Teaching kids

[Daemon1954]

So yesterday was a cloudy but windless day, I took my cousin's boys out to fly my Whippit DLG, I let them have a go we had some fun and they seemed very interested. The boys are 8 and 11 the elder is disabled and has limited hand use, but it doesn't seem to deter his ability with a quad, (he's better than I in some respects.).

We talked a while and I told them they could build flyable aircraft from stuff we could buy at the dollar tree store, so afeter a trip to the store and $20 later (foamboard,tape,glue,ect). So here I am cutting the plans out and preparing for a lesson on building an FT Sparrow chuck glider. I am cutting my parts out as patterns for thiers This evening, tomorrow we cut parts and following night we have a gluefest. Should be fun and hopefully some new hobbyists.

Later...

 

[Jayrod0821@gmail]

That awesome my boys and I are venturing into the hobby together. I've built several plans and we have been flying a couple of times and the boys(10&14) one of which had know knowledge of how the controls work, took to it like veteran pilots.lol. it was great fun and a start to great memories.

 

[Daemon1954]

Yes I find the younger set might have an advantage, They have played videogames all thier lives (more experience with joysticks?) IDK.

We built three sparrow gliders that will be converted to RC and have been flying for dostance from a second and third floor balconies, surprizingly they have had some good success.

Next I need to source three radio systems, (a friends little girl (9) wants to give it a go) While I own three TX's (Taranix X9d, spectrum DX6E, and an LP5DSM they should have thier own. Inexpensive, but capable systems have been examined. I have been leaning toward Spektrum 6E, and Turnigy 9X. The spectrum comes first because it allows (without mods) to run ARF bind and fly models if desired (parkfliers) How ever the Turnigy is half the cost and can run a module to allow the same.

I realize that there are other possibilities that are less expensive. But I think the extra cost is justified in better equipment that could be sold rather than thrown away. This also leaves lots of room for expansion Albeit not so much with the Spektrum 6E. Still total cost locally for a 6e system is 120$ CDN , the Turnigy can be had for about 90$ so it is a tossup to me, depends on the parents really.

 

[Jayrod0821@gmail]

Good man! I wish I had a guy like you around when I was a kid. I just finished my son's Chuck sparrow, I finished concerto g it to rc just an hour ago. I have old school cm Jr6102 tx's . They work great just have to have a bag of crystals.lol

 

[Daemon1954]

Used to have a JR 9 channel 72 Mhz TX sold it quite a few years ago, Whatever works for you if the TZ is good theres no worries with needing crystals. RF be RF.... lol

The Taranis I fly my full house 2 meter glider and an FMS cub that I ahve been experimenting with a Naze32 flight controller as flight stabilisation and soon (hopefully) GPS and RTH capability.

Bought the DX6E to fly park fliers as it and the SPectrum tx module were the same price. The LP5DSM came with a blade helecopter that I was never able to fly well at all.

Been messing with this stuff for decades off and on started with a build of a gentle lady some thirty five years ago.

 

[Jayrod0821@gmail]

Huh I have lp5dsm with a separate receiver (I have 3 blade heli's and 2 feed 450's one has an 's.530 fuse. On it) but I was reading that the range isn't that great on them. Is there any truth to this, I would like to use it on a plane.

 

[Daemon1954]

Due to the low output power +4dbm it is limited to aproximately 300' , a DX7 is +23dbm. This is the upper limit of the device used in the system. There are ways to correct this, adding a power amp, but IMHO not the best soloution as the TX is very limited in operation(ie not a programmable TX)

The DXe is full power and inexpensive but also limited in capability and requires a pc or smartphone to be programmed. Which is why I own the Taranis, programmable to the extreme but a steep learning curve for that ability. However it works well for my purposes. And is reletivly inexpensive compared to equalivent other TX's (spektrum,Futaba,JR)

This is of course only my humble opinion, others results may vary.

 

[Jayrod0821@gmail]

I see that's what I had read 300ft. Oh well I will stick with what I have for now. They work great. I am pretty excited about flying this weekend. If I wasn't working a side job after work the boys and I would be flying.