Well I was in the RC hobby a long time ago...

[razor02097]

Introduction: Well I was in the RC hobby a long time ago...

Just wanted to introduce myself... I'm Dan from southern Ohio. This post may be a little long so I apologize in advance. I was into the RC hobby about 15 years ago. I flew glow balsa planes mostly because the electric planes were pretty expensive and underpowered. I can't believe how much has changed in this hobby! Heck multi-rotors of today only existed in a movie back then!

About a year ago I saw on the news a segment about "drones" being so "readily available to the public". Being kind of a geek, I was fascinated and did some research to see what it was all about. Turns out the featured devices weren't "drones" at all... simply off the shelf multi-rotors portrayed by a fear mongering news station...sigh. Multi-rotors seem like the AR15 of the RC world... It's weird that you Google "drone" the first 2 images are a DJI phantom (both from news articles)...Yet you Google "multi-rotor" the DJI phantom is nowhere to be found...

Fast forward about 6 months... I am YouTube surfing and come across the RC explorer FPV to space and back episode. That woke up the inner geek again and after watching a couple more RC explorer videos stumbled on the Flite Test channel. Seeing the hobby has come substantially down in price and there are these guys building planes for a few dollars...I like building as much as flying...this was perfect! I never really thought to use dollar store foam board to build planes. I can build airframes to my heart's content and not bankrupt myself! I built my first foam board plane the FT flyer that night and ordered electronics from hobby king. After putting it all together I had a blast! I had like $50 in a plane that flew longer and was faster than my old $500 glow plane! I still had the $500 jitters though...

This hobby seems to have a lot more anger and hate than I remember... I'm hoping to gain some knowledge and meet some nice people...

Mods: I don't know if I posted this in the right section or not... feel free to move it if you want.

 

[Craftydan]

Razor,

Welcome to the forum! Your post is just fine where it is, so no worries

We're pretty laid back around here -- If you post in the wrong section and we'll move it so you get better views, but we rarely stress over that. Worst thing that happens generally is the right people don't see your post to help or be helped from it.

We also tend to encourage people to check the anger at the door -- we're here to have fun and help each other. Easy to go by the three E's -- "Entertaining, Educating and Elevating the world of flight". Around here you'll find most of the folks around here gladly do that for you, so all we ask is you return the attitude

So now that you've cut up a sheet of dollar-tree foam board on an FT Flyer, any grand plans for the next plane?

 

[razor02097]

Thank you for the warm welcome

I would love to build a larger tiny trainer with a power pod. Something I can sit and fly like a sailplane hunting for thermals in the park

Since the hobby has progressed so far it is a little overwhelming. I had an old Futaba attack 4 radio so my first purchase was a DX6i transmitter. I never had a computer radio before so having the ability to program mixes and store trims for different models is great. Plus the failsafe functions on receivers is a really sweet option! No more springs on the throttle servo! :applause:

 

[Craftydan]

Good choice.

I think you'll find the FT Simple Soarer is VERY close in design to the 2 and 3 channel tiny trainer, except larger. There have been quite a few improvements in FT's building techniques since it was designed, but overall a fairly good airframe. Another good airframe to look at for ideas is Experimental Airline's Photon glider. shares a lot of the same characteristics, but it's a flat foldable wing (so it packs to 30" long with a 60" span). Scratch-bashing between the three designs should create a nice flyer uniquely yours

It can be overwhelming, but it's also never been more approachable. If something doesn't make sense, feel free to ask. Often times it's really simple but looks harder than it is. To "get it" takes seeing it from the right angle, so it'll seem obvious after you see it -- we've all been there, so no need to worry.

 

[razor02097]

Sounds cool, I'll have to check out those other planes when I get home thanks

I have a friend that is really into the hobby but isn't a fan of foam and does not like anything FPV or AP... Photography is another hobby I have. Eventually I would like to get a multi-rotor for AP but I want to build it.

 

[bhursey]

IWelcome back!!! I am from your time of RC also.. I cam back after 13 years after a friend talked me into coming back.. BTW I still use 72mhz stuff so if you still have those radios you can order new receivers from hobbyking. get the synthesized ones. I flew 1996-2002. I had a glow trainer flew it once. I then bought a Skimmer 400 kit and built that and flew it. Then I got a Balsa arf which I actually just resurrected. It has a 400 speed motor and a gear box. I am going to use it with a 1600 3s lipo with an alarm. I know its crazy.. We would spend 40-80 hours on an airframe in the 90s. The kit along with hardware would be 100-400$. Then w would be shaking like crazy when flying for the first time. I crashed my skimmer the first flight after building it. The first 3 flights of my ft trainer was that way. It is awesome being able to build a airframe in only 4-10 hours out of DTFB.. Although mono coated balsa holds up better to weather than DTFB.. It can get wet or rained on. DTFB generally can not.. I have had it delaminate in morning air, or humid days.

My reserected plane... Cant wait to fly it again..


I would love to do FPV but no way I can afford that any time soon. Im majorly on an almost no $ budget. Although I want a mobius so I can strap it onto my plane and film.


BTW I am a photographer also do it on the side. http://brianhurseyphotography.com/ My wife was not to thrilled when I piked back up rc. However my 6 year old daughter is starting to get into it.

 

[razor02097]

IWelcome back!!! I am from your time of RC also.. I cam back after 13 years after a friend talked me into coming back.. BTW I still use 72mhz stuff so if you still have those radios you can order new receivers from hobbyking. get the synthesized ones. I flew 1996-2002. I had a glow trainer flew it once. I then bought a Skimmer 400 kit and built that and flew it. Then I got a Balsa arf which I actually just resurrected. It has a 400 speed motor and a gear box. I am going to use it with a 1600 3s lipo with an alarm. I know its crazy.. We would spend 40-80 hours on an airframe in the 90s. The kit along with hardware would be 100-400$. Then w would be shaking like crazy when flying for the first time. I crashed my skimmer the first flight after building it. The first 3 flights of my ft trainer was that way. It is awesome being able to build a airframe in only 4-10 hours out of DTFB.. Although mono coated balsa holds up better to weather than DTFB.. It can get wet or rained on. DTFB generally can not.. I have had it delaminate in morning air, or humid days.

My reserected plane... Cant wait to fly it again..

I would love to do FPV but no way I can afford that any time soon. Im majorly on an almost no $ budget. Although I want a mobius so I can strap it onto my plane and film.


BTW I am a photographer also do it on the side. http://brianhurseyphotography.com/ My wife was not to thrilled when I piked back up rc. However my 6 year old daughter is starting to get into it.

Thank you for the welcome

I had a .60 sized piper cub I bought and built... that was my $500 plane... I was so nervous flying it even though it was a gentle giant. My first plane was a .25 sized sturdy birdy. That thing was a blast but really heavy! The biggest thing was the support equipment and fuel for glow. That really killed it for me. I remember having to gather everything up... like several bins of stuff... and get down to the field. It took 10-15 minutes to set up, fuel up, and get the plane checked and warmed up. Now all I have to do is bring a couple batteries, plane, and transmitter. I can fit all my field tools and spare parts in a small bag.

That's really great you have a photography business! I am kind of in it for myself, although I help family and friends too.

Hope you and your daughter can share this hobby, I have several nephews that think this RC stuff is the coolest!

 

[bhursey]

I always wanted a cub. They had the .60 and .40 kit.. Then the came out with the electric kit in like 1999 i think maybe it was 2000.. I saved up for it but then college got in the way..

Here is my .40 gas trainer i was given. I baught all the stuff. I literally joined the local club. The guy who was training me went out showed me how to start it.. It was crazy intimidating adjusting the carb with your knuckles centimeters from the spinning prop. I taxied it around the field for about 20 min then went home. I decided nope.. My friend then sugested electric.. I bought a 400 speed kit and built it and fell in love with electric but back then we would get 5 min of flight tops. LOL.

Here is my poor .40 trainer..


Here is a .60 size gb sportster I was rebuilding after a guy from the club crashed it and gave it to me. I never finished it truthfully the left wing i had to glue every rib back together and it i bet had to much glue so she probably would never of flown. I ended up trashing her when moving out of my dads.



Here is the second airplane I had that I just resurrected. I probably flew it more than any airplane I ever owned. Thats me in 1999 or 2000. LOL

 

[razor02097]

Nice I agree adjusting the carbs really sucks. Plus if the engine stalled you were coming in dead stick. Yeah electric to me is the way to go. Lipos might be dangerous if mishandled but so is glow fuel. I wish I had pics of my previous rc hobby life but I was only 16 and had no camera lol

 

[bhursey]

Nice I agree adjusting the carbs really sucks. Plus if the engine stalled you were coming in dead stick. Yeah electric to me is the way to go. Lipos might be dangerous if mishandled but so is glow fuel. I wish I had pics of my previous rc hobby life but I was only 16 and had no camera lol

I don't have any of early on. My dad got his first digital camera in 2000 thats what the picture of me was taken with... LOL max resolution was 800x600.. Its crazy how spoiled people are now. Remember when we had no expo, or dual rate?. I learned on an old AM radio from the 80's..

 

[razor02097]

Yes I actually haven't used DR or expo yet. I am a pincher and that is how I learned

 

[bhursey]

Yes I actually haven't used DR or expo yet. I am a pincher and that is how I learned

I was actually made fun of from my friend flying pinching the sticks. I was like well how do you do it. He said thumbs. I guess thats how the new whipper snappers fly. Make sure and do your expo the correct way.. I did min backwards making it more sensitive in the middle and less on the outer side. Did not end well. It does make it a bit more enjoyable to fly I find. Less jumpy.

 

[razor02097]

I probably do it wrong lol, I tend to rest my thumbs on the rear of the stick and hook the pads of my pointer fingers on the body of the stick. I do tiny little movements when I fly. I also do not like the ratchet throttle... I usually mod the controller or would buy a heli version so I don't get a ratcheting throttle. I bought realflight recently to help me get back in some practice. I know it isn't the same but it will help develop muscle memory. I may try expos on the simulator to see how different it would feel. The nice thing about the DS6i is it has three DR switches I can program so I can turn on or off expos if I want.

 

[bhursey]

I probably do it wrong lol, I tend to rest my thumbs on the rear of the stick and hook the pads of my pointer fingers on the body of the stick. I do tiny little movements when I fly. I also do not like the ratchet throttle... I usually mod the controller or would buy a heli version so I don't get a ratcheting throttle. I bought realflight recently to help me get back in some practice. I know it isn't the same but it will help develop muscle memory. I may try expos on the simulator to see how different it would feel. The nice thing about the DS6i is it has three DR switches I can program so I can turn on or off expos if I want.

Expos are builtin on real flight from my understanding.. Although I use the interlink controller. My actual controller is a Futaba t6xa from 2000. 72mhz.. Whats funny is fpv flyers like 72mhz because of range and to prevent interference with the 2.4 stuff. I also got it to get back on the bike. It is nice and fun to fly after work... I am trying out quad copters in it. I do have a husband x4 so i am using it to figure out how to fly theses things without crashing my real one.

Im trying to teach my daughter to fly one real flight she is good at landing but keeping it in view we are working on.. LOL...

 

[dharkless]

I have a very similar story. I found FT about 18 months ago and have built about 60 DTFB planes since. Most are modifications of FT designs or my own designs. I have also written a few articles about them.

I have not seen the anger you mentioned. Most of my time has been spent in "Articles" and I do not see it there.

I am in Western PA near Youngstown, OH. Howdy neighbor!

 

[ZoomNBoom]

I probably do it wrong lol.

There is no "wrong" way to do it. Whatever works for you. I kinda mix both pinching and thumbing, but you'll find most older pilots will do pinching, probably because back then we used big tray radio's with neck straps, so we had our hands free and we could.

These days most radio's are hand held, and pinching becomes trickier while holding the radio.

Still, I believe Im more accurate while pinching. Take a pencil and see how you hold it. Thats right, you pinch it. Now imagine taping the pencil to your thumb, try writing something .

 

[bhursey]

There is no "wrong" way to do it. Whatever works for you. I kinda mix both pinching and thumbing, but you'll find most older pilots will do pinching, probably because back then we used big tray radio's with neck straps, so we had our hands free and we could.

These days most radio's are hand held, and pinching becomes trickier while holding the radio.

Still, I believe Im more accurate while pinching. Take a pencil and see how you hold it. Thats right, you pinch it. Now imagine taping the pencil to your thumb, try writing something .

Never thought of it that way.. I still rely on my kneck strap on my 72mhz Fatuba T6Xa. I did not see a reason to get rid of it it works... If i still had my am tx i would probibly use it because i have like 4 recivers for it lol.. I see no reason to switch to 2.4 ghz and from what i have seen people seem to have more reception issues than we had with am and fm. Radios were metal when i started and tanks.. I feel pinching is more acurate.. They always get onto peter for not useing expo dr and pinching.. However like us old timers who were in the hobby in the glory days its how every one did it and learned. Although I am starting to like expo lol... You just have to set it right..

 

[razor02097]

I'm not really into long range at this time. I'm too afraid I would lose the model... I build pretty much everything and spend way too much time doing it so I become attached. I think if I were to some day get into flying non LOS I would just get a UHF system. I have an old Futaba attack 4 radio I don't really use. I really like how spectrum radios don't have the enormous antenna. I can't tell you how many times I killed an antenna because I was impatient and grabbed the top trying to retract it... I was young and dumb.

 

[ZoomNBoom]

I still rely on my kneck strap on my 72mhz Fatuba T6Xa. I did not see a reason to get rid of it it works...

I mostly still use a neckstrap on my taranis as well. The first time I saw a reason to get rid of it, was when I started flying DLG's. It really helps to hold the transmitter and use it as a counterweight and pull it in when you throw the DLG. Kinda hard to do with a neckstrap, so now Im using an old camera wrist band to ensure I launch the plane, and not the radio lol.

 

[razor02097]

Kinda hard to do with a neckstrap, so now Im using an old camera wrist band to ensure I launch the plane, and not the radio lol.

Kind of hard to fly the radio!