| Mark E. Gunnison | www.MGCPA.com |
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I built this page to detail my reentry into the world of model building. Like most men my age I built model aircraft as a child - both plastic and balsa. I could not afford RC controls as a kid so all of my planes were U-control or just plain models. Once I discovered cars, motorcycles and girls, I forgot about model aircraft. Then in the early 2000s I purchased an RC electric motor-glider. It didn't fly too well and the controller that came with it was non-standard and a bit confusing; I only few it a few times before losing it in my garage. A few years later I purchased an RC helicopter that was a blast to fly. It was an E-Sky Honey Bee. I got pretty good at hovering and flying around my yard but only with the tail towards me. As soon as I would turn the helicopter towards me I would get confused and crash. It didn't bother me too much because hovering was enough fun to keep me interested. With time all of my batteries died and I lost interest in the helicopter. Then near the end of 2007 a friend sparked my interest in my motor-glider and helicopter. He had a friend (who I also knew) who also had an airplane and helicopter. After an outing with the two of them, I Googled "RC flying" and discovered it is no longer the expensive hobby it was when I was a kid. It is also no longer dominated by the model builder as it was. I would guess 90% or more of the aircraft for sale are ARF (almost ready to fly) models. I love to build things and the idea of risking crashing something that I spend a month building sounds like a whole lot more fun than crashing something I just purchased. So, I started looking for balsa kits.
Learning - A page of often assumed beginning tips Building Tips - A page of often assumed building tips How to build a wing - Build a scratch built balsa wing Flitetest.com - Great videos and tips |
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I have also had fun trying out different motors, props and batteries. Following are some of my favorite suppliers:
For someone new to the hobby I would highly recommend building a Mini Telemaster. It is by far the funniest of the planes I have flown and flies like a real plane. (The other models I have flown fly more like models than real planes.) The Telemaster also makes a great aileron trainer with some slight modification. I have seen ARF Telemaster models with aileron wings but I would recommend the Aero Craft Ltd kit if you like to build - just modify the wing. |