It was great. I will always remember my first plane, a big white Super Cub made from recycled meat trays. I learned to fly her good, and when I failed to land properly she bounced. I modded her motor, her wing, and her electronics. I made her stupid fast and flew it like a warbird. Rolling and looping but, when I made that last mistake - she didn't survive.

So i bought a foam warbird, and another, and another. I made them faster and faster... It's been a year. Some of them survived my learning curve.

I bought a FW190 60 size 82 Saito, it sounds like an airplane.

This feels more like flying. I have 3 others on and under the build table. I have 2 stroke, 4 stroke, and gas. SO much to learn, just like starting all over again! Man this is fun. Thank Goodness I have a friend to help me ...
I went flying today... I hadn't been able to in 3 weeks. Flying both (the nitro and the foam warbirds, as I have been for the last few months) I realized today...
I'm done with foam.

I have a Parkzone P51 that I like, but there is no substitute for the sound and smell of wet fuel engines. Sometimes I fly over at the city owned park and glow engines aren't allowed so the little electrics are just fine. Even when I'm at our regular RC field I still fly the foamy between gas flights. No reason you can't enjoy both.

Each has thier place...But nothing like the smell of burning glo in the monring... smells like........ victory

Maybe,the gas planes are very different and the sound is great.
Flew both today but the gas plane got grounded with a retract problem. That was a disappointing. Repairs are setting up.

I started with foam planes and still have them and there are a couple of UM planes I wouldn't mind owning, but having a plane that isn't covered with lizard bumps and burns liquid fuel just seems more "real" and those are the planes I fly most.

Originally Posted by 600Bob

I started with foam planes and still have them and there are a couple of UM planes I wouldn't mind owning, but having a plane that isn't covered with lizard bumps and burns liquid fuel just seems more "real" and those are the planes I fly most.

I never tried minis. The whole mini thing alludes me ... mini bikes, mini horses and dogs? mini skirts OKAY... that one, I get

Been out in the shop fitting and gluing pieces of wood together for my new plane... that just seems right.

Originally Posted by scootrb4

I never tried minis. The whole mini thing alludes me ... mini bikes, mini horses and dogs? mini skirts OKAY... that one, I get

Been out in the shop fitting and gluing pieces of wood together for my new plane... that just seems right.

It's enjoyable to just take the UM plane out in my back field and fly on a whim and it's fun too

You can make foam glow planes. This is an old glow plane I gave away, mix of foam, and balsa.

I got a UM Corsair as my first electric/foam plane. I hate it!!!! I will take my .40 size glow anyday.

Originally Posted by kylerdinger

I got a UM Corsair as my first electric/foam plane. I hate it!!!! I will take my .40 size glow anyday.

I think UM for a first plane is a dirty trick... I was given some good advice and my SC was 48" WS. I bought a few 1100mm (44") and then some 1400mm (55"). I soon understood the bigger they are the easier they are and the more stable they fly. Now I'm flying 50 and 60 size. But I have 2 favorite PZ 1100mm warbirds.

A friend has the UM Corsair and it did not fly well. I have the UM T-28 and it flies very well, I still get smiles when I get around to flying it.

I fly anything I can get hold of ... literally. I combine best of worlds ... fopam with wood ... wood with foam ...

I've converted glow to fuel etc.

There's a distinct advantage of adding foam into a wood structure - particularly the lite-ply models that are prevalent ... it reduces the structure noise .. the boom that resonates in that fuselage.

My Ultimate wood job demolished it's front end when it nosed in ... rebuilt with foam / wood combined ... nosed in again a few days ago ... guess what - nose survived. Weight difference ? Few grams that made no difference to CoG.

What I'm saying ... don't discount combinations of good aspects ...

Nigel

Originally Posted by scootrb4

I think UM for a first plane is a dirty trick... I was given some good advice and my SC was 48" WS. I bought a few 1100mm (44") and then some 1400mm (55"). I soon understood the bigger they are the easier they are and the more stable they fly. Now I'm flying 50 and 60 size. But I have 2 favorite PZ 1100mm warbirds.

No no. That was NOT my first plane. I have flown glow 1/2a, 40, and 60 size for 6 years now, I am not a beginner. The reason I hated that plane so much was it is cheaply built and the servo gears stripped right away, because I landed it with out the gear on it They are ment to fly in a huge indoor gym, witch I don't have access too. I would like to get into some electrics, but I am already setup with glow, and don't want to spend the money getting setup with lipo chargers and all the other equptment.

Originally Posted by kylerdinger

No no. That was NOT my first plane. I have flown glow 1/2a, 40, and 60 size for 6 years now, I am not a beginner. The reason I hated that plane so much was it is cheaply built and the servo gears stripped right away, because I landed it with out the gear on it They are ment to fly in a huge indoor gym, witch I don't have access too. I would like to get into some electrics, but I am already setup with glow, and don't want to spend the money getting setup with lipo chargers and all the other equptment.

Okay I see, beginner section, I assumed
Anyway electrics are not cheap. At least if you do it right they are not. You need a large multi bank charger (maybe a field charger too) and lots of expensive disposable batteries to keep you going. If you fly scale it can be more economical than if you've a need for speed. When you first start out it's easy to hurt some batteries and shorten their useful life.
I enjoyed it but wood frame fuel seems a natural progression into the hobby. The planes perform better & fly more scale + the noise is better.

Originally Posted by scootrb4

I never tried minis. The whole mini thing alludes me ... mini bikes, mini horses and dogs? mini skirts OKAY... that one, I get

Been out in the shop fitting and gluing pieces of wood together for my new plane... that just seems right.

Watch my video of one of our indoor fly-ins and see if you have as much fun as we do with our mini's! Count how many are flying at the same time!

Indoor RC #1 (7 min 49 sec)