Help and Advice For a Complete Beginner To RC Glider Building and Flying

[Ron Gray]

DD, I wasn't advocating that Greg should go down the stabilised model route, what I was trying to point out that a model that 'flies itself' rather than relies on the remote pilot, may be a good choice for someone trying to go it alone.

[David Davis]

1 minute ago, Ron Gray said:

DD, I wasn't advocating that Greg should go down the stabilised model route, what I was trying to point out that a model that 'flies itself' rather than relies on the remote pilot, may be a good choice for someone trying to go it alone.

 

Something like this you mean! 🤨

 

 

[Simon Chaddock]

I would agree that a plane the size of a Radian, 2m span, may sound big but bigger planes:

a) are easier to see.

b) are easier to tell what position they are in.

and perhaps even more important 

c) whatever they do they do it a bit slower!

 

I am a touch older than you and know full well that I have to use experience rather than rely on my not so 'cat like' reactions and if that means some basic form of stabilisation then what's not to like. 'Rate' stabilisation where the gyro just reacts to a disturbance but does not self level makes a plane much easier to control in turbulent conditions but in no way does it stop you crashing it.

If you want to build a kit, when I started balsa kits were the only option, then go right ahead. Even with electric power it is not that complex and is so much easier on the airframe than any IC engine. Electric is quieter too.

Just don't expect too much from your first build. The modern 'ready to fly' moulded foam jobs are really pretty good.

Just my two penny'oth.

[MattyB]

29 minutes ago, Ron Gray said:

DD, I wasn't advocating that Greg should go down the stabilised model route, what I was trying to point out that a model that 'flies itself' rather than relies on the remote pilot, may be a good choice for someone trying to go it alone.

 

24 minutes ago, David Davis said:

 

Something like this you mean! 🤨

 

 

 

I am getting less and less surprised that the OP became discouraged by this thread tbh. He has repeatedly stated he wishes to fly gliders and even asked for specific suggestions based on his criteria (which look sensible enough to me), but people are still posting about stabilised Corsairs and IC vintage sportsters. 🤨

 

Learning on a glider is perfectly possible; many have done it (me included), so I see no real reason to keep bashing the "join a club, get on the power trainer" drum. There is more than one way to skin a cat gents...

Edited December 20, 2022 by MattyB

[Greg]

4 hours ago, David Davis said:

Greg I am also seventy-four. The difference between us is that I have been flying r/c model aeroplanes for thirty-three years and instructing for twenty-five. In my opinion you would be better off contacting a local club and having a go on the buddy-box with their trainer. Don't worry whether it's  a glider, electric powered or i/c powered. Just have a stir on the sticks to see whether you like it. The skills you learn can be transferred to a glider later.

 

I have no experience of park fliers or  of models with in-built stabilisers but I have flown small models and would not recommend them as a basic trainer for a beginner, especially for a beginner no longer in the very first flush of youth. They are difficult to see and disappear rather quickly. I prefer a trainer with at least a five-foot wingspan. You may get away with a four foot electric powered foamie because they have a lower wing loading than traditional balsa and ply models and can fly more slowly but you will then have to re-adapt to the higher flying speeds of a balsa and ply model later on.

 

I haven't read all of this thread. Did you build and fly free flight models when you were young? If so you'll have some knowledge of basic aerodynamics which will be useful.

 

As for learning to fly by yourself, I'm tempted to say that you'll crash within the first twenty seconds but maybe your experience with radio controlled boats will help but if you insist on going it alone, just be gentle on the controls, don't bang them about. We have a novice in our club who is a model car enthusiast. When he's in the air we have to remind him only to use small control movements on the sticks.

 

I'm not trying to put you off but flying an r/c model is not as easy as it looks.

 

Just my two pennorth.

Hello David,

 

Thank you for the sound advice. I did build balsa model aircraft as a boy but that's such distant memory now. I don't know whether it counts but until I joined the fire service at the tender age of 29 I worked for an airline at Gatwick airport for ten years as a dispatcher which involved co-ordinating the turn round of aircraft. I worked on the tarmac with the physical aircraft themselves like the BAC 1-11, Boeing 707s an 747s and DC10s so had plenty of hands on. Does that count? 😀

 

Best regards,

Greg

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

For me, you want to go it alone, therefore its not easy and you will have mishaps, so what you need is a foamy, easy quick repairs possibly on site.

The build you fancy is for flying later.

[Don Fry]

John is right, have another look at the Fun 2 Fry, page one of thread. 
It is tough. Its a cheap as a plane gets. It’s got 3 stability modes. In high stability mode, you really do just let the sticks go, and it sorts itself out, while you have a de-panic.

[David Davis]

36 minutes ago, MattyB said:

 

 

I am getting less and less surprised that the OP became discouraged by this thread tbh. He has repeatedly stated he wishes to fly gliders and even asked for specific suggestions based on his criteria (which look sensible enough to me), but people are still posting about stabilised Corsairs and IC vintage sportsters. 🤨

 

Learning on a glider is perfectly possible; many have done it (me included), so I see no real reason to keep bashing the "join a club, get on the power trainer" drum. There is more than one way to skin a cat gents...

 

Matty B,  if you look at my previous post you'll see that I said that the Radian made a good trainer and if Greg is determined to learn on his own, it's probably the best first choice. Go for it Greg, just be gentle on the sticks! That said, if Greg were to join a club, my experience is that he'd meet lots of like minded enthusiasts who could help him to both build and fly.

 

The picture of the Junior 60  was a tongue in cheek response to Ron Grey's point. I learned to fly on one  so will always have a soft spot for them. They're not the best trainer but I like their flying characteristics. It's electric powered btw.

[Cuban8]

Greg, you've a wealth of opinions from us to think about and make a decision as which way you'll approach your entry into the hobby. If you do decide to start from scratch without any practical assistance then I do wish you the very best of luck.

I presume that you don't have a flight sim to practice on, but I've  remembered that in one of David Boddington's beginners books (I think it was 'Building and flying RC model aircraft' - published years before the advent of home PCs and sim software) that he dealt with the subject of learning without assistance and suggested that before attempting that first flight, a useful amount of homework could be done by having your better half or a friend hold the model up in a flying attitude - not too far away - and putting it in a number of odd attitudes and then seeing whether you put in the right corrective stick input. Also having them call "up and left" etc and then seeing if you respond with the correct inputs. Hold the model with it facing you and get used to control reversal. Obviously deactivate the motor or remove the prop!

Might be worth spending a bit of time trying it and getting  your eye in and developing a degree of experience before trying for real. Sounds a bit odd and the neighbours will think you've flipped if you try it ouside in the garden - but I reckon it'll help you.

One other thing.......beginners always fall into the trap of allowing the model to get too far from them - usually a steady drift down wind until it becomes a dot. The problem creeps up on the new pilot and all of a sudden you can't tell which way is which.......model lost! Bear that in mind and be prepared for it. Make your first flights in as still conditions as possible. Have a helper to remind you about the model's positioning  and distance,  it's all to easy to over concentrate on the model and lose track on it.

 

[Ron Gray]

2 hours ago, MattyB said:

people are still posting about stabilised Corsairs

Please read the context in which that was posted before passing your judgments. 

[MattyB]

9 hours ago, David Davis said:

....The picture of the Junior 60  was a tongue in cheek response to Ron Grey's point. I learned to fly on one  so will always have a soft spot for them. They're not the best trainer but I like their flying characteristics. It's electric powered btw.

 

8 hours ago, Ron Gray said:

Please read the context in which that was posted before passing your judgments. 

 

Gents, I'm sure you mean well but we have already collectively (me included) confused the OP once to the point he was reconsidering his decision to join the hobby. For this reason I suggest we leave the humour in other threads and stick to giving him the advice he has requested in as concise a form as possible. 

[David Davis 2]

OK, my last comments on this subject. Though gliders are not my strong suit I have built a Great Planes Spirit, a Westwings Orion-E and a Precedent Electrafly all of which flew successfully.

 

1. I think that we can all agree that the Radian would make a good basic trainer though being a foamy ARTF it's not exactly what the OP wanted. I have instructed on the Radian and it's a very stable model. It would make a good choice if a beginner wanted to learn to fly by himself.
2. The same may be said for the Multiplex Easy Glider and its clones, which are also foamy ARTFs. These have the propeller mounted behind the wing so at least a novice pilot will not break the propeller in the event of an arrival.
3. Finally, if the Greg wants to build a model glider then the Balsa Cabin Sonata would be a good choice given his skill at building model boats but he may struggle when it comes to covering the model without the assistance of an experienced aeromodeller.

I'll leave it at that.

[Greg]

Hello,

 

Thank you to those who have given me advice on what would suit me as a my first glider so I can get started almost straight out of the box and thank you to those well meaning members who continue to press the rights and wrongs of going ahead on my own which to me at 74 are still off putting as at my age I'm never going to be a flyer who is going to progress up through different gliders in different styles of flying making it a long and rewarding hobby. Not trying to sound morbid but when you get to my age, as I am sure some of you will agree, we don't know how much longer we have on this planet. Having said that I might add that I don't plan on going anywhere soon just right now. 

 

What I have not said before is that about 7 years ago I did try (very briefly) to fly a friends ready to fly model light aeroplane and found it difficult so I think I know what to expect when it comes to learning to fly a glider. What I intend to do is approach the task logically by start with some low take offs just a few feet off the ground and allowing the craft to land on it's own. then try some lands in the same manner. Once fairly happy with take offs and lands I would then attempt some shortish straight flights with some climbing and descending and finally some circuits of the park. Add to that mix a lot of walking to pick up the crashed craft and most possibly some repairs along the way. All in all just having fun. All this would be over a period of time with nothing being rushed. 

 

Greg 

[Piers Bowlan]

In Greg’s OP he is clear on what he wants; he says he wants to build and fly an EP balsa glider kit and teach himself to fly it - and why not, if he builds model boats he will be able to build a balsa model.

 

John Lee mentioned the Aeronaut range earlier. The quality of their kits have been highly praised in previous RCM&E reviews and I suggest the LT200 Flex could be considered? The description on the Model Shop Leeds website is helpful although unfortunately out of stock, but Retro modeller do have one in stock here. You will see from the comprehensive instructions here, the build is quite technical using jigs to ensure everything is straight and true. The wings are all balsa sheeted too so the model could just be doped if preferred to film covering. The instructions provide details of different ‘build options’ including ailerons/elevator vs rudder/ elevator control, plus a wing spoiler option too ( I think this is crow braking and not something for a first model perhaps!). 
DD mentioned ‘breaking propellers’. Like all e-gliders the model would have a folding propeller so unlikely to break unless you land with the motor running.

The completed model may have a hard life and end up brushed and battered Greg but if you build the model yourself you have a good chance of being able to repair it. It is a learning curve after all.

 

 

 

 

[Piers Bowlan]

What about a Keil Kraft Caprice free flight glider Greg? You would enjoy the build no doubt and they fly so well. Some people fit them with just rudder radio control to keep them in the same county!

[David Davis]

Please let us know how you get on Greg, we will all be interested in your progress.

[Greg]

1 hour ago, David Davis said:

Please let us know how you get on Greg, we will all be interested in your progress.

I will certainly keep you posted on my progress. One thing I do want to add is that when I say I want to build a balsa glider, apart from flying it I thoroughly enjoy the build process which to me is all part of the fun. As I have said I have built and I am building model boats. I have a passion for both static display model ships from the Royal Navy in the times of Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars and have just started a 1:64 scale museum quality model of HMS Lady Nelson which was at the time a fast cutter and I am two thirds complete in building the ship that Darwin sailed in on his epic journey HMS Beagle. The RC model I am also building at the moment is the Aeronautical Cabin Cruiser Diva which is a straight forward easy to build RC boat which will give me a great deal of pleasure when I come to sailing it around the pond. 

 

At my age the inverses is on the pleasure of the build and all else that follows is a bonus. If I decide that after I have built it flying is really not for me I will pass it onto one of grandsons or my great grandson along with the trainer I'm about to purchase and watch them crash and burn whilst learning. And don't anyone tell me they need to join a club!  😁

 

Having been given all the wonderful advice from a lot of very nice people I am now off to decide on and purchase my plastic/foam training glider and take a look at balsa kits to build.

 

Thanks again.

 

Very best regards,

Greg

 

[Greg]

2 hours ago, Piers Bowlan said:

What about a Keil Kraft Caprice free flight glider Greg? You would enjoy the build no doubt and they fly so well. Some people fit them with just rudder radio control to keep them in the same county!

Hello Piers,

 

The Caprice looks good but as it is a free flight glider would it be difficult to launch? As I have said being 74 with Arthritis my strength in my arms is not what it used to be. That is why I thought of a powered glider. I thought I being powered might help me getting the craft off the ground.

 

Greg

[Simon Chaddock]

Greg

A powered glider really is an easy thing to hand launch unless you have bought something that is in the 100+ mph club.

Gliders usually have a low wing loading so fly relatively slowly. It is all needed if you want to make use of thermals for lift.

Many powered gliders also have quite a considerable power performance so can climb quickly to altitude, shut down the motor and then just glide looking for lift. The battery is usually sized so you can repeat such a climb quite a few times before you have to land.

These characteristics mean such a glider only needs a very gentle launch, more of a push than any sort of throw.

Of course you don't have to do 'rocket' climbs if you don't want to. Electric is fully throttleable 0 & 100% so you can just slowly 'cruise about' for quite extended periods.

Getting relaxed flying time in the air is one of the features that can make a power glider a good leaning tool.     

[Greg]

9 minutes ago, Simon Chaddock said:

Greg

A powered glider really is an easy thing to hand launch unless you have bought something that is in the 100+ mph club.

Gliders usually have a low wing loading so fly relatively slowly. It is all needed if you want to make use of thermals for lift.

Many powered gliders also have quite a considerable power performance so can climb quickly to altitude, shut down the motor and then just glide looking for lift. The battery is usually sized so you can repeat such a climb quite a few times before you have to land.

These characteristics mean such a glider only needs a very gentle launch, more of a push than any sort of throw.

Of course you don't have to do 'rocket' climbs if you don't want to. Electric is fully throttleable 0 & 100% so you can just slowly 'cruise about' for quite extended periods.

Getting relaxed flying time in the air is one of the features that can make a power glider a good leaning tool.     

Hello Simon,

 

Your comments have hit the nail on the head as it were. That is exactly what I want to achieve.

 

It was so refreshing to read your comments. (if refreshing is the correct word. But it will do for me)

 

Thank you.

 

Best regards,

Greg 

[Don Fry]

Greg, bit of advice about the lift off and land thoughts. That is a stress flight mode. I do that only if a fault occurs and I must land, break it or not. It’s difficult to switch from take off to landing brain. Otherwise get  hight. Hight gives you time. The collision only occurs in the last six inches. Take off, fly, and land. A trainer glider, if you don’t care where it goes down, will land itself if you cut power and keep it into wind.

[Greg]

4 minutes ago, Don Fry said:

Greg, bit of advice about the lift off and land thoughts. That is a stress flight mode. I do that only if a fault occurs and I must land, break it or not. It’s difficult to switch from take off to landing brain. Otherwise get  hight. Hight gives you time. The collision only occurs in the last six inches. Take off, fly, and land. A trainer glider, if you don’t care where it goes down, will land itself if you cut power and keep it into wind.

Hello Don,

 

Thank you. That is really good advice. Makes a a lot of sense. Not something I'd think of as a beginner.

 

Regards,

Greg

 

[Gary Binnie]

Another suggestion (as if you need any more!) is to try slope soaring, there are many sites around Exeter.

 

EPP (expanded poly-propylene) gliders are virtually indestructible, no worries over crash landings.

 

I learned on the slope with a two-channel glider, plenty of flying time and only a hand launch to worry about.

 

The SAS Wildthing is hugely popular, if not available new they come up in the classifieds, construction is very quick and is done mostly with reinforced tape.

 

This is me flying mine on Chesil Beach, it's 20 years old and still flying.

 

 

[leccyflyer]

11 hours ago, David Davis 2 said:

OK, my last comments on this subject. Though gliders are not my strong suit I have built a Great Planes Spirit, a Westwings Orion-E and a Precedent Electrafly all of which flew successfully.

 

1. I think that we can all agree that the Radian would make a good basic trainer though being a foamy ARTF it's not exactly what the OP wanted. I have instructed on the Radian and it's a very stable model. It would make a good choice if a beginner wanted to learn to fly by himself.
2. The same may be said for the Multiplex Easy Glider and its clones, which are also foamy ARTFs. These have the propeller mounted behind the wing so at least a novice pilot will not break the propeller in the event of an arrival.
3. Finally, if the Greg wants to build a model glider then the Balsa Cabin Sonata would be a good choice given his skill at building model boats but he may struggle when it comes to covering the model without the assistance of an experienced aeromodeller.

I'll leave it at that.

Small clarification - the Multiplex Easy Glider is a conventional foam electric glider with the motor up front and a tractor folding propeller, You might be thinking of the EasyStar, which is an electric foamy pusher model and which has similarly configured  pushers, such as the popular Bixler.

[David Davis 2]

20 minutes ago, leccyflyer said:

Small clarification - the Multiplex Easy Glider is a conventional foam electric glider with the motor up front and a tractor folding propeller, You might be thinking of the EasyStar, which is an electric foamy pusher model and which has similarly configured  pushers, such as the popular Bixler.

 

Quite so. I misread it from a French model catalogue.