What did you learn with?

[TheFlyingCrust]

Veron Impala for me.Back in 1982. I covered it in nylon/dope. A very easy glider to learn on. I remember when I took it to the slope for the first time, I was waiting for my instructor to finish gassing to another guy so enlisted a young lady (who'd come to watch her boyfriend fly) to hold the model so I could do a range check. No problem there, until I said thank you - and she promptly lobbed it into the air!!! The aerial was still in. Somehow or other I managed to avoid a crash until my instructor rushed over to save me.

Ian

Ps. Here's a pic of an original kit.

Edited By TheFlyingCrust on 22/09/2014 23:24:35

[Dave Hopkin]

Just noticed in theflyingcrusts photo of his Impala kit, one of those god awful plastic swan morton knives, put any pressure on the think and the back of the blade would erupt through the plastic handle.......

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Back in around 1975, my first RC model was a lovingly crafted single channel Sterling Cessna 180 which, after me eschewing all offers of help by a much more experienced friend, was launched by him as I stood poised to perform a series of daring and impressive manoeuvres with the aid of the "Wee McGregor" Codamac radio - which despite the claims on the box, seemed to have no control of the situation whatsoever.

It clawed for the clouds briefly, stalled, dropped its nose and dived, of course under full power, into the unforgiving turf of Nomansland Common, exploding the intricate nose section into tiny fragments as far back as the firewall.

After a couple of abortive attempts to fly it at Croxley Moor (with a very bodged repair involving several slabs of 1/2 inch balsa) with the help of members of my newly joined club (Watford Wayfarers) several "old hands" strongly recommended consigning it to the bin and putting the fire breathing Enya .09 (that's about 1.5 cc!) into a trainer called a Lumpers. I duly sent a postal order to MAP for a set of plans and once I'd built it - and modified it to remove the strange error that I'd managed to introduce to the wing seat - it proved to be everything claimed, standing up to some spectacular arrivals with only minor damage and increasing rattles of the loose bits inside the nylon covered wings.

Of course, none of this is relevant today, except the heartfelt advice, learnt by many of us the hard way, to find someone experienced to help and guide you through the early stages - and listen to them!

Edited By Martin Harris on 23/09/2014 01:08:10

[David Davis]

Although I learned to fly on a Flair Junior 60 as stated above, it was not my first r/c model, it was my first successful r/c model.

My first r/c model was a St Leonard's Models "Gemini," a 50 inch span high wing monoplane with a tricycle undercarriage. It could be built as a three or four-channel trainer. I built it as a three channel model. In those transmitter-grabbing-days I succeeded stuffing it into a tree on my second flight through confusing right and left as the model flew towards me. It wasn't badly damaged but it was too "hot" for me so I built the Junior 60, covered it in Olive Drab parachute nylon, (nice!) and transferred the engine and receiver to it.

Sometime later I acquired a second receiver and a McCoy 19 Bluehead fitted with a throttle. It wouldn't pull the skin off the proverbial but it flew the Gemini, just about. One Sunday lunchtime it went screaming in from 400 feet into a marsh! Pilot error, the pilot hadn't charged the receiver battery the night before! The wings snapped off at the roots but the fuselage was surprisingly, hardly damaged. I swapped it for another damaged model with another club member who also had a Gemini.

The name of that damaged model, the Telemaster 66, and that started a whole new chapter in my aeromodelling life.....

I still have the Gemini plan and sometimes dream of building another one to prove that my flying skills have improved, but there are far too many more interesting models to build these days!

[GrumpyGnome]

Tried teaching myself on a DB Tern - 2 channel powered glider. Made some successfukl flights.

Then got taught to fly properly, off coast of wales slopes with a Cambria Capstan.

Then moved on to teaching myself powered flight with an electric three channel from Great Plans or Goldberg (I think) - name escapes me. Three channels controlling barely powered flight for about 4 minutes at a time.

Then a Graupner Teddy powered glider. Then a GWS Tiggy and a series of other GWS foamies. Then all sorts !

Starting over, I'd probabaly go electric 4 channel high wing. LiPos now so cheap that you can fly as much as you like pretty much. And lack of noise may open up other areas when you're confidemt of going solo.

GG

[GONZO]

Ah, the nostalgia. Eyes have gone misty with the memories of picking balsa cement off the fingers and the smell of dope. But, that was before I started RC planes. Mid to late 70's I started learning to fly RC planes with a 3ch plane called a 'Jolly Roger' fitted with an Enya 35 and a second hand Futaba DigiMax 4 27mHz AM set that had 5 (yes 5) wire linear servos. After 4 months roger was less than jolly having hit the ground very hard due to getting disorentated whilst flying on my own one late October evening when it was almost dark. Serves me right. Went on to a 3ch Galaxy models 'Escort' with an OS 19 with a Micron Rx and home made SRC1 servos subsequently replacing the Futaba bits. At 3.25lb it was a loverly flier and flew for ages on the 6oz tank. A member of the Ipswich club even did a rolling circuit with it. I used to enjoy flying it close in at head hight or less at just above tick over on quite evenings. Sold it on and the rest is history they say.

None of the above is of any use to the OP but we seem to have degenerated into remenising about the past. As others have said either IC or electric versions of a main stream trainer, your preference, with an experienced instructor is the way to go. Oh, and a 'buddy lead' set up. None of this wrenching the Tx out of the pupils hands.

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

Posted by GONZO on 23/09/2014 09:00:10:

Ah, the nostalgia. Eyes have gone misty with the memories of picking balsa cement off the fingers and the smell of dope. But, that was before I started RC planes. Mid to late 70's I started learning to fly RC planes with a 3ch plane called a 'Jolly Roger' fitted with an Enya 35 and a second hand Futaba DigiMax 4 27mHz AM set that had 5 (yes 5) wire linear servos. After 4 months roger was less than jolly having hit the ground very hard due to getting disorentated whilst flying on my own one late October evening when it was almost dark.

Oooo I had a Jolly Roger too....a 4 channel version fitted with a Merco 35.....it was the first model I performed a lomcevak with & scared myself witless.....it ended its days when I flew it through a tree....

[Cuban8]

Posted by GrumpyGnome on 23/09/2014 07:58:19:

Then got taught to fly properly, off coast of wales slopes with a Cambria Capstan.

What an amazing thread this is becoming - wonderful memories.............

The Cambria Capstan..............Years ago, a flying mate had one of those, weighed a ton (the model) and used to play 'beat the bungee' with it over our glider field. Object of the exercise was to catapult said Capstan up to height, dive and half loop off the hook and then come screaming down to a landing before the bungee parachute touched down.

Mad really, but he usually did beat the parachute!

[GONZO]

Steve,

Still got the plans for the JR and the Escort. Also still got the Futaba DigiMax 4 but now gutted and modernised on 2.4gHz. The temptations there to build one or other for the revival movement. On the subject of the Galaxy Escort, I'm surprised its not been mentioned before as it was very popular back then. It came in three flavours; 3ch trainer with flat bottom wing for 19 to 25, 4ch same wing with less dihedral and strip ailerons and then the Escort GT with semi semetrical wing for 40 power.