Equipment You Will Need

Ahhh- You Will Need a Trainer Plane! 

Most prospective pilots pickup a R/C model magazine, vendor catalog, or visit a model shop and look at all those cool Cubs, warbirds, and sportplanes, imagining how great it will be to fly. Unfortunately, they do not make good training planes.

A good training plane typically has a high, thick wing, with lots of dihedral. This will give a plane that easily flies slow, is extremely stable and will level itself to some extent. Tri-cycle gear (nose gear instead of a tail-dragger) is much easier to taxi and get off the ground. Get one that is either a .40 or .60 size. There are .15 and .25 size (smaller) trainers, but they are harder to fly.  

 

Airplanes are generally sized for their engines. The advertising will tell what size engine is intended for the airplane. The .40 and .60 refer to the cubic inches of the engine. You can buy glow-fueled engines with either sleeve or ball bearings. Ball bearing engines last longer (generally) and put out more power for a given cubic inch. They also cost substantially more. For a trainer plane, power isn't important, and a sleeve bearing engine will last through training 2 people, so there is no need for those ball bearings unless you have excess cash to spend. OS Engines and Thunder Tiger both make very good line of inexpensive sleeve bearing engines.

The objective is to get you through the training period in a reasonable time, with minimal plane damage. Save those Mustangs and Extra 300's for your second or third airplane.

Radio Gear

There are two ways to go with the radio gear.  You can go with a basic radio, which will carry through your first, and possibly your second airplane. Or you can get a better, computer-based radio, that stores settings for several airplanes, and have advanced features to drive separate aileron servos, create flaperons, mix in rudder correction and control expo.  You will need these features to get the full capabilities out of your P-51 Mustang or Extra 300.

So which way to go? If you are just exploring the hobby, and aren't certain this will be a life-long hobby with follow-on airplanes, go with the basic radio system. The advanced features won't be used with the trainer plane.  If you are certain there will be a second or third, more advanced airplane, then you will save $150 or so by purchasing an advanced computer-based radio system from the get-go.

Field Box and Gear

You can't just show up at the flying field with airplane, engine and radio system. It takes a kit of parts and accessories, plus a "field box" for organization and transport. Some people just use a tool box or fishing tackle box. Others go with a specialty field box intended for the purpose and sold by the various manufacturers. Following is a basic list:
  • Glow Driver
  • Spare glow plugs
  • plug wrench (note: combination plug and prop wrenches are available)
  • Spare Props
  • prop wrench
  • Prop Reamer
  • Fuel
  • Fuel Can
  • Fuel Pump
  • Fuel Filter

 
  • Electric Starter or Chicken Stick
  • Battery Condition Meter

 
  • CA and Epoxy Glues (For repairs)

 
  • Clear Packing Tape (patch those dings)

 

  
  • Small wrenches and screwdrivers

 
  • Spare Rubber Bands (Holds the wing on most trainer planes)
   

Click here to review the Practical Flight Standards that you will be required to meet prior to solo flight at any AMA insured field.

This page last updated 01/03/03 10:20