what is the stuff a beginner to the r/c aircraft hobby should collect?

Marzipan

Well-known member
let's assume a novice has been gifted a FT Tutor as their trainer...what things do they need to start hoarding? let's also assume they were given a power pack, so we don't need to worry about the props, motors, control horns, servos, esc / controllers, push rods, control linkages and such. I'm a novice and need to start buying things...and these are what come to mind for me:
- tx
- rx
- crafty kit v2
- battery check / alarm
- servo tester
- batteries and battery charger
- lipo bags

and a side thread, what do you have in your go-gab when you're out flying? to take care of the common issues that can occur, etc. I'll start...
- 26oz of preferred hard liquor ;)
 

FlyerInStyle

Elite member
let's assume a novice has been gifted a FT Tutor as their trainer...what things do they need to start hoarding? let's also assume they were given a power pack, so we don't need to worry about the props, motors, control horns, servos, esc / controllers, push rods, control linkages and such. I'm a novice and need to start buying things...and these are what come to mind for me:
- tx
- rx
- crafty kit v2
- battery check / alarm
- servo tester
- batteries and battery charger
- lipo bags

and a side thread, what do you have in your go-gab when you're out flying? to take care of the common issues that can occur, etc. I'll start...
- 26oz of preferred hard liquor ;)
the crafty kit v2 has a servo tester and balance checker. as for the charger, if you dont mind making a ac to dc adapter using an old laptop power supply, the isdt q6 nano. lipo bags are basically the same generic ones. (lets assume is you, Im assuming)
 

checkerboardflyer

Well-known member
One thing to consider is choosing electrical connectors for battery to ESC wiring. I never liked to solder. When I first started flying electrics I was using Dean’s connectors. And at some point you probably need to solder connectors to ESC’s or batteries or something. Many years ago I discovered Anderson Powerpole connectors. I was attracted to them because NO SOLDERING!. The connections are crimped instead. If you have ever used a wire crimper before you can figure out what to do. If not, there are many Powerpole tutorials and how-to’s on YouTube. Besides not needing to solder, the other benefit is that while very secure, they are easy to connect and disconnect. You hear a little click. And after more than 15 years of using them and many hundreds of flights I have never had a problem. More tips and resources for foam board RC modelers on my blog at: https://foamboardflyers.com
 

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PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
A decent charger is top of the list. That is the number one thing next to a radio that you will use the most. Doesn't have to be a $500dollar 4 port computerized charger a simple ~$50 B6 or B6 clone.

Skip the lipo bags as they kind of contain the fire should one happen they do nothing to put it out. A simple piece of fire resistant board like they put behind house stoves wide enough to cover the area of 4 or 5 batteries is plenty for a beginner. you may be able to source that for free at a construction site by asking if there was any scrap. Then a simple baking cooling rack to sit over top. Then all you do is get zip lock baggies and fill them with play sand to set on the cooling rack. Should a fire occur the bags instantly melt smothering the battery with the sand thus putting it out with minimal damage yet still give you that AWESOME aerobics work out to get your heart beat above 250bpm for a good while.

Nylock lock nuts for your propellers. Everyone is about the fancy spinners but they come undone too easily. Nobody flying FT planes is flying show quality planes. You can always add the spinner for looks over the nut.

Next I keep a stock pile of sunflower seed containers at hand. They are prefect for storing and transporting batteries safely. I can put a 3s 2200 mah in one , 5s 1300mah, 4s 1500 mah as well as two 4s 450mah, five 3s 450mah. These also stack perfectly into my back pack so I can take eight of those containers in one pocket alone and another two in the pouch with my goggles and radio.

batstore.jpg


As far as accessories in my backpack I keep a roll of electrical tape, a roll of Velcro some jewelers screwdrivers and 1.5mm 2mm, and 2.5mm combo wrench's, a phillips screwdriver normal size, a flat blade normal size. then for my quad / fpv specific stuff I take a programming dongle for the cameras extra sd cards for the goggles (not that I have ever needed more then an 8 gig for any single session). Also a folding razor knife for cutting tape and such. Small wire cutters, a set of hemostats (most important tool for RC with all the nooks and crannies we need to reach into as well as holding wires while soldering). Finally a baofeng uv5r if I am going anywhere where cell service might be questionable in case of emergencies. It also has a fm radio so I cant listen to that as I walk to where ever I want to try and fly at.
 

boogieloo

Active member
I have a solder and soldering iron at home. And a multimeter. Where do they sell this plug ins? xt 30, xt60, xt90. Maybe I can just cut the plug ins myself and do the soldering. Do you think they might sell this at The Hobby Company? Or any full time hobby shop. They have miniature size gas trucks rc at The Hobby Company where I live in Honolulu. Do you think a shop would sell plug ins? xt30.

I don't like gliders. On my next paycheck, I'm spending one for a kit on the Spitfire DIY. I can buy this by parts. I have to.
 
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boogieloo

Active member
:cool: This is not the same thing as say Rockets or model Rockets and making your own launch pads. They also have RC boats and RC helicopters, and lastly quadcopters or drones. And to top it off, they've got the pyrotechnicians too. But that is another matter.

I am just into RC airplanes. This is the most fun to me.
 

stereodreieck86

Active member
the crafty kit v2 has a servo tester and balance checker. as for the charger, if you dont mind making a ac to dc adapter using an old laptop power supply, the isdt q6 nano. lipo bags are basically the same generic ones. (lets assume is you, Im assuming)

Not the best recommendation, in my opinion, the P10 is way better because it can charge 2batteries at the same time.

You also should have; a strong soldering station/iron + connectors, shrink tube etc (because it's annoying to solder with a small iron), a metal battery storage box, a Multimeter, a flight simulator (flying in the warmth in my living room my FrSkyQ7S is fun), a membership for ecalc because you will soon start to experiment with building more planes or Quads and a Wattmeter.
 
Don't overdo it. Make a couple decisions on what sort of setup you'll be starting out with, as in motor size, battery size, a couple servos, and then get things as you need them. You want a good charger and a battery box. When it comes time you need a soldering iron, use whatever you have, then get a reasonably good one as needed. You don't need a multimeter. You don't need a flight sim. You need batteries, motor, servo, radio. And then more glue & foam to fix what's smashed! :D As soon as you get the hang of flying you're most of the way there. Then spend as much as you want.
 

Tench745

Master member
Experience.
Now that I have a little more time, let me expound on this semi-sarcastic response.
Your goal as a newbie should be to gain as much experience before you run out of luck, money, and interest. This will make the hobby cheaper and more enjoyable for you in the long run.

Asking experienced hobbyists to share their experience (like you're doing here) is a great start. As is flying on a simulator, reading how-to articles, watching instructional videos, and reading product reviews.
Also, try things out whenever you can. See what works for you. Go to a flying field if you can and buddy-box. Go to fun fly events. Go to trade shows. Fly different kinds of planes. Build with different materials. Look at and use different transmitters to see which one fits your hands, your skills, your mindset, and your mission. Etc Etc. The more experiences you have the better you will understand what you want out of the hobby and how to get there.

For me, learning the how and why of a thing I'm interested in so I can make educated choices myself is a lot more enjoyable than just going with what someone else says will work and not understanding the why.

Now to answer the question you asked in your post, for the mission you outlined (learning to fly with the FT tutor).

-TX and matching RX:
A must for flying RC. If you want something simple to set up and use, that can grow with you look at Spektrum and other big names. You can often find the lower channel count radios used for a good price. If you're okay buying something simple and cheap and then upgrading later, I hear they hobbyking and Flysky radios are passable. If you want something that will grow with you forever and are willing to climb a big learning curve, look at any of the OpenTX radios (FrSky, Radiomaster, etc.) I started on a brand new Spektrum DX6i. I quickly maxed out its 10 model memory and 3 mixes, so I upgraded to a FrSky Taranis X9d+ and haven't looked back.

-Crafty kit V2:
For me and the ways I build, this is wasted money. I never use packing tape or markers. I'd much prefer a good self-healing cutting mat to the cardboard they provide. Squares are cheap, you can get a pack at the dollar store. Utility knives are also cheap, a few bucks at the dollar store or hardware. Personally I prefer to use standard razor blades for straight cuts and a good X-acto knife for curves; a utility knife will have a hard time cutting tight radii. The metal straight edge is definitely worth having, but is also available for only a few bucks just about anywhere. Spring for an 18" one if you can get it. Glue guns are not hard to find for under $20. You don't need the really high wattage glue guns that FT sells. I haven't used one, so maybe they're amazing and I don't know it. But, what I do know is that my little 40Watt AdTech dual temp glue gun has worked for everything I needed it to, including gluing up a 60" FT Simple Soarer wing. Just don't waste your money on a "mini" glue gun. A good set of small screwdrivers are definitely worth the money. I used a set of jewelers screwdrivers from the hardware store for years, but now I use a set with interchangeable tips similar to the one FT sells.

-Battery checker:
It's nice, lets you know how much battery you've used to get the most flight time, but it's not a necessity. Once you have a few flights in you'll know about how long a battery will last and you can program a timer on most transmitters to warn you when your time is about up. What I would recommend instead is to get a watt meter that can double as a battery checker. The watt meter portion will let you see what your current draw will be with a given prop/motor combo so you can calculate flight times beforehand and so you don't roast electronics when you over-prop a motor.

-Servo tester:
I've always meant to buy one, but never did. I've been building FT style planes for 8(ish) years now and never needed it. You can just plug the servo in to your receiver, turn Tx and Rx on, bind and it will center itself.

-Batteries and battery charger:
Also a must. If you can, get something that will work for the plane you're starting with and at least a few more planes you might want to build/fly later. Multi-tasking is good here so when you go to the field with a handful of charged batteries and something happens on the first flight, you'll be able to use the rest of your batteries in something else.

-Lipo bags:
These also aren't a must, provided you have a safe way of charging your batteries. I will sometimes put mine on a cookie sheet or concrete slab far away from anything flammable. I like to watch my batteries as they charge so if they start to puff or anything I can immediately react (they never have). A lipo bag will mostly contain a battery fire,but you still want it sitting on something non-flammable. It's also opaque, so you can't see what's going on as the batteries charge. Choose what suits you.


I carry the following things with me when I go flying.
In my TX case:
-Rubber bands
-Combo battery checker/watt meter
-Tx and neck strap
-Bind plug
-Anemometer
-Tachometer
-Log book

In the car:
-Spare props
-Glue gun
-Planes
-Toolbox
 
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Ketchup

4s mini mustang
First off, how will you be paying for your hobby? Job. Then start with that. Weekend warriors!
I'm not really sure how "get a job" really answers the question asked by the OP...
Also it's fair to assume that anybody asking this question already has the funding part covered (look at the OP's about page and you will see that they already have a job).
 

Ketchup

4s mini mustang
I guess I should also add in my own advice. Not sure if this was already said yet, but a fire extinguisher could be useful at some point. They don't really work on lipo fires as well though, so I keep a bag of sand with me while charging (I have heard that sand can smother out a lipo fire).
One thing you may end up collecting (against your will that is) is way too many bind plugs. I don't even know what to do with all the ones I have anymore lol.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
First off, how will you be paying for your hobby? Job. Then start with that. Weekend warriors!

Dude.. Seriously? Your going to tell a young man wanting to learn the hobby to go get a job without knowing if he is even of working age? This is a friendly forum. Emphasis on FRIENDLY... comments like that are not needed, wanted nor tolerated. That's just as bad as someone asking a question and someone answering just google it... CHILL OUT DUE. If you cant then move on to the "Other" forum where that is normal practice.
 

Quinnyperks

Legendary member
it’s really unneeded, he’s just trying to get into the hobby and you are telling him to get a job? You really need to chill out boogieloo, you don’t know everything about the hobby. I am too young to get a typical job, but I make sure to work my hardest in school and in smaller jobs to afford this hobby. It’s really not needed to talk to people like this
If you can’t treat people with respect you should just find somewhere that that attitude is appreciated.
 

JasonK

Participation Award Recipient
Instead of trying to figure out everything you might need(everyone's needs are different), try this:

Get the stuff you need right now (plane, power pack, batteries, charger, TX/RX, lipo storage) and when you run into a situation where you don't have something you need, find a solution and get that.

I have bee collecting stuff for RC for a year and a half and I have stuff that I know some people wouldn't ever use, I ha stuff I don't ever (or almost never) use.

If you look at everyone's needs list and try to get all of it, you will end up with stuff you won't need and still might end up with something missing from your need list.
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
+1 on Experience.

If you can find a local flying club, join it. They will be able to guide you in the right direction.
If you have a local hobby store, buy stuff from them. They should be able to answer your questions and help you along the journey.

The flying club and local hobby shop have the experience you need. The forums are great but in person advice is far better, they will be able see problems you don’t even know exist and ask us about.