Hi All,

I am from Delhi. I tried my hands at RC 10 years back with a glow powered 2-channel but got off it due to lack of advice and my inability to get the plane off the ground. The good part though - I didnt break the plane and still have it dis-assembled with me. But, dont know if any of its parts are of use now.

Now, 10 years later enthused to get into the hobby again I am rather thrilled to find such a forum in India - we've come a long way and I feel more excited to get into it. However, I need a lot of you people's expert advice in order to make sure I get started on the right track.

I have done some reading and have the following questions -
1) Heli or plane? People tell me that heli's are easier to fly and good for beginners as the dont easily crash, dont require those perfect weather conditions and can be flown indoors as well. What should be the right criteria to pick one over the other. I had my inclination for planes and thought they would be more fun to fly in the longer term.

2) Sim or trainer - Is it good to start with a trainer right away? I guess not. But then I wanted a sim for which I could share the radio with the real plane. I was thinking of a 4-ch radio as a good balance between economy and longevity. Could I separately purchase a 4-ch radio that I could use for both sim and plane. Or could I buy an RTF plane whose radio could be plugged into a sim as well?

From whatever I know till now I was thinking of an electric powered Piper J-3 cub given its high-wing and good dihedral. I would like to have one with a brushless motor (looking at long term) and a 4-ch radio which i could first use with a sim before going for the real plane.

I would appreciate any and every bit of advice to help me take off fine and be a amongst the coveted flyers of this comunity  :-)

Thanks,
prabh

Welcome to RC and RC India  

1) "Helis are easier to fly" - this depends on the type of heli.  If you are planning to start with a small 4 channel indoor co-axial heli to get your initial orientations, then it is true.  But if you move on to any type of helis with separate tail rotors, they are harder to fly than planes (at least initially).  If you have an inclination towards airplanes, starting with an electric plane would be the best option, IMHO.

2) Not sure if you meant a "Trainer plane" or a "Trainer person".  In any case, it is best to spend some time on a sim before you attempt any kind of flying.  After that, if possible, try to see if you can seek the help of an experienced flyer in your area who can put you on a buddy cable setup. The next step is to fly an actual trainer plane.

Pretty much any radio can be used as a sim with appropriate software, so that is an easy decision. If your resources permit, please consider getting a 6 channel radio, they tend to satisfy your needs for a really long time.

Your choice of plane seems OK.  But please try not to get over excited and fly it right away, you have to get your basic orientations on a sim first (unless you are willing to part with more of your money ).

The sellers here may suggest combos that would work for you. If you have a set budget, please let them know (in public or via PMs), and they will workout a suitable package.  You might also want to investigate building a foam plane, it is a nice way of getting deeper in the hobby, and makes it very affordable.

Looking forward to your first flight video here soon 

Thanks anwar - that was very helpful.

Sorry for the confusion - by trainer I meant a trainer plane. I would love to have a trainer person but I am yet to find out anyone in Delhi.

I'll stick to planes for now and electric ones. I am open to buying a 6-ch radio but I am not too sure about the cost vs benefit. My budget for now is around 10-15K to start off and complete the beginner round  .

As you advised I'll first make my choice of radio and then pick up a sim that works with it. Are there any good resources/links that you would like to point me to in  order to make my decision. Also, if there are any 6 ch radios that you would like to recommend?

Also, I wanted to make sure I use the right channel to solicit combos from sellers. Is it by just posting on one of the "products wanted" kind of threads?

thanks a ton sir!

Hopefully someone here who is from Delhi would get in touch with you.  Birds of a feather ought to flock together 


There are already multiple threads about the 6-channel radio choice, and the cost/benefit aspect is almost undisputed. The question pretty much boils down to funding.  If you are looking for the long haul, the Spektrum DX6i is the radio I would recommend most at the 6 channel level.  Many people also go for a Futaba 6EX (available in both 2.4Ghz and 72Mhz versions), but the information display etc are not as good as the Spektrum model.  And I seek comments from others on the forum, who have better suggestions (just makes sense to get diverse opinions !).



Since you have posted your budget and intentions, I am hoping that the sellers here will get in touch with suggestions (publicly or via PM). 

No harm in posting a question in the "Wanted" section.  You may also want to investigate the "For Sale" section to see if you can find anything that suits your requirements/plans.

BTW, I hope you are aware of threads like :

http://www.rcindia.org/beginners-zone/which-is-the-best-beginners-plane-upto-900-gms-electric/

http://www.rcindia.org/radios-and-receivers/rcforall-fs-t-4-a-2-4-g-radio-(tx-rx-)-now-available-for-rs-2700/

Thanks for the pointers anwar.

I'll go through these and do a bit more reading before I make my decision.

prabh

also if you decide to change your mind from electric to glow check out the offer form rotor.co.in (hurry  )

best

sahil

Hi Prabh,

I am from Delhi (east delhi actually) as well and am also relatively new to RC. I think you might also want to touch base with RC Sky Hobby at Patparganj (http://www.rcskyhobby.com) the seem to have an electric J3-CUB RTF at approx 6500/-

As for myself, I am going in for a scratch build Cub with 5channel controls (Flaperon), waiting for some parts to arrive....

Regards
Pankaj
 

as per my experience,
start with 3 channel electric(slow flyer) this will correct your reflex and response too. A good option is easy star, and best option will be Mr Moss.

when you feel that you no more getting kicks from these slow things then go for a 4-channel Powered one
a 40 size or 46 size trainer one is the next better thing. after you master the trainer then go for a low winger like dolphin then electric jets they some time fly at velocities more than 100kmph.

at this stage you are expert( hopefully)

If you ask me how much time it will take it will take 360 man hour (approximately).
 

  forgot something, which is very important, have an instructor with you while flying.

Phew! I finally get time from work to get back to where my heart is 

@PankajC: hey pankaj its good to meet somebody from delhi. wud be gud to touch base sometime. I am aware of the rc sky j3 cub but I was looking for something for the long term - brushless motor, 4 channel (aeloron) etc.. But I still may decide on this RTF to begin with.  I guess you are already familiar with flying a basic setup - a 5 channel setup looks daunting to me to start with


@ashok: I was thinking of getting a 4 channel trainer. My guess is that to begin with one could leave the aeloron alone and fly just with the rudder. That way a 4 ch would be just the same as a 3-ch? Am I right? Once comfortable with using the 3-channels I could move on to use the aeloron without the need to buy a new plane. Or could I just buy a 3-ch and build an aeloron into it later on? Let me know your thoughts.

... and where do I find an instructor in Delhi - any pointers would be great

It is typically hard to get people to agree to be trainers voluntarily, but they do it impromptu on the field   

Just find out where people gather to fly, visit them, and make some friends.  The rest should fall in place automatically

I agree anwar   

I've learnt that there is some open area in Greater Noida where people from Delhi fly on Sundays - I'm looking forward to go there but still not sure about the exact location.
Anyone from Delhi aware of the place - would appreciate any info!

Can I get a Wild hawk in India

http://www.nitroplanes.com/rtfwiha54el3.html

seems to be a really forgiving beginner's plane - I think this is similar to the Multiplex EasyStar ??

Also, I like this radio - http://www.nitroplanes.com/2-4ghz-transmitter-receiver--full-version--for-rc-helicopters---airplanes.html - Full 6-channel with Rx at under $50.

Sai and other store owners....

I always felt the need for some RTF like the Wild Hawk or the Wing Dragon being available at affordable rates in India.  Sure we have the SlowStick and EasyStar, but they are not the same as these. 

Would you be willing to stock these ?

hello i am doing electrical engineering from dce, delhi... we are group of students working on a quadrotor project and really want to know from where in delhi we can get the cheapest outrunner brushless >1000rpm 100 watt, 10-12 v motors... Please answer and help us..................

Hello everyone. Am new to RC flying and am keen to meet people with similar interests in Delhi area. I have recently procured a spectrum dx8 controller and need some guidance on how to start, with what to start. Am keen on heli flying. However people tell me that heli is more difficult than airplanes and therefore one should try ones hand on airplane before heli. I need some guidance on this plus which heli should I procure to start with. Thanks

Welcome simba. All you need to do is sit back and spend a few weeks reading on the forum. Most of your questions will be answered. Then go to the field and watch others fly and set up their model. By then youl make enough friends to help you out.

Welcome to RCindia. All beginners are directed to start here http://www.rcindia.org/rc-india-forum/the-rc-india-gems/ (The RC India Gems!)

Better buy Mr. Moss RTF and fly. then dis-assamble and make a foamy plane. Fly.
Be confident.
Sell old and buy new set of advanced setup.

Mr. moss is available but sad news is that Sai sir not selling parts of Mr. Moss individually otherwise you must get the lowest priced Tx+Rx, Servos, BL-Motors, ESCs, Props. (Matching for Mr. Moss).

His site is not updating for a month or like that I think as I visit regularly.

thanks

But Ive observed that his is site is updated very often. I can see new products added every now and then.

Anwar ,
There  are many  easy star type clones available  the issue  from a loacal store point of view is that these are sold by HK and similar stores  and our prices will always be compared with them on $ to $ basis  without taking into consideration  transportation cost.
Further in our current system individual imports get away  with nil or minimum import duties but when we as a hobby shop import in larger volumes our import costs are higher .
Further we cannot meet the volume requirements of the factories  as HK and similar shops have a global market but after paying duties in India our market is restricted to India  and have to contend with lower duties for individual and smaller buyers .

Hence frankly under current circumstances it just does not make sense to stock such products.

This is not the case with Multiplex and similar brands. We are not averse to these products but currently they just don't make sense to stock.

This the main reason we  have MR MOSS  which has done exceptionally well from launch  with over 500 pcs being sold in its two years existence .

We are  likely to announce a   special package price for MR MOSS  as a  third anniversary offering  soon

Sai

Thanks SAI Uncle for your reply and sharing your pain to us.

Really, some of us including me were unaware about your difficulties of Import duties.

We, the well wisher of LHS still want to help you as without LHS sell volum they cannot exist & therefore we have to either wait for a damaged spare replacement or store standby spare for accident, that may turn us like LHS & invest will be more.

But still a doubt, How cheap IR helies are sold at Rs 550/- (+-) near our locality where online price in $ (19.95$) converted into is still higher. Again Import duty comes into play that makes the cost difference more [Importing is higher than purchasing from Gift Shop].

The same priced IR controlled cheap micro planes are not mass imported and though online price is same but LHS price is near 2000/-.

Therefore, it may be concluded that as the mass imports are made by non-LHS, they surely use other practice. I have seen that the battery operated FAN and juice mixer while sold at 20/-, lebelled price(MRP) was 2.25/-. While asking them, why they are taking higher price more than MRP, the person just peel out the old sticker and paste new sticker of 35/-(MRP) and told that it was made to reduce the Import Duty. But our LHS owners are loyal and therefore they cannot beat the mass importers.

Thanks SAI, we are waiting for Mr. MOss 3rd anniversary.