Are planks fun too?

[kelseh]

I started off with helis but am wondering how many of you guys fly planes? And to be more specific, a high preformance rc air planes like a extra or other aerobatic model. Are they a blast as well or if you start off on helicopters are they not as exciting. I know this is all opinion based but was looking for different views. I kinda want to get into planks someday.

[Slyster]

At 3 years into helis.. I bought two planes... a Parkzone Trojan T-28... and a really nice Precision Aerobatics Extra 260! I have a good number of flights on them.. very easy.. relaxing... but now they are sitting in the garage.. gathering more dust every day

I do suppose I'll get into them eventually... but now.... starting my 5th year... I still can't make time for them... helis still my focus. Maybe this summer... ?

I admit flying a plank 3D (like some can do) is probably just as hard as any 3D heli flying.. but still.. helis continue to have my full attention.

[GunnyGlow]

They're worth a shot for sure.

[Mike2112]

Correct on the opinion thing. RC planes are my first passion. Believe it or not, I bought my 1st heli (Hirobo Evo .50) for the sole reason of not needing runway cuz of where I live. When I go to fly with friends, I alway feel like flying the plane...The helis are cool, but the planes are peaceful, relaxing, and funner to build for me.

[Mojappa]

3D planes, yes. Anything less bores me. It's a more relaxing way to fly and still entertaining. Anyone that says they're too easy isn't trying to do clean 3D flying, sport flying with basic stunts is easy.

[GunnyGlow]

Originally Posted by Mojappa

3D planes, yes. Anything less bores me. It's a more relaxing way to fly and still entertaining. Anyone that says they're too easy isn't trying to do clean 3D flying, sport flying with basic stunts is easy.

Does night flying fall into the "Anything less bores me" category?

[Dopey]

I've only flown a stable trainer already in the air, not landing/taking off. I found it a much more peaceful feeling, and just enjoying the moment.

Heli(at the time especially), was an adrenaline rush. Between the nitro engine spinning blades so fast, and not having the $$$ to fix if I wrecked back then.. Not something I did to 'relax'.

I've always wanted to try the slow foamie park flyers! That looks fun! I've seen a couple guys do it, really slow flying with straight up hovering, and very cool... I've always wondered how difficult those manuevers are.

The tinkering aspect I prefer heli over airplane. The setup, design, etc of a heli. Hat's off to the airplane guys that can build some gorgeous planes, AND repair them when they crash. I've never had very good balsa/fabric stuff skills.. replacing a main shaft I can do, patching a hole in a wing? nightmare.

[Bigcal45]

I like throwing around a park jet while the Heli batts are charging. I got into FPV last year but I found that kinda boring too.

[dannylightning]

planes are cool but after 5 or 10 min i want to land and fly my helicopter. on ocasion the planes are fun. but for the most part there kind of boring, even flying 3D on a plane is kind of boring after a short period of time to me

[Phaedrus]

45 years into this hobby and I have tried a whole bunch of it. Pattern, IMAC (giant scale aerobatics), helicopters, soaring (F3J/Thermal Duration and giant scale), giant scale glider aerotow, slope glider racing, pylon racing, hand launch gliders, and sport planes. Never had a turbine, but then again I'm not dead yet so tehre's time!!

I think one of the main reasons for burnout in this hobby is people become One Trick Ponies. They start doing one thing and they do that one thing and only that one thing. That would bore the bejeezus out of me. Even in airplanes there are so many different types, sizes, power (electric, nitro, gasoline, turbine) and other variables that there is more than a few lifetimes of fun in the hobby.

So branch out, try something different. I'm betting you'll find it a blast.

[memosteve]

I fly and love both disciplines! I couldn't imagine being in this hobby and only doing one, but that's just me...most of the members at my club do both.

They are just like anything else; can be boring if you make/let them be boring! The same is true for helis as well!

I was getting bored with planks until I started flying giant scale gassers, flying 3D and IMAC (I also got bored with helis until I was starting to fly big-air 3D).

Here's my 30% YAK powered by a DLE-55 engine (NOT boring when you fly planks like this!):

[kelseh]

Man I'm jealous! That is what I want to get if I do get a plane.

[tkranz]

I did 6 years of Parkzone Strykers beginning with the brushed versions and moving up to brushless before I got my first heli. I am a heli addict now and have not flown the planks for a while, but might this week. I do still enjoy the grace of a good clean loop or inverted in a plane. Can be very relaxing.

[Blade~400~er]

Originally Posted by kelseh

I started off with helis but am wondering how many of you guys fly planes? And to be more specific, a high preformance rc air planes like a extra or other aerobatic model. Are they a blast as well or if you start off on helicopters are they not as exciting. I know this is all opinion based but was looking for different views. I kinda want to get into planks someday.

cant really compare the two, i fly alot of planes, mostly "scale" airplanes or smaller models of real world airplanes. i had an extra 300 for a while but didnt like the flight performance was just too twitchy to be fun IMO. that being said planks are alot of fun, while yes they are easy to FLY..landing on the other hand...lol....learning to land an airplane smoothly was prob the second hardest thing i had to learn next to learning to fly a heli nose in, looks easy but takes a good amount of skill

[SQRT(-2)]

When I get nervous with a heli, I can whip the tail around to a tale in hover and just sit there. If I want to land, I can just hover lower and lower until the skids touch then hit the TH.

Can't do that in a plane. The plane marches on no matter what, you have to deal with that. And you have to come in and get a good landing. They have there own challenges.

I mess around with them on the sim, someday I want to get a electric trainer.

[tukkus]

The equivalent of a good 3D heli for planes would be a Pro-Bro approved profile plane. These profiles are hardcore 3D and if flown correctly will get your heart rate up.

For example the ChinYak from Extreme Flight is not a beginners plane and is more on the advanced side.

For more info on heart thumping planes go to.. theprofilebrotherhood.com

[sewerfly]

I started with Heli's too but have bought a few planes over the years They don't get as much air time as the NEW 6Hv tho but when I wanna relax I fly planes. My T-28 has the night lights on so that one only gets night air but the foamies are cool when I go to the field and have some time to spend.

[el guapo]

planes are fun. but just like Slyster, I have not been able to find time to fly the planks.

the park-zone warbrids are my favorite. they are so cheap and easy to fix. everybody can fly them. we fly them all at the same time. the more in the air the better. pure fun.

when I was first learning to fly inverted with the heli, I got my warbird and I could fly that thing all day inverted circuits, loops, rolling circles, all the normal acrobatics. and it made me a better heli pilot. if you can't do it on a plane, you can't do it on a heli.

[Commodore8888]

A buddy of mine tried helis, but got into 3d planks instead. Tried a warbird micro of his. It was a handful, but I turned off the throttle limit and the little bugger went ballistic with speed.

Next up was a thrust vectoring EDF. THAT was pretty fun to be honest. Post-stall super maneuverability is freaking awesome. I'd suppose it's the same effect you get with an obnoxiously overpowered prop plane using prop wash over controls to get "thrust vectoring".

After trying them out, I'd say planks have their mcpx's and their 12s 600's. Just like helis, plankers seem to have your same groups of sport fliers, grumpy old scale guys, not grumpy scale guys, and the 3d junkies all with their corresponding airframes.

[koppterx]

+1 - there are a whole bunch of things that you can do with an airplane that you can't do with a heli. and mastering those presents an enjoyable challenge if that's what you enjoy doing. but when you talk about an extra or an edge, i think of a "real" extra or edge - something in excess of 70" wingspan, not foam, and not with ridiculously oversized control surfaces. In the hands of a good pilot, an airplane can put on quite a blend of artistry and aerobatics. little foamines are fun, but they aren't much different than a low end rtf heli.