Memphis Prop Busters

This article has been written, rewritten, revised, and updated over several years in order to provide a relatively in-depth explanation for new(ish) pilots. If you're completely new, you may wish to read some of the other articles on the New Members page first. An important note however, is that this article doesn't deal with airplanes that are purely electric power, yet. That will be updated sometime in the future.

 

Many people have wanted to start flying RC airplanes for a long time, but they feel as if it is too hard, or too expensive for them to learn. That simply isn't the case. Prices have come down in recent years, and the quality of items has gone up. Plus, with the Buddy Box system, two transmitters are tethered together so that the risk of a student destroying his or her new airplane is fairly slim. Simulators also provide a good benefit, but with a good instructor, they are more of a luxury than a necessity.

In general, the ease with which a student learns to fly is affected by three factors:

1. The aircraft you're learning to fly with.
2. The natural ability of the student.
3. Flying location.

We will start with the airplane. It is highly recommended that you start with a high-winged trainer aircraft with trycicle landing gear. The wing should have noticeable dihedral (the wings will appear to angle up from the body in a 'V' shape), which aids in stability and makes flying easier.

Nowadays, there are many aircraft to choose from. You may choose to build yours from a kit, but most people choose to go with an airplane that is already pre-built. This is known as Almost-Ready-to-Fly, or ARF for short. Some manufacturers have taken the ARF one step further. They are now marketing Ready-To-Fly airplanes that already have the engines and radio equipment installed. Below are three very popular trainers often seen at the field. Please note that with rapid advances being made in the hobby, this is by no means a complete list. Your local hobby shop, either Mid-South Hobbies (901-682-9402) or Hobby Town USA (901-213-2682, can give you a current selection and price.

 

The Hobbico Nexstar is a complete RTF trainer package. It comes with the radio equipment and engine already installed. It also has an autopilot system, but that is typically disabled when learning with an instructor. This airplane features several advantages over your average RTF trainer, such as more durable landing gear, a more powerful engine, and a soft-mounted bolt on wing instead of the traditional rubber bands. The downside is that it is also one of the most expensive RTF trainers you'll find, with a price of roughly $400.

 

This is the Hangar 9 Alpha 40. This airplane is also a RTF trainer package, with the engine and electronics already installed. It features a comperable engine to the Nexstar, and it also features a more modern 2.4 Ghz, or Spread Spektrum, radio system that eliminates the need for frequency control. It does use the tradition wire landing gear and rubberband on wings, but it is much more affordable than the Nexstar.

 

This is the Sig Manufacturing Kadet. It is one of the "old timers" of the trainer world. This design has been around for decades, but is still one of the most stable and dependable trainers you'll ever find. Countless pilots have learned to fly on a Sig Kadet. It can be found in kit or ARF form, giving you the option of building it yourself, or buying an almost-ready-to-fly airplane. Neither the kit nor the arf come with any radio equipement or an engine, but this allows the you to customize your new airplane. The cost difference between buying an RTF or an ARF+components is minimal.

The second issue you will have to deal with is your own abiliy. Some students naturally take to the skies without much difficulty, some even solo on their first week or day! Other students may take longer, perhaps even weeks or months before they can fly unassisted. In short, it all depends on you and your natural ability. (OK, we have to give some credit to the instructor too...) Also, learning with a simulator can greatly reduce the time it takes to learn how to fly, but with a good instructor a simulator is by no means a requirement. You must be careful, however. It's all too easy to learn some bad habits on the simulator that can be very difficult to break once at the flying field. Although there are many simulators out there, RealFlight seems to be the best choice. It's available for roughly $200 at your local hobby shop. We strongly reccoment supporting your local hobby shop VS a mail-order company. Reason being, your local hobby shop will provide you with after the sale service, setup advice, and support whereas a mailorder company will not.

The third issue is the flying field itself. Some flying fields pose more of a challenge for beginners as well. Beginners will want to learn at a location which has a generous runway (both length and width), with long, clear approaches from either direction. The Propbusters field is ideal for student pilots. We offer a golf-course quality grass runway that's 615X150. That's a massive runway for a club. It's not unusual for clubs to have runways that are only 300-400 feet long. Plus, we have no nearby obstacles off the approach ends of our runway.

If you decided to buy one of the airplanes that is RTF, then this section won't apply to you, but you may find the information useful. If you bought a kit, or an ARF, you'll need to decide what type of radio system you want, as well as what kind of engine you'll need.

Radio
One of the biggest choices you'll have to make is what kind of radio system you'll need. Modern radios are becoming increasingly more advanced, even in regards to entry level systems. Radios used to operate on the 72 Mhz frequency band and had a limited number of subfrequencies available. This meant that often times two or more pilots at the field shared the same frequency. To avoid "shooting each other down", frequency control procedures were used. Modern radios however, are on the 2.4 Ghz band. The short version of the story is that the radios handle frequency control on their own through various methods. This is something worth mentioning if you buy a used radio system that happends to be a 72 Mhz as there are still plenty of pilots using this frequency band.

Typically, trainers have used 4-channel radios. That means that there are 4 seperate functions the radio controls. Those are, ailerons, elevator, throttle, and rudder. Recently however, it has become harder and harder to find basic bare bones 4 channel systems. Those have been replaced with comparably priced 5 channel systems. Many beginners are also starting to go with entry-level 6 channel systems too. The logic behind this is that it's far cheaper to buy a nicer radio to start with, and use it on more airplanes, than it is to buy a basic radio now, and another nicer one later on. Below are 3 good choices.

The Spektrum DX5e is a 2.4 Ghz 5 channel system that's perfect for trainers, and some basic sport airplanes. It's low cost makes it a good option for someone who is on a budget, but it's lack of features means a beginner will outgrow it relatively soon after graduating from a trainer.

The DX6i is the big brother to the DX5e. It's a 6 channel system that will be capable and flexible enough to grow with you. It is also more than capable of flying a helicopter should you ever wish to go that route. It's reasonably priced for a 6 channel system, but it's well worth the initial cost if you think you'll stick with the hobby for a while.

The manufacturer Futaba also offers 2.4 Ghz systems. Although Spektrum was the first to produce 2.4 Ghz radios for both cars and aircraft, Futaba still makes a good system. They chose to call their brand of 2.4 FASST. This 6Ex system was originally designed for 72 Mhz operations, but was adapted for 2.4 use. It's another reasonably priced high-quality 6-channel system.

Engine
The engine is another thing the aspiring RC pilot must consider. Like the radio gear, many ARF and kit builders choose to upgrade the engine over what has traditionally been used on trainers. Many of the earlier RTF trainers used .40 sized bushing engines that, although reliable, were fairly weak. The crankshafts were supported by bushings, instead of ball bearings like the higher preformance engines. This was done in an effort to keep costs down. Although there's nothing wrong with using a lower-powered engine, you will enjoy the added power that some other engines offer. Bushing engines will last a LONG time though, if taken care of properly. Another point worth mentioning is that the engines mentioned here are are two-stroke engines. Four stroke engines are widely used in model aviation as well, but they don't lend themselves to trainers as well due to cost, and a few other things.


This is the OS Engines 46.LA bushing engine. Like all of OS's engines, it's a reliable engine that will provide years of good service when taken care of properly. It doesn't produce the same level of power the next two engines do, but it doesn't cost nearly as much either.

This is the OS Engines .46 AX. It's a wonderful engine for a trainer since it will provide ample power, and be more than powerful enough to go on any other airplane you get, so long as you stay within the .40 size range. Unfortunately, it's one of the more expensive engine's you'll find on a trainer.

If you're looking for a good blend between price and preformance, then you should look into the Evolution .46. This is the same engine that comes on the Hangar 9 Alpha mentioned above. Just like the OS .46 AX, it has a ball-bearing supported crankshaft and makes plenty of power for a trainer. The OS does make a little more power, but the Evolution will cost a little less. The Evolution .46 also has an angled glow-plug to help keep your hand away from the prop when you're learning.

Joining the Club and the AMA

The AMA or Academy of Model Aeronautics, is a non-profit organization that premotes our hobby and provides insurance should your aircraft damage anyone else's property such as crashing into their house, car, or THEM! As a chartered AMA club, we require you to have a current AMA license to fly solo. AMA membership also entitles you to their monthly magazine and use of the national flying field, located in Muncie, Indianna. Membership is currently $58/year. The AMA website is packed with information on anything from helping you find local clubs and hobby shops to getting grants for field improvements. Joining the Propbusters also has it's benefits. First off, instruction is free. Secondly, you get access to a wonderful flying site that is professionally maintained. Third, you get to meet some wonderful people. If you know you'd like to join, the application is Here

In addition to an airplane, you'll need various bits of support equipment to get into the air. Retailers like Mid-South Hobbies (901-682-9402) or Hobby Town USA (901-213-2682) carry all the items you'll need. It's always wise to support a local hobby shop instead of an online retailer. Local shops can be an invaluable source of information if you're having problems with your new airplane. Plus the local hobby shops, or LHS, support the Memphis Prop Busters, so we would like to help support them. Can you tell we favor our local shops?

In general, your support equipment will fall into four seperate categories. These categories are listed below.

Charging The Airplane
Model airplanes rely on an internal battery, or flight pack, to run the radio gear. Most trainers will use a NiCd, or Nickel Cadmium, battery. RTF trainer combinations, as well as packaged radio systems, come with a "wall wort" overnight charger. This charger plugs into yout 110 AC outlet in your house, and charges your plane and transmitter overnight. They work well and are inexpensive, costing around $10-$20 to replace. The problem is, they are slow, and don't leave you any provision to recharge your airplane while still at the field. That's where the quick chargers come in. These chargers run off of a 12V DC battery and are typically much more capable than the "wall wort" chargers. A basic non-computerized quick charger will cost roughly $50, while a nicer computerized charger will cost anywhere between $75 to $300, depending on the model chosen. Pictured below are two popular choices.

This is the Hobbico Quick Field Charger MKII. It can be found for roughly $50, and charges NiCd, NiMh, and Lithium Ion/Polymer batteries. It can also charge two batteries at a time.

This is the Hitec Multi-Charger. It costs roughly $150, but will charge up to four batteries at a time as well as balance Lithium packs. It currently suppports all hobby-grade battery types.

You will also need a way to check the condition of the flight pack. This is where a hobby-designed digital voltmeter comes in handy. The hobby-designed voltmeters put a load on the battery to simulate the servos operating. This is a critical feature, since this load is the only way to accurately measure the available power left in your battery.

Fueling the Airplane
Most model airplanes burn what is typically known as glow fuel. It is a mixture of methanol, nitromethane, and oil. The fuel is pumped out of your gallon jug and into the airplanes fuel tank by either a hand crank pump, or an electric pump. Typically, hand crank pumps are easier on smaller airplanes, but electric pumps are handy for large airplanes with large fuel tanks. There are other fueling accessories that many people use, but your local hobby shop and instructor can discuss these with you further. Pictured below are a gallon of Byron's Fuel, a hand crank fuel pump, and an electric fuel pump.

There are many different manufacturers of model fuels available. Some are better than others, and some are blended for more specialty uses like helicopters and racing. For a beginner however, it's easiest to buy what's readily available at the local hobby shop.

This is your typical hand cranked fuel pump

This is an electric fuel pump for glow fuel. This is typically used in conjunction with a flight box that holds all of your tools and suppport equipment. There is more on field boxes father down the page.

Starting the Airplane
To start your typical two or four stroke glow engine, you'll first need a glow driver. Glow powered engines use a glow plug in place of a spark plug to ignite the fuel/air mixture, and actually function more like a diesel engine than a gasoline powered one. A glow driver, like the one pictured below, uses a battery to provide heat to the glow plug during starting. After the engine is running, heat from combustion/compression and a chemical reaction between the glow plug and fuel provides the heat to keep the engine running.

You will also need a way to spin the prop. This can be accomplished by the use of a "chicken stick" or a hand-held electric starter. The chicken stick is basically a wooden or plastic handle with a rubber pad on the end. It keeps your hand away from the prop, and is a much safer option than trying to start an engine by hand. They are inexpensive, costing less than $10, but don't start an engine as readily as an electric starter. Electric starters are small, usually 12V, motors with a rubber cone on the end that spin the prop. They make starting very easy, but they do cost more than a chicken stick and require a 12V battery to operate.

Maintaining the Airplane
As with any mechanical item, your new plane will need some periodic maintenance. Some of the tools you will need are RC specific, while others are fairly generic. The RC specific items are things like glow plug wrenches, Z-bend pliers, prop reamers, and so forth. The generic items are metric and standard allen wrenches, crescent wrenches, and so forth. Although the tools each pilot carries with him vary, at a minnimum you will need a glow plug wrench, needle nose pliers, metric and standard allen wrenches, and an assortment of smaller phillips and slotted screwdrivers. Your local hobby shop can help you on selection.

Field Boxes
A field box, or flight box as some call it, is a box that stores all of your support equipment when you go to the field. These boxes can be purpose built, or they can be adapted from many smaller tool boxes you might find at a local hardware store. There is no right or wrong way to have a field box. If it's suiting your needs, then there's nothing wrong with it! Many people also use what's known as a power panel on their field boxes. A power panel proviedes a place for your electric starter to plug into, as well as a switch to drive an electric fuel pump. A 12V gell cell battery is typically housed below the power panel.

This power panel has a place to plug in your 12V starter, fuel pump, and it has an option to plug in a corded glow driver should your battery powered one fail.

Here's a picture of a complete field box with the power panel on the right, fuel, tool drawer, and a plane cradle on the top.

 

This guide should give you a pretty good understanding of all the equipment you'll need to start flying. It may seem daunting at first, but you'll quickly find that it isn't as complicated as you may initially think. You will undoubtedly have more questions though. This is where a good instructor really makes a difference. Your instructor can fill in the blanks when you have questions, and offer a hand if you realize there's some bit of support equipment you don't yet have. If you still have questions about getting started in the hobby, contact one of our Instructors, or one of our local hobby shops: Mid-South Hobbies (901-682-9402) or Hobby Town USA (901-213-2682