peplinsk

Hello all,

After recently becoming "hooked" on this hobby I realized I am ready for a plane with more control surfaces.
I notice there a lot of RTF electrics but most seem to be 3 channel. I am searching for a 4 and any advice would be great

Actually I would like to see a main thread on the electric flight threads titled "RTF Electrics" as there seem to be alot of pilots (new and advanced)
enjoying RTF's and ARF's for the "instant gratification" factor.

thanks in advance

edited;

This one looks very tempting...reviews?? http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=LXNHS0**&P=ML

packyj

That plane looks pretty good. Have heard a couple good reviews on these forums about it. For tricycle gear make sure you have a smooth hard surface to land on. They don't seem to like grass fields so much. My $0.02 would be to save the money from another rtf and buy radio gear you can use on and on again. RTF planes are great for getting into the hobby but for a 4 channel plane you may as well get non proprietary gear and have nearly endless options where you go from there.

FlyingPlanes13

If you decide to go with an ARF, check out the GWS E-Starter. It's VERY cheap and it is a VERY good aileron trainer.

frednjess

I'd recommend the Hobbico Superstar 4 channel. It flies really nice, is plenty big so it's easy to see, and it's very durable. I taught myself to fly with one of these and it's still flying. The radio system is also plenty sturdy, so you can transfer the parts to another plane if you destroy the Superstar. The Cessna 182 that you reference would be nice, as long as you have some aileron experience. I don't believe it has much dihedral and won't self correct very easily. That's my 2 cents.

peplinsk

Thanks for the great advice!

My reasoning for wanting to jump to a 4 channel is mostly to find a cheap one I can learn on and not feel terrible when I mash it beyond repair, lol.

My noobie "SDM Yellow Bee" is a two channel and I really would be very happy with a 3 channel as my "next step" trainer. But I fear that I would
master it way fast and be wanting a four (and regretting spending the money on the 3)...A dilemna

Common sense tells me to get a 3 channel first...or a sim, but dang those sims are spendy.

Hmmmm time to maybe try to get some OVERTIME

packyj

The risk of smashing a plane is exactly why I don't like to recommend rtf's after the first plane. At least if you buy a radio, servo's, etc etc etc your plane is all that is useless. Keep an eye out on the auction sites or even here on auctions. You can get a pretty good radio for pretty cheap.

frednjess

On the cheap scale, the Superstar is a deal. I think it's right about $200 and comes with everything except batteries for the transmitter. You may need a battery charger, but if you're going to fly electrics you'll need one soon enough anyway.
Another idea for an aileron trainer might be to get a flying wing. They are great to fly and radios as cheap as the GWS Dreamstarter have the mixing function to fly them. Wings are also extremely durable and will survive mistakes that would require a total rebuild of another plane. I've flown about all of the wings out there and they're all good performers. The Slinger (Electrifly, I think) is quite capable even with the stock setup. The zagi line is also a pretty competent line and come with nearly all of the parts (minus receiver and servos, but you get those with your new radio anyway). These wings do require a little building, but can be easily assembled in 2-3 evenings. I prefer to cut my own wing cores, as my hobby budget is exceptionally slim. I cut flying wings for about $2.00 apiece!
Another idea about your radio choice is to get the new Spektrum 2.4 Ghz systems. The new DX7 sells for a little over $300.00, but will fly everything you can imagine including helicopters. The DX6 is also a good radio and is a little less expensive. A dozen guys in my club fly them and never get radio hits and never have to worry about frequency checks or getting "shot down". I fly with the Polk Tracker III, $189.00 shipped directly from Polk Hobbies. It's an 8 channel radio that can transmit on any of the 72 Mhz channels. It also has a 99 model memory and can do just about any mixing function every imagined. Since everyone in my club is going to 2.4 Ghz I'm having to worry less and less about radio conflicts.
A lot to think about, but hopefully this helps!

peplinsk

I can see packyj's point but I have a friend who's an advanced pilot who can "buddy box" me and take over if i get into trouble.
With that in mind, it seems like an even better idea to find a trainer with a little more power and a radio that fits the bill.

This one looks really nice http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=LXNVC0**&P=ML and seems to be nice and stable for noobs like me

ps.
(closer inspection reveals futaba servos too? How do those compare to hitechs?)