Mid life crisis prevention required

[David Hazell 1]

Hi, David from Portishead (Bristol) here.

I'm toying with the idea of getting back into aero modelling. I had a joyful youth assembling free flight balsa kits and the evocative smell of cellulose dope to shrink the tissue onto the airframes. I progressed onto control line flying, with my Dad always there to start the tiny screaming diesel engine and watch me get giddy doing wing overs and loops. Then onto RC with an OS .30 (?) high wing trainer, but never went further than that as I discovered girls...

I feel like it's high time to get back to putting together some traditional bulids and it's more about the process and coming up with a finished model than actually flying it. That being said, I'm quite sure I'll look forward to seeing if my creations perform well... I am only interested in "traditional" build style at the moment, I've read another thread on here with some excellent suggestions for what a newbie should build first, but he's an experienced pilot, so somewhat different from me.

I'm leaning heavily towards getting hold of a DB sport and scale kit. Both of the Tiger Moth kits keep catching my eye and the price whilst by no means cheap, isn't going to break the bank. I'll also need to get hold of Tx Rx, Servos, propulsion (electric just seems so clean and sensible and I nearly had my finger off adjusting the needle valve of my OS engine back in the day!)

I'll probably take a bit of time, read up some. I might even get myself a subscription to the magazine, read the forum, see what soaks into my withered brain!

Anyways, that's me. Hi folks.

[David Hazell 1]

Thanks to a post on here highlighting their woes with converting a Precedent Hi-Boy, I instantly recognised it as the trainer I had (mine had a veneered foam wing though). Boy was it heavy I used to fly it in the field out the back of my childhood house, in Gordano School playing fields. There used to be quite a scene there at one point and I'm wondering if it used to be the home of the Woodspring Wings back in the day (circa 1980-1985)...

Reading a few posts on here is very quickly persuading me that I need to re-start my model flying career with something that won't break my heart when I prang it. So I'm now in a dilemma as to what to get first. I'm looking forward to it though. I need this back in my life!

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

You can't go far wrong with a Century Max Thrust Riot. Fly great and can take a bump.

Edited By Andy Symons - BMFA on 26/01/2020 17:28:46

[alan barnstable]

Hi David, you've got three clubs near to you, AMARC, Woodspring Wings, and Weston Model Flying Club. Go along to these, they will provide you the opportunity to fly using a buddy box, and will point you in the right direction regarding choice of model.

I have made the DB Sport & Scale Tiger Moth, but wouldn't recommend it as a way back into the hobby. It will cost you almost £300 by the time you've got everything, and it can not be described as a trainer type plane, it's quite tricky to fly compared with pure trainers. Better to start with something cheap and cheerful.

[Trevor Crook]

Agree with Andy if you want to get to grips with the flying without having to fret about breaking something you've built - it's a foamy.

DB Sport and Scale sell trainer kits, but I think they are all designed for ic, which may present a challenge for you to convert to electric as a newcomer.

Have a look through the Sarik Hobbies website, they have lots of leccy plans/woodpacks, there must be some trainers amongst them.

Have fun!

[Ray Wood 4]

Hi David,

The DB Tyro Major is a good build and good to learn to fly with 😀 worked for me in 1977.

Regards Ray

[Paul Marsh]

Welcome. Luckily I never was into girls, or relationships, so kept modeling and accrued over 600 airframes, engines and the like. Must be weird having to start from scratch, though it's changed so much and a good choice on what to do.

Maybe, also go to the shows in the summer and Swap meets, which is another aspect of the hobby.

[kc]

Well the Riot is a foam model not a plan built traditional model!

Consider one of the Plan Pack designs from DB - Skyrider, Ghost rider, Barnstormer 63, Tyro Major as a return to building and flying rather than the more complex Tiger Moths. Also plenty of easier to build models from RCME 'free' plans in recent times. Peter Miller's Ohmen design might be a good start for electric built from plans.

[Alan Hilton]

Hi David

The Max Thrust Riot is absolutely the way to go for a trainer .You can build something scale while relearning your flying skills. I wouldn’t recommend a biplane for a second model ,they take more flying skills and tend to only fly well in calm conditions . If you don’t want a scale second model a Chris Foss acrowot is a very good kit and they fly very well. .DB kits are very good ,the auster would make a nice flyable model

Alan

[kc]

Beware that electric is just as dangerous as ic and it starts up instantly with no noise if connected!

A couple of tips to get you back into aeromodelling - plenty of free plans to download and print or just study, also the original articles in many cases - look at Outerzone.  The plan I selected just as an example is Das Ugly Stik but hundreds more to search thro - try RCM Trainer, Rival,or check out designers like David Boddington, Peter Miller, Phil Kraft etc.

Next tip is to look at  "Features" at top of the forum page and go to Building Technique, or Plan Building and all the other sites which are here but not often noticed.  You will also find Peter Miller's article about rebuilding crashed models which might come in handy some day!

Edited By kc on 26/01/2020 18:16:18

Edited By kc on 26/01/2020 18:21:26

[David Hazell 1]

Thanks for the encouragement folks! I'm going to have to do LOTS of research. As pointed out, so much has changed. My Tx was a 35mhz futaba 5ch with a crystal. So I'll need to acquire literally everything to get back in the game.

I don't get loads of free time away from the kids as they're still all young (5, 5, 8) which is kind of what is drawing me to want to build something, to keep my sanity and give me some inner peace. The idea being to still be in the house, quietly tinkering, after they've been packed off to bed. I'm absolutely sure my son will want to get massively involved, but I might wait until he's just a tiny bit older. The other thought was to buy some simple free flight kits for him to get involved with too, which I know he'd adore, whilst I provide a steady hand. The girl twin and the older girl are stereotypically girly and I don't think the fascination would hold for them, but I'll certainly invite them to get involved too.

I'll look up the sets recommended. Foam could be an option, but it doesn't appeal so much on the basis that building is the biggest draw for me at the moment. having a foamy whilst I build out something concurrently however seems like a really sensible option. The idea of getting a simulator also seems like a very sensible option. Slight snag is that I only have a mac mini and a macbook pro so would need dedicated gaming machine!

In terms of flying only on calmer days, that's an almost certainty, as if it's blowing, I'll be off to the beach to go kitesurfing. That way I get to pilot myself in the sky (albeit for a few seconds at a time!). Point definitely taken about the biplane though. I'll adjust my expectations accordingly!

Any kitesurfers or home brewers amongst this rabble here? I'm a veteran of the former and a beginner at the latter.

Thanks for the lovely welcome. I'll see if I can persuade my other half to have a day out with the kids visiting some clubs - she'll then probably decide they'll get bored too quick and let me off whilst she does something else with them!

[Piers Bowlan]

Welcome David. You asked about RC Sims for Mac, so here is Aerofly RC-7, - no need to get a PC! I have no experience of it personally but Aerofly is a well known RC flight sim which works well by all accounts.

I built a Keil Kraft Ajax decades ago which was a hit with my kids. The kit has now been re-released by Ripmax, here. David Ashby reviewed it quite recently in RCM&E. In fact there are several simple traditional kits in the range.

The plan is available from Outerzone as a free download. 

Edited By Piers Bowlan on 26/01/2020 20:48:05

[David Hazell 1]

Brilliant, thank you!

[David Hazell 1]

Posted by alan barnstable on 26/01/2020 17:39:31:

Hi David, you've got three clubs near to you, AMARC, Woodspring Wings, and Weston Model Flying Club. Go along to these, they will provide you the opportunity to fly using a buddy box, and will point you in the right direction regarding choice of model.

I have made the DB Sport & Scale Tiger Moth, but wouldn't recommend it as a way back into the hobby. It will cost you almost £300 by the time you've got everything, and it can not be described as a trainer type plane, it's quite tricky to fly compared with pure trainers. Better to start with something cheap and cheerful.

Having checked the BMFA website, actually, AMARC is a 10 minute drive from my home, so I think I'll go and see them as soon as I can!

[Jason-I]

If its a building project you mostly want followed by a simple to fly plane to get you back in the hobby, then why not have a look at some of the classic ben buckle kits. The junior 60 spring to mind...

**LINK**

Traditional (yet simple) build.

Electric setup for it here:

**LINK**

(although you can easily get equivalent and cheaper components elsewhere, such as hobbyking if cost is an issue)

 

Free plan here:

 

https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=9995

 

Edited By Jason-I on 27/01/2020 12:11:08

Edited By Jason-I on 27/01/2020 12:12:51

[David Hazell 1]

Thanks Jason, I'll take a look. I bit the bullet and subscribed to the mag too. I'm excited! I am going away for the rest of the week, but upon my return I will start gathering tools and the like. I like the look of that SLEC fuselage thing so will grab one of those. Is MDF any good as a buildling board? My neighbour is a chippy and gets through tons of the stuff - I might be able to pinch an offcut from him.

[Jason-I]

Posted by David Hazell 1 on 27/01/2020 14:20:59:

Thanks Jason, I'll take a look. I bit the bullet and subscribed to the mag too. I'm excited! I am going away for the rest of the week, but upon my return I will start gathering tools and the like. I like the look of that SLEC fuselage thing so will grab one of those. Is MDF any good as a buildling board? My neighbour is a chippy and gets through tons of the stuff - I might be able to pinch an offcut from him.

MDF is too hard to push modeling pins into (unless you want to hammer them in). However, top your MDF sheet with a piece of plasterboard then that should do - providing you lay it on a sturdy & flat table. (MDF is quite bendy). 

 

Edited By Jason-I on 27/01/2020 14:48:45

[Roger Price 1]

Whilst the Junior 60 is a good recommendation I would highly recommend the Super 60. I still have one in my garage from at least 30 years ago and it still is going strong. Like you I enjoy the building and this plane is a pleasure to put together. Would suggest aliphatic resin as a glue rather than Cyano!

[Jason-I]

Posted by Roger Price 1 on 27/01/2020 14:55:56:

Whilst the Junior 60 is a good recommendation I would highly recommend the Super 60. I still have one in my garage from at least 30 years ago and it still is going strong. Like you I enjoy the building and this plane is a pleasure to put together. Would suggest aliphatic resin as a glue rather than Cyano!

The super 60 is an excellent recommendation.

The Junior 60 I referred to however was the electric version. Ben Buckle have produced an electric plan and kit which should take all of the guess work out of it. (and 4-max have published an electric setup).

 

I am surprised Ben Buckle don't produce an 'electric' version of the super 60. Not that it would be that difficult to alter it yourself, and the 4-max Junior 60 electric setup should work just fine in the Super 60 as well.

David - this is the trap we all fall in. So many choices and too little time (and storage space) to have them all....

Edited By Jason-I on 27/01/2020 15:13:05

[Tim Flyer]

A Chris Foss Uno Wot kit would be good. It’s a decent kit plus a traditional trainer and you can buy direct from Chris Foss designs.

[Tim Flyer]

A Chris Foss Uno Wot kit would be good. It’s a decent kit plus a traditional trainer and you can buy direct from Chris Foss designs. **LINK**

[Nigel R]

**LINK**

DB Pronto, no question, easiest 3 chan RC balsa build going. Plan shows lots of dimensions - draw it straight on the wood. No awkward curves to cut out, apart from the wing rib template.

Perfect trainer characteristics when built.

Electric conversion - no problem, purchase some 25mm M3 standoffs and attach motor to firewall using standoffs. 3s3000 size lipo goes in the tank bay. ESC mounted between the standoffs right behind motor. 3536/1000kv motor, 9x6 prop, 30A esc, 3S 3000mAh lipos.

 

Edited By Nigel R on 27/01/2020 16:08:45

[kc]

The Pronto looks like an ugly simplified version of the Tyro Major to me! Not a lot more effort to build a Tyro Major and the plan is also on Outerzone. The Tyro Major plan can also be purchased from DB Sport & Scale who also sell a set of wing ribs for £10.50 if you don't want to cut them yourself.

There is also a Mini Pronto plan on Outerzone.

[David Hazell 1]

Loving all the input I'm getting here, thanks so much chaps! I'm about to reach out to Amarc and see if I can get down to their club for a chat sometime in Feb.

All suggestions will be carefully considered and I'll let you know what I end up getting.

How about Tx/Rx? I guess it's going to be sensible to wait until I've been to the local club and discovered what mode the bulk of them use. Also bewildered by what's available there. At least if I get an electrical setup matched up by 4-max I won't have _that_ decision to also make...

[Trevor Crook]

David, you will get plenty of different radio recommendations on here! I would suggest talking to the instructors in the club you are considering and seeking guidance from them on brand (as well as mode). Being able to connect to an instructor's transmitter with your own (so-called buddy-box) is a big plus, and generally only works with transmitters of the same make. You will also find it easier to get setup guidance from someone with the same make of radio.