Starter Plane

bonfirey2k6 · 28-03-2012 12:25PM #1

What's up folks,

I used to fly about 10 years ago but just got out of the habit, short of time. I am wanting to get back into it. I still have all my gear and was wondering is a Futaba FF6 outdated now. I am thinking of getting the Bixler from Hobbyking, to start off with and then progress back to my engine models. From what I can see the FF6 may not work with the Bixler ARF version. Can anybody confirm this? I know there are cheap radio sets on the website but would rather use my existing transmitter but not sure if the Bixler hardware will suit my radio.

Cheers for any help that could be given.

civdef · 28-03-2012 02:08PM

If you have the receiver for your FF6 just put it in the Bixler and it should be grand.

bonfirey2k6 · 28-03-2012 04:08PM

Thanks civdef, I am hoping that is the case. I still have my receivers. Wasn't sure about connectors and if the ESC would connect to it. It's worth a shot.

Bruthal · 28-03-2012 06:13PM

bonfirey2k6 wrote: »

Thanks civdef, I am hoping that is the case. I still have my receivers. Wasn't sure about connectors and if the ESC would connect to it. It's worth a shot.

They will all work fine. Just ensure you plug the servo plugs in the right way. The futaba receivers and servis have a little tab to ensure this, but most servos dont. Wont do any damage, its just to ensure it all works properly.

civdef · 28-03-2012 06:15PM

If you plug your esc into a spare channel on your receiver, it should work no problem at all, presuming it's 35mhz you'll probably need to tape the wire antenna along the bottom of the tailboom, but otherwise you should be good to go.

The Bixler is out of stock at present with Hobbyking, but they havew got the AXN floater, a very similar model which is also very good apparently and comes in a PNF version which suits you as you have your own receiver;
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=8359

Bruthal · 28-03-2012 06:26PM

If throttle control is wanted using the throttle stick, then the esc will be into the throttle channel, with its BEC powering the receiver.

If its a seperate regualtor supplying the receiver, then plug that into a spare channel.

I used the seperate regulator setup in the cularis i have, with the ESC BEC red wire disconnected from the ESC servo plug.

bonfirey2k6 · 28-03-2012 06:32PM

Thanks lads. I think I will go with it. I have one more question. Am I right in thinking a Lipo battery will connect to the receiver? I imagine it will, but just to be safe. I checked out the AXN Floater on Hobbyking. Thanks civdef. It does look good. I am looking to order soon so may end up being that. Can always order a Bixler when they are in stock.

Bruthal · 28-03-2012 06:35PM

bonfirey2k6 wrote: »

Thanks lads. I think I will go with it. I have one more question. Am I right in thinking a Lipo battery will connect to the receiver? I imagine it will, but just to be safe. I checked out the AXN Floater on Hobbyking. Thanks civdef. It does look good. I am looking to order soon so may end up being that. Can always order a Bixler when they are in stock.

A receiver can take the lipo battery voltage from a 2 or 3 cell lipo. However, servos wont.

But the electronic speed controllers (ESC) in these aircraft will have a lipo connect to them to power the motor, and the throttle lead that connects to the receiver to get the throttle pulses for the throttle stick position, also supplies the receiver with 5v, (or 6v in some cases), which eliminates needing a second battery (BEC = battery eliminating circuit). So the electronic speed controller also powers the receiver from the lipo battery.

bonfirey2k6 · 29-03-2012 03:26PM

Cheers Robbie

I have another question. Could anybody suggest a good mains supply Lipo charger from Hobbyking. Nothing mad expensive but not that cheap either. Figured I may as well get everything I need in the one order.

Thanks

Bruthal · 29-03-2012 04:15PM

bonfirey2k6 wrote: »

Cheers Robbie

I have another question. Could anybody suggest a good mains supply Lipo charger from Hobbyking. Nothing mad expensive but not that cheap either. Figured I may as well get everything I need in the one order.

Thanks

Accucell 6, and a power supply for it if you dont have one.

I have the accucel 6 as one of my chargers. I find it great.

Depending on how big the order is, it might save you import duty doing seperate orders.

bonfirey2k6 · 29-03-2012 04:48PM

This is roughly what I am planning on ordering.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__6306__ZIPPY_Flightmax_2200mAh_3S1P_20C.html

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__7028__Turnigy_Accucel_6_50W_6A_Balancer_Charger_w_accessories.html

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__16544__Hobbyking_Bixler_EPO_1400mm_ARF_.html

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__11758__HobbyKing_Power_Supply_100_240v_5A.html

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__6460__Hobbyking_SS_Series_25_30A_ESC.html

I'll order two Lipos and two ESC's.

If anything is wrong, feel free to let me know. I appreciate your help. I think that would be about everything. Maybe some carbon rods as well.

Bruthal · 29-03-2012 07:23PM

bonfirey2k6 wrote: »

I'll order two Lipos and two ESC's.

If anything is wrong, feel free to let me know. I appreciate your help. I think that would be about everything. Maybe some carbon rods as well.

You will need a connector for the battery to connect to the ESC. The battery you ordered has an xt60 on it, so you will need these to solder onto the ESC supply lead.

I use the blue EC3 types myself.

Seamus O Leprosy · 31-03-2012 08:23PM

I can highly recommend this http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=17508
its mains and 12v and dirt cheap.
Where are you planning to fly?

smokin ace · 03-04-2012 05:39PM

if you have not ordered from hobbyking yet maybe you could have a look at this http://www.nitrotek.ie/ez-hawk-electric-3ch-rtf-brushless-trainer-plane.html
i bought one a they are very easy to fly and give a very stable flight and is a strong plane for the not so perfect landings and can be easily repaired

bonfirey2k6 · 04-04-2012 11:24AM

Thanks lads,

Seamus, I am in north Dublin and there are plenty of open fields about so should be able to find a suitable one.

smokin ace, thanks for the link, it does look similar to the Bixler. It looks pretty good. I may still go with the Bixler, I will be ordering quite a bit and even with shipping works out a bit cheaper.

cheers

Kashkai · 04-04-2012 08:05PM

Unless you get caught by Customs and then you'll be hit with VAT and a post office handling charge:rolleyes: happened to me recently and the extra charges came to over 49 euro. That took the shine off my "cheap" hobbyking order.

Ilyushin76 · 04-04-2012 09:27PM

Also happened to me recently.Had two orders from hobbyking stopped.Customs wanted proof of what I paid for each package and got charged vat and a postage charge on one of the packages.Have ordered a lot from hobbyking last year and never got charged extra so it looks like there stopping every package now.

Hobbyking are opening a store in the UK soon so hopefully they will have a large selection of products at good prices

Quandry · 05-04-2012 09:42AM

bonfirey2k6 wrote: »

What's up folks,

I used to fly about 10 years ago but just got out of the habit, short of time. I am wanting to get back into it. I still have all my gear and was wondering is a Futaba FF6 outdated now. I am thinking of getting the Bixler from Hobbyking, to start off with and then progress back to my engine models. From what I can see the FF6 may not work with the Bixler ARF version. Can anybody confirm this? I know there are cheap radio sets on the website but would rather use my existing transmitter but not sure if the Bixler hardware will suit my radio.

Cheers for any help that could be given.

This year I'm teaching my son how to fly and after 7 years out of model flying I found myself in a similar boat as yourself.

The technology has moved on a lot, however the basics are still the same. Choose a model that is the right size for where you are going to fly. Flying comes back to you like riding a bike, but if you want to crash less then consider getting a simulator to blow out the cobwebs.

There's some pretty good ready to fly kits available at www.radiocontrolledshop.ie including batteries/charger etc. although my personal recommendation is to get something that flies big and slow. Smaller models will be more twitchy in the air and get pushed around a lot on windy days.

bonfirey2k6 · 05-04-2012 11:27AM

Yeah I have heard it can be tough getting them through customs. I will most likely order seperate packages. The biggest will be the Bixler itself but then maybe two smaller packages. In the end thats all I can really do. If customs want to charge me they will charge me. It sucks but there is only so much that we can do to avoid it, and I am sure they are aware of all the avoidence techniques haha.

bonfirey2k6 · 05-04-2012 11:42AM

Quandry wrote: »

This year I'm teaching my son how to fly and after 7 years out of model flying I found myself in a similar boat as yourself.

The technology has moved on a lot, however the basics are still the same. Choose a model that is the right size for where you are going to fly. Flying comes back to you like riding a bike, but if you want to crash less then consider getting a simulator to blow out the cobwebs.

There's some pretty good ready to fly kits available at www.radiocontrolledshop.ie including batteries/charger etc. although my personal recommendation is to get something that flies big and slow. Smaller models will be more twitchy in the air and get pushed around a lot on windy days.

I feel the same. I could not believe the changes. When I was flying, electric flight really wasn't considered as much, but now it seems to be the standard. In my opinion nothing beats an engine but I can appreciate the electric motors. They definitely open up more options and are so cheap. They are perfect for most situations. Especially mine, an engine model would be a bit hectic for me at the moment and would most likely end in me digging it out of the ground after a takeoff, it would not be the first time.

Kashkai · 05-04-2012 02:52PM

I fly electric planes because I couldn't be bothered carting round all the paraphernalia that you need for a nitro plane. I go to my club field, plug in my battery and away I go. The nitro boys spend a half hour fiddling with their carb settings, fueling it, and trying to start it. Then they carry it out to the runway trying to avoid the prop which is running now and of course hoping it doesn't stall on them.

I've also lost count of the number of times these guys arrive at the field only to discover they've forgotten something like starter etc and they can't fly.

Then there's the cost of nitro fuel itself. Almost 40 quid for a few liters.

Electric is the way to go. As powerful as nitro, but without the hassle, grief or expense. When nitro is burnt, it's gone. I can recharge my batteries to go again

Quandry · 05-04-2012 03:51PM

bonfirey2k6 wrote: »

Yeah I have heard it can be tough getting them through customs. I will most likely order seperate packages. The biggest will be the Bixler itself but then maybe two smaller packages. In the end thats all I can really do. If customs want to charge me they will charge me. It sucks but there is only so much that we can do to avoid it, and I am sure they are aware of all the avoidence techniques haha.

On the Hobby King site you can choose planes/parts from different warehouses. If you choose stuff from the Euro warehouse then you are not going to get charged import duty. If you buy something from the other warehouses you are in for a long wait, high shipping, then tax on top. Just look for the little Euro symbol or click on the 'Euro warehouse' button to see what they can deliver from Germany. You can also get the prices in Euro which is nice.

Having said all that, I've seen some pretty competitive pricing from many of the online sites in Ireland. The reason I prefer radiocontrolledshop.ie is that they're close to my house so you can drive to the shop and look at what you're buying. Dave is a sound guy also.

Quandry · 05-04-2012 04:32PM

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

I fly electric planes because I couldn't be bothered carting round all the paraphernalia that you need for a nitro plane. I go to my club field, plug in my battery and away I go. The nitro boys spend a half hour fiddling with their carb settings, fueling it, and trying to start it. Then they carry it out to the runway trying to avoid the prop which is running now and of course hoping it doesn't stall on them.

I've also lost count of the number of times these guys arrive at the field only to discover they've forgotten something like starter etc and they can't fly.

Then there's the cost of nitro fuel itself. Almost 40 quid for a few liters.

Electric is the way to go. As powerful as nitro, but without the hassle, grief or expense. When nitro is burnt, it's gone. I can recharge my batteries to go again

In defence of glow....
* I like the realistic sound of nitro (four stroke) if it's a scale plane.
* Crashing a high spec electric plane is going to cost you the same if not more than a nitro one.
* If you are not a well prepared person you can arrive at the park with flat flight batteries also..
* When you buy serious batteries they cost a lot
* There's always a new/faster charger to upgrade too

I have a mix of glow and electric models for different situations, it's a great time to be aeromodelling that we have the choice.

Kashkai · 06-04-2012 01:00PM

Quandry wrote: »

In defence of glow....
* I like the realistic sound of nitro (four stroke) if it's a scale plane.
* Crashing a high spec electric plane is going to cost you the same if not more than a nitro one.
* If you are not a well prepared person you can arrive at the park with flat flight batteries also..
* When you buy serious batteries they cost a lot
* There's always a new/faster charger to upgrade too

I have a mix of glow and electric models for different situations, it's a great time to be aeromodelling that we have the choice.

I prefer the quietness of electrics myself and it means I can fly them in more places without someone complaining about the noise.

I couldn't disagree more about crashing an electric plane. The few times I've crashed, some epoxy puts it back together and away I go. The nitro noddies at my club have had a few crashes lately and they've ended up with a neat pile of firewood that was once a plane.

Larger batteries might cost a bit but they can be recharged and reused. You can't reuse burnt nitro.

I've my charger for two years now and don't feel I need to upgrade. Fast charging batteries is a bad idea anyway as it reduces their lifespan.

Bruthal · 06-04-2012 02:06PM

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

I couldn't disagree more about crashing an electric plane. The few times I've crashed, some epoxy puts it back together and away I go. The nitro noddies at my club have had a few crashes lately and they've ended up with a neat pile of firewood that was once a plane.

That depends on the type of electric plane it is though. The p51 mustang nitro i have, could easily be converted to electric. Crash it then, and its the same as if it were a nitro in it.

Nitro planes can be used with electrics instead. But crashing the electric being the same as a nitro in terms of cost, i dont see how that is a dis-advantage of electrics.

Larger batteries might cost a bit but they can be recharged and reused. You can't reuse burnt nitro.

They are not that dear either now, for the use you get.

I've my charger for two years now and don't feel I need to upgrade. Fast charging batteries is a bad idea anyway as it reduces their lifespan.

I have my one 4 years, its software is updateable too.

A faster charger just means a higher wattage output. The level you get depends on your usage rather than waiting for a new more powerful one. So i dont see this as a disadvantage either really.

Faster charging reducing lifespan might be true, but it can be handy, i often did it when out away from home. Any use of a battery reduces its lifespan really. its a balancing act, literally, with lipos. Faster charging is a good possibility as standard at some stage.

Sometimes at home with no hurry, i charge at lower than 1c.

I like the nitro`s myself. Electric is great though imo. Electric can fly any aircrat that nitro can, but electric has enabled possibilities that nitro couldnt. They both have their place. I rarely use nitro now myself.

bonfirey2k6 · 07-04-2012 09:34AM

Well the Bixler is ordered. Lets see how long it takes. Hobbyking status say "Shipped" so hopefully it will not be longer than a couple of weeks. I did not order everything required so hopefully that will cut down on the VAT. I will try and get the rest closer to home or even from the european Hobbyking store. Only the Bixler kit was available in europe.

bonfirey2k6 · 11-04-2012 05:12PM

Bixler has been shipped from Hong Kong today. Does anybody have any idea of how long an order may take to get to Ireland, from your own experience? Can't wait to get my hands on it and I hate to wait. Lol

Cheers

Bruthal · 11-04-2012 05:39PM

bonfirey2k6 wrote: »

Bixler has been shipped from Hong Kong today. Does anybody have any idea of how long an order may take to get to Ireland, from your own experience? Can't wait to get my hands on it and I hate to wait. Lol

Cheers

It varies from about a week to 4 weeks. Usually a week or so though.

Ilyushin76 · 11-04-2012 07:05PM

All my packages arrive in Ireland a week after leaving Honk Kong and arrive the next day at my door.If customs take the package you can another week before you get it do.

Kashkai · 12-04-2012 05:32PM

I received my latest order from Hobbyking this morning, 8 days after it was shipped.

Hope you avoid customs as the extra charges take the shine off the savings you make by buying from Hobbyking. However, I've only had one order stopped out of 28 so the odds are good;)

bonfirey2k6 · 16-04-2012 11:01AM

Bixler arrived today, but I will have to wait till I get home after work. Pretty quick considering it only shipped from Hong Kong last Wednesday. Can't wait to open that box.

Starter Plane

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