Thanks to everyone

[riks]

Rate Member
posted 08-10-2001 10:23 PM
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From a first time RC pilot I'd like to thank all of you who gave me a lot of great input. Thanks a lot!!
But I think I'm hooked. Just bought a Firebird - figured what the heck 120 bucks and lets see what its all about. Went out this afternoon on a 5 acre lawn, two trees at either end but a bunch of wind!!. Hey
lets go anyway. Into the wind, full on - oh I fogot I glided first for a little trim any way full on, up it went, and one turn but the wind - and down it came? Luckily all the rubber bands were right handy, any way ran the battery out and had a ball -- I'm flying?? Now a thing about the Firebird. Weighed and did wing area check, wing is 122 square and it weighs 8.25 oz advertised is 8 but close enough but from what I've read and you all told me this is a little out of the ball park for a park flyer trainer since its not in the 4 to 5 oz/ft sq.range, but is actually 9.7oz/ft sq and instead of a gram per sq inch its 1.92. So what Im saying is it can get away from an old guy like me but it is well designed and can really take a licking and keep on going. That I can say for sure!
**** Scalone

[jimwalker]

Firebirds are tough. The guy that runs the local hobby store told me this story...

I was at a parking lot with a local radio station mobile truck that was playing tunes and giving me free advertising for being there with my firebirds. A couple of people tried out the firebirds with great success. Then the radio announcer took a turn. He immediately panicked after I launched the firebird and nose dived it straight into the concrete, which is hard to do. Well I picked it up and just launched it again which goes to show you how tough these birds are. The radio announcer panicked again and snap rolled the firebird onto the top of Walmart. On the next commercial the announcer described what he had done and asked anyone who was listening that had a ladder to come to the parking lot so they could retrieve the plane. Sure enough someone shows up with a ladder and gets the plane. I checked it and it was fine except for some dings and scuffs.

When the hobby store owner told me this story I jut had to share it....

[riks]

Thanks Jim, they are tough, but need to know something. If I a first time flyer with my first plane, the bird, and has a wing loading over 9 oz/ft sq and I learn to operate it fairly well then what will a recomend 4.5 oz/ft sq plane be like.
****

[jimwalker]

That's a good question and I think I have a pretty good answer.

The same store owner I was talking about learned to fly with a firebird just as you are doing. Firebirds do have a pretty high wing loading and fly fairly fast for slow flyers. Eventually he got really confident with his firebird and was ready to move on to a true slow flyer with a lower wing loading and 3 channel control. He bought a speed 280 piper cub ARF and I went to the field with him when it was ready to fly. He was surprised at much slower it flew and how responsive it was compared to the firebird. It took him a while to get comfortable with it. He did what most beginners do, overcontrolled it. After a while he figured out that a little was enough and if he got in trouble just let go of the sticks.