John Howes

Posted by Phil Green on 18/10/2014 00:45:32: We all taught ourselves when I were a lad John! Beginners need an instructor now because people persuade them to start with a typical '.40 Trainer' which is inevitably too fast, has no dihedral or decalage... of course they need help with one of those bricks!!! Not if like me, they did their homework first. Some of us are capable of typing "best RC trainer Aircraft" into google. (btw That search brings up a youtube vid showing the Easystar as the best trainer.) What is this .40 voodoo you speak of? IC powered flying trees are dead to me.

I started with an Easy star and I can recommend it for learning the basics, plus the all important orientation and spacial awareness. For a second plane I would recommend my current flyer the Eflite Apprentice. I think it's a bit heavy and powerful for a first plane, but it's an excellent second. On a separate note I taught myself, it's both pretty easy, and for me a whole lot more fun learning for myself rather than being taught. Where's the fun in that? I didn't crash once. Just remember all those "no fun zones" telling you to "join a club" or get an old hand to show you. The main reason they're so miffed is because they just weren't good enough to teach themselves. "get's off opposite soap box" and waits for tirade of abuse....

Either (a) you're a pro (quite likely) or (b) you've got the brushless model with an aileron mod. Mine's a basic Easystar 1. I can't get it inverted for long, it will not go into a loop from level flight, rolls are large and unimpressive, then anything more than a 3 mile an hour wind and it just hangs in the air like a sea gul.

Hi Andrew, I have the Apprentice S and can recommend it as a great trainer. I would however recommend you go for the RTF complete with DX5e rather than the BNF. I've heard many tales of difficulty binding or getting the controls right. The only problem I had with mine was the rudder breaking off mid flight. Sounds bad, but i still got it down and now I've reinforced it with some carbon rods. As a first off trainer it might be a bit heavy and powerful. If you've never flown before something like an Easystar or Bixler is good for learning orientation with a more crash friendly package. I'm self taught, and believe me it's quite possible to teach yourself with help from youtube, a large park, and lots of patience.

The Easystar is great., but I've learned more with the Apprentice in 4 months than I did with the Easystar is two years! It's best for learning basic orientation, but I admit I still take it out now and then to do some relaxing circuits while the sun goes down.....

Posted by Andy Green on 10/10/2014 08:04:29: Hi John I fly with the Worcester Model Aero Club, where in Worcester are you? Andy Maybe if I ever get into larger models, but I'm not really a club kind of flyer. I do like to catch up with other flyers at the park, but the thought of tests and rules turns me off.

Posted by Percy Verance on 09/10/2014 13:49:25: Welcome to the forum John! If you haven't already done it, I'd urge you to join the BMFA if you're flying in a public park......... I was originally under the impression that the BMFA insurance would not cover me at a park but your response has prompted me to look into it further. Of course I was wrong. I'm only a fair weather flyer, so I will be joining up in the new year, thanks for the prompt.

Hi All! I've been park flying for a few years starting with an EasyStar and now moved up to an Eflite Apprentice. I've only just started to take it more seriously (possibly due to the weather being so good this year) and will probably get a more aerobatic plane in the new year. I like the look of the Parkzone Artizan. I'm more into flying than building, but I might have a go at a cheap Miniprop F16 Foam-E that I've seen in Robot Birds. The park where I fly has become very popular with park flyers of all types. I just hope I get more flying in before they bulldoze it and turn it into a football stadium

Hi There, I'm interested in building one of these as my first kit (Normally fly RTF/ARTF), but I could do with a hand for motor choice. Miniprop F16 (Miniprop is a German company which makes fun looking foam-e's). The Model spec is here Spec calls for a "15g 2300KV pole and stator brushless motor (stock no. 409431)" however this motor doesn't seem to exist. I've seen one guy who specced a Turnigy D2822/14 but it sounds over powered (he complained of torque effects). Any suggestions would be much appreciated, Thanks.