Second plane

[Craig Spence]

Hi all,

 

im currently learning to fly on a Prangster and love it, my question is though what should be my next model once im confident. The Prangster converts into a low wing to learn on as well and I will be flying that way until confident, I was just wondering if flying a mid wing plane handles much different to a low wing?.

 

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated and also any feedback on the model im chooseing would be good to, it's CMP-052 QUEST-50 (46) ARTF they sell this model at my local shop, Avicraft.

 

Thanks all.

[David Perry]

7 views, no posts.

 

I don't know the Quest but to me it looks a bridge too far.  How old are you? If you are a teenager you might do it, any older and I'd question the wisdom.  But like I said, I don't know the Quest first hand.

 

Bottom line, ask your instructor: your own confidence might not be the best measure.

 

David

[ken anderson.]

hello craig--try a chris foss wot 4 or acrowot--you have to build them from a kit-but when they get kapowed they are easily fixed-also a flair magnatilla is ideal as asecond model--this is my choice.........you won't go wrong with these.

 

                               ken anderson.

[David Perry]

Exactly my thoughts. 

 

D

[Craig Spence]

Hi Ken,

thanks for the feedback, I know these models and will ask for a better look when I go down my local model shop.

 

And David im 27 and the plane is a follow up for when im more than confident, in a year or so, thanks.

[David Perry]

Craig,

Okay. I'd go with one of the Wots then. It'll teach you loads!  But if ARTF is your thing then I am sure there are many suitable ones out there. Have a look at a Wot4 or acrowot and try something along those lines in ARTF.

 

But dont let that stop you -  if you really want a Quest then get one but get your instructor to stick with you a tad longer and fly that one with you as well.

 

Enjoy the hobby!

 

D

[Craig Spence]

Hi David,

 

thanks for the feedback and I think when it comes to buying I will get the instructor to stay with a little longer, I can and have built planes before, only gliders though but I work on the oil rig's now on a two on two off rotation and barely have time to get to the field let alone build one from scratch, plus the wife and kid's will never see me lol!. Id love to build but its just not convienent these days cheers David. 

[Jonathan Lewzey]

i'd go for the Quest as a 3rd airframe. I flew the tutor 40 then Travel Air and now a Funtana. So Trainer --> low wing trainer --> 3D aerobat/pattern ship. I have never totalled any of them. If the Prangster can double as a low wing trainer then go for the Quest, because its the next step up.

 

Another thing - no time? Go electric. Something like the Eratix, Kyosho Extra 300S, Tojeiro, Angel S30Eor Mini Capiche  would be ideal as a post low wing stage model. Get a decent powertrain and some flightpower EON cells and you'll have great fun

[Craig Spence]

Hi Jonathan,

 

I thought about doing a third airframe like you say but then thought it would be a waste of money as the plane I have now converts to low wing to train on as well.

I think ill go for the Quest as you say, but for a sport flyer and not a 3d.

 

As for electric, er not for me really, I think IC is alot easier, apart from cleaning the fuel off from every flight.

Thanks very much, very helpfull.

[Jonathan Lewzey]

Don't feel intimidated by electric, it has huge benfits over IC even if IC has benefits over it. It will save you time at the flying field and requires much less heavy support equipment. It can now also cost about the same as IC so money isn't really an issue. I think the area where most people struggle with electric is specifying components, but with patience, the help of a forum and some investigation of components specifications, you can build a very sucessful electric model.

[Victor Saliba]

Dear Craig, I thought my son on a Thunder Tigre trainer, then on a Great Planes Big Stik 40 and then on a Black Horse Speed Air. All three models got constant wing cord.  The Quest is a bit more advanced. Its an aerobatic\pattern model, it's very precise in aerobatics. You must know what you're doing to fly it well. Don't rush.

[Craig Spence]

Hi Victor,

 

I see what your saying, any suggestions for a second model than, I have a low wing spacewalker in the loft.

 

Cheers.

[Jonathan Lewzey]

Spacewalker should be fine.

[Victor Saliba]

Craig, yes a spacewalker should be fine. It's not so fast, constant wing cord, probably semi-symetrical wing with dihedral, easy to land, doesn't stall and nice too. Yes Craig go ahead. Good luck mate.

[Craig Spence]

Thanks all,

 

I think I need to take a trip to the loft and fix it lol!, cheers.

[Craig Spence]

Hi all,

 

I was looking at a third airframe already, another low winger a bit more advanced I think. Its the CMP Lancair, once ive finished on the seagull low wing id like to have this, anyone got one of these and does anyone know what they fly like. Does anyone have any suggestions as to a mid/shoulder wing trainer or can you just go straight to it after learning with high and low wing.

 

Seems like alot of trainer planes before you can buy the ones you actually like lol!, cheers all.

[Victor Saliba]

Craig there's no need for a mid/shoulder wing aircraft. I don't agree with your comment "once I've finished on the Spacewalker id like the Lancair". Actually you will never finish from a model. Yes you go one step forward and fly the Lancair but you will never finish from the Spacewalker. I've got friends, experts in flying, since the 70's who have a Spacewalker. If you fly it safely it will last hundreds of flights and most probably after the Lancair you will go back to the Spacewalker because it's a Sunday flier, relaxing. That's why I've got 51 aircraft.

The CMP Lancair is well made, and it will fly as good as the Spacewalker. It's a matter of wing loading. That's how I categorize how difficult an aircarft is to fly because once things work ok, like the engine, everything is fine but once you are in trouble such as dead stick that's when an aircraft shows what stuff it's made of and how well it is designed. I hope i'm helping you to decide. Just keep flying. Remember, practice makes perfect but nobody is perfect so why practise!!! Keep practising my friend. The more models you fly, the better you will be.

[Craig Spence]

Hi Victor,

 

thanks for the info, very helpfull. I will be fixing the Spacewalker in the loft and putting an sc46 in it and I will also buy the cmp lancair when im ready for it. It looks a really good plane and relatively big as well, good for me to see.

 

As for never finishing with a plane I think your right, Im learning on a Prangster and have been told I should go for my A test in the summer, I think thats not too bad considering I started in Febuary and I work two weeks on two weeks off on an oil rig. I only get down the field 3 times a month,4 if im lucky but when I do I probably get about 8 to 10 flights a seeson lol!.

But any way back to the Prangster, I have a personal attachment to that plane now and will probably never let it go, especially because it's good to fly when it's a bit windy. I dont have that with the spacewalker but may in time.

 

Cheers Victor.

[Victor Saliba]

Craig I know the Prangster, it's a fun-fly model too. Make the most out of it and as you said there's a personal attachment. I too have that attachment with my models and bring me memories. Take care and have fun flying.

[mfin]

Hi Craig, I've had my eye on the Quest 50 too, I might go for it for my next hangar addition. By the way, I don't necessarily agree with the progression of planes, although I see why people said it, depends how confident you are and what you want to do. I went from a few goes on a trainer to a low wing sports thing which hardly 'floated' to do my A then went straight for an Ultimate with a 1.20 four stroke with massive surfaces and chucked it about fine. Depends how confident you are and what you want to do I suppose, I wanted to prop hang and knife edge and wasn't scared of trying. I've got a Fliton Extra at the moment and its the easiest thing to fly until you whack the rates up, setup right I'd bet the Quest 50 would be nice and tame when needed. Its the same with a lot of planes.

[Craig Spence]

Hi mfin,

 

thanks for the feedback it's much apprecited and a bit more refreshing someone saying you can rather than you cant.

 

Cheers.

[mfin]

Thats okay, by the way, if you don't already know then have a look if your transmitter supports exponential which 'desensitizes the initial stick movements effect', well, thats the easiest way to explain it, you'll find it in the manual. (Exponential can do the opposite too but I can't see why anyone would want to do that so don't do it by accident !!). Now, with 'negative' expo dialled in on a 3d capable aircraft (in the region of 25 - 40% for elevators and ailerons, and a bit for rudder), flying is much easier. Plus, you should use dual rates so you have a choice between full movements for slow stuff like 3D and lesser movements for thrashing around at speed.

 

If you don't have a transmitter that supports this stuff (its quite basic) for some reason, then get one first and use it, it'll give you loads more confidence and could well save an aircraft (I think if Id maidened my Extra for instance with 'no expo and on full rates' I might have been in trouble! certainly wouldn't have been 'relaxing').

 

Hope some of that helps.

 

By the way, this is all down to how good you are. But what I'm saying is if you flew my Extra today in the right settings you'd be fine if could already fly a trainer well. By well I mean to a level of dealing with dead sticks easily and had already mucked about bombing it around, rolling and looping it and laughing at how its rubbish and difficult it is to try fly upside down. At this level then you could fly my Extra on no problem whatsoever, in fact, Id say in complete confidence that it would be as easy or perhaps even easier.

 

I think some of the oldies come from a time where neg expo and dual rates didn't exist, let alone the fact that artf's didnt and you might have spent 100 hours or more building something. Nowadays its easier and there's loads of 3D stuff out there, and it hurts your wallet if you crash something but not much else.

 

In very little time, say, one good summer you'd get past the possibility of crashing something and be totally confident. At that point it'll be things like engine and mechanical failures that are the things most likely to write something off!! ...hope we get a good summer now, cos I wanna learn how to lower down in a prop hang as I can do it for yonks but even if I go into a 'wall' at head height (look that one up on youtube) I end up with it slowly creeping up!

 

There are people out there who just like to get stuck in too you see. I still find it a thrill, I never wanted it to be dull, if it did get dull then I'd probably pack it in as Id get nothing from it!

[Craig Spence]

Hi mfin,

 

cheers for the info, I have reduced the throw on the Prangster as it has massive ailerons and have also slowed the response time down as well. Ive just got to remember how to do it myself with my next model.

 

Cheers.

[mfin]

Yeah, just have an experiment with the % of negative expo, when you look at the movements on the surfaces as you move the sticks you can see/feel the effect, I can choose by eye on the ground and normally get it about right first time. (my fliton had suggested expos in the manual as a start point so you can see this is pretty normal).

 

Its best not to completely over-do the neg expo cos you'll end up getting used to massive movements then and that's not going to help your skills in the long run. It all depends on the plane you see. On a trainer you wouldn't really need any but it might not hurt to have little bit, just try things.

 

Rule of thumb with Dual Rates on a 3D model for me is one rate at 100% and the other at 60%. (Thats % of available surface movements if you're with me).

 

Now this means you can 'follow the book' building 3D models in your early days and setup the model with its intended massive throws (normally everything thats physcially possible) which you'll need for 3D but use the low rate to just fly and get used to it. (You could even put one in at say 80% and one at 40% for getting used to it in the air - note I'm talking 3D capable models here). Then, when you're used to it you can use the higher rates.

 

These kind of things should have you flying very capable 3D models quite easily. I've seen people take up models with high throws and no expo and find it very difficult to keep in the air, as a novice you could be looking at its last moments as it leaves the ground in that instance.

 

Get someone else to look at your throws and response too. I think now you've looked at it you'll get to know and you can always ask to waggle the sticks of other planes on the ground to see how they compare but you will find there is no wrong and right and people have things as they want. For instance I know people who have Extra's like mine who just want to fly circuits and so the odd loop and roll so I won't be interested how they've got it setup cos I want to throw mine around.

 

Anyway, happy flying.