Originally Posted by dmbaerry

I am trying to decide between the RCM Basic Trainer and the Randy Randolph's Dime.. Both are Short Kits from LazerWorks...

Go for the Dime! I just bought a Randy Randolph "3/4s" And will put either my os 10 or 15 on it. His designs are great fliers and the "Little Bit Different" than everyone else factor is there. Either is equally easy to build/repair, important for first planes! Oh I got my 3/4s at the LHS and it was a scratch build by someone else.

How about these suggestions.

Hep Cat
Mercury Matador
Mini Super

Hep Cat is available from

http://http://www.outerzone.co.uk/pl...ls.asp?ID=2188

I haven't seen plans for the Mini Super (an undersized Super 60) or the Mercury Matador on line but can help if required.

All three are high wing cabin planes and a wing span of approximately 4 feet. They can easily be converted to 3 channel and offer great fun for not a lot off outlay.

The RCM Basic Trainer would be a little easier build, I think, because of the sheet balsa fuse. It's a considerably heavier build, but you could lighten it up enough for it to fly well on a .10. I flew one once that was kind of a dog, but that's because it was very heavy. It doesn't have to be.

I taught myself to fly on an .049 trainer and then a .15 powered trainer. I wasn't "distracted" by starting engines because the engines worked great. I wasn't distracted by having to charge flight batteries either...just fuel it up, choke or prime, connect starting battery, flip and go, over and over as many times as I wanted. The whole training process was a delightful experience because the planes were so beautiful on the ground and in the air. They were light, and rarely suffered damage. When they did they were easy to fix.

I'm glad you liked the "Dime" recommendation, and I don't think the RCM would be bad either as long as you keep it light. Either one will be far more attractive than anything slapped together from foam board and give you real pleasure. To my thinking, the hobby is not a means to an end, it is an end in itself. Enjoy!

Jim

wow. a praire bird 50. that looks very nice.

Originally Posted by ozmo01

Go for the Dime! I just bought a Randy Randolph "3/4s" And will put either my os 10 or 15 on it. His designs are great fliers and the "Little Bit Different" than everyone else factor is there. Either is equally easy to build/repair, important for first planes! Oh I got my 3/4s at the LHS and it was a scratch build by someone else.

What is a 3/4s?

Originally Posted by buzzard bait

The RCM Basic Trainer would be a little easier build, I think, because of the sheet balsa fuse. It's a considerably heavier build, but you could lighten it up enough for it to fly well on a .10. I flew one once that was kind of a dog, but that's because it was very heavy. It doesn't have to be.

I taught myself to fly on an .049 trainer and then a .15 powered trainer. I wasn't "distracted" by starting engines because the engines worked great. I wasn't distracted by having to charge flight batteries either...just fuel it up, choke or prime, connect starting battery, flip and go, over and over as many times as I wanted. The whole training process was a delightful experience because the planes were so beautiful on the ground and in the air. They were light, and rarely suffered damage. When they did they were easy to fix.

I'm glad you liked the "Dime" recommendation, and I don't think the RCM would be bad either as long as you keep it light. Either one will be far more attractive than anything slapped together from foam board and give you real pleasure. To my thinking, the hobby is not a means to an end, it is an end in itself. Enjoy!

Jim

Hey Jim,
Love all your sugestions and thoughts. What .049 trainer did you learn on? I learned on a Midwest live wire champ with a os .20. Loved that plane.

Hi, my first RC was a Top Flight Schoolmaster, 39 inch span, all balsa, with a muffled Cox 049. At that time there was a park I could fly in. Once the plane was up I would hand the Tx over to total strangers who came to watch. It was a great flyer and practically indestructible.

Later I scratch-built my own and brought the weight down from 20 oz to 16 oz. By that time I had also gone from rudder/throttle to adding elevator...a big improvement. I thermaled that plane once for 25 minutes.

Finally I joined a club and wanted to do touch and goes on the runway. So like you, I bought a Midwest Live Wire Champ. Isn't that a great airplane! Mine was powered with an OS 15 FP turning an 8 1/2x4 prop. A friend did rolling circles with it. It just looked so beautiful in the air I always loved going to the field with it. Then the club did a Stick 40 Plus winter building project, so that was my aileron plane. But there was really nothing to learning ailerons at that point. Also, the plane was so ugly that I took much less pleasure in flying it.

Tell me about your Champ! I never tire of reading or writing about that plane.

Jim

Oh do I have a story about my Champ. She was not my first plane. The first plane I built was a Goldberg Eaglet 50. My very kind club trainer was flying my Eaglet when a push rod broke and down came my plane. As a 15 year old I was devastated, but because my club had some great people, I stayed involved with the hobby even though I did not have a Plane. About six months later, I went to a club meeting and on the table was a beautiful red and yellow champ. The Trainer that had crashed my plane had built a replacement for me for Free. I flew that plan for 2 years and it never crashed.

Great story!... and a nice old photo.

Jim

Originally Posted by buzzard bait

Great story!... and a nice old photo.

Jim

Thanks, I miss the good old days when I had plenty of time for the hobby.. Wife and teenage children make it a bit tough for the hobby, but I am determined to get back involved.

My daughter & I built a David Boddington Pronto together & flew it with an OS10.

The plan was in a book on aeromodelling. Built as a 3 channel model (no ailerons)
& lightened the structure as it was originally designed for a 35.

About as basic as possible, just a box with wings. The trike gear means you can
taxi it properly & take offs & landings are easier. It's super easy to fly. - John.

Originally Posted by Boomerang1

My daughter & I built a David Boddington Pronto together & flew it with an OS10.

The plan was in a book on aeromodelling. Built as a 3 channel model (no ailerons)
& lightened the structure as it was originally designed for a 35.

About as basic as possible, just a box with wings. The trike gear means you can
taxi it properly & take offs & landings are easier. It's super easy to fly. - John.

Is there a kit for it?

No, as far as I know there was no kit.

There was not a full size plan, just a full size wing section drawing & some dimensions of the parts. A full size plan is available here:

http://www.myhobbystore.co.uk/produc...rc1600--pronto

We did modify ours to make it lighter. I still have it in the garage. - John.

You might consider the House of Balsa Spacewalker. It's 4 channel and flys very well with an OS Max 10 FSR. Probably not a first plane, but certainly as a second or third.

John C

Originally Posted by John_R_C

You might consider the House of Balsa Spacewalker. It's 4 channel and flys very well with an OS Max 10 FSR. Probably not a first plane, but certainly as a second or third.

John C

Thanks John...
I am going to build that as my 3rd plane I think.