Absolute beginner

[PB]

I retired a couple of years ago and though I have a couple of hobbies which keep me busy I've always wanted to fly model aircraft.

I've got myself on the waiting list to joing my local model flying club, which is very active and busy, and in the meantime I intend to visit thier flying field to pick up whatever hints and tips I can before taking the plunge and getting my own RC model.

I'm postng here because I have the opportunity to by a brand new, unopened Multiplex Twinstar II from a friend who was bequeathed it but doesn't want it. He only wants a few pounds for it, which would leave plenty in my 'get started' budget of around £300 for the radio control equipment. I'm wondering though if a twin engined model would be too difficult for me to learn on, even under instruction at the club when I manage to join, and whether I should spend my budget on a trainer setup instead. Trouble is the Twinstar II is such a good buy it's very tempting just to go for it.

Any advice would be most welcome.........

[Ernie]

Hi Peter, I would learn on a proper trainer...around 5 foot span, high wing, built up balsa construction. If you build it yourself, you'll get much more satisfaction. Buy the twinstar, and keep it for later use.

Don't forget to get insurance, and someone competant to teach you to fly. Best of all, join a club..

Do keep asking, we're all here to help

ernie

[Josip Vrandecic -Mes]

Dear Peter,welcome...and I'm retired too...and here I found understanding and peace.I wish You, also, a pleasant and useful fun to our forum....

Cheers

Jo

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

Welcome from me also Peter.....enjoy the forum....there are literally Centuries of experience here & remember that there are no daft questions......only daft answers....& we try & edit those out.....

Not flown a Twinstar so couldn't really comment on its suitability as a trainer....its often used by the FPV boys I believe because it is a nice stable platform......maybe buy it anyway & pop it in the loft for later if it really is cheap......you can always sell it on via ebay.....

[Romeo Whisky]

I bought a Twinstar when I started years ago as I was told it was a good trainer. It's a lovely model, and quite resilient to heavy landings, but personally I found it just a bit too quick for a complete beginner unless you have an experienced flyer on a buddy lead to help you get started. (I had to largely self-teach).

If you are starting at a club, then such help should be readily available, but don't upgrade to brushless set-up until you've got used to it - just use the standard brushed motors in the kit and you should be fine.

If you want something easier to start on, the EasyStar or EasyCub or FunCub (all by Multiplex) are great first models.

Happy landings. RW

[PB]

Thanks everyone for the friendly welcome and sound advice. I think my budget will just about extend to buying the Twinstar from my friend and a separate trainer to learn with and I'll certainly look at the other Multiplex models.

I'm a retired electronics engineer, so the radio control and electronics aspects of the hobby, such as BECs and LVCs, are not unfamiliar to me. I keep my hand in with a small electroinics workshop at home in which I enjoy making and mending various bits of electronics for freinds and family. I have to say though that choosing a Tx looks like a bit of a minefield. I'm assuming that a 6 channel 2.4Ghz system from a reputable maker will fit the bill, would you agreee?

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

Yep pretty much Peter but the best advise is to get down the model shop & try a few.......transmitters are a very personal thing & its important that you like the feel of it......

I wouldn't spennd too much on a first Tx......get into the hobby & decide what you want to do & the sort of models you want to fly......this will then guide you in the purchase of your second transmitter. Bear in mind that 2.4GHz Rxs can only be used with the same make of Txs so you can find yourself "locked in" to a certain brand if you have lots of Rxs.

Also be aware that Futaba seem intent on shooting themselves in the foot as often as possible with 2.4GHz......they have 2 systems....FASST & FHSS which are both different & won't talk to each other. FASST is the "top end" system & FHSS the entry level....so if you buy say a Futaba 6J (FHSS) you might then have problems upgrading to an 8FG (FASST) because all the FHSS Rxs you have bought (you will believe me...!!!) won't work with your shiny new transmitter......

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying DON'T buy Futaba; I fly Futaba FASST & have found it bulletproof. I really like Futaba stuff but they do seem to make some strange marketing decisions.......its only right you are aware of the potential pitfalls & consider these before reaching for the credit card.....

[Romeo Whisky]

6-Channel should be fine. Again from my own experience - just make sure the TX you choose has the facility for aileron differential (a common requirement whereby the aileron going up travels further than the aileron going down - to compensate for the wing camber). Virtually all Multiplex models, including the Twinstar specify this, and many other models benefit from it too. Thankfully most big-name computer transmitters have this facility. (Differential can be achieved via the control linkage but it's much easier electronically on a suitable transmitter).

I use the Spektrum DX7 but any decent TX should have this feature.

[Miroslav]

Spektrum DX6i is what I use at present althought it only has a ten model memory and I now have 14 planes! Like others have said, a transmitter is a personal choice and you may prefer the look and feel of one model over another. Be aware that if you later decide to change to another brand of transmitter, it will mean changing all your receivers too. In my case, I like Hitec's Aurora transmitter but the thoughts of changing 14 receivers (and the cost) is preventing me from moving to the Aurora.

[Ernie]

Hi Peter, Like Steve, I'm a bit mystified with Futabas approach. Their stuff is very good, but they don't seem to be able to get their act together re. systems. I recently changed to Spectrum, It seems to fill the bill, so for the present they have my support

ernie

[PB]

OK thanks again for the very useful advice on transmitters. The nearest model shop to me where I can handle a range of Txs is 30 miles away, so it looks like a day out there sometime soon. I have quite small hands so I think it is going to be important to find a Tx package that feels comfortable.

By the way, I presume that if you are starting from scratch like me you can't really do it in stages. I mean by buying the model kit first, then the control system later on, then the Tx/Rx and so on. I presume you need everything to hand before you start so as to incorporate all the various components, power, control etc. into the model as you build it. Quite a lot of kits I've looked at come with the power components but not the control components so I presume you must buy the appropriate control components for the model before you build it. But do you need a Tx while you are building a model or can it be the last item you buy before flying? I've read that servos have to be centred with the Tx before they are installed. Is that right?

By the way I really do apreciate your time and help here, but I won't drag it on and I'll make this my last on this topic. With a bit of luck I'll come to the top of my club's waiting list soon and then I'll have experise on hand to help. Nevertheless I expect I'll be diving in here from time to time !!!

In the meantime thanks again........

[Peter Beeney]

Peter - One other radio system to bear in mind is the Multiplex. Maybe the Cockpit or Royal, perhaps. It’s perhaps a little bit of a rare bird compared with some of the other brands; in the past I had to fight tooth and nail to get it and it was rather more expensive then; but in my view there is is no doubt it really is quality equipment. Although straight away one problem you might also have to consider is the fact of learning to fly, I’m sure it’s not everywhere that will be able to accommodate you with a buddy box. But there may be at least one way round that, buy a simulator and teach yourself basic circuits and landings first and you might not need a buddy. It can be done, for sure!
I’ve spent a long time at the blunt end of a buddy lead over many years, and would-be pilots have chosen just about every type of model to use as a trainer. I’ve never owned a Twinstar, but I’ve flown a few, and I wouldn’t have any criticisms at all. In the main I prefer somewhat bigger models, they are better for the beginner to see at longer distances, but these days the small electric foamie is very popular, such as the Fun Cub, or Apprentice, low cost maybe, the beginner just has to learn to stay closer to home, sometimes not always easy! Over the years I’ve collect a few items for buddying, such as old tx’s and various leads, which we still occasionally use.

My attitude to folks that turn up the club making enquires about flying is this:

Firstly I would say to them ‘If you think you might have problems when you smash a model, don’t even start.’ Then before they do anything I’d say come and have a look round and chat to the other lads, have a go on the trainer etc., there’s no real rush to do anything that quickly. Try and make sure this is really for you and then if that’s an affirmative buy the very best you can afford, particularly in terms of radio and engines or electrical motors and so on. If you get a trainer, make a sound job of putting it together but forget any frills, because it will get broken, oh, and also lock up that steerable nose wheel and disconnect it from the servo, otherwise it will be a constant source of grief. It’s the third model that you can really begin to concentrate on in terms of detail.

I would agree with the others, and say you ought to acquire the Twinstar anyway. There soon becomes a point, maybe, where you can’t have enough models. Plus with the electronic back round you might find it interesting, asymmetric steering with coupled rudder and motors, etc.

On one occasion a gentleman turned up with his grandson, asked some considerably detailed questions, and after a while I noticed he was writing it all down. Then he disappeared into the blue, without trace and we thought that was that. Then one day he just popped up again, complete with trainer ready to go, BMFA, the lot. We became good friends, and it eventually transpired he was a Professor of Nuclear Science, and really was Main Man when it came to knowing all about nuclear weapons! Together with another pupil, an AVM retired from the RAF, who flew the Lightning as a test pilot, he also was a Vulcan Captain, CFI at Central Flying School on helicopters for several years, and that was just for starters, it was all pretty impressive, so I always felt totally overawed. To say the least. He once told me that he spent most of his time playing sport! His favourite mode of transport was the Hawker Sea Fury, he reckoned they spent all their time trying to make it go faster!

Good Luck with whatever you choose to do, I’m sure you will find the electrical bit very useful for electric models, at least.

PB

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

Well you could certainly buy the kit & do some work on it but I think if the budget will allow you are best to get everything at once....it will help you make more sense of the instructions when they say "....fit the trussflange to the thrungegirdle using the snaggle pin..." this can be hard for a beginner to imagine if they don't have a thrungegirdle to hand.

So I would say yes get all the bits together before you start......it will save you some frustration in the long term I think.....

Are you going down the IC or electric route or is that still to be decided? This will have a bearing on the parts you need (obviously!!!)

Oooh & servos.....yes...in t' olden days it was very simple as servos only really came in one size...(unless you were a well-to-do Maxi driving Gent & could afford the eye watering cost of tiny servos ).....nowadays thats not true...there are dozens of different sized servos; from very small to very large. Typically radio sets came with 4 "standard" servos.....you screwed these into your trainer & all was well.....these days it is quite common to buy a Tx, an Rx & a battery pack & some servos sized to suit your intended plane seperately. If you go for a typical IC trainer then standard servos are just what you need.....if you go electric then smaller/lighter servos may well be appropriate....I'm sure your club will advise....

I'm not trying to tell you what to do but rather tell you so you know what questions to ask.....