Every day I have friends ask me about getting into R/C whether it is for themselves or for their kids. In almost every case, they have a fascination with airplanes or cars, and enjoy the challenge and fun of making things work. With kids, the parents are wanting to get their kids away from the tv or video games, while finding hobbies which they can share together.
I also get the question of what separates the hobby from the toys. That’s a really interesting question, and I think the best answer is that hobby products are ones that you can fix, upgrade, and personalize in a way that you can change performance. An example is an RC Car, unlike a toy that when it breaks you toss it into the garbage, with the hobby RC car, you can fix it, modify it, change the performance. The hobby is really for people who love fun, and want to engage their brain and have fun. That’s why I love the hobby industry, its not only cool, but educational and fun!
I have put a list of items to get started in the hobby, some are an inexpensive way to test your interest before making the commitment into the hobby.
For helicopters, I love the Spinmaster Havoc, a $26.99 helicopter that gives you a great heli experience for a low price. The quality and performance are superb, in fact, its one of the best toys I have ever seen. Click here to check it out.
If you are like me, once I flew the havoc, I wanted something better and more controlling, and I am now flying the EF Mash. Really cool, and a big step up in performance. I fly it in my office and can hover pretty well. Check it out
For airplanes, I like the Phase 3 Rookie, which is made of ultra strong EPP foam, which makes it exceptionally durable, and is so simple to fly that my 6 year old enjoys it. I hope it is the beginning of a fascination with airplanes. The Rookie is really a starter plane to the hobby. Here’s a link:
Once you have flown the Rookie, you may become a plane addict and need something more. I think the Multiplex Easy Star is the best hobby quality electric trainer, and have had many friends start their passion with RC planes flying the easy star. Here’s a link:
For RC trucks, I like the XTM Xcellerator which is a perfect entry into the hobby. This is a very durable and performance oriented truck, and the design allows for simple maintenance and if you break it, you can fix it inexpensively. My son and I love this truck. You will need to buy a battery and charger separately, so look at the combo to save even more money. Here’s the link.
I think these are good 1st steps into the hobby, however, because the hobby is really all about imagination, check out other items that will engage the senses. Have a good weekend.
Tags: , airplanes, cars, helicopters, radio control, RC
October 12, 2007 at 8:36 pm
[...] rcgeneral wrote a fantastic post today on “Cool suggestions for beginners”Here’s ONLY a quick extractAn example is an RC Car, unlike a toy that when it breaks you toss it into the garbage, with the hobby RC car, you can fix it, modify it, change the performance. The hobby is really for people who love fun, and want to engage their … [...]
October 13, 2007 at 1:43 am
Your suggestion of the Easy Star as a beginner plane is right on the money. It’s durable and an excellent flyer. One modification I suggest is to increase the area of the rudder for better control of turns. I cut off the original rudder and make a jumbo version out of Depron, then tape that on to the vertical stabilizer. An easier mod is to tape a stiff card (business card, index card or even half a playing card) to the exisitng rudder.