Best Beginner RC aircraft (list provided)

[fhhuber]

I am a beginner and am looking at the Hobby Zone Carbon Cub, both RTF and BNF. A salesman at a local hobby store was adiment about me buying the BNF and then a better transmitter like the DX6e. He said I would be better off in the long run. But if you put the numbers to it, the RTF costs $299 and the BNF is $249, $50 difference. If you buy the BNF $249, battery $40, charger $20 and DX6e $170 you have $479 invested. The difference is $180 which is more than the cost of the DX6e. Why not buy the RTF and at a latter date, if you want, get a better transmitter like the DX6e, you would be $10 ahead,.

I have been known to buy RTF, pull the RX and give away the TX and RX because the effective cost of having those added to PNF + a battery is near nothing.

People used to show up at the field with Harbor Freight Cub models with their POS radios. Drop in a Dynam RX and use the Dynam RTF package TX and they became much more reliable airplanes.

So go ahead and use math t find the best deal for you, not the best deal for the shop.
The spare TX is also useful for buddy bx lessons.

[Alpha]

I am a beginner and am looking at the Hobby Zone Carbon Cub, both RTF and BNF. A salesman at a local hobby store was adiment about me buying the BNF and then a better transmitter like the DX6e. He said I would be better off in the long run. But if you put the numbers to it, the RTF costs $299 and the BNF is $249, $50 difference. If you buy the BNF $249, battery $40, charger $20 and DX6e $170 you have $479 invested. The difference is $180 which is more than the cost of the DX6e. Why not buy the RTF and at a latter date, if you want, get a better transmitter like the DX6e, you would be $10 ahead,.

Welcome to Hobby Squawk, Wingo!

The logic behind buying the BNF and a better radio from the beginning is that, in the long run, the better radio is a cost-effective investment because you can keep that same radio and use it to control more airplanes as you add them to your hangar. The downside in doing this is, as you noted, the higher up front cost. For those who are cost-sensitive, I don't think it's necessarily a "bad" investment to buy the RTF to begin. You'll gain lots in terms of convenience and lower up front costs, and you'll have the freedom to determine if you want to stay in the hobby. If you do, then your next step will be to invest in a radio. I recommend buying the most feature rich radio you think you'll ever need, since the radio can last years and grow with you as your skills expand. If, by contrast, you're confident you'll stay in the category of airplanes with less than 6 channels, then a 6 channel radio is probably what you'll buy. If you think you'll one day fly a "full house" EDF jet with 9 or 10 channels, you're probably better off investing in a 10 channel radio. To me, the primary advantage of an RTF bundle is it buys you the time to try out the hobby and make that radio decision if you decide to stay in the hobby.

I certainly hope you do!

[Alpha]

Fhhuber brings up another good point. An RTF radio can have a second life as a buddy-box radio, or a RC Simulator radio to plug into your computer while you practice at night or during rainy days. So it isn't automatically a throwaway item after you've bought a better radio.