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Cheap Trainers

Posted by Robert Drone on August 6, 2009 at 3:00pm
I know you've all heard of the easy star but what do you think of these? Are any of these any good? I picked them because they look decent but don't cost as much as the easystar for starting off with plain old flying [drone comes next]. If you know about any of them or any better ones please comment! Thanks!-Rd=]j3club

j307.jpgwildhawk

yhst-17210252890263_2062_66591631Aerobird Swift RTF

31lLk%2BX3DxL._SL500_AA280_.jpgAerobird 3 RTF Electric

31o4Wxnfk4L._SL500_AA280_.jpgFirebird Commander 2 RTF Electric

31NV9VEYBCL._SL500_AA280_.jpgFirebird Freedom RTF Electric

31V5BX5ZPCL._SL500_AA280_.jpgAre any of these any good? I picked them because they look decent but don't cost as much as the easystar for starting off with plain old flying [drone comes next]. If you know about any of them or any better ones please comment!
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  • Robert Drone August 8, 2009 at 9:53am
    Thank you for all the comments! So overall; get the easy star or build a glider. Any particular servos I should use? I also found this 4-ch powered glider...

    What about this?

    thumbnail.img?picture.image.url=%2Ffiles%2F2116598%2Fuploaded%2Frcpl51028+Skyhawk+RTF+Glider.jpg&picture.width.max=200&picture.height.max=200&picture.image.mask.apply=false&pid=1249645203177


    Link
  • Patrick Mccabe August 7, 2009 at 6:14pm
    sounds like the sucky wild hawk too
  • Eduardo García López August 7, 2009 at 5:05pm
    Hi, I have to agree with Varga: don't buy the i3cub. It was my first plane three years ago, I only could fly it once, although tried twenty times. It's not good for a newbye neither for an expert. Bad motor, weak prop, five-minute lasting batteries, bad radio...Absolutely forget this one!
  • Moderator
    Gary Mortimer August 7, 2009 at 12:12am
    Beware false economies Robert, clean dads car two or three more times and you'll have the difference. Makes me feel like the oldest man in the world saying that! Also you might want to look into SPAD designs and build your own aircraft. If you go that route I'd recommend buying a cheap 6 channel transmitter that comes with perhaps 4 servos and receiver and then build yourself a glider, learn to fly that on a slope and build yourself a powered aircraft as you go. Charger, motor and esc are pretty expensive so that saves you a chunk of money to start with. If you can slope soar gliders you will be a much better pilot. Too many power pilots use oddles of power to get them out of trouble!
  • Patrick Mccabe August 6, 2009 at 9:58pm
    its cheaper at other places like for $52 but that they wont have all the parts like towerhobbies.
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson August 6, 2009 at 9:58pm
    If all you want to do is to learn how to fly RC, the Firebird Commander is a good choice (that's how I got started). But for UAVs, you can't use any of the Hobbyzone aircraft. They use custom RC gear that is incompatible with ArduPilot (and all other RC gear)

    For UAV use, all of these are a mistake. You'll save a few bucks and have hours of frustrations, and may never end up with a working UAV. The EasyStar costs $72, which is really not that much. We specifically chose an aircraft that was within reach of everyone. Take our advice on this one.
  • Donald Gallay August 6, 2009 at 7:02pm
    I bought some of those toys to learn all now trash servos and radios very cheap not reusable evan stock ez* electronics are barley passable just my experience
  • Patrick Mccabe August 6, 2009 at 6:58pm
    i agree
  • Donald Gallay August 6, 2009 at 6:52pm
    in the long run the ez* will be cheaper it holds up to new pilot crashes you won't have to buy another plane for drone upgrade and you will know how it flys
  • T3
    William Premerlani August 6, 2009 at 4:16pm
    Robert,

    I have helped several newbie RC pilots get started on "plain-old-flying" with the Hobbyzone Aerobirds. They are ok, as long as you think of them as "throw-away"s.

    They are easy to fly, I have seen a few newbies solo the first time out.

    However, they are not very rugged, a couple of hard landings will finish them off.

    Also, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to integrate any "drone electronics", such as an autopilot, into the Aerobirds.

    That being said, any of the Hobbyzone "park flyers" such as the Aerobird would be a reasonable way to get started with "plain-old-flying", provided you moved up to something else such as the easy star before you move into drones.

    Best regards,
    Bill
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