Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 I've put this in the All Things Flying section rather than the Beginners area to try & attract thoughts from the more experienced members!!! A very old friend of mine (we used to fly together as teenagers in the early 80's) has just dug his old RC stuff from the loft & fancies getting back into the hobby. He has been doing a bit of looking around at new models & quite fancies the Wot 4 because he felt he might very soon get bored by a trainer & asked what I thought. Given that he could fly an RC plane 20 - odd years ago, albeit a rudder/elevator Cambrian Instructor (remember them??) I think he may have a point. Certainly I got back into model flying with a Wot 4 & got on with it very well although I was probably a more advanced pilot than my friend. I gave him a quick go with my Wotty a few years ago & even though he hadn't flown with ailerons he got on with it pretty well & managed to stooge it around for a good few circuits with only a few directions from me. So what does the panel think? A Wot 4 with maybe a 46 in it as a suitable returnees model or should he go for a basic trainer type.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Wotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aslan Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Perfect. Great model to advance on as the confidence returns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno Racer Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 WOT4 all the way. Gentle throttle it flys very smoothly, but full power and rates and it will take your all the way through your B test and beyond. Its so versatile, he should have no problems re-learning and he will never grow out of it. Even better, it is an easy E-conversion. Edited By Ackers on 21/06/2010 21:31:52 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted June 21, 2010 Author Share Posted June 21, 2010 Wow...you lot had your fingers poised over the keyboard didn't you!!!!! Thanks guys I thought it would be ideal too but I'm such a fan of the Wot 4 I tend to think it the best aircraft for everyone!!!! I think he'll go the ic route...if it was mine I would stick a Chinese 52 in it or possibly a 70 fourstroke....given that it will have a throttle to keep the speed under control is this a wise choice do you think or would the 46 be better to keep him out of trouble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 did this get covered before l think someone else asked this questiun and got shot down lm sure there were comments like ...."a wot4 it is not a trainer , which is rubbish my way off thinking is this.......... any plane can be used as a trainer if it is the only plane the beginner has flown (gasp) not all are ideal l admit but thats from my view point ,as a beginner doesnt yet know what is a bad plane .So steve you have a pocket full of hard earned cash for your first plane you will go to your nearest model shop and like a kid in a sweet shop you will buy the biggest one you can (l know im right we all did ) anyway , if you dont get a wot4 you will miss out on some great flying go get it ....................................mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorian martin Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Hi there I have just started out with a wot 4 mk3 with a old os 35 in it and had1stfligt on Saturday with the eye of a club member at eagles mfa, I found it easier to fly than my slow stick that have been learning on for the last year I will upgrade to a jen 57 or irvine me thinks when i am ready but with the 35 it still looped ok and i was delighted with its ability to plod around the sky without any tendancy to stall or do anything silly great model Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted June 21, 2010 Author Share Posted June 21, 2010 Mark, I agree the Wotty is a great model....it does everything you would ever need but it doesn't have the built in stability of a trainer...it goes where its pointed & keeps going until told otherwise....a trainer tends towards S&L flight even when put into some ..er..interesting attitudes.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelH Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Posted by Steve Hargreaves on 21/06/2010 21:22:04: Given that he could fly an RC plane 20 - odd years ago, albeit a rudder/elevator Cambrian Instructor (remember them??) I certainly do ! I wish I could get hold of one. They re-made the Fun Fighters. The same should be so with Instructor. My first plane was the Trueline Executve. I bet that's not been around for a long time either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 If as you say he's flown before - and if he's not too proud to go on a buddy lead for the first few flights - then the WOT4 should be fine! Still missing mine after my mid air with it a couple of months ago - must build another one soon! As for engines - Irvine 53 all the way - the WOTY and the Irvine are a marriage made in heaven! And for early flights - well the throttle stick does work in both directions! BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Hi Steve l disagree straight and level shount be used as a fail safe there are good planes that are not ( trainers) but make good planes to start with and I think the wot4 is at the top of that list what imsaying is if he starts of with this plane he would learn a lot more now of course there is now the wot trainer ! Cheers ............... Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Smalley Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 there are more than a few who could never learn on a wot 4, there again there are some that could it depends on the pupil, so you have to be careful recommending it for everyone as a general rule no its best to start on a more recognisable trainer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bowker Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 Based upon your description of your friends skills and experience I would say that a WOT4 would be a perfect re-trainer for him, especially with a .46 in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Smalley Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 Mark wrote "which is rubbish my way off thinking is this.......... any plane can be used as a trainer if it is the only plane the beginner has flown " hmm ever taught anyone to fly Mark?? 80% of the people i have taught to fly or indeed the people learning to fly at our club would really, struggled with a WOT4, not everyone is of your ability at the start or even at the end come to think of it, you have to take each case as it comes, my personal opinion is that initial mistakes are best made on a trainer, an irvine tutor or similar, if progression is rapid then a WOT4 can be bought and the rc gear and engine can just be plopped straight in, so any damage you do (and you will do some) will be done to your trainer, not your sparkling wot4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 A complete beginner would struggle with a WOT4. In my experience the lack of dihedral is a real problem for beginners. When early stage flyers come to do their first turns they almost always put in the aileron - and leave it in - while they pull back on the elevator. I think this is because they can't get their head around making two control movements at the same time. The result with a trainer, with lots of dihedral, is that it just stays in the turn - which is fine. The WOTTY will of course will put its nose down and start rolling inverted - result... panic! The instructor has to take the plane and the pupil feels like it just "bit" them. So when the next turn comes up they are all tense and inevitably it happens again (even though you have told them what to do) and their confidence starts dropping. There will always be exceptions to this - some people do seem have a natural talent where flying is concerned. They will quickly master this - but they are the exception rather than the rule. Going back to Steve's question though, this guy has previous experience - for him the WOTTY (on a buddy lead initially - while he gets his eye back in) is likely to proove fine. But I certainly wouldn't recommend it to complete beginner. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Mc Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 I've had pupils with a trainer on a buddy lead and they've struggled! As mentioned previously different people can take different lengths of time to grab the basic flying skills, to others it's second nature and it's picked up real quick. Does anybody in your club have a trainer on a buddy lead he could try first?If the trainer is easy peasy then the purchase of a Wot 4 could be the way to go.But, I think that diving straight in at the deep end could end up expensive (write-off) as well as shattering the pilots confidence, and think of the possibility of injury (remote I know), but the possibility is there. My personal way of thinking is take it a step at a time, get him on a trainer with a buddy lead before purchasing the Wot, if all goes well, get down your local model shop with your money in hand for that Wot 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinstar Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 edited, see belowEdited By twinstar on 22/06/2010 19:08:07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinstar Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 i tried to learn on a rudder elevator, dihedral model and struggled for ages. As soon as i moved over to ailerons my flying improved loads as the model did what it was told without waiting for a week for it to happen, i guess we all learn differntly. If you use the wot 4 perhaps just keep the control throws a bit conservative, just have your dual rates set up so theres bigger throws available if you need them. perhaps consider spending £20 on RC planemaster, before you go it alone, its a fairly basic sim but when you can fly confidently and land an aerobatic aileron model in rc planemaster youll probably be ok with the wot4 - you pc needs a graphics card to run it though. other aileron models i can reccomend are the twinstar2 by multiplex, good for learners and mild aerobatics too , easy to repair. I have one and one of my total novice friends had no problem with it on lower rates and a bit of instruction, i then took it back upped the throws and flew a load of aerobatics with it. The safest way to learn is by buddy box and a skilled instructor if you have that facility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamond Geezer Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 go with the wot 4 I started with a wot 4 then got my A cert with it, now moving on to other things still with my wotty though great plane dg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 Anything with a high wing symetrical / semi-symetrical wing section (don't ask me why )with a little bit of dihedral would fit the bill for a trainer with ailerons .That way you can fly it with or without using the ailerons ie using rudder as your main horizontal directional control until you "get the hang of it" .Then you will appreciate what ailerons can do to extend your flying envelope . Just my two penn'orth You did ask for comments from more experienced modellers by the way !Edited By Myron Beaumont on 22/06/2010 22:08:08 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark a Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 In a word yes, i'm training on a ARTF Wot 4 with a sc 46 engine and so far its all going well. My instructor thinks some of the trainers are too easy to fly but it of coarse depends on your ability. All the control throws have been turned down so the wot'y is very easy to handle not as easy as a trainer but easy enough for me to do rolls and loops after only 3 fligths. i haven't done a landing yet just approaches so landings are next. Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty C Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Two years in the making that one mark I agree though I used the wotty for learning, As it was good for a lot more aero training after basic training. Rusty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Geezer Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Just comparing landing speeds for a Boomerang (much favoured trainer in our club) and my Wottie makes me favour the Wottie, especially how hard it is to steal my Wottie. I guess the ideal would be start with a Wot Trainer, then upgrade to a Wot4, that would cover the dihedral/aileron concerns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Geezer Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Did I just write steal ? !!!!! I actually meant STALL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Smalley Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Always makes me laugh when learners state that a wot 4 is a perfect trainer, how many people have you taught to fly?? Each pilot is different! A wot 4 is perfect for one person, yet a disaster for another, the reason why most people recommend actrainer is it almost always ensures success Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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