Parramatta Radio Control Aircraft Club

Full Version: My First Plane - What to buy?
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Hi Everyone

I know I've touched on this in a previous post but now I need some advice/help.

My birthday is comming up shortly and my wonderful missus has said that she would buy me my first plane, however she has a very strict budjet of $200 - $250. I already have the DX7 Tx & Rx so don't need another tx just yet.

I know the T28 Trojan comes very highly recommended by everyone in the club however the BNF version is $319 from Kelletts and is about the same elsewhere.

The PNP version is $229 but I would need to buy a battery & charger, which would push me over the limit. The guy from Kelletts quoted me a 1800mha battery for $50 and a charger for $30.

Steve also suggested the Venom Island Hopper which I'd also be very happy with however after the ring around of various hobby shops it seems that these are no longer available and no-one has any left, so unfortunatly that seems to be out.

So can anyone offer advice as to which plane I may be able to get up into the air for my $200-$250 budjet? I'd like to go the Trojan but i'm worried that the cost of batteries and chargers might be a little too much to bear and I don't really wanna have to wait until the next Hobbyking order to be ordered and delivered before I can fly :cry: :cry:

Thanks
Mick
Still blows your budget by $20 or so but we can source a PnP T28 slightly cheaper.

I would heavily recommend getting the HobbyKing 6Cell Charger for $50, it will last you a while compared to what Kelletts will give you for $30 and you'll want to throw out in a few months. Batteries can be sourced for $15-20 from HobbyKing.

Keeping that in mind, if you can find an airframe cheaper, it may not necessarily be as easy to learn from (Not as forgiving to thrills and spills!) but we can do a lot with your radio to help dull down a twitchy plane. A few of us learnt on planes that weren't for beginners so it is possible Smile
Hi Mick

I bought my glider From This Store, They do Sell other planes ARF, You might find something here in your price range.
http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/Revolutio...Z203514819

If interested i have couple rtf Island hoppers and one spare full body kit, im going to keep one rtf trainer that i use and spare body kit for my son for when his ready to fly, but im was going to strip the other down as i now have a huge Cessna to take its place,
Hopper rtf is a bit battered but flys well, will sell cheap if interested. It will get you in the air for some flight time till you buy something nice.

P.S T28 Is Still the best Flyer if you can get it im sure everyone will agree

Steve Smile
Quote:P.S T28 Is Still the best Flyer if you can get it im sure everyone will agree

Not everyone Steve............... Biggrin
Little Gunfighter is not bad either.
Great News! My Wonderful Better Half lashed out and got me a BNF T28 Trojan from Kelletts today. It's sitting in the box in the cupboard waiting until i'm allowed to unwrap it! Can't wait to get it down to the field and try not to crash it! Unfortunatly I'm working saturday and sunday :cry: :cry: :cry:
Congrats, I have some old dying batteries to lend you till you get your own. Maybe a charger as well..
Thanks Kieran. The plane came with a 1800mah battery and a charger. I think I'd like to order a couple of the 2200mah ones in the next Hobby King order, maybe a charger as well.

The missus kindly let me put it together and now i'm just waiting for the battery to charge now so I can bind it to the DX7 and start fiddling with the set up, or at least trying to figure out how to fiddle with the setup! I think I've put it together ok, at least it looks like the picture on the box!

Kieran, I think you are about the only other mode 2 guy in the group arent you? I think I'll have to buddy with you until I get the hang of not crashing if thats ok.

Thanks
Mick
Sweeet Smile The beauty of the Spektrum radio's means that anyone can bind your receiver to their Spektrum transmitters and buddy you. But I'm more than happy to help teach you where/when I can! Mode2 Represent!!!!
lol .. mode 2 outcasts! you better stick to drinking in the mode 2 bar boy! Lol
Yeah, Congrats as well on your new T28 Mick. I've also been toying around with the idea of a new Foamie (including the T28). I'm quite happy with my (heavier) but smooth flying Lark (powered) Glider that Chris has been buddying me on and I'm also setting up a balsa high wing Trainer (also around the same weight as the Lark at 1.5Kg). But I like the idea of a stable flying lightweight foamie that's possibly more relaxing to fly and more forgiving/easier to fix. I enjoyed flying Steve's Island Hopper & Chris's Cub. They also have a more scale flying speed and give you more time to think when you come in for landings.
I've looked at a few planes on the HobbyKing website and one foamie I quite like (and it has good reviews) is the Skyartec Cessna 182. It comes with Plane, 4 servos, brushless motor & 18A ESC. Just need Tx/Rx & 1.1 Lipo Battery.
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... w/_4_Servo
At $69.95 it's very cheap too but the only issue is the freight charges as it's 2799g - do you have an idea Kieran what the freight cost might be? If it's reasonable I might order one next group order.
Quote:At $69.95 it's very cheap too but the only issue is the freight charges as it's 2799g - do you have an idea Kieran what the freight cost might be? If it's reasonable I might order one next group order.

John,

As a general guide you can get info about postage costs from the Hobby City website.
Looking at the table there and using your weight as a guide it appears that
EMS shipping to Australia would be us$45.41(up to 3Kg).
Of course as part of a group order where there are other goods involved then the weight
will exceed the 3Kg and therefor fall into another price range.
Whatever the cost would then be proportioned between the members but you would still be charged by actual weight
so the cost may come down slightly.
Think if you use the value of around US$45 you would be close.
Thanks Paul, I'll think about it.
Funny how you start out in this hobby and even while your still learning, you feel the need to keep buying more goodies!
That looks like a nice little Cessna. I'll have to check it out when it makes an appearance down at the field. Believe it or not I'm already thinking about my next plane as well!!

Also, can anyone give me a link to those little beepy things that beep when the battery gets low :? . I think I'd like to order one in the next Hobbyking order with some more batts.
Thanks
Mick
Hey Steve,

samste Wrote:If interested i have couple rtf Island hoppers and one spare full body kit, im going to keep one rtf trainer that i use and spare body kit for my son for when his ready to fly, but im was going to strip the other down as i now have a huge Cessna to take its place,
Hopper rtf is a bit battered but flys well, will sell cheap if interested. It will get you in the air for some flight time till you buy something nice.

How cheap is cheap? I'd be real interested if the price is good. I already have a spare reciever for my DX7 so I wouldn't need the reciever in it or the TX.

Mick
johnjelovic Wrote:Thanks Paul, I'll think about it.
Funny how you start out in this hobby and even while your still learning, you feel the need to keep buying more goodies!


lol yeah mate im hearing that.. i cant help myself! i have my five prop planes already in only say 6 months since i picked up a transmitter.. lol now ive got my heart set on a ducted fan jet.. Biggrin eeks my missus doesnt know about that one yet Shock
Quote:Hey Steve,
How cheap is cheap? I'd be real interested if the price is good. I already have a spare reciever for my DX7 so I wouldn't need the reciever in it or the TX.
Mick
Will bring down on Sat if you are down there and we can talk then.

Steve Smile
samste Wrote:
Quote:Hey Steve,
How cheap is cheap? I'd be real interested if the price is good. I already have a spare reciever for my DX7 so I wouldn't need the reciever in it or the TX.
Mick
Will bring down on Sat if you are down there and we can talk then.

Steve Smile
Unfortunatly I'm working both Saturday and Sunday this weekend so won't be able to make it. I'll be off tomorrow (Friday 30th) and Monday/Tuesday next week though. Oh the joys of shiftwork! Still Interested though if the price is good. Is it the Island Hopper that I've been buddying with you with? Does this message board have a Private Message function? Maybe we can talk there if it does

Mick