Advice Choosing 2nd Plane

[Grossman56]

Its amazing how they gravitate to the ONLY obstacle in the area. When I got back from Wisconsin last year, I took Shangrila up at our field, which is flat for miles. The only thing sticking up to the clouds is the wind sock. So just what she decided to aim for? Yep, you guessed it. Fortunately I've learned to expect those kinds of things and slapped her little heiny back on course.
All part of the fun, same with the Pitts when she decided to try a one wheel take off, I thought to myself, "Oh no you don't!", used aileron to slap that wheel back on the ground and made a good takeoff! Good reflexes are a must in this sport!

Grossman56

[martmichals]

Its amazing how they gravitate to the ONLY obstacle in the area. When I got back from Wisconsin last year, I took Shangrila up at our field, which is flat for miles. The only thing sticking up to the clouds is the wind sock. So just what she decided to aim for? Yep, you guessed it. Fortunately I've learned to expect those kinds of things and slapped her little heiny back on course.
All part of the fun, same with the Pitts when she decided to try a one wheel take off, I thought to myself, "Oh no you don't!", used aileron to slap that wheel back on the ground and made a good takeoff! Good reflexes are a must in this sport!

Grossman56

Seems like my field isn't the only one with magnetic obstacles.

[wrongroad]

G'day Dan,
I would recommend that you think to your future needs and let that be, at least part of, your guide to the next machine.
I went from a high wing three channel trainer to a low wing five channel model before going to a FMS 1400mm T-28 and then to the tail dragger 1400mm Mustangs and other FMS 1400 warbirds.
By going up each step and becoming comfortable with each aircraft, I found the next model relatively easy to fly.
I do believe it is important to match your training to your flying goals. It will save time, effort and money. And the last one can be hard to come by.
I can not advise on the type of model as the others have as I have no experience with some of these machines.
I have seen a fellow club member use the 'safe' equipment and I am not all that convinced that it was all that helpful after a couple of months as he began to rely on the unit to get him out of trouble and he did not learn to fly out of trouble.
By all means, use the smart box to get going but get off it as soon as you can.

I see that you fell into the oldest trap in the book....an appreciative crowd:rolleyes:
I almost put one of my FMS 1400 P-51D's into the deck one doing a low pass in front of my mates kids. Well the first low pass drew the gasps and wows and OMG's so I went a bit lower on the next pass. Actually a lot lower. The tips of the propeller blades touched the ground and kicked up a heap of dust. The kids loved it. It all happened so fast that I really did not know that I almost lost my aircraft from being too smart for my own good. Ambition out weighed ability.:D
I could see no damage to the blades and the assembly was still balanced when I checked it out and this hub set has flown many more missions since.
Regards and respect
Daryl

[doctormike]

The Eflite P-51D is a sweetheart of a plane, and a low winger too. Doc

[Grossman56]

On the mark Wrongroad, when you can fly the circuit and land right down the runway, then you've nailed the basics. When you have the connection with the plane so that you don't have to think, you just do, then you're in the zone. Some full scale pilots called it, becoming part of the plane or wearing the plane.
There are guys in our club that have been 'flying' for years and when they're up in the air, I pull my planes back from the flight line. One poor fellow is still flying a HobbyZone Supercub with so much Gorilla Glue that it looks more yellow than white and its scary to watch him.
So don't worry about aerobatics get your confidence up and when you think you're there, double that time. I seriously don't have any trouble flying my Pandoras now. They do what I tell them to. BTW, I flipped my thinking around about the way an airplane flies. Assuming that you have your CG right, with the radios of today, you can set up your plane to fly like all the others in your fleet. I've done it by playing around with control throws and rates. It works. The only difference in flying one of my Mustangs or the Pitts as opposed to the Pandoras is that they're faster. (skipping over the retracts and flaps on the P51's) I was delighted to find that after a bit of tinkering, the Pitts was not any different in basic flight than the Pandoras, just a lot more powerful, which is what I found myself wishing the Pandoras were, so I got my wish.
Speaking of which, I'm trying different motors in the Pandoras to see what I can squeeze out of them, half the fun of this hobby!!

Grossman56

[fhhuber]

Seems like my field isn't the only one with magnetic obstacles.

I've been to a field where there is exactly one tree, 50 yards from the runway. Every crash seemed to be in the tree, beside the tree or beside the cars.

[owyheeguy]

Hi Danloc78, I’m certainly not an expert but I can give you my personal experience.
If you want to go to a tail dragger that’s fine, but I have an Apprentice. It’s what I learned to fly with. I had not found a club yet to get 1 on 1 help. I bought the Apprentice and after using a simulator for 3 or 4 weeks I took the plunge and I’m glad I did. There are 3 positions on the TX., Beginner, Intermediate, and Solo. They all worked well for me. After a month or so I was ready to fly it on my own using Solo. After that I have learned to do inside and outside loops, rolls, wing-overs, inverted flite, Immelmann’s, ect. This little sweetheart is capable of more than I can do so far. The beauty of this Lady is while you are learning all you have to do is hit the panic switch and the doll will right herself immediately. That’s a confidence builder. I’m not trying to be a salesman for E-flite, but I love this ……….no I love my wife, but I really like this airplane.
Good Luck and Good flying.

John N.

[Grossman56]

Right on John, I was in the same boat, no one to show me, so I just got on the sticks. Sims are a good learning tool as well. Great to hear how you progressed on the Apprentice, what next on your list?

Grossman56

[owyheeguy]

Well I have a Dynam Tiger Moth, and a Hobby King J3 Cub, 55" wingspan.. I've checked them out for ground handling and did well but I'd prefer to wait for a day when the wind isn't blowing to maiden them. I've installed the Eagle A3-L in both. Hope thpe they work as well as advertised.
Do you have a current project?

John N.

[doctormike]

I'm working on a Dynam C-47, converting it to a DC-3 airliner . Just sent my graphics off to Callie. A RocHobby MXS which I removed the advertising decals from, which of course, pulled up the paint, and I am adding pinstriping. I found a perfect match, in acrylic, for the yellow. Having fun modifying!!! Doc

[danloc78]

Haven't been back here in a few days and looks like there's been some activity!

Thanks once again for all the suggestions! Figured I'd post an update since I have pretty much everything now.

First I went out and got a used Tx. I really wanted one with 6 channels to accommodate flaps/retracts on future models. I saw a great deal on a used DX6 so I pulled the trigger. Next up was to pick out the plane. There were so many I had my eye on but the decision finally came down to the Apprentice, Pandora, or Parkzone Sport Cub. The guy I bought the DX6 from actually had a Sport Cub that he used to show me the Tx worked as advertised. He couldn't recommend the plane enough, so within the next three days I had ordered mine online.

So, I'm the proud new owner of a Pzone Sport Cub...one that is still sitting in the box because I've been too busy to set it up and fly it. Oh, and I have no idea if it even came with a bind plug so I can bind it to the Tx. I also bought the optional flap servo then realized I needed a servo extension as well (after reading the manual).

Fun stuff, looking forward to flying her.

I assume checking the CG before flying is good practice? Or are these pretty well balanced right out of the box?

[martmichals]

Whatever the plane, checking the CG is always a good idea. Good luck with your sport cub, someone at my club has one, and I think its a great choice. From the looks of it, it's a great flyer.

[Grossman56]

I just got some enlightenment on using the Static Thrust Calculator from OV10, so now, I'm running all the numbers for all my planes for the fun of it. On the practical side, Shangrila is getting a kv580 that's coming out of Old Crow. Old Crow is getting a kv650 both are getting upgraded ESCs. Big Beautiful Doll has a 580 with a Mantis 85A ESC already and its great. The only stumbling block so far is that the bolt pattern on the 650kv (from the new P40B) is different than the stock motor mount that comes with the FW Mustang so if you go this route, order the motor mount with the motor. Pandora Two, got a new motor, a 580kv. Waco got a new 580 as well as I robbed her motor and put it in Pandora One. Follow me so far?

Grossman56

[OV10]

Ohhhhh, you've been bitten by the "GoFast" bug. It wouldn't surprise me to see you dabble in the F3D Pylon arena.

[Grossman56]

Well, in a way, yes! Most of the other FMS warbirds have a 580kv in them, except the Mustangs, but it is an optional on the D models. So I boosted BBD up, just cause I was getting used to the speed, but more to the fact that I wanted to be able to do those great big loops that the real ones do. The 580 seemed to really help her.
With the Freewing Mustang, the weight comes into play because of the sound system. Anyone who flies one with the sound system can relate, what with the extra battery and the weight of the speakers etc. she needs a bit more poke.
So, along comes the 650kv, perfect, I think, then I'll have a spare 580 and a home for it in the P51B, problem solved. The only trick is that the 650 doesn't bolt on to the 580 motor mount, different bolt pattern, so I've got to get one of those.

Grossman56

[wrongroad]

G'day Dan,
I have said this many times but it is always well worth while saying again.
Use the Factory CG point as a STARTING point. As you get flight time up, you may well think it needs a bit of adjustment to suit YOUR needs.
And it is not always Gospel that the CG nominated by the factory is correct.
The FMS V3 F4U Corsair is a case in point. While the model will fly with the nominated CG point [110mm] it flies so much better with the CG set at 95mm.
Something I see a lot is pilots stating that they are upset that they had to check the factory CG and that they had to add weight to balance. If you think about what we can use in the range of batteries [in weight and size] it is not always going to be possible to balance the model out of the box without added ballast.
I see too many pilots changing batteries from 3 to 4s and they do not check the CG. One of my club pilots recently crashed through the pilots' box when he did this and found the model was unflyable. He blamed the fact that the wings were flexing. NO. It was because he did not check the CG and it was badly tail heavy and he could not control it. Wings flexing, ppphhhhhiiitttttt! It was lucky that he did not hit anyone and he knew it.
Most of my models have needed some ballast. Some much more that others but my FMS 1400mm Mustangs all needed the same amount within half an ounce.
I have found that the factory nominated throws for the control surfaces are often exaggerated and way too much for sensible first flight. I normally set at factory on high rates and then knock at least twenty percent off and set the low rate at that. The I take off on low and test the high rates at three mistakes high.
Once I am satisfied, I then set my S rate to both the high and low so it does not matter if I bump the switch.
The only model I fly with separate high and low rates is my FMS Olympus. Other then that, I [personally] find no need for high and low rates on the warbirds. But that is my preference.
Regards and respect
Daryl

[Konrad]

Ohhhhh, you've been bitten by the "GoFast" bug. It wouldn't surprise me to see you dabble in the F3D Pylon arena.

FAI F5D is the electric class of pylon racing, F3D is the cough syrup¹ class of pylon racing in the international FAI class designation.

¹Cough Syrup would be defined as 80% methanol and 20% castor oil and nothing else. None of that crazy nitromethane stuff.

Go fast and turn left, NO the other left!
Konrad

[OV10]

Thanx for correction Konrad, that F3D had been burned into my head from younger years and it just naturally fell on the keyboard when I meant to type 5.

[Konrad]

I too suffer badly from brain to finger disconnectitis.

[danloc78]

Of course I would pick the windiest (is that a word?) stretch we've had in years to buy a new plane. I got it all set up now though. All I need to do is check the CG and do a range test and she'll be ready for the maiden flight. Hoping to get that done tomorrow if the wind cooperates.