07-12-2014, 09:01 AM
All the planes mentioned so far are excellent, purpose-designed trainers, and I'm sure you will do well with any of them.
Having said that, I personally suggest going with a Bixler-style design, with the prop mounted on the back and no wheels at all. It will be more likely to survive those initial rough landings and keep going. Damaged wheels and bent (front) prop shafts can have a demoralizing effect.
IMHO, the best "Bixler" is in fact the Multiplex EasyStar (the Bixler is just a clone/copy of the EasyStar). Multiplex parts are higher quality, the Elapor foam is more robust, their motors are more efficient...
Radio-wise, I would not recommend anything that comes with a DX4 or a DX5e. As Wayne said, those are non-computerized radios of very limited usefulness. The DX6i has also been superseded by the new DX6 - a vastly superior radio. It costs a little more, but it's well worth the extra money. If you do opt for the older DX6i, personally I'd suggest looking out for a second-hand unit (in good condition!) which costs no more than $100.
If you don't mind a slightly steeper learning curve, the FrSky Taranis is an incredibly flexible and powerful radio. (FrSky stuff, in general, is awesome.)
The Turnigy 9xr is kind of a Taranis-lite. To me they don't make sense, because by the time they're equipped with a module the price is within $100 of a Taranis (and the 9xr is still less powerful), but for programming flexibility they still outdo anything from Spektrum, Futaba, Hitec, and the other brands.
Having said that, I personally suggest going with a Bixler-style design, with the prop mounted on the back and no wheels at all. It will be more likely to survive those initial rough landings and keep going. Damaged wheels and bent (front) prop shafts can have a demoralizing effect.
IMHO, the best "Bixler" is in fact the Multiplex EasyStar (the Bixler is just a clone/copy of the EasyStar). Multiplex parts are higher quality, the Elapor foam is more robust, their motors are more efficient...
Radio-wise, I would not recommend anything that comes with a DX4 or a DX5e. As Wayne said, those are non-computerized radios of very limited usefulness. The DX6i has also been superseded by the new DX6 - a vastly superior radio. It costs a little more, but it's well worth the extra money. If you do opt for the older DX6i, personally I'd suggest looking out for a second-hand unit (in good condition!) which costs no more than $100.
If you don't mind a slightly steeper learning curve, the FrSky Taranis is an incredibly flexible and powerful radio. (FrSky stuff, in general, is awesome.)
The Turnigy 9xr is kind of a Taranis-lite. To me they don't make sense, because by the time they're equipped with a module the price is within $100 of a Taranis (and the 9xr is still less powerful), but for programming flexibility they still outdo anything from Spektrum, Futaba, Hitec, and the other brands.