Ease of Repair
You have to accept that your first—and maybe your second—model could well be damaged in the course of your learning how to fly. With this in mind, you should look for a trainer that has relatively few parts that can be easily repaired if they are broken.
Wood and foam are high on the easy-to-fix list; molded plastic, fibreglass or epoxy resins are more difficult to repair. Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue (sometimes called ‘superglue’ or ‘cyano’) and epoxy are the most common adhesives used for gluing wood parts together. Aliphatic resin or special white glues available from your model shop are excellent for gluing foam pieces back together.
Parts availability Often it is easier to replace damaged parts than to repair them. Try to select a model that has replacement parts readily available via your model shop from the manufacturer. Some model kits have extra wings supplied in case you damage one beyond repair.
Motors, batteries and servos can get damaged or worn out, but understand that you can simply replace these parts as necessary. You don’t have to buy a new model if any of these need to be replaced. Bear in mind that should any of these components fail in flight, they could result in the need to replace the airframe!
Stability Some trainers are easier to fly than others. Talk to your instructor and people who have different kinds of models and find out how stable they are.
A good indicator of how stable and easily a model will fly is how much wing dihedral it has and how long the tail moment is. As a general rule a model with a fair amount of dihedral angle (5 or more degrees) and a fairly long tail moment will fly with more stability and smoothly for ease of control. See overhead and side aspect diagrams of typical trainer model on page 10. (Moment - nose moment or tail moment - refers to a distance on a model forward or aft of the balance point).
Control setup Before you buy a model, check its control setup. There are normally two setup options
available.
1) Basic standard primary control setup - Rudder, throttle and elevator control.
2) Four function control – Rudder, throttle, elevator and aileron control.
Although you can learn quite satisfactorily on the first of these setups, it does mean that you will have to progress to the second configuration eventually. If you can afford the extra function initially, you may just as well master all four controls from the outset. Accessories & Equipment Finally, check to see whether the model you like comes with all the equipment you'll need to complete the airframe. In the long run, it is less expensive to get everything in one package. Your kit should include all the materials needed to completely assemble the model with the possible exception of glues. It’s sometimes worth paying a bit more for your model if it comes with everything included. Buying the extras separately can add considerably more to the overall cost.
to be continue : see the next post
Wood and foam are high on the easy-to-fix list; molded plastic, fibreglass or epoxy resins are more difficult to repair. Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue (sometimes called ‘superglue’ or ‘cyano’) and epoxy are the most common adhesives used for gluing wood parts together. Aliphatic resin or special white glues available from your model shop are excellent for gluing foam pieces back together.
Parts availability Often it is easier to replace damaged parts than to repair them. Try to select a model that has replacement parts readily available via your model shop from the manufacturer. Some model kits have extra wings supplied in case you damage one beyond repair.
Motors, batteries and servos can get damaged or worn out, but understand that you can simply replace these parts as necessary. You don’t have to buy a new model if any of these need to be replaced. Bear in mind that should any of these components fail in flight, they could result in the need to replace the airframe!
Stability Some trainers are easier to fly than others. Talk to your instructor and people who have different kinds of models and find out how stable they are.
A good indicator of how stable and easily a model will fly is how much wing dihedral it has and how long the tail moment is. As a general rule a model with a fair amount of dihedral angle (5 or more degrees) and a fairly long tail moment will fly with more stability and smoothly for ease of control. See overhead and side aspect diagrams of typical trainer model on page 10. (Moment - nose moment or tail moment - refers to a distance on a model forward or aft of the balance point).
Control setup Before you buy a model, check its control setup. There are normally two setup options
available.
1) Basic standard primary control setup - Rudder, throttle and elevator control.
2) Four function control – Rudder, throttle, elevator and aileron control.
Although you can learn quite satisfactorily on the first of these setups, it does mean that you will have to progress to the second configuration eventually. If you can afford the extra function initially, you may just as well master all four controls from the outset. Accessories & Equipment Finally, check to see whether the model you like comes with all the equipment you'll need to complete the airframe. In the long run, it is less expensive to get everything in one package. Your kit should include all the materials needed to completely assemble the model with the possible exception of glues. It’s sometimes worth paying a bit more for your model if it comes with everything included. Buying the extras separately can add considerably more to the overall cost.
to be continue : see the next post
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