New Guy Questions

[CowboyPilot52]

For Father's Day, one of my daughters got me a Hobbico ARF Cessna 182 from eBay. It was in the original box and has never been built, so it is a wonderful gift. I'm new to RC but not new to aviation: I am a retired US Army helicopter pilot and instructor pilot (UH-60s and CH-47Ds, primarily), and now own a Cessna 182Q Skylane that I fly regularly. My total fixed and rotary wing time is about 4,000 hours with nearly 900 in my Skylane. A thousand years ago I flew control line .049 planes but never moved to RC. I als have had an RC simulator on my iPad for a good while that I play with sometimes when I can't go out and bore holes in the sky.

Having said that, questions abound on this new toy. I read somewhere online that you can substitute electric motors in place of the .40 2-Cycle or .60 4-cycle the kit recommends. Is this true? I'd prefer that, given the noise and mess that a gas engine (as I recall from my .049 days) make. This plane has a wingspan of 51.5 inches, a length of 46.5 inches and a wing area of 615 sq inches. Is this too large for an electric engine? If an electric engine is ok, where do I start to find one? I'd appreciate any recommendations any smart person can give.

Second question is about the servos. I found some servos online on Ebay which look like the ones in the instruction manual. The manual looks great for building the plane, but is a little scarce on some details, such as what kind of servos to get. I know I need four: Nose wheel/rudder, elevator, alierons and throttle. How do I know which ones to get?

What about the receiver and transmitter? Anyone have good recommendations for them? I am fine buying a used set but want to know what to avoid.

So there you go. No doubt there will be more posts in the near future as I start to build this and then start the flying. There is a flying field relatively near my home base of KJYO here in Leesburg, VA so I am sure that I will go there and be met by some smart folks who can help me too.

Thanks,

John (N182MM)

[xviper]

Hi John, the plane you have has been discontinued and when last released was in fact, an electric plane:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXVZA9**

You can take a look at the specs on this site to give you some idea of what kinds of equipment it will need to make it fly.
Large foam planes have been marketed with electric systems for some time now and your 182 is certainly not as big as they can get. Here is one of the latest big Cessnas:

https://www.motionrc.com/collections/civil-aircraft/products/e-flite-carbon-z-cessna-150-pnp

You must match the motor, speed controller, servos to the size and type of plane. You can't go by looks as different servos (for example) can all look the same. By finding another plane of a similar size and type, you can use that information to get the proper equipment. Here's a couple more:

https://www.motionrc.com/collections/civil-aircraft/products/dynam-c-182-1280mm-dy8938-rtf

https://www.motionrc.com/collections/civil-aircraft/products/fms-sky-trainer-182-v2-red-pnp

As far as radio gear is concerned, if going used, have someone who knows about such things do the shopping with you. Stay away from older, obscure brands. Brands like Spektrum, Taranus, JR, Futaba, are all fairly common brands. Next, are you intending on continuing in the hobby? Or is this the only plane you plane to fly? If you are going to keep going, you might want to get a radio that you can grow with (more channels, more features). If not, then a simple system that will do what the plane will demand will suffice. 6-channels will probably be all you'll need.
A good idea would be to find a local club where you can get hands on help with what you're trying to accomplish. You'll need to find one where the members aren't snobs against electrics and foam. People like that will only give you more misery than it's worth.

[wrongroad]

G'day John,
Welcome aboard, Sir.
You can not go wrong with Viper. He gives good solid advice and what I know of him, he does not recommend anything he does not or would not do himself. And, most importantly, he is not full of himself.:)
As far as radio sets go, I can fully endorse the Futaba 8J set up.
I use this set and find it super easy to set up and understand. Reliable and at a good price for an eight channel radio. All the channels you should ever need.
If you need extra receivers for the 8J they are quite cheap for good equipment.
So far, and I have been using the 8J for a couple of years, I have never had any issues at all. The aerial is buried within the body of the transmitter which eliminates the chance of breaking off the aerial. It also feels good in the hands as well. Very good value for money.
Unfortunately, and Viper might be able to confirm this, it seems that JR are no longer making radios. That is a shame as I have a very big soft spot for JR as I used JR gear a lot over the years and never had any issues with it.
If you do go second hand...no, for the price of new gear, just buy new:Cool:. You have warranty and you will not be buying the problem of someone else.
It is a good idea to find a local club and see what they are using and buy what is being used in the club. That way there will always be someone there who can help you with set up if needed. And there is plenty of good help available here as well.
Regards and respect
Daryl

[xviper]

Unfortunately, and Viper might be able to confirm this, it seems that JR are no longer making radios. That is a shame as I have a very big soft spot for JR as I used JR gear a lot over the years and never had any issues with it.
If you do go second hand...no, for the price of new gear, just buy new:Cool:. You have warranty and you will not be buying the problem of someone else.

Thanks for the endorsement, although some have said "I'm full of it". If only I knew what "it" is. :Confused:
I didn't know about JR being no more. If that is the case, perhaps Spektrum made the marketplace difficult for them. I concur about buying new. You can buy a big bag of used servos for $.50 at an RC auction but that may turn out to be false economy. Besides, these days with inexpensive HobbyKing parts just around the corner, buying new doesn't hurt quite as much. They also ship for cheap within the Con US. Just pick US West warehouse.

[wrongroad]

G'day Viper,
Is the cheque in the mail??LOL

Apparently it is true about JR, just read about it in Airborne magazine.[local RC mag]
I had heard rumours before hand but I will go with this being [probably] fact now.

Regards and respect
Daryl

[crankestein]

What radio did you end up buying or did you post it on CL.

If I were you I would sell it and buy a RTF HK Tundra, they are mellow to fly, and acceptable acrobatics can be done. Where I started flying thats what most of them have.

I am not sure about electric, but one thing I recommend is to pay the 75 dollar AMA license. Its a safety net in case someone or yourself gets hurt. Navigate the forums or surf YT and there are plenty of rc plane scars...

Good luck

[doctormike]

crankestein is right. Start with a ready to fly high wing. Not only for flying, but also, you can see first hand how the electronics are put together. Then, you'll have more knowledge about building your ARF. BUT...a flight simulator, first, will save you a world of hurt and expense! I've used Spektrum for years. Very happy with it. I use FMS servos (from the spare parts section of any FMS plane) on all my ARF's. They have nice long leads, and work great. They, also, have a choice of servo grades to select from, depending on the size and type of plane your ARF is. Have fun and MIND THAT PROP! Doc

[xviper]

I don't know about you guys, but if I sold a father's day present from my daughter, it would hurt her feelings quite badly. We're dealing with family relations that we're not aware of. I would suggest keeping the gift (if no other option is wise) and buying a RTF or BNF model with today's SAFE tech built in. A new, low priced TX can still be used for the gift later.

[doctormike]

Another option...Buy a good quality RTF of the same size and weight of your ARF and when you've worn it out (or crashed it) transfer the motor, electronics, and other parts to the ARF. I've done this a few times. Doc

[CowboyPilot52]

So here is where I am. First of all, you guys are very entertaining and knowledgeable. I appreciate your time!

The ARF is nearly RF, but no engine. I have found that the plane that Jenn bought me was likely on the market 1988-89 (based on the manual) and a lot of the plastic is very brittle, and a lot of the glue has come unglued. I have been working on it most of the weekend (even gave up a short hop in my real -182 to work while my wife sewed!). I am about ready to mount an engine, and have decided to go with the gas 40 and see how it works out. I spent some time yesterday with the local flyers at their club site and they were quite welcoming. It may well be an exercise in futility, but even if I can taxi a while before I completely prang it in, that will be good. The building is fun. I found a good hobby shop near by and I know a little more now about servos etc.

I am trying to figure which transmitter/receiver to go with. I am (fairly) sure that I am going to stick with this and saw a very interesting Cessna 150 at a store today which even had flaps. Since I may want flaps, I am thinking that I need to go with about a 6 channel radio. I am trying to figure out which ones can be slaved or whatever the correct term is for an instructor for when I get tired of taxiing! (When I bought my real -182, I was not yet rated in a complex airplane, and had to get 10 hours with an instructor. A couple times before I was signed off for single pilot, I actually went out to my airport and taxiied to get the feel!)

[CowboyPilot52]

And as I watch TV this evening with my wife, another question springs to mind: what kind/size of servos do I need? Is there a 'one size fits all' sort of thing?

[xviper]

As for what radio you'll need for "buddy box" (or slave), this depends on what kind of radio the other guy has. The master and slave radios must be compatible with each other so find out who is willing to buddy box you and what radio they're using. As for servos, a plane like that should be OK with 9 gram (or bigger) ones with metal gears. Since you're going gas, the one for the throttle may need to be bigger as some gas engine throttles are a bit stiff.

[crankestein]

Dont forget the license.

Get a flight simulator, I got one from Ebay thosr china brands and are pretty good.

In the sim, fly in 5 to 10mph winds on purpose, fly as far as you can and see if you can bring it back. On purpose make it go out of control and attempt to correct, practice dead sticks. Watch YT videos on landing and take off, if possible tutorials. Try to take off having the wind on your left because they tend to push to that direction from the engine torque. Land toward the wind and calm days, NEVER fly solo on high wind gusty days and dont attempt to land it, it will drop like a hammer in no time.

A Futaba to Futaba round to round or to micro trainer cable costs around 15 dollars on Ebay. HIGHLY RECOMMEND to have someone with experience during the first few months. The sim helps, but it is never the same, if you attempt to fly solo the probability of crashing or hurting someone is very high. Have someone assist when staging and tuning the engine. I have seen props come off and almost hit someone's face or body, it is NO JOKE, last thing you want to do be there alone in a parking lot or field hurt and unable to request for medical assistance.

Once again AMA

When taking off have family friends to stay away from the left side during take off.

Good luck

[TiredIronGRB]

Dont forget the license.

You don't need the license anymore, the regulation was struck down but AMA is highly recommended...I wouldn't fly without it.

[Beeg]

http://www.oann.com/senate-panel-int...r-protections/

"June 23, 2017

OAN Newsroom

A Senate panel introduced a “must-pass” aviation bill that strengthens consumer protections, and modernizes the industry.

The bill would re-authorize the agency until 2021, and includes measures banning airlines from removing passengers after boarding unless they pose a security risk.

Voice calls would also be restricted on-board commercial flights, while consumers would be required to register their drones with the government.

The panel plans to undergo a mark-up session next week."

The other shoe hasn't dropped yet......

[MikeT]

http://www.oann.com/senate-panel-int...r-protections/

"June 23, 2017

OAN Newsroom

A Senate panel introduced a “must-pass” aviation bill that strengthens consumer protections, and modernizes the industry.

The bill would re-authorize the agency until 2021, and includes measures banning airlines from removing passengers after boarding unless they pose a security risk.

Voice calls would also be restricted on-board commercial flights, while consumers would be required to register their drones with the government.

The panel plans to undergo a mark-up session next week."

The other shoe hasn't dropped yet......

The house version is not the same so when it's all said and done nobody knows what the final version will look like as these guys can't agree on anything.. Here's what the AMA posted as far as the differences.

Mike

[crankestein]

I meant the AMA, some call it license, its basically insurance, and a super good deal on how much one is protected.

They have a chart how much it will cost if you bought the insurance on your own for one to compare.

[Beeg]

Rest assured that in the near future we will have to have a license or take a test and get a permit. It's how Big Brother rolls...

[wrongroad]

G'day gang,
I agree with Beeg on this. Here in Australia we have several organizations who have 'insurance' for model aircraft and their pilots. Only one is authorized by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority [CASA] to do so. And that is the Model Aeronautical Association of Australia. MAAA. And that is regardless to what the other organizations say. MAAA is, currently the only governance body with the authority to make rules.
I have no doubt that CASA is keeping a close eye on the happenings in the USA and as CASA are a Federal Government agency, I bet they are looking for a way to get get more funds and that will mean from us RC pilots.
I do not know the procedure in the 'States to fly a large model or what is required to fly at a public display. Here in Australia, any model over 7 kilograms has to be inspected and issued a airworthy certificate and the pilot/s endorsed to fly the model. This must be updated every three years. This includes ARF and the like. A model over twenty five kilograms is to be inspected during the building process as well.
Any pilot wishing to fly at a public model airshow is usually required to have a MAAA gold wing accreditation. Most public model airshows do make this part of the entry requirements.
We have several stages of accreditation.
Student....it is recommended that you fly with a buddy box. Some clubs are OK with pass the parcel. You are not supposed to fly unaided at a club venue. [this is why some pilots do park flying. To me it is a bit like saying, I do not have a car licence so the Cops can not book me.]
Bronze Wings...awarded after successfully completing a flying test with a model that is capable of ROG and is under two kilograms.
Silver Wings...as above but for models over two kilograms. [showing a bit of snobbery to foamies!] My opinion as it was only recently introduced!
Gold Wings...awarded after successfully completing an advanced flying program [that is not too difficult], that would see a satisfactory flight in front of the public.
Instructor....awarded after successfully completing both written and flying tests.
CFI...awarded to those who suck up the hardest!!! [not true] ;)

Our insurance [licence] costs $100 a year plus club membership. [$50 for my club]
I can see CASA looking to get a finger in that pie by charging ten to twenty dollars PA to each pilot.
In my state [New South Wales] we have around three thousand registered pilots. Give or take a bit each year. That equates out to about eight thousand pilots right throughout Australia. Small numbers compared to the USA.
At twenty dollars per pilot per annum, that becomes $160,000 for doing nothing except sitting there ready to pounce.
It still pays for someones padded office chair.:Silly:
Of course, this is a case of crystal balling so to speak and nothings happens until it happens. I hope the AMA stick it right up to your Federal Aviation Body.
For our part, in today's world, we would be very silly to go and fly without a form of insurance. If the AMA are offering an insurance package as good as our MAAA, you would be foolish to fly without it.
If you have household insurance with PL for model planes, check what wing span they cover up to. For example, if the insurance says 'up to 900mm' they actually mean 899mm. Sneaky but true.
Term..................meaning
LEVY.................TAX
Surcharge..........TAX
Stamp Duty........TAX
Funding Extra.....TAX
Fee....................TAX
Does that sound right and can you add anything else??:):)
Ah well, time for bed.....

Regards and respect
Daryl

[Aerodude]

Hello all, I'm Newark need some help with my freewingA10. There is a long wire with a round metal attached to it. Where do I plug this in on receiver?