[IrishWolf]

Could anyone recommend an Electric Balsa Trainer and the correct batteries for it?

[secant0give]

You might try one of these, if your after a nice model that's easy to fly.
http://www.superandcheaper.com.au/p/rc-p...sten_Husky

It's a bit on the large side but that makes it easier to fly. It's an ARF so you will have to get your own servo's motor ESC and LIPOs and fit them.

There's this one that looks OK from HK too and might be a better choice
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__2..._ARF_.html

Or the venerable ugly stick
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__2..._ARF_.html

[gbanger]

You can't go wrong with one of these, value for money and proven track record, they really are a terrific aircraft, and they fly better with and electric conversion than they do with those noisey petrol thingies.
I have flown this aircraft a number of times and it is a cracker.
I am actually thinking about buying one myself!

http://duanesplanes.com.au/product.php?productid=1349&cat=12&page=2

Gazz

[Raptorfly]

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...ouse_.html

I recommend this one for the budget consious[/align]

[gbanger]

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...ouse_.html

I recommend this one for the budget consious[/align]

Whats with the tail draggers men ... They are not proper trainers, and certainly won't foster the best flying skills???

[Raptorfly]

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...ouse_.html

I recommend this one for the budget consious[/align]

Whats with the tail draggers men ... They are not proper trainers, and certainly won't foster the best flying skills???

It's under $100,ready to fly balsa, small enough to throw in the car...and fun tail drager. I got it for a semi beginner friend and it glue and land great.

[secant0give]

Yes I've had one on these on the buddy lead before
They fly well and are easy enough to control
The new bigger wheels will be a plus
The plane it self is a little small tho a bigger plane is more stable

Tail draggers do teach you how to land you got to get the speed right or you bounce
With a trike all you do is hold just a little touch of down as soon as the wheels touch and no bounce at all

[disoriented]

Russell, are you after balsa for a specific reason? IMHO, the age of the balsa trainer is over. Rigidity is just about the only advantage that balsa still holds over the modern foamie. The consequent precision is great for IMAC pattern and advanced 3D, but for a trainer that rigidity is a disadvantage.

I'm certainly not as experienced as some of our club members, but to my way of thinking the ideal trainer is robust in the sense that it can absorb damage, wide in its flight envelope so that it can teach orientation, and versatile to the point where it can be flown in just about any open space.

Orientation is the tricky part. A trainer that can teach orientation is an enabler, because it opens the doors toward other planes with better performance and looks. For those who feel they're sufficiently hooked to invest that kind of effort, my suggestion for the ideal advanced trainer (after the very first aircraft whose only purpose is to be as gentle as possible) is an EPP profile foamie, a.k.a. a shock flyer.

Take it to the park in the morning, during lunch, or after work - or all of the above. Get a parallel charging board (paraboard) and half a dozen packs for it. Fly it right side up, upside down, knife edge, away from you, towards you, upside down and towards you, yaw it sideways like a car... Why not? It's practically indestructible, and if it does tear during a hard smack it's only a matter of hitting it with some CA or Uhu Por (better) and it's back in the air.

I sincerely believe a month of that will teach much more orientation than a year of weeked circuit flying with some balsa monster which requires half a kilometer of runway and 6S packs. Nothing wrong with either of those approaches, but for those who want to train fast(er) the key is simply practice. It's possible to put fifty packs through a profile foamie in a good week, even with one of those pesky full-time job things. Not so easy with a traditional balsa trainer, especially after the first time it goes "crunch" during a hard landing.

It doesn't really matter which profile foamie either, though some are better than others. I've never flown one of these, but I have experience with the components and they seem entirely spot-on for the size:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...ouse_.html

OK, so it's butt ugly and some of the scale fans will laugh, but with $3 servos and those recommended 2S 500mAh Zippy compacts for $4 each, it can teach someone to harrier and hover in their tiny back yard (my personal predicament) for like sixty bucks in the air, and by the time it's carrying its own starting weight in glue the pilot will no longer need a trainer

Just another option to consider. It's all fun and good in this hobby

[smuzz]

Some good points there!

[disoriented]

Actually, the page had been left open on my tablet, and I just noticed that thing is EPO rather than EPP. The latter is better for outdoor shock flyers, so this might be preferable:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store..._ARF_.html

However, by the time the price hits $55 there are better options than Hobbyking, but I won't harp on about it in this thread. If anybody is interested I'll start a new thread with more detail.

[secant0give]

I think your spot on Andre, especially for 3D and areobatics training. That's basically what I do. I use one of SRL's profile foamies, (which are depron and require a little more disiplin but are still pretty tough and easy to fix) It's a really good way to gain orientation.

Those profile trainers are not positivly stable tho' and require them to be flown all the time. The big advantage of them is that they don't fly fast but they are highly manouverable and this gives some time react. They are great fun to fly and can be flown in some pretty tight places as well.

A while back my daughter wanted to learn to fly so I designed a light depron profiler that is positivly stable and very easy to fly. There is a thread on building it here and there are plans posted on the thread in PDF format. It would be a even easier place to start than the profiler you sugest. With this one if you let the sticks go, provided it's corectly trimmed, It will try to right it self. I often fly it in the back yard. It's good for some relaxed flying on a nice still day.

Here's the build thread
http://forum.rcflyingclub.com/showthread.php?tid=343

[wingtipper]

that trainer plane of yours would be the best trainer plane /slow flyer i have ever seen fly mate .
i think its been over looked and is probably a front runner for the best trainer