Flightspeed
Convicted Necroposter
I usually say no landing gear. Just hand launch. It’s one less thing that can break in the crashes.
What's a good plane for beginners
- Thread starter Awesomest_Dude
- Start date
bigdano711
Active member
Asphalt not necessary. I fly off of somewhat maintained gravel/dirt road. Certainly would NOT recommend a hand launch if this is your first time flying ever.
The guy struggling with the pusher prop? All kinds of asphalt runway...like 100 yards by 500 yards (taxiway at the Alameda Naval Air Station).
The guy struggling with the pusher prop? All kinds of asphalt runway...like 100 yards by 500 yards (taxiway at the Alameda Naval Air Station).
bigdano711
Active member
When it comes to RTF's, ESPECIALLY for a beginner, the first 5 planes you see here are the only ones worth looking at. The cheaper ones come with a throw away Tx and for that reason, they don't make the list. HobbyKing is cheap China import stuff, as is MOST stuff, but I'd rather have it re-branded by a reputable company right here in the US.
Now, I ordered the Cub when it was 1.2 and sans "S", whatever that means. It was $299 if I remember right, but it came with a DXe, which is almost a throw away Tx. When I saw they updated these new RTF's with a DXs, my hide got a little chapped.
The DXs is actually quite a bit of radio, it just requires a 3rd party to interface with it, like a phone, tablet or laptop. It's also a selectable radio in RF 9.5
The first 3 are ideal for a beginner pilot. I chose the Cub because I'm experienced and comfortable with tail draggers. And I'm telling you, the quality is there. I put that Cub in pretty hard, right on it's nose. Broke the wing off and crinkled the nose of the fuse. I recently painted it and it is a very well designed plane. I already know you're not going to get this level of design in a HobbyKing RTF and certainly not to be found in a VolantexRC or Eachines plane. The point is, design is worth something...it has value.
I ordered the Simple Cub, Power Pack C and the $40 glue gun from FliteTest, $176.17 shipped, and I will not have a flyable plane. I'll be able to build it, install some electronics, and then look at it...maybe free fly it. That's a good chunk of $ to have a non-flyable plane. Just need a Tx and Rx and batteries and charger....now we're WELL north of $300, which is roughly my limit. I just can't see spending over $400 for foam, no matter how well designed it is.
Now, I ordered the Cub when it was 1.2 and sans "S", whatever that means. It was $299 if I remember right, but it came with a DXe, which is almost a throw away Tx. When I saw they updated these new RTF's with a DXs, my hide got a little chapped.
The DXs is actually quite a bit of radio, it just requires a 3rd party to interface with it, like a phone, tablet or laptop. It's also a selectable radio in RF 9.5
The first 3 are ideal for a beginner pilot. I chose the Cub because I'm experienced and comfortable with tail draggers. And I'm telling you, the quality is there. I put that Cub in pretty hard, right on it's nose. Broke the wing off and crinkled the nose of the fuse. I recently painted it and it is a very well designed plane. I already know you're not going to get this level of design in a HobbyKing RTF and certainly not to be found in a VolantexRC or Eachines plane. The point is, design is worth something...it has value.
I ordered the Simple Cub, Power Pack C and the $40 glue gun from FliteTest, $176.17 shipped, and I will not have a flyable plane. I'll be able to build it, install some electronics, and then look at it...maybe free fly it. That's a good chunk of $ to have a non-flyable plane. Just need a Tx and Rx and batteries and charger....now we're WELL north of $300, which is roughly my limit. I just can't see spending over $400 for foam, no matter how well designed it is.
i scratch built a simple cub, but already had a dx6 and put a $15. lemon rx in it.
total cost without the tx was around $75., and you can move the rx/esc/motor around different planes easily enough.
i would not call it a trainer. cub s2 is nice, and umx turbo timber even nicer. you can't beat safe/as3x if you don't have a club to join or someone to teach you the basics.
total cost without the tx was around $75., and you can move the rx/esc/motor around different planes easily enough.
i would not call it a trainer. cub s2 is nice, and umx turbo timber even nicer. you can't beat safe/as3x if you don't have a club to join or someone to teach you the basics.
Flightspeed
Convicted Necroposter
Simple cub has some torque issues lol. I’ve had two and don’t recommend it. I hope sometime the fix a few things and re release it.
bigdano711
Active member
Did you try adding some down/right thrust to counteract it? Cubs are prone to rotor wash because the size and shape of the vertical stab/rudder.
bigdano711
Active member
That take off was shakey! Two hard lefts, one on the ground during throttle up and another right after take-off. Way to hang on to it!!you just have to concentrate during takeoff
Ketchup
4s mini mustang
The first hard left on the ground was probably torque related and could be helped by increasing throttle slower and adding in rudder as it happens and not purely as a reaction to the hard yawing left. The roll left and general instability after leaving the ground looks like the plane was just going way too slow. The motor can pull the plane off the ground all by itself, so just because the plane is off the ground it doesn't mean that it is ready to fly.you just have to concentrate during takeoff
Of course I wasn't there and I didn't fly the plane myself, but it looks to me like that takeoff could be cleaned up a lot through piloting technique, so it isn't all the airplane's fault. Picking up that technique could be hard for a beginner though, so if a plane is prone to that behavior then it wouldn't be the best candidate for a beginner.
it does take more concentration, and my aileron work is still twitchy. i have to use a low rate and expo to smooth it out.
i haven't tried changing the motor thrust line, i though josh built it into the designs?
after flying the umx tt, these planes are more challenging
i haven't tried changing the motor thrust line, i though josh built it into the designs?
after flying the umx tt, these planes are more challenging
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CappyAmeric
Elite member
How much expo? It looks like you could use a lot more.
Ketchup
4s mini mustang
There's also the possibility that the twitchiness could be a symptom of a slightly tail heavy plane. That would also contribute to the instability during takeoff.
there wasn't any, i have since added and increased
bigdano711
Active member
Much better, you're getting the hang of it. Using rudder during takeoff with a Cub is dangerous. I've snap-rolled one right onto it's lid and watched it slide down the runway, belly up. Walks of shame are harsh.here's the second take off:
getting better, but still needs work. of course, it's in the repair shop now
bigdano711
Active member
Whoa, I just saw those 2 mini PNP's that FliteTest has put out. The Micro Beaver and the Micro Adventure (not interested at all in that Grumman G44). Those things are SICK. I'm not much into micro's, so the Beaver will be my 2nd. About 10 years ago I had the Micro Habu by E-Flite but didn't like it...it turned into a dot too fast and I lost orientation more than once until I finally crashed it. They seem to be out of Lemon Rx's, so I'll have to go with Spektrum. I am curious about those Lemon's....seems like a bad thing to call any product except the fruit itself.
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LOL, yeah, not sure how they came out with that.
maybe because someone already had an orange product?
anyway's the lemons have been good for me, but i really prefer as3x because it allows me to fly on windier days with my poor skills.
i have been moving to larger planes as well, as my vision deteriorates
maybe because someone already had an orange product?
anyway's the lemons have been good for me, but i really prefer as3x because it allows me to fly on windier days with my poor skills.
i have been moving to larger planes as well, as my vision deteriorates
bigdano711
Active member
I stand corrected. I was able to build about 2/3 of the plane before I ran out of the glue that came with the glue gun. Tip: if you order the $40 300 Watt glue gun, go ahead and order some glue sticks to go with it.
