Another new guy from Ohio

[gspan]

I bought my Super Cub last Saturday and have had a love hate relationship with it since. It's my own fault though cuz i'm trying to learn how to fly it on my own. I broke the tail off of it on Saturday. I found this forum and discovered i was flying it too low, altitude is your friend when you're learning. So Sunday i took it out and did pretty fair but the wind was high enough to push it around, ended up crashing it pretty good. I was really mad so i put it in the trunk and decided i was done with this hobby. Well two hours later i was sizing up the damage and while reading this forum discovered some really cool mods i had to try. Got it back together today but the wind was too high so i brought it home in one piece.
It keeps drawing me back to it so i think i'll try some more.

This is a great site.

[flydiver]

Welcome to the world of frustration. I KEEP telling folks that learning on your own is quite frustrating and usually equally damaging. You wouldn't try to fly a real plane on your own. The chances of success in RC are similar, just not so personally devastating.
Of course the newbies seldom read these cautions until after they have done the initial damage.

The price of mistakes in flying is often a crash. Like learning any new sport you WILL make mistakes.

supercubclub.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=ts&thread=4642&page=1

Read this one and the link in it:
Learning on your own has become the 'norm' it seems. It is possible but it's VERY difficult. Newbies think they are going to learn to fly. Eventually they will if they are persistent (stubborn?) but mostly what you learn to start is repair, lots more repair and replacement. It's an important part of the sport, absolutely, and you've got to pick it up sometime, but it's not the most effective way to learn by a long shot. Somehow getting help has become a cast off notion, which is unfortunate.

Here's a relatively short read on going it alone. There are literally hundreds like this. This one has a sense of humor.
Super Cub first flights and lessons learned, the bedtime story

www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34746

If at all possible find an experience pilot and get some help. It'll make a world of difference.
If you haven't turned off (disables ACT) do so.

Note-I'm on a sloping trip while I write this. 2 days of very fine slope RC. I've destroyed a balsa-fiberglass sailplane and broken the nose off my Weasel 2x. I've been flying 4 years, sloping is not new to me, and this is a benign site. Stuff happens, you need to learn to roll with the damage. It's just part of the sport. The risk adds to the excitement.

Hang in there and it does improve after awhile. It took me ~ 2 months and that was with help. But, I'm no youngster and have no experience with games or anything of this sort. I have taught a bunch of people. Very few are so talented they pick it up quickly. Some are pretty terrible, and another few are surprisingly quick. For the vast majority their plane would not last 10 seconds if it wasn't on a buddy box, a learning procedure I recommend highly.

[gspan]

Yep! I think you're right, a trainer would be big help.

[flydiver]

The problem is finding one. I ended up finding a guy I already knew but didn't know he flew RC. This led to finding a whole small flying community that has become important socially. If if weren't for my flying buddies I probably wouldn't bother to fly much. Once you actually get over the nasty learning hump it isn't all that challenging to actually fly. Flying WELL with specific goals is another matter.

Check with local shops. Check with local clubs-clubs are generally in the business of recruiting new members. The cost of joining often coincides with the price of the plane you are almost sure to ruin anyway. Check LARGE local parks.

[renard80]

. . . . and stick in there, despite the urge to throw the *"£$+*@?>* thing in the trash can!

I've been there, done that, come out the other side.

It does get better. Honest.

Listen to wise old flydiver. But, like all of us, also lay in plentiful supplies of glue . . .

[gspan]

Yes sir, i quickly learned that glue and packing tape is my best friend in this hobby. I've got CA glue, Beacon Foam Glue and 5 minute epoxy and i've got some spare parts as well.
After i learn how to fly it i wanna build a new Cub an monocote it. I like that stuff.

[gspan]

Got some hang time with my Supercub tonight. The wind was dead calm so i went for it. Was trying to get it to fly away from me so i could trim it but the battery died and it went down. Gosh it was so graceful though. I still need a lot of work with turns but on a calm day i can get some practice in. I'm stoked

[flydiver]

Jun 7, 2012 2:20:59 GMT 1 gspan said:

Was trying to get it to fly away from me so i could trim it but the battery died and it went down.

Usually trimming happens within the first couple minutes of the first flight. Your battery died that quickly or something else going on?
You should be able to throttle off and then back up to 1/4-1/2 throttle after LVC for a short time to land with power.

Lipo use caution - it's not good practice to fly to LVC and repeated use of LVC shortens battery life. I know, it takes awhile to get a feel for flight time and when the battery is getting low.

[gspan]

I think the battery is fine. I just flew it till it ran out. Got some more hang time in tonight. When the wind is calm i can keep it in the air. I've been doing ovals at half throttle and getting a little more relaxed with the controls and not so panicky. I'm gonna get another battery so i can get more practice in.
I love how this thing purs along.