New to planes, need your help shopping!

[Desertdualsport]

I have had nitro and electric cars and trucks over the years, and have recently become interested in airplanes.
I am looking at the trainers like the Nextstar and Tiger Thunder 40. Are these something I should get? Will these be challenging enough and be able to perform as I learn? Should I buy a good radio system right off the bat? or get a RTF trainer with a mediocre radio?(I plan to be heavily involved and progress through many planes and helis.)
I do understand the theories of flight and have a full understanding of aviation control systems and how an aircraft "should" react. I have been working in aviation and specifically avionics for many years on the real thing.
Any help on this first purchase would be appreciated! (please be specific, as I am unfamiliar with brands, performance, etc....)


Thanks, Nick

[DEVZAK9]

The Nextstar is a great plane i helped a guy learn how to fly on one of those at my old field and it flies great..As far as the plane and radio system goes it all comes down to how much $$$ do you want to spend

[flyin4fun]

Nick,
Nexstar is a nice plane, but I think the Sig Kadet LT 40 ARF or the Carl Goldberg Eagle 2 ARF , fly better. ( I have flown all three)

Doug

[MadMonkey]

I've had very, very good experiences with the Nexstar trainers; they're almost too forgiving (come on, you need to learn SOMETHING!). They're simple to assemble and very nice to fly. Almost the same can be said about the Avistar, but it's not quite as forgiving (which is certainly not a bad thing). Both allow for basic aerobatics, but believe me, you'll be craving another plane before long

Tower Hobbies sells an Avistar RTF combo for $299, but, since you've already had experience with RC, I'd recommend you go ahead and buy your preferred equipment seperately. The 4-channel radio system that comes with it won't last you long, and the .40LA has limited power for future applications.

As for the radio, it boils down to your preference. I can tell you this; when I got back into the hobby after a short hiatus, I immediately started looking for a good radio because I knew that I was going to be into RC very heavily from then on; the top of the line sport radio at the time was the JR 9303, and after looking it and all the competitors over (and trying them out), I went ahead and blew a whole paycheck on it. I haven't regretted it once and am just now starting to look into the 12X. I'd recommend you do the same (not necessarily the same radio; whichever one has the features you want and whichever one feels the best in your hands). A basic radio just doesn't really cut it any more, especially once you advance to Giant Scale planes and such.

So yes, the Nexstar, Avistar, and several other trainers are great starter planes. Buy a good .46AX or (my favorite) .46FX engine to go with it, then when you're done with the trainer you can toss the engine and servos into a good sport plane like a 4-Star. Once you've mastered that, you can move on to anything

EDIT: flyin4fun, I agree with the Goldberg Eagle 2. I was flying an Eagle 1 earlier today It's a wonderful old plane. The Kadet is a bit expensive, but it's a good plane too. And don't forget, flaws in the flight characteristics make for faster learning

[thewrap]

I wouldn't get the Thunder Tiger but the Nextstar is a rock solid plane. With an OS 46ax it's a great flyer. Let us know if you have any other questions.

[ferocious frankie]

I had the Nexstar. It was a great trainer and it's still in my hangar.

[MadMonkey]

	Quote: Originally Posted by ferocious frankie
	I had the Nexstar. It was a great trainer and it's still in my hangar.

It's always a good idea to keep a relaxing plane around, like a trainer or Cub

[RADRICH]

Go to HorizonHobby.com and type Alpha 40 DSM2 RTF into the search box. (Best deal in town!) In the future, not all your planes will need a $700+ Pro Radio. A nice 2.4 5channel will get you a long way!
P.S. Welcome to FG.
P.S.S. They also have a Alpha 60 (bigger plane...more impressive in the air) but it doesn't come with a 2.4 radio as of yet. But if you like big, buy the 60 and then buy a nicer 6 or 7 channel SPEKTRUM 2.4 radio to put in it. (The 7chan. radio with an AR7000 reciever and 4 servos is only about $350...very nice!)

[MadMonkey]

	Quote: Originally Posted by RADRICH
	In the future, not all your planes will need a $700 Pro Radio. A nice 2.4 5channel will get you a long way!

The problem is that it doesn't take much advancement before you start wanting computer mixing and things like flaps, retracts, or smoke....

[smokin]

i have been training folks at our field on a goldberg Tiger 60.... this is a low wing tricycle gear plane that is extremely forgiving and VERY fun once you've learned the basics. i used to use lt-40's and avistars but they just weren't enough (aerobatically) for the guys once they started to catch on. this tiger comes in a 40, 60 and now a 120! the 120 would be the greatest... the bigger they are, the easier they are to fly! give some consideration to this airframe IF you have some guys at the field that will devote some time to helping you out. this is a low wing craft but it's dihedral is that of a high wing so it really is a gentle bird!

[RADRICH]

	Quote: Originally Posted by MadMonkey
	The problem is that it doesn't take much advancement before you start wanting computer mixing and things like flaps, retracts, or smoke....

This is somewhat true. However, no one NEEDS a pro radio (10-14 channels) unless they're wanting to turn their hobby into a job or flying super-scale warbirds and such. There is also something to be said about you flying your plane with practiced skill versus the radio flying it for you. Full scale planes don't have computer mixing...it's all hands on. I take pride in the fact I fly using just the sticks. Think about it...how many channels on your transmitter do you actually need to fly a 50% Yak?! But... if money is no object...what the *ell!

[RADRICH]

	Quote: Originally Posted by smokin
	i have been training folks at our field on a goldberg Tiger 60.... this is a low wing tricycle gear plane that is extremely forgiving and VERY fun once you've learned the basics. i used to use lt-40's and avistars but they just weren't enough (aerobatically) for the guys once they started to catch on. this tiger comes in a 40, 60 and now a 120! the 120 would be the greatest... the bigger they are, the easier they are to fly! give some consideration to this airframe IF you have some guys at the field that will devote some time to helping you out. this is a low wing craft but it's dihedral is that of a high wing so it really is a gentle bird!

Goldberg's planes are great! I'm putting together a Falcon MkIII for my 12 year old daughter. (She's decided to go with a BRATZ DOLL color scheme...yuk!)

[MadMonkey]

	Quote: Originally Posted by RADRICH
	This is somewhat true. However, no one NEEDS a pro radio (10-14 channels) unless they're wanting to turn their hobby into a job or flying super-scale warbirds and such. There is also something to be said about you flying your plane with practiced skill versus the radio flying it for you. Full scale planes don't have computer mixing...it's all hands on. I take pride in the fact I fly using just the sticks. Think about it...how many channels on your transmitter do you actually need to fly a 50% Yak?! But... if money is no object...what the *ell!

Well... you're also 43 years old Us young guys like to tinker with gadgets!

In all honesty my 9303 was my first computer radio; all my radios since I was 9 were cheapies (my best radio was a JR 9 channel that had analog mixing; I didn't know what 90% of the stuff even did!). I'm probably one of the more anal people about mechanical tuning at my field though, which is strange for one of the "kids".

But, what I learned just recently is that as long as you know how to fly without using mixes first(which is as easy as flipping a switch, or just not using the mixes until you know what you're doing), you'll be just fine flying with them. I never bothered with a knife-edge mix until a year ago! I had the same mindset as you; I thought that flying mixes somehow cheapened the hobby.

It doesn't.

It really doesn't take any less skill to fly well with mixes that take out some bad habits; properly setting up a computer radio is a complete skillset in itself that (imho) should be learned by every pilot. Learned, but not relied upon to cover up bad habits. And multiple channels lessens the chance of a bad y-connector causing you to lose all aileron or elevator control.

Plus, using those mixes frees up your brain power to concentrate on smoothness or other issues.

For example, I had a Phoenix Giles 202 that would knife edge beautifully except for a slight tuck to the canopy and a little left roll, so I was never fully comfortable doing low level passes like that. I took about 10 minutes of setup and tuning a mix, and I was making sub-2' passes on the next flight!

The point I'm trying to make, I guess, is that computer radios are here to stay, so we might as well get used to them. Obviously this doesn't mean we should forget proper mechanical setup which is a MUST (it annoys me to no end when I catch someone using a subtrim to set an aileron instead of just turning the stupid clevis); but we should embrace newer technology, anything that helps us fly better and enjoy the hobby more.

And, um... about full scale planes not having computer mixing... there's plenty of them that wouldn't be able to fly without it

	Quote: Originally Posted by RADRICH
	Goldberg's planes are great!

Agreed, you really can't go wrong with any of the Goldberg planes. I've flown many of them and have owned several, too... they're all great in my experience

[FENWAYFLYER]

Nexstars are the biggest pile of crap. The only good thing about them are the sim. I taught several people to fly using a Twist 40 all you do is tame it down and put some expo in it. Everyone who learned on the Twist got trained in a hand full of flights. Whats nice about learning on the Twist is it has such a large envolope of flying were as a Nexstar is well heavy, under powered, and hate the wind and also have alot of bad habbits.

I know alot of people who say the same thing some of you are thinking, but facts are facts.

[RADRICH]

	Quote: Originally Posted by MadMonkey
	Well... you're also 43 years old Us young guys like to tinker with gadgets! In all honesty my 9303 was my first computer radio; all my radios since I was 9 were cheapies (my best radio was a JR 9 channel that had analog mixing; I didn't know what 90% of the stuff even did!). I'm probably one of the more anal people about mechanical tuning at my field though, which is strange for one of the "kids". But, what I learned just recently is that as long as you know how to fly without using mixes first(which is as easy as flipping a switch, or just not using the mixes until you know what you're doing), you'll be just fine flying with them. I never bothered with a knife-edge mix until a year ago! I had the same mindset as you; I thought that flying mixes somehow cheapened the hobby. It doesn't. It really doesn't take any less skill to fly well with mixes that take out some bad habits; properly setting up a computer radio is a complete skillset in itself that (imho) should be learned by every pilot. Learned, but not relied upon to cover up bad habits. And multiple channels lessens the chance of a bad y-connector causing you to lose all aileron or elevator control. Plus, using those mixes frees up your brain power to concentrate on smoothness or other issues. For example, I had a Phoenix Giles 202 that would knife edge beautifully except for a slight tuck to the canopy and a little left roll, so I was never fully comfortable doing low level passes like that. I took about 10 minutes of setup and tuning a mix, and I was making sub-2' passes on the next flight! The point I'm trying to make, I guess, is that computer radios are here to stay, so we might as well get used to them. Obviously this doesn't mean we should forget proper mechanical setup which is a MUST (it annoys me to no end when I catch someone using a subtrim to set an aileron instead of just turning the stupid clevis); but we should embrace newer technology, anything that helps us fly better and enjoy the hobby more. And, um... about full scale planes not having computer mixing... there's plenty of them that wouldn't be able to fly without it Agreed, you really can't go wrong with any of the Goldberg planes. I've flown many of them and have owned several, too... they're all great in my experience

Man...what's with all the "being old at 43"! Just the other day, the girl at the McD's window told me I was too old to listen to hip-hop! You're right about the computer radios though. I just wanted to make sure the new guy knew he didn't have to go out and smack down a butt-load of cash to enjoy the sport/hobby. I mispoke when I said "full scale". I should have said "full scale sport planes that are not fly-by-wire."