FAQ I'm new to 3D... where do I start?

[FireyFate]

Twisted Hobbys Extra Slick is a pretty good choice. I personally prefer the 32-33 inch range on EPP profiles... they seem more precise than the larger ones I've flown.

Also super cheap to build, and you can grab batteries for under $5 a piece at EPBuddy.com. For that price you can just take a ton of batteries out to the field and abuse them all ya want.

 

[shadow102]

I will go with everyone else and say pick up a crack yak....had the edge and didnt like it but the crack yak is just plain amazing. Only downside is flying in any kind of general wind but then again learning 3d you dont want to fly in too much wind.

As for a balsa...EF Edge 48", 3dhs 48" edge, 42" Slick (where i started and loved it), EF 48" Extra, EF 48" Laser...in that order of choice.

Radio...stay away from the dx6i the gimbles feel horrible, you are stuck with spektrum so going to another brand is a huge pain, and the control throw available on the radio forces you into using servo horn extensions which also can create blowback. The 6 channel futaba i believe doesnt have a timer that i know of as well so it can be a bit problematic.

I started with a turnigy 9x to keep my investment low, you can also swap around to different modules and reflash the radio with more powerful software if need be...plus the receivers for the base system are $8 so it leaves you the ability to choose what higher end system you want to go to later on without a large loss of investment due to RX's.

 

[Brian Yak Dude]

I'll go ahead an pop in on this.

A lot of the info here is correct. EPP is an excellent place to start when beginning in the humbling art of 3D

Almost anywhere you go you'll find a brand with an EPP foamy. There are a lot of really good choices out there, from the Twisted Crack series to Fancy Foams MX2, you almost can't go wrong. While there are many great planes out there, there are twice and many no gooders. Stay away from planes that look like somebody drew them on a napkin. Usually these planes are heavy, don't have good flight characteristics or just fall apart over time. Sticking with the brand the majority of the population recommends is usually a safe bet.

Now, if I might add one thing. Some of the planes out there are advanced foamies and can be a bit of a handful for a new pilot. For instance the Crack Yak 55. This is by far the best EPP plane I have ever flown, and I was extremely impressed with it, however, from my experience it was quite sensitive and if you didn't stay 1 step ahead of it, you were walking five steps over to pick it up Not saying all Crack Yaks are this way, but it's what I personally have seen. Finding a good foamy can actually be little difficult depending on the style of flying you wish to achieve. Starter "3D Trainers" are a good first step in learning the basics of 3D with a forgiving airframe, but the skill range is small and they are outgrown easily, never the less, it's a good place to start.

The plane I would recomend is any of the Fancy Foam EPP Indoor or outdoor series airplanes. These planes are cheap and perform pretty darn well. They wont quite keep up with the crazy pace the Crack Yak puts up, but they are beginner friendly and will take you almost as far as you want to go. I'm not a "fan boy" of FF, but I have found the planes they have to be pretty nice. A good, powerful cheap setup for one of these would be as follows:

Fancy Foam EPP plane of choice (or any plane for that matter)

E-Flight DS60 servos for the tail DS75 for the ailerons

Turnigy 2730 Brushless Motor 1300kv (yes I know it's hobby king, but it's cheap and provides PLENTY of power on a 2S setup)

Turnigy nano-tech 300mah 2S 45~90C Lipo Pack ( I have found these to be VERy powerful and provide pretty decent flight times. I have almost 100 flights on one of these little packs and it still runs like new)

The receiver and radio are of course up to you, but usually try and get the smallest receiver available for your radio system.

This is purely what I would recommend for a beginner and for me it has done well so far. Hope the info is helpful

Thanks
Brian

 

[Enterprise]

STAY AWAY FROM THE DX6i

If you go Spektrum it is probably best to find a used DX-8 or get a DX-7S. I personally have a DX-18. It just fits my hands the best.

The Futaba 8FG has proven to be a not great radio from the experience of the people whom have had them here. Lots of poor quality in the actual unit (switches broken easily) and the programming is atrocious. Futaba generally makes great stuff, just steer clear of this particular radio. Even the Futaba rep at Toledo said to get a 10CAG.

For electrics I like Hitec with their SBC port and easy, practical voltage telemetry. Get a Eclipse 7. RXs are cheap.

For airplanes, the one that has given me the most new skills and confidence is the Twisted Crack Yak. I started with the 3DHS EPP Extra, but the crack series is a order of magnitude better. The pitts is probably better for a beginner as it does everything slower. I have a big FF Edge and it has proven to be a big dud. Sorry for saying it, but the airframe has so little bracing it basically flops around the air. I need to pull the gear out of it and do something more useful with it.

As for Balsa stuff I am going to go against the grain here and say get something on the bigger side. EF 60" Edge is a wonderful airplane and flies bigger than it's 5lbs suggests. The 48" stuff is just too twitchy for a beginner.

 

[teookie]

First time I've heard anything bad about the 8FG. Me and another guy I fly with love ours. Plus I see a lot of them being used at huckfest.

 

[rcdude07]

Personally, I used RF G2 to get my thumbs working with the hover. I only had my Sirex Wasp at the time, so I would climb to about 4 mistakes high and start working on it. Got to where I could keep it for periods of time just hanging there, of course I was still 4 mistakes high.

 

[Enterprise]

First time I've heard anything bad about the 8FG. Me and another guy I fly with love ours. Plus I see a lot of them being used at huckfest.

I'm not going to start the radio wars as your mileage may vary. We only have a small amount of 8FG people up here and the general opinion seems low. Now Futaba's FASST system is very nice and other radios like the 14MZ are the top of the food chain. Spektrum is the most popular system here, but there are probably more 72 MHZ people than any of the other brands.

Futaba has the lowest latency and is very popular in Heli circles.

The best advice on radios is to goto the LHS and pick the one that feels the best in your hands. I personally have the whole Hitec Aurora 9 setup and tons of RXs, but switched back to the DX-18 because of how much I love the feel of the radio. My hands are too big for the 8FG and it's switch layout.

 

[flylow3d]

The Futaba 8FG has proven to be a not great radio from the experience of the people whom have had them here. Lots of poor quality in the actual unit (switches broken easily) and the programming is atrocious. Futaba generally makes great stuff, just steer clear of this particular radio. Even the Futaba rep at Toledo said to get a 10CAG.

I have used the 8fg for 2 years now and I can honestly say I have never had an issues with it. It's one of the fastest radios on the market and is extremely popular among the heli crowd, and they are much harder on their radios than us plank pilots. Nick Maxwell, one of the top heli pilots in the world chooses to use the 8fg for his major competitions.

I absolutely hate radio wars but I felt the need to give my feedback on this. "The Futaba 8FG has proven to be a not great radio from the experience of the people whom have had them here" you claimed that this has been proven so I would love see your proof to back up this statement. If its such a lousy radio then I should quit using it.

 

[Aaeolien]

If its good enough for joe it would be good enough for me. of course I went spektrum and bought a dx6i when I was really diving in and needing it. Been thinking of upgrading to the 7 or the 8 but feel the 6 does enough for me is there a reason I should seriously be looking at upgrading besides more model memories?

 

[Enterprise]

Joe

I was very honest in saying that I don't have personal, direct experience with this radio. The first person hated the programming so much after decades of Futaba use he sold it and went to a Aurora 9 (he is a sport flyer). The second person is one of the local sponsored pilots and his first radio had the digital trims not working and his second replacement one failed at a major competition this year. He had to go back to his first trims inop radio, despite Futaba sponsored pilots trying to help him.

I already relayed the story talking to the Futaba radio rep at Toledo and his recommendation away from the 8FG for those used to the older programming method which he though was better.

All radios have issues, my A9 just came back from Hitec. The 8FG is very popular with the heli crowd and for people with smaller hands. Both of the top pilots I get to fly with use Futaba and I absolutely love their servos.