bench be sure to take the prop OFF first.
I too struggled with any sudden moves on take off to begin with, I tended to over correct. Be sure your low rates are set up and I dropped the aileron rate a bit more as well on my “trainer” settings, then had high rates and 30% expo on the next stage of the switch for later.