Cynbe's Guide to Getting Started in Radio-Control Flying

http://muq.org/~cynbe/rc.html


(Disclaimer: I have no financial interest whatever in any of the products, stores, brands or outlets mentioned.) 


So you want to get into flying radio-control models? 


Cool!  Thanks to huge improvements in the last five years in electric motors, batteries, transmitters, and foam construction, there has never been a better or cheaper time to fly R/C models.


I recommend starting out by buying the Eflite MCX/2 radio-control helicopter: 


    http://www.e-fliterc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLH2400 


You should be able to find this at any good hobby store. 


The best Santa Cruz area hobby store I know of is Capitola Hobbies, which is right next to Trader Joe's, not far from Marie Callender's: 


   Capitola Hobbies 

   3555 Clares St. 

   Capitola, CA 95010 (831) 462-3555 

   E-mail: caphob@aol.com 


The advantages of starting with the MCX2 helicopter are: 


It is cheap: $130 gets you everything you need, including charger, transmitter, helicopter and battery. Just unpack and fly. 


It is safe:  I've flown this helicopter into my face a dozen times with no damage to it or me.  Bigger models are in general much more dangerous.   


It is quiet and convenient.  You can learn to fly it in any room you have available.  You don't have to find a flying field, or wait for sunny, windless weather.  You don't need an AMA license or insurance. 


It is nearly indestructible, and just about any hobby shop will have spare parts if you do manage to break something. (Breaking things is a normal part of radio-control flying. Get used to it!) 


The MCX/2 is actually fly-able. The really cheap Toys-R-Us type helicopters are nearly impossible to fly, even for an expert, much less a beginner, plus there are no spare parts for them, so once you break something you have to replace the entire helicopter.  This means they are actually *more* expensive to learn on than the MCX/2. 


The more advanced Eflite helicopters are also much harder to fly.  The MCX/2 is a very docile, easy machine to learn on. The first time you try flying it, it will undoubtedly zoom up and hit the ceiling, and you'll think it is ultra-twitchy, but it really is very stable and beginner-friendly, you just need to learn to be gentle with the controls. 


Flying the Eflite MCX/2 should give you a good idea of whether radio-control flying is something that appeals to you. 


If you want more, I suggest your next purchase be a copy of the RealFlight simulator program: 


    http://www.realflight.com 


The base version costs $100 and is not expandable, the $200 version can be expanded with a variety of options.  I suggest getting  the $200 version.  If you can't afford the extra $100, you should not be doing R/C flying at all.  If you are going to be doing R/C flying, this program is going to save you literally thousands of dollars in smashed-up planes. 


When I first started flying radio control models, a grizzled old veteran told me quite seriously that it cost him $60,000 to learn to fly them.  Back then, the only way to learn was to smash up lots of gas-powered balsa-wood model airplanes.  R/C flight simulators have changed that.  Now you can make all your expensive "dumb thumb" learning mistakes in the simulator, smashing up simulated models, instead of out at the flying field smashing up real models.  I smashed up at least a thousand simulated models in my first month of using RealFlight; at $200 each that would have been $200,000. 


(There are other R/C flight simulator programs, but RealFlight is the clear market leader.) 

When you run RealFlight, start with the "FlyZone Switch Trainer" on "Evergreen Airport". Don't be impatient; you're learning faster than you think. If you get frustrated, take a break and pick it up tomorrow. Your brain can only absorb so much in one day. When you can take off, circle back and land on the runway undamaged ten times running, you're ready to branch out to other craft and maneuvers. 


A month or so in RealFlight should give you some pretty firm opinions as to what kind of R/C models you most enjoy flying. 


At that point you should trot down to AeroMicro in San José: 


    AeroMicro 

    2090 Duane Ave 

    Santa Clara, CA 95054 

    Phone:      408-496-6699 

    E-mail:      info@aeromicro.com 


They have a website, http://www.aeromicro.com, but it's not always up to date.  Just visit in person. 


AeroMicro has the largest selection of models of any hobby store in the Bay Area that I've been able to find -- over 200 R/C models on display. Plus, Perry, Chris, and Jesse are very knowledgable and helpful, which is rare and immensely important when getting started.  Just explain your experience level and interests and let them give you a run-down on what they have that would best fit your needs. 


If you want to mainly spend your time flying (as opposed to building) models, these days you will probably want to focus on Bind-N-Fly "foamies" — models built out of durable foam instead of fragile balsa-wood.


You could probably save a little money by ordering from online sites such as 


    http://www.towerhobbies.com/ 

    http://www.horizonhobby.com/ 


but when you consider the pain of returning defective kits to a mail-order outfit vs the advantage of talking face-to-face with experts in a retail setting and the convenience of buying parts and supplies locally, I think dealing with a good retail store is clearly the best option for a beginner. 


For what it is worth, my wife and I are currently quite impressed by the design smarts and kit quality of Multiplex models: 


    http://www.multiplexusa.com/ 


Capitola Hobbies carries several of these, and AeroMicro carries most (all?) of them. 


If you stick with radio-control flying, you'll probably want to get in contact with other people.  One good starting spot in the Bay Area is: 


    http://www.bayrc.com/ 


If you decide to move up to bigger models, you'll want to join the Academy of Model Aeronautics: 


    http://www.modelaircraft.org/ 


Membership gives you insurance coverage when flying at AMA-sanctioned flying fields, a subscription to "Model Aviation" magazine to keep in touch, and political representation when issues of interest to R/C fliers come up in legislation.


One of the best Bay-Area AMA-sanctioned flying fields is the 


    Santa Clara County Model Aircraft Skypark RC Club 

    http://www.sccmas.org/ 


Good luck, fly safe and — happy modeling! 


 Cynbe