Spitfire 1.2m plus (or should I say) 1.2m to 2m wingspan

[tiny-james]

So I've been thinking and  looking at my next plane to buy after my glider as I thought it would be a Spitfire electric rc 

 

So I was wondering if anyone has one comming up for sale 

 

Wanted Spitfire 1.2m plus (or should I say) 1.2m to 2m wingspan 

 

Edited November 17, 2022 by tiny-james

[Don Fry]

Tiny, you are on an expensive hiding to nothing here. You are on a common exit route from the hobby. Your second plane after the glider should be a little more difficult to fly, and because in your inexperience GOING to break it, and normally fairly quickly, because most learners get a flush of confidence for the second model, should be cheap and easy to replace.

Sorry re straight talk, but I have seen this failure route before, walk before you run mate.

[Ernie]

Don is absolutely right

ernie

[tiny-james]

@Don Fry thank you for the infomation. I do agree with you.

 

what plane would you recormend for my second RC plane ?

Edited November 17, 2022 by tiny-james

[Chris Walby]

Might sound cruel, but the guys are right! How about a high wing trainer e.g RIOT, Kingfisher etc Nothing larger as they are more expensive and not smaller as they are more difficult to see.

 

Start with low rates and keep practicing, then up the high rates until you run out of travel...then move the clevises and keep going...IMO don't bother with 4S upgrade.

 

I loaned my Kingfisher to one of our club instructors who proceeded to execute a demonstration of controlled low speed flight including loops/rolls etc in 20mph gusting 40mph as if was dead calm!   My point is that we never stop learning (even if am watching someone else fly my model in a way I can only aspire to!). We have a chap who is a fast learner and recently passed his A and moved onto a FMS P51, totalled one and snapped the nose off the other + broke the tail off the RIOT. The P51 is a real easy model to fly, but once you add the difference + cost + pressure not to lawn dart it + a more constrained flight envelope and the workload is to high for a novice.

 

There are a few mid wing models aka Rucus (not flow one) that are around, T28's fly well but tricycle U/C suffers, but double check there is a complete spares available, because its very very likely you will be needing them. 

Edited November 17, 2022 by Chris Walby

[Ernie]

Hi Tiny James, WHEN you can really control your trainer. ie get it to go where you want it to, and not where it wants. Take off, fly circuits and eights in both directions, and land at your feet every time, then think about a follow up.

Build it.  from a reputable kit. It's a hugely rewarding experience. But, if you ask 10 people, of course you'll get 10 different answers.

I'd go for a WOT4 from Chris Foss, it will teach you lots, and can be set up to be quite docile. 

As for that spitfire, forget it for now

ernie

[Jon H]

I echo the comments of the other guys here. 

 

Until you can wring the neck of the trainer, ie you are better than it is and you can maximise its performance, just keep flying it. Then move on to something a little higher up the order of difficulty. 

 

A 2m/80 inch Spitfire is going to be 18-22lbs and need a 30-50cc engine or electric equivalent. I am currently helping a club mate with 30+ years of model flying experience in sport/aerobatic models. he is a B cert holder, F3a competitive flyer, ripmax team flyer in the 90's etc and he has found a 2m ARTF Spitfire to be bit of a learning cliff. its a completely different beast to what he was used to. Its been pranged, bent, and bashed but its done its job as a learning tool and he has kit built Spitfire and Hurricane waiting in the wings. He knew it would be a challenge and i recommended a more disposable ARTF before he committed to flying a kit build pride and joy. Having now got to grips with it at the very light and forgiving 16lbs the model ended up at we are going to start adding weight to the c/g to get it up to 20lbs and simulate the models he has coming next. 

 

To be clear, warbirds are not difficult to fly, they are just different and very unforgiving of mistakes. Small/light foamy's are more forgiving, but if you want to go for the 2m span heavy metal then it becomes quite a bit more serious. 

[Richieg66]

Hi @tiny-jamesI returned to flying rc planes after a long break and have a foam Riot, Balsa Wot4, Balsa Ruckus etc. For your next model I would definitely go with a Riot. Its far cheaper than a wood wot4 and a lot more forgiving. 3s 2200 batteries are cheaper as well (don't bother with 4s). The Riot is quite aerobatic, inverted flight, snap rolls, bunts, blenders etc etc and as the investment is less you are probably going to push it more and learn more. I've crashed mine a few times and it's pretty easy to glue back together. Similar crashes would have totalled a balsa wot4...

[Don Fry]

Tiny, remind us what batteries you already own/going to get,  for the glider. Heaven would be the proposed new airframe used the same battery. Might not be possible but it’s always good to keep costs down.

[tiny-james]

I think I will go for a Riot then 

 

Batteries I have 

 

2s 1500 x4

3s 2200 x2

 

[Don Fry]

3s 2200 cells are a good battery, it’s one of the standard sizes, loads of stuff fly on them.

Good luck, take care to have a laugh. Hobby is a game of blood, full of Gods waiting to do you down. The trick is, like gambling, never risk what you are not prepared to lose. Otherwise take up slow model boats.

Next thing the devil of over ambition will whisper in a sultry voice, “go on, build the Spit so when you are ready, it will be ready for you” She is a lying cow. Spend money on learning to fly, never own what you can’t fly. Never spend out on what you don’t need, because the day after you do, you break one, and the finances, and enthusiasm wears thin. 
Ask me how I know.

[Peter Jenkins]

7 hours ago, Chris Walby said:

Start with low rates and keep practicing, then up the high rates until you run out of travel...then move the clevises and keep going...IMO don't bother with 4S upgrade.

 

I don't understand this comment Chris.  Why keep upping rates until you run out of travel?  I only use high rates for spinning.  You can fly most aerobatic manoeuvres a model is capable of with quite low rates and just move the sticks to their limits.  A beginner using high rates can get into trouble with pilot induced oscillations that usually don't have a good end.  Am I missing something?

[David Davis 2]

Tiny James, just ask yourself this question. Did the real Spitfire pilots move straight from a basic trainer to a Spitfire?

 

Neither will you!

 

The guys are quite right. I've never flown a Riot but they are a popular choice as a second model so you should be ok with one of those especially if you let a more experienced pilot take you up on a buddy box for the first few flights.