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Funny, I took up flying RC planes four years ago due to the "most fun with 20$ you can ever have"-thread from here, and now i also do some fun aerial photography on the side. Here is for example our rc clubs airfield last spring:  I shoot stills with a modified Samsung S750, videos with an Aiptek HD Trio and also those 12$ keychain cams that you can buy on ebay. My favortie video and photo platform is my modified MPX Easystar. Using added ailerons and a beefy brushless engine, I can get it up pretty fast and high, shut off the engine and take better video and stills while gliding.  Sometimes I try to do more funstuff, here is a video of me trying to chase a friends EDF jet with my EDF jet. He outpaced me.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQAB_j78Feo This one I did last winter in Austin while visiting my in-laws. Was fun to to some aerial combat flying with those dudes from Texas  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct0MdAHRD_E Hoeni fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Apr 10, 2011 |
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Apr 10, 2011 22:10
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| # ¿ May 3, 2024 04:49 |
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Below 50 bucks? If you can find one (for some reason neither ebay nor amazon in the US have them anymore?), get an Air Hogs Aero Ace biplane. Used to be sold for 20 bucks and came with a remote. Only need 6 AA batteries and then fun starts. Really crash resistant, great fun and a good way to try out if its fun for you. If you want something better controllable (the Air Ace and most other sub 100$ stuff is only controlled via using two engines - more thrust on both sides: climb, less thrust - sink, thrust on left and right to steer, you cabn tell that its such a system if it uses 27mhz), check at Harbro freigth for this here: http://www.harborfreight.com/easy-to-fly-wild-hawk-rc-airplane-94774.html Its a clone of the Multiplex Easystar (the silver one like I use for photo flights). Also comes with a remote and is MUCH more controllable. Pretty durable too. Use it in low wind conditions, and you can get a hang on flying. This puppy has real servos, yo you can control speed, height and direction. Not the greatest thing, but a good start. If you can save up more, start with the Easystar RTF package. It may cost 2-3 times of the Harbor freight one, but is worth it. However for a first fix, try the tiny Air Hogs.
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Apr 13, 2011 07:46
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Stay away from the more expensive Aero Ace ones. I only liked the classic, small cheap models, the biplane, the Sport and Turbo ones being the best. I have no experience with the GWS slowstick, so can't comment on that one. From an RCGroups article, it looks like a more classic, small trainer. Might be worth it. I'm not a fan of classic wood/paper planes, I like foamies a lot due to their resilience and that you can crash them and fix them on the spot with some CA glue and kicker. And if parts got really bent, just dip them in hot water and the EPP will expand back to its old shape. Pretty neat, since the first few weeks of flying inevitably means crashing... I learned to properly fly with the MPX Easystar (killed two of them in the process, one crashed into a powerline and broke in way too many oieces to be reassembled, ould scavenge its innerts though - number two was accidentally landed upside down with completely killing the electronics - so I just built a third one with all nice little gadgets a you can see...), our RC club usually uses the MPX EasyGlider or the TwinStar2 to teach students how to fly. But if you need a remote, charger and the model plus servos, that is all well beyond your price scope. If I was you, I'd be checking ebay for a 72Mhz remote with 4 channels minimum, like a Graupner X412 or a Zebra 4FM. Since most RC pilots migrate to 2,4Ghz, the 72mhz ones are pretty cheap to get. Make sure to get a receiver with matching crystals as well and with some luck you can get that for under 30$. I don't know if a charger comes with the GWS, but a cheap one sets you back only a few bucks. If you can get a GWS slowstick fpr like 30 bucks and a remote plus receiver and charger for not much more, thats way better then the AirHogs/Aero Ace planes of course.
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Apr 13, 2011 16:28
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Weeeeell... not really something I'd had recommedend, but a kid in my village here tries to fly one of those. Two things: Out of the box it is too tailheavy. It will stall if you apply full throttle, so tack a penny or two under its nose with sticky tape to bring the center of gravity more to the front. ANd: The wings are pretty brittle (which sucks, thats my main beef with it). Do not glue them back with ca glue if they break, rather use epoxy if you have that and run a strip of clear tape on top and on the bottom of the wing. Reinforces it a tiny bit. If you want to fly it, it must be in no wind at all. Try an early evening when the breeze settled down and use the rudder sparingly. That thing will take a while before it turns and then suddenly turns rather sharply if I remember correctly. Have fun
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Apr 13, 2011 23:05
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if you want to be on the cheap side and like fixed wings more then helicopters (like I do), check for the AirHogs biplane which should set you back only 20 bucks and comes with a remote. Fun small plane that can be flown outdoors and indoors. Got me hooked to the hobby. For more serious flying, go to Harbor Freight and buy a "Wild hawk". This one: http://www.harborfreight.com/easy-to-fly-wild-hawk-rc-airplane-94774.html It is not precise, underpowered and lacking a decent remote - but that thing flies decently enough outside to make the hobby fun. Make sure you have enough weight in its nose, if you balance it, set the centre of gravity (use two giners under its wings to find it) to about a third from the beginning of the wings edge. Better half an inch to far in front then in the back! That thing can carry these cheap keycams you can get on ebay for 10bucks. Cheapest way to get aerial videos done. If you want a real great way to start flying, buy a Multiplex Easystar foamie, a decent remote like a Spektrum DX6i, charger and batteries from Hobbycity and fly at a local airfield. The Easystar looks a lot like the Harbor freight plane, but is way more solid and german engineered. Also much more crash resistant. I flew mine into a powerline. All it lost was a bit of foam which I glued back on using spare foam from a TV set packaging. And that was *all* that broke on it. Tough little fucker. Still use mine for aerial videos...
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Jul 10, 2011 22:58
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BTW, this is what I'm about 90% finished with. Worked on it since last july. Lacks now only cables between ESCs and batteries, installing the new front gear (broke the old one with glue seeping into it while glueing the fuselage together... bummer! You can see the gaping hole in the second pic) and a few little tidbits like adjusting the throws of the ailerons, finsihing the door decals etc. I hope I can maiden it in a a week or two, provided weather does not get worse here and I find time to do that.  
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Jan 19, 2012 01:47
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CrazyLittle posted:Wow you crashed it nose-first already? That was quick. The surprising lack of a front gear caused that nose-dive, I suppose...  Yes, when the maiden happens, a video will happen. I hope it will work out fine.
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Jan 19, 2012 16:05
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That depends on where you buy it. The european versions (with the castrated wattage setting) do not come with batteries or the charger. And: The plug is exactly reverse polarized (english is my second language so hopefully this is correct) then any other plugs to hook up a charger to the TX. If you use a Graupner or Robbe charger on the DX6i it will go up in flames. BTW, I don't think the Easy* is flimsier. The EPP is less rigid as the EPO of the Floater, but for the beginner this is an advantage. When impacting the Easystar tends to bounce off the ground with a warped nose, which can be easily fixed by holding it in hot (not boiling!) water. The Floater jet breaks in pieces (which admittedly can be also easily glued back together with CA and kicker spray on the spot). A great engine for the Easystar is the 1700kv Mystery brushless motor. Comes with a 30A ESC, just check ebay for 1700kv mystery and you will find it. Couple it with a 6x4 APC E or Graupner Vinyl prop and you have about 700g of thrust. Definitely enough to get my Easy to 300m+ up with a Samsung S750 digicam attached. BTW, get yourself the 50g CA glue from Hobbyking and some kicker spray. That stuff will be your biggest friend the first 20+ flights. Definitely helped me when teaching myself how to fly... Servos: I love the HXT900 from HK. The SG90 I got are a mixed bag. Some are great, some are horribly imprecise. I put four of those in my MPX Gemini and had to replace them all cause after doing some rolls the biplane wouldnt stop rolling when the SG90s would not go back to their center. With the HXTs its no issue. Otoh the SG90s in my MiniMag did not have that issue, so maybe it was just the odd batch... (My 737 is still not in the air. Have to fix the front wheels still and its been snowing, raining and being way too windy here nonstop the last three weeks...) Edit: Heli inside - get the Blade 120. Its simply great fun and surprisingly easy to fly. Almost like a koax. Heli outside - if you want to to it the easy way, take a look at the MPX FunCopter. Make sure to get the V2 version. V1 had some serious issues, which were almost all fixed in V2. Or get a Blade 400/450 for outdoors. Prepare to spend a substantial amount of money for spare parts though... Stay away from the HK 450 clones. While they can be built cheaply, the screws they come with and the blades are complete junk. There are so many parts which you end up switching to original T-Rex parts, you end up paying almost the same in the end. Tried it, gave up and sold the pices when I discovered that half of the main head was simply missing.
Hoeni fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Feb 18, 2012 |
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Feb 18, 2012 21:56
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Sypher, get this stuff instead: - Easystar standard kit (not the RR version) - Spektrum DX6i (or if you are not sure if you stick with the hobby, the DX5e is OK but you will sel it after the second plane!) - knock-off IB6 charger from ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/IMax-B6-Digital-LCD-Lipo-NiMh-battery-Balance-Charger-/320855087727?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab4741a6f 20 bucks - 2 2200mah 3s Lipos, Zippy Flightmax from Hobbyking 20C is more then enough http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store%85?idProduct=6306 - this ESC and engine: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1700Kv-1700...=item3f12e91419 22 bucks - 2 HXT900 servos from Hobbyking http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=662 (they are bit too small, but just fill the gaps with some hotglue (be careful not to melt the EPP foam) ) - 3.5mm plugs for ESC to motor connection: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store%85sp?idProduct=68 you need three, extras are always useful - some XT60 plugs ttp://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store…idProduct=10414 to connect batterys with ESC - an APC-E 6x4 propeller (local hobby store) - an adapter form the APC-E prop to a 4mm axle (for the motor) - also local hobby store - 50g CA glue from HK http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store%85?idproduct=7174 - some kicker spray (local hobby store) - lastly: to mount the outrunner on the Easystar, get an old filmcan or a Humbrol paint can. Ideal size if you dremel off the ridge, just drill five holes in it, mount the engine - boom. Perfect size for the ES Should set you back less then 350 bucks and you have good stuff to start flying with. I recommend the DX6i, the DX5e has no memory settings and if you have mroe then 2 planes later, this sucks rear end. The DX6i is proven, reliable and just works. Nothing great, but you can also get knock off receivers for it later if you want. Edit: I prefer the Zippy to the Turnigy batteries. Had too many Turnigys puff up on me after one season, while the Zippys *all* lasted two or three seasons for me. The 2200mah ones are a bit too light for the Easystar, make sure you add a bit extra weight in the nose and set the CoG 3-4mm in front of what Multiplex recommends. Makes much nicer and easier flights this way. Trust me, my third ES is still alive after four years now. still tons of fun with it, doing aerial pictures, videos and dropping bombs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_XmmDKsV2U Hoeni fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Apr 14, 2012 |
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Apr 14, 2012 21:24
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| # ¿ May 3, 2024 04:49 |
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The issue is if you use 2.4Ghz FPV equipment AND a 2.4Ghz radio. Then either the FPV signal gets drowned in the radio one or (worse) the other way round. the futaba uses 2.4 as well, so this will be a problem with both systems. Fix: Either use a classic 72mhz radio (may I recommend then a used graupner MX12? Dirt cheap, its what I learned to fly with as well and 35Mhz works well enough most of the time) OR (a bit more expensive admittedly) 5.8Ghz FPV equipment with the Spektrum or Futaba. You will have at least a year ahead of you learning to fly and land anyways (landing is way more difficult then you imagine if you want to do always 100% smooth landings. Otherwise your FPV stuff will be dead after a few "mistakes". Promise.), and during that time the DX5e or DX6i will be more then adequate to get the job done. If you already have the Spektrum, there is not much use in getting the Futaba for later FPV flying. Edit: If you fly helis, then landing will be easier for you. Still: 2.4 is the problem if you use 2.4 FPV stuff later. Check the 5.8 stuff out at HK.
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Apr 14, 2012 23:47
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