Hello all I am a newbie

[woodsmen]

Hello I am new to flying and this will be my first rc plane.  I order my super cub rtf from amazon and will hopefully have it by the end of the week.  No I am trying to figure out what I need to do to it before flying.  Looking into tips and tricks to make it last longer.

[sham]

Hi, and welcome.

Personally, I don't advocate too much strengthening as it adds weight and changes the way the plane flies too much. Bits are cheap anyway
If the plane is the older style, with the ACT system then turn it off and keep it off. If its the SAFE version, its a good thing but ACT is junk.

As for flying, pick a still day and a large area to fly in. Gain height and fly high to start maneuvering to get a feel for the plane while having space to recover.. The ground can come up real fast. Before the battery gets too low make a couple of practice approaches at height to get a feel for how slow the plane can fly, then when its time to land you can just fly it slow and then flare up just as she's about to touch.

And above all, enjoy!

[Knackered Sailor]

One tip I got from here and it's proved to be a good one, is to put clear packing tape around the leading edge of the wing and around the tips. This helps prevent breaking bits off the wing in the event of a rough landing.

Welcome btw

[flydiver]

Few people seem to actually do it but your VERY best option is to find another flier with a buddy box on Spektrum. Baring that, another guy that knows how to fly to take it up HIGH and swap the TX back and forth when (I do mean WHEN) you lose control. Generally first flights last seconds, seldom minutes before you crash.
You read lots of stories of "I crashed but there was no damage." That's mostly BS since they don't know enough to recognize what they broke.
[Note - yes the motor is pointed to the right and down. It's not broken, that's normal to compensate for motor torque. This is often the first question after the first nose in.]
Buddy box flights will get you going MUCH MUCH faster with WAY LESS damage. The difference is nothing shy of remarkable. You can turn hours of pain and repair into a few hours of a fun learning curve.

Barring that, read this:
6 Keys to Success by Ed Anderson - www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18

Then get a RC flying simulator and use it until you stop crashing on screen. If you can't fly a SIM, you can't fly a plane at all. The $$ you spend on the SIM will be repaid in an improved learning curve, less parts to replace, and less time in the repair shop.

Reinforcements may help....some. No reinforcement is strong enough to stop the breakage that the newbie learning curve generally entails.
Reinforcements are (should be) your last option.

[hghost]

Jul 6, 2014 12:51:54 GMT 1 woodsmen said:

Hello I am new to flying and this will be my first rc plane.  I order my super cub rtf from amazon and will hopefully have it by the end of the week.  No I am trying to figure out what I need to do to it before flying.  Looking into tips and tricks to make it last longer.

You do not say which Super Cub you purchased

As others have mentioned if you bought the older DSM version ( Blue )
www.amazon.com/Hobby-Zone-Super-Cub-DSM/dp/B004YHIPZW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1404709779&sr=8-2&keywords=Super+cub

OR

The Newer S Version ( Red )
www.amazon.com/Hobby-Zone-Super-Cub-RTF/dp/B00JQPCXH8/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1404709779&sr=8-11&keywords=Super+cub

It makes a Big Difference, even tho the airframe is the exact same

The SAFE/AS3X system that is in the (RED) S version helps you learn to fly , it having 3 modes - Beginner-Intermediate-Experienced- and it has a great feature called the Panic Button, that allows you if you get in trouble to press and hold and it will level the plane no matter what mode you are in.
It virtually allows someone to learn to fly with little help. BUT unless you know how to orient the plane ( coming at you -away from you ) even in beginners mode you will have trouble. Many advocate getting someone who knows to fly to assist you, which is great and better if that is possible,but not everyone has that luxury, why they are creating and selling these SAFE technology planes. So gives those who do not have that help to learn to fly on their own.

IF you bought the older DSM ( BLUE ) version that it has the ACT ( Anti-Crash Technology )which simply does not work at all in fact it should be named the "Automatic Crash Technology " because that is what it will cause you to do...CRASH. So if that was the version you bought ...step one is to totally UNPLUG the ACT system.
And if you bought this version, it is easy to fly as is, but I dare say getting more information and help is advised. But if you can not get that help. read across this Club site and get all the info you can and as others say get a SIM that can help you learn to orient the plane.

Using tape on wings and especially enforcing the wing saddle should be done, but you can read this forum and see the many modifications others have done. But First fly the plane, to see how it handles and what it does and go from there. If you have never held a transmitter in your hand or flown at all, take the advice here and get help from an experienced pilot and or a Simulator and get some stick time First, before trying to fly the Super Cub.

I learnt on a CHAMP, it is the Reality Sim....it is different than the Super Cub, but it's design being almost the same allows for some same like characteristics as the Super Cub, which made flying the Super Cub for the first time much easier.

Read the suggested sites and information and get some knowledge in your mind....it will only help you.

But know one thing, you are going to crash and you will have to do repairs. Do not get discouraged, you will get the hang of it in time. The Super Cub can take a pounding and still do well. But you need to know what to check and what to look for and how to repair and do it right. read and study and learn.
If this old dog can learn new tricks anyone can.

Good luck with your New Cub, and I hope you have Fun with it.

[woodsmen]

I bought the red one. The s version. I downloaded e'tric rc lite simulator to help me learn a little before my Cub comes. Thanks for the tips any and all advice is greatly appreciated as this is all new to me.

[hghost]

Jul 7, 2014 10:55:22 GMT 1 woodsmen said:

I bought the red one. The s version. I downloaded e'tric rc lite simulator to help me learn a little before my Cub comes. Thanks for the tips any and all advice is greatly appreciated as this is all new to me.

One word of advice with the S (SAFE ) version, it is great ( as I installed the SAFE/Rx in my older [Blue] DSM Super Cub )

You have to have allot of space to turn the plane in Beginner mode . If you are in a tight space it will not make it .
( I learned that on a Delta Ray ) in beginners mode it takes a larger space, mine is small and after putting it in the treeline, I figured it out.

The Super Cub is a great plane to learn on and flies very well. I am sure you will learn pretty quick and be in the other Modes faster than you think.

get some stick time, learn orientation and take your time and get help from a local pilot if possible, but if not that is Ok, as the SAFE helps you learn on your own as well.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[woodsmen]

I plan on using the local ballfield as my training grounds. I hope that should be a big enough area for me to learn on before I start flying around the yard.

[flydiver]

As in baseball field? Uhhhh.....for a newbie about 3-5 football fields are more like it. 5 acres and no trees is ideal.
Once you get the hang of it that space is just fine.

[hghost]

If it is a Big league Baseball field you might do well...but any ball field smaller than that you ( especially on beginners mode ) will probably run out of room.

As Fly said a few Football fields in size is best for the beginner ( especially if your going to be in Beginners mode ) with that SAFE plane .

And Tree less is best .

I fly in a very small field, about the size of one of those little league ball fields or a tad smaller and it is a challenge to say the least . Can be done, but I have flown a little .I still send many into the tree's that surround it at times....just so you know what your getting into. Of course here I also deal with some very swirling winds, which does not help at all.

[woodsmen]

Thanks, I didn't know that I would need that much room, but I know of a few other areas that are much larger then the softball field that I was thinking. One is a large sand pit that is basically an open area with one or two smaller sand/gravel piles.

[flydiver]

I think one of the things Ed left off in his 'Six Steps" is:
7. Plenty of unobstructed room.
The forums are peppered with planes in trees (plane magnets apparently), hitting houses, and occasionally cars and people. Preferably you want none of these around at first. You are going to be very very busy just trying to keep it airborne and not running away completely. When you can barely keep it in the air, controlling exactly where it goes is often not an option.

[renard80]

Jul 8, 2014 15:25:24 GMT 1 flydiver said:

The forums are peppered with planes in trees (plane magnets apparently), hitting houses, and occasionally cars and people.

Which prompts me to bang my old drum - are you insured against damage to property and personal injury while flying your plane?

Hitting someone in the face with that guided missile (it's easily done) could provoke a very hefty lawsuit.

One of our members, an experienced flyer from the land of Oz, lost sight of his SC. When he found it, he also found an irate driver with a nasty hole in his car's bodywork.

Yes, insurance is expensive - until you need it!

[sham]

I've already offered some advice, but something else comes to mind... Probably the thing I took most to heart from a friend who used to fly RC.

Confidence is something you gain over time. Accept, in advance, that this is not easy. Expect it to be tough and learn slowly.

First flights should be learning how it climbs and descends on throttle (I don't think I used the elevators outside landing attempts for about 5 flights!, but that is probably extreme) and how it handles during turns. For example, it will lose height if you turn tight.

Its getting a feel and gaining confidence before trying tricks and low passes, touch and go's etc.

Take your time, there's no rush to be able to do everything.
I've yet to damage a plane, a fact which still shocks me and is only true because I knew how bad I was and gave myself no pressure and plenty of time.

[hghost]

Jul 8, 2014 10:40:03 GMT 1 woodsmen said:

Thanks, I didn't know that I would need that much room, but I know of a few other areas that are much larger then the softball field that I was thinking. One is a large sand pit that is basically an open area with one or two smaller sand/gravel piles.

Sounds like that gravel pit area would be best starting out .

As Fly and Renard both said No Obstructions,such as, people, cars, buildings, etc etc ...they all seem to jump out when you least expect them to.
Tree's especially draw a Cub right into their nice hard branches.

You should also consider getting Insurance ( AMA ) is a good one here. ( About $58 per year ) Worth every dime if something bad were to happen as you read on Renard's post.

Personally there is an Interstate that runs down one side of my field, although It stays to my back and the plane out front of me, there is always a chance it could get away and go that direction. One never knows .

If you fly at higher altitudes, it can also get carried away with the wind,and it can land anywhere, on anything or anyone .

Until you get the hang of it and get more confidence, be patient and take you time like Sham said .

I waited allot of years to finally make this old kids dream come true...there is nothing like the joy of flying these planes.

Read this forum, read the links to other sites, ask if you do not know, study and learn, and it will be fun...even if you crash it and have to repair ( hope you don't ) but at some point what goes up, must come down.

Ed.