A question for beginners

[chris hensby]

Hello Dave

I have an DeAGOSTINI radio controlled Spitfire which my pops gave me too build for him it was a pain building it as parts didn`t fit ,the kit is now complete i have not flown a RC model and not want  too damage sed model can you give me advice on what i should do or just leave sed model as display.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Geoff Peacock]

Like so many others on this forum, I returned to flying after 40-plus years in the wilderness of model railways (I last flew F/F and C/L as a lad in 1962). I came back purely on a whim whilst driving along one balmy summer's evening in Upper Wharfedale, North Yorkshire (my home), thinking how nice it would be to have a glider floating round in the sky. These thoughts prompted me to buy a 'vintage' powered glider kit (Precedent Hi-Fly) and a 2nd hand Cox .049 from the great God Ebay - and so the seed was well and truly sown again. That was almost 3 years ago; the glider is still in one piece (I can fly this locally from a friend's moorland field) and I have now advanced to a Uno-Wot with an SC-32 up front. Building the Uno finally pushed me into joining a club, but the isolation of my home means quite a long journey to the club's patch at Keighley (over in WEST Yorkshire). Joining the club gave me access to some great new friends with a common interest, but most of all it got me an instructor (Hi Harry), without whom the Uno would still be in the workroom, unflown. Unfortunately, my visits to the patch are few and far between, in part due to the weather this summer, but also due to fuel costs and available free time, which means that advancement in my flying skills is almost non-existent, despite my efforts under Harry's guidance. The one thing I hate doing is having to ask other fliers for assistance at the patch, knowing that they've come to fly their own models. So I thought, what about a simulator? As a committed non-believer when it comes to PCs and the dreaded Windows system, I have always been, and always will be an AppleMac man, but I can't find a SIM which will accommodate the Mac system. So what do I do? The simple answer is... I read as many books and magazines as possible, keep tabs on the many forums (fora?) on t'internet, plus... build more models! I am just starting on a Keil-Kraft Ladybird which will have 3-channel R/C fitted (thanks to Peter Miller's book), and have already started a collection of plans for 'future reference'. I can't ever see myself flying anything which ballet dances its way around the sky at high speed, so I'm concentrating my efforts on things like Austers, Beavers and the like - in fact I'm looking for a copy of the old Aeromodeller plan for a 60" span DH-C2 Beaver. Anybody got one? So for now I just keep banging away at reading, surfing the web and building, hoping that sooner or later (probably the latter) I'll become proficient enough to chuck something into the sky without assistance. One thing is certain - I'm back, and I'm here to stay!

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Welcome back Geoff, good to hear its permanent

[Tim Mackey]

yes, same here Geoff, welcome aboard!

[Jeff Weston]

as i lwas told by my instructor...you learn nothing from crashing......tell that to my plane that got shot down by interfierence......but im still learning i suppose its all part of it......ie....dont make the same mistake twice.........practice practice practice .make all your controls clean and smooth..fly at an easy controlable speed....

[Darrell King Mr]

I started this hobby in December of 07 when my son bought me an air hoggs mini heli and I worked it until I was able to fly it around the living room. I then went on to a two channel heli and was disapointed with the performance so I went to a four channel and the fun started. I loved the four channel apache 94H and am still having fun learning to fly it like a pro. This was all this year in Jan and Feb. Then I started to buy planes. What could be so hard about flying a model plane I asked myself????? Ha!!!! was I in for a supprize. Ended up buying four cheap fomies four channel and could never get one of them off the ground. I did get a lot of practice repairing them however and also in the building department.  Finally in May I got a Hobbyzone Super Cub and finally got a plane off the ground and into the sky. I am on my fourth Cub now and this one is in pretty good condition compaired to the others. Needless to say learning to fly is a challenge. I live in a small town ( pop 3500) so findling an experienced instructor is dam near impossible  so I had to teach myself from trial and error and reading fourms like this one.  I am pretty good at the take off mostly on models with landing gear but also have three parkzone warbirds that are hand tossed that I have been able to get inot the air and fly. Landing is still a learning process yet I am getting better at it .  I now have close to 20 planes a few which have only seen a taxi and no air time as I am scared to death to crash them . So I keep working my skills on the cub and the other planes that I am able to fly like the e-flite P-38, and parkzones Spitfire, FW190, and the P-51D. I have a slowflyer S.A.E. 5 which just refuses to go up. a Diamond ducted fan jet  F-18 Hornet with no nose  because of the many crashes, a Diablo that Has been a good learning jet. Building the planes is just as much fun as the actual flying but flying has a lot more thrills. I am still learning and some day will have the guts to put up my other planes .  

[Jeff Weston]

with the weather not being the best for flying,,,,IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT..

i went out and bought a vapour indoor,by horizon hobbies,,,they are about 90.quid depending where you get them from,they are 3 channel and look a bit weedy,threre very strong and take a bit of bashing,,,but they are ideal to begin with and fun.they fly slow and easy and help keep your hand in,,,,they have throttle,rudder,elevator,,you can loop them and to some extent do a prop hang,,,its great fun,,

im 45 going on 15,,,still a big kid,,,i dont care the thing is enjoy your flying and learn by your mistakes,,

[Phil Winks]

The Vapour eh seen one of them at our club flown outdoors on a still day they look fun our chairman has a larger version and that flies well even in a minor breeze about 3 mph. a word to Darrell the landing phase when it comes to you suddenly becomes surprisingly easy the trick is learning to bleed the power of as you gradually feed in up elevator and giving the model enough space to glide in thats the bit I'm still getting wrong but with 9 flights yesterday and only one dodgy landing I'm hoping I've cracked it will still be using the sim during the week to make sure I don't forget though

[Roger Yeomans 3]

I've found it hard when I went along to my local club {Basingstoke}.To be honest I didn't find them very friendly or welcoming.So I have loads of kit but haven't actually flown yet.I struggle for advice etc.But I figure biuld the machine go along to the field and just get on with it.But certainly the hobby seems not to welcome new novice members.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Phil Winks]

I'd be surprised Phil if they insist on membership for your "helper". And if they decide to have a go, they will be covered for the 1st 6, (I think) visits by the clubs bmfa membership, provided they are supervised by a "club instructor". As for waiting for the good weather, believe it or not its surprising how many good flying days you get during the winter months. Bmfa membership runs jan 1 to dec 31, as do a lot of club memberships, so waiting till spring arrives is arguably just wasting money.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Phil Winks]

there are some very worthwhile training schools out there Phil and if you can afford it in your situation I'd give it some thought. They will take you from absolute begginer to "A" cert in just a few visits in most cases.

[dzeno kovacevic]

i had no instructor i am new on forum i come from bosnia and herzegowina.but we have big problem , we have no modeller shops the nearst is in slovenia 250 miles from bosnia. so if anyone can resolwe our problem on any way I would appreciate it....thanks

[Phil Winks]

Welcome Dzeno, you'll be more than welcome to ask any question you want on here, and some one will almost certainly have an answer for you. Its a good idea to try and target your questions through the appropriate forum section, but if in doubt ask in here and someone will suggest the right place for your question.

[ed, eddie]

Hi as it says above my name is Ed, or Eddie I don`t like my given name of Edward.   I am a total beginner having not yet joined a club ( I have visited two local ones ).

I have asked those all important questions and received in a very friendly and helpful manner all the relevant answers. I have taken out a sub to RCM&E got my free flight box which I have duly assembled and read several articles in the mags and online.

Based on all my newly found info I purchased a Chriss Foss trainer from a very helpful Paul at a Hornchurch Model Shop who also told me of  my other requirements for essential and non-essential eqpt.

Money is an issue for me because of illness I can`t work so with an agreeable Model shop owner I set about obtaining the essentials by instalment payments. The intention was to go 2.4 ghz as this seems the most obvious for today and the future of R/C flying.  The trainer was paid for and assembled although the instructions are wrong because the control rods come out the opposite side to what the instructions say.This is where my plans changed because listed on ebay  was a complete set up for £225 all new and totally unused a bargain I knew. I sent the email asking if he would accept payment by instalments which he agreed. A month later my wife and I drove to the New Forest ( I`m in Dagenham, Essex ) and paid the final instalment and collected my  new purchase.

This consisted of an aeroplane ( Twister retail price £139.99 I am told )  an electric starter, glow starter, spanner, spare glow plug, hand crank fuel device, silicone tubing, battery, Irvine .46 engine all the associated chargers etc  fuel and last but not least a futuba radio set which I thought was a 6ex, on examination of my newly acquired parts when we arrived home I noticed the radio is in fact a 6exp not an ex even so still a bargain price.

I know someone is going say that is the wrong plane to learn with, I knew this before I asked about buying it. What I have done is transferred the engine and radio gear into the trainer with the twister to either be retained and flown once I have learned how to fly or to sell on.

My trainer has not as yet taken to the skies but I have had it running and taxied a couple of lengths of my garden.  I was surprised at the ease that this engine fired up. The only thing I have purchased in addition so far is a refuelling nipple which I mounted on the side of the fuselage to aid re & de fuelling. I would like however to change the transmitter & receiver to a 2.4 set.

I would be grateful to anyone that could assist in my learning to fly or would welcome any suggestions as to something I may have overlooked.

Thankyou all in anticipation

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Ed, you need to join a club and receive the services of an instructor, just alter your profile so folks can see where in Essex you live, thanks.

Have you joined the BMFA? - it's an essential task and they can direct you to a local club. Good luck and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.   

[ed, eddie]

Have not joined BMFA yet because there is only a couple of months left for the current years subs, I am waiting for the new year. I already have a club lined up but again they charge a one off fee each year of £28 subs again not going to pay that just for a few remaining weeks of this year.

I have done my homework and not just jumped in feet first, I did state that I had visited 2 clubs both quite different. One the members were very friendly and extremely helpful but thier flying field is ( I thought ) very small approx 50` x 20` trees in front and very long grass all around the actual strip, a footbridge very close by and a fairly busy road. On the opposite side is a field full of horses. I didn`t think this was a very good situation.

The other club has a massive field open on all sides with plenty of clear visibility and no obstructions or hazards nearby ( except other members ) so I know which i will be joining.

[Phil Winks]

sounds all good to me Eddie hope your able to spend many happy hours there

[ed, eddie]

I used to sail an R/C yacht so when I saw the article about flying from water I immediately thought great and read the entire article.

It is on this website somewhere, I don`t remember where exactly but it sounds like a goal to aim for to me. Get myself flying first, take my tests and then worry about the wet stuff. My local park has a nice big field and yep you guessed it a big pond at one end. I think a letter to the parks dept might be in order soon, then i can have the best of both worlds.

[Phil Winks]

That sounds cool mate not to many locations like that around. Enjoy

[Martin Dunn 2]

hi i am 12 years old and i want a contry rotating blade helicopter for indors under £100 so i would like to no what the best one is that i could get please thanks

martin 

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Tim Mackey]

Hi Martin and welcome to “The Friendly Forum” 

If you have not already done so, could I ask you to have a read of these few guidelines we have listed to help you with using the forum. …. read the “pinned stickies” which are shown with a red “pin”.

 Here’s a few other links which may be helpful.

Perhaps this in particular may help

And this.

For a list of clubs in your area try this…. http://www.bmfa.org/clubs/index.html

Once again, welcome on board and have fun!  Timbo.

PS activate the "message me" facility in your profile, and also as Eric says - post this question in the heli section