Flying R/C for the first time a new experience

I haven't flown the plane on the buddy box. My son is more adapted to flying R/C. I will try it the next time out. I take care of the mechanics and he does the flying. I had to slow the ailerons down a bit. My radio is the older FM and doesn't have rate adjustments. The wheels didn't present a issue and the grass is high. It took of fine and landed equally as well. While the wheel issue was a concern of mine, it wasn't for the guys at the club. I really enjoyed seeing that plane up in the air. It was almost as quickly as it got up, I wanted it back on the ground. Ken

That's great Ken. I hope that you have good luck moving forward. I've always wanted to get into RC.. and "could".. because I have some gear but not everything required to do it right.  The fella that gave me that box-o-engines recently also gave me a .40 size trainer (high-wing) which I'd need to source an engine for. Then there's finding an instructor. I can't kid-myself into thinking I can teach myself. I tried to merely "taxi" a little "Fly-Zone" EP Fokker DR-1 that I bought a few years ago, to see how it handled on the ground.. ........ I should've known better. I couldn't get it to go in a straight line on pavement. Ended up ground-looping it and broke of the top wing at the strut attachments.



Lesson learned.. wait until I progress from high-wing to low-wing.. then on to shorter-coupled designs minimum.. before attempting to fly a DR-1.

I'm sure you know.. it's the "reversing" of the controls when the model is flying toward you.. that messes up the beginning RC pilot. I've been told that turning your back to the model and looking over your shoulder helps a lot with this.

When I watch Andras's, Brad's, Jose's and Mauricio's RC vids posted here frequently on the forum.. I'm in total amazement! I'm only "sighted" in my right-eye.. and my depth-perception of distance isn't very good. I fear that this could be a big factor in my learning to fly RC.

I tried to learn to fly by myself and it got real expensive quick. I got someone to teach me and it took about 5 or 6 flights before I could Solo.. Once you got it , you got it. like riding a bike ,good luck guys

I couldn't agree with you more. My son was very confident and he told me on the way home that he could've taken off the plane with no issue. I'm sure I could as well as I've done it on a simulator many times. What I did notice was how much the speed fell off when you start into a turn. A little up elevator and a bit of throttle seemed to be in order, nothing radical though. I need to shift a little weight to the nose . I may put my battery in my tank compartment. I'm just so glad that this thing worked and it worked very well.

Oh, the dark side!

Glad you enjoyed yourself Ken. What I noticed is the plane seems so far away and it feels like it's getting away from you.

Ron, I did enjoy myself. The R/C guys couldn't believe I hand started the engine though. They were like where's your starter? I put my glove on and said it's right here. I went way overboard building the plane. It was a ARF but a older ARF which you actually did cut, assemble, glue together. I didn't know any better but I doped the fuse and silkspanned it. I then used epoxy primer followed with PPG pearl white and Sunkist orange. Topcoat is PPG Omni clear coat. They didn't believe I built and painted it. Most of these guys here buy planes already to go and go fly them. They don't build and they certainly have little to no experience painting.

I was not always an R/C flier but am very happy to have self-trained myself by now.

Back in highschool 40+ years ago when I first encountered a COX engine and then Moki (Hungarian) and Webra (Austrian) engines the only - for me - affordable way of flying in Hungary was CL (we called it U-control). I was first teased by a COX Stuka red postage stamp backplate engine given to me by an uninterested friend, then a COX Super Sport trainer my father somehow managed to get me fom an acquaintance living on the other (happier) side of the Iron Curtain,  then went to the model builder club associated with the Hungarian Army (most recreational and sports activities those days were state-controlled through the Hungarian Defense Association or MHSz -  and we built combat U-planes and that is how I started out with modeling.

Leaving the hobby after high-school it was not until 7-8 years ago when my wife bought me an electric R/C foamie plane that, upon my first R/C piloting attempt, it landed high among the branches of a tree and I could recover only with difficulties.

Around the same time I found my old COX engines from the 1970-s preserved nicely in a tin can in the garage, and also found CEF, COX Int'l and Ex-Models on the web...and started building, flying, often re-kitting  my first own R/C planes from kits I bought from Bernie.

I crashed several of these but by today - although I am far from competition aerobatics - I fly my own-built planes even in rather harsh weather conditions relatively safe, with a minimum number of unplanned landings...so I can only encourage all who contemplate trying R/C flying...

Yes, once you get the feel and taste of RC flying in all three dimensions, there is no going back to the restrained tethered stuff anymore...  

Hello Ken, I'm glad that you enjoyed your R / C experience, it's nice to be able to scale the model almost without limits.
In my case I did in my early models models launched by hand, then engine to rubber, going through the U / C and finally the R / C, within what is the R / C, I started at 15 years and I really like the acrobatics, get to assemble models of up to 2.2 meters with engines of 50 and 60 cc of gasoline. I really like the artistic acrobatics and Acro 3D.
Now a few years ago, I became interested again in the small engines and the challenge of making them fly R / C with the best performance, I am enjoying this much now.
Again, I am very happy to know that you are enjoying it.
I leave a video of Acrobatics Free, with smoke and a model biplane, this one has a motor of 50 cc. I hope you like it, a hug!

Kris, I don't think I'll be giving up control line anytime soon. It's really what I know. I enjoy the building, finishing. I see the fellows at the r/c field who just can't believe what we control line flyers do in terms of what I mentioned. I know though they enjoy what they're doing especially the pylon racing crowd. They race early in the mornings and it seems as if that crowd is getting a lot of following from our control line club. I do understand the part of being free to fly wherever. I didn't fly it but I enjoyed just being on the flightline equally as much. I'm quite certain most clubs have the same rule but they insist no spectators up front. It gave me a sense of accomplishment being there. I do see myself leaning towards doing more of it. I like the models that the others on here do in terms of the smaller stuff, it actually fascinates me. Ken

What I like with RC is that the planes are actually free to fly. You can have planes that fly on their own, a kind of guided free-flight with less walking. Or you kan have a full house acrobatic plane, that will do all the manoeuvres one can think of.

The latest development in the radios and servos has really changed RC for the small planes. Now one can build them so lightweight that one actually does need a throttle. Who would have thought that one would ever have the need to throttle down a BabeBee engine...  

Regarding the the building techniques etc., here it is mostly the old crowd that flies properly built planes and enjoy a well running engine. If you visit a scale model competition I think you'll be amazed though at the effort that some people put on their planes, and then also dare to fly them.

R/C is definitely more relaxing, i love 'lectrics... i can step out the back door and toss a plane in the air for a quick flight when there's little wind, i fly little stuff.

Yes, R/C airplanes come in every size and shape. Here is some footage from the main event of the year here in Finland, the Jet World Masters 2017:

https://vimeo.com/231693868/0ebdbddc2c

I am more in to the "radio assisted free flight", hopefully I'll advance to slow semi-scale planes someday

I only fly with IC engines and wood planes. I still have my first plane that I learnt to fly on with a BabeBee in the nose. Here it is now with more channels (ailerons and throttle) and more power at a much lower total weight;

I've had this Comet Taylocraft kit for nearly 40 years now which I've said I'm going to build. I believe it was one of the largest rubber powered stick and tissue planes offered at the time. The wingspan is 54" and I want to convert this to r/c. I have ordered a laser cut short kit . I'm in the air about power choices. I feel since I own enough small nitro engines it would only seem fit to use them. All the guys at the club think I'm out of my mind to even consider nitro when there's just a lot more advantages using electric. I've seen some r/c conversions on the internet and they look terrific.

I find the electric stuff very boring myself, it is all about the batteries and the charging of them. The engine is at least half of the fun with this hobby to me. Why would anyone want to remove the most rewarding part...?

If you have suitable engines then go for it. I have converted a few "electric" planes to glow and diesel without any problems. You just have do make the usual reinforcements around the firewall and the front of the plane, as one has to be able to hold the plane firmly without crushing it.

Here is a J3 CUB I built from an "indoor" short kit, and put a peewee diesel in (just need to finalise the cowl once I decide on the orientation of the engine). It surprised a few people at the field, and sure brings a lot more attention than the electric foamies do.

I had an inverted PeeWee on glow first but that wasn't reliable enough and would only rarely run out the whole tank. On diesel it is much less sensitive, it can miss a little at most but it always empties the whole tank. With the larger propellor the sound are much more pleasing too.

Ken Cook wrote:             I've had this Comet Taylocraft kit for nearly 40 years now which I've said I'm going to build. I believe it was one of the largest rubber powered stick and tissue planes offered at the time. The wingspan is 54" and I want to convert this to r/c. I have ordered a laser cut short kit . I'm in the air about power choices. I feel since I own enough small nitro engines it would only seem fit to use them. All the guys at the club think I'm out of my mind to even consider nitro when there's just a lot more advantages using electric. I've seen some r/c conversions on the internet and they look terrific.

Back when I first became interested in r/c.. I was amazed to learn that a high-wing model could actually be flown single-channel (rudder-only) having sufficient dihedral-angle to the wing.. along with other factors that I don't completely understand.. like wing-loading, incidence-angle, thrust-line, angle of attack.. etc. I suppose it's not a whole lot different a dynamic than "free-flight".. except that you have some directional-control.

Not sure what size engine you'd run on a 54" span Taylorcraft.. but probably a smaller-displacement than you'd think.. especially if the kit was designed for rubber-power. Maybe somewhere between a .15 and .25???

I do know that generous dihedral on a high-wing without ailerons would be a lot safer for a beginning pilot. Throttle/elev./rudder controls only... keeps things simple while you're learning.. Then there's "stick-modes" to consider.



I'm envious Ken.. and look forward to seeing you progress!