Money Saving Tips For Choosing an RC Plane

Here are my Pros & Cons of buying either a foam or balsa RC plane. I also share my tips on how to save money when getting into the hobby. If your Look in the links below the timestamp for items mentioned in the video.
0:00 Intro
0:19 Material used in make foam RC planes
0:55 Pros of foam RC airplanes
2:27 Cons of foam airplanes
3:50 A little tidbit about balsa
4:21 Pros of balsa RC airplanes
5:11 Cons of balsa RC airplanes
6:42 Money saving tips on buying either a foam or balsa RC airplane
9:38 Question of the day.
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[@Technicallyaddicted]

buy a rtf as your first, or a pnp if you already have a radio. buy somethingunder $200. youre going to crash it, you want to crash it. when you inevitably do, save all its parts. motor, prop, cowl, esc, servos, battery strap, y harness, hinges, control rods. later on down the road, youll find yourself building new airplanes out of the old ones(my flitetest millennuim flerken donated its parts to make an eclipson pitts s12). if youre sure youre going to love this hobby, you should start out with a radio(under $200) and a charger(under $200). my i6x and venom pro duo were $180 together, and will more than support you for the next 5 years at least. get some simulator time, the simulator can be invaluable for muscle memory(FSone is free and compatible with the i6x). DONT SPEND MONEY IF YOU DONT HAVE TO!! this hobby can be crazy cheap (under $500 total) or really expensive (over $1,000 aircraft) but that is entirely up to you. might want to look into 3D printing too!

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

100% agree, you don't have to spend a fortune to get into this hobby. Thanks for weighing in with your thoughts and for watching!!!

[@clarencegreen3071]

Repairing a balsa plane after a crash generally involves two parts, the balsa structure and the covering. Often you must remove parts of the covering to gain access to the balsa underneath. With a foam plane there is no "covering" as such so all you have to do is glue the foam back together (using FoamTac or similar glue) and maybe touch up the paint and you're good to go. Fuel economy: about three years ago I bought my first foam/electric plane. The batteries I purchased were about $25 each and I now have over 250 flights on each one, and they are still good. To compare with a glow engine, if you figure 6 oz of glow fuel per flight, that would amount to almost 12 gallons of fuel at over $30 per gallon, or $360. That is enough to cover the cost of the battery, a good battery charger, and a voltmeter for checking the battery - with money left over. And that's considering only one battery. Flying electric is much cheaper than glow.

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

Glow fuel has gotten stupidly expensive! So have the glow engines. I only have a few glow powered planes left in my fleet. I have been slowly transitioning into gas engines. Gas is a lot cheaper than glow fuel and gas engines, are very fuel efficient with good throttle management. I still have a few electrics in my fleet but, the prices of batteries are starting to creep up like everything else these days. Thanks for the comment and for watching!!!

[@ericapelz260]

I'm coming over from the multirotor world so batteries are second nature. LIPOs are needed for high current draw, but for longer flights with average current draw LION packs pull ahead. I already run a FrSky Taranis Q X7 radio. If I were starting from scratch I would go with a Jumper T18. Onboard electronics will be Matek F405 with INAV or ArduPilot giving options from fully automated flight with return to launch to manual and aerobatic flight. For an airframe I'm looking at building an Axon design by Experimental Airlines. Simple, and cheap to repair or replace when I inevitably lawn dart it.

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

Sounds like that would be a great setup! I've also been known to lawn dart a few.... Thanks for the comment and for watching!!!

[@stevebarr9604]

Yeah I started on balsa RC planes and Glow engines way back in the 70s but I've also got a few foam electrics now also but just fly them when there's no wind!

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

I have a couple of foam electrics, several glow and gas powered airplanes in sizes from a 16" wingspan up to 130". My wife, says I have too many airplanes. (I tend to disagree) lol

[@stevebarr9604]

@@TheTravelingTechGuy yeah that's what mine says too! I've probably got around 20!

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

@@stevebarr9604 A friend of mine has between 50 and 75 planes from kits to ARF's. I showed my wife a photo of his collection and said to her, "See, I don't have too many!" :)

[@stevebarr9604]

@@TheTravelingTechGuy I've got quite a collection of glow and gas engines dating back to the 70s and some of the new SHGF6 and 9cc gas glow engines that use a glow plug instead of the ignition system and they run really well! I've only got one gas engine with a ignition system but it's pretty big!

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

@@stevebarr9604 Glad to hear that about the GF6 & GF 9 engines. I've been looking at those particular two, to install in a couple of my planes. Are they like all other gassers, just fuel sippers instead of guzzlers?

[@jeffs7915]

Foam planes have very low wing loading, if a pilots technique is sloppy the plane has a forgiving nature. Unfortunately this does not create a need for some pilots to improve. Each mistake is over looked until it becomes the way the pilot flies. With heavier wing loaded balsa and ply airplanes improving is not an option. As far as cost for foam or more specifically electric airplanes, the initial cost is almost the same , I know, you're speaking of entry into the hobby, but as more electric planes are bought that require larger and different battery sizes, charging at the field becomes very time consuming. Even if your field has a communal charging station other pilots are using it which will tax it's capacity. This would require an electric flyer to purchase and significantly higher wattage charge, and a DC power supply with the different parallel power and balancing cables. If batteries are not maintained properly they will overtime not function properly. Crsshes many times require battery replacement. Gas or glow is also subject to maintenance issues, and crash damage as well. Bearing, carburetors, glow and spark plugs fuel tank lines all add up. There are some planes at certain sizes where electric is more user friendly as in smaller multi-engine models where engine synchronization is essential. However, planes above 1/5 scale are highly cost prohibited. Helicopters benefit greatly from electric motors, however above 600mm size two batteries each costing over $100 a piece are used. Usually more thanx$100 per. So a modest 4 flight pack set-up is over $800. Usually the packs are charged by a portable gas generator there another $300-$800 depending on it's capacity. The batteries are charged in rotation throughout the day of flying. Nitro helicopters are mostly flown on the more expensive 30% Nitro content, God only knows how much that costs per gallon or if it is available and HAZMAT charged are crushing. As far as reliability and tuning electric is better. Seldom do electric motors dead stick, but the electronics can and do burn out or brown out, (severe voltage drop) especially if ESCs are undersized to the task. This is not common but neither is it unheard-of. Especially with new testing of complex models

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

Very well said! Thanks for your comment and for watching!!!

[@logansportpilotrp8174]

The best tip i can say is build your own...i can make any airframe out of foam for under 10 dollars....that includes tape,hot glue,and some wood for motor mount and horns.

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

That is another option. Thanks for the comment and for watching!!!

[@stevebarr9604]

They actually have some gas glow now so you can use pump gas and mix it with 2 stroke oil! They run a lot longer on a tank too!

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

I've seen those and been thinking of replacing some of my glow engines. Especially with the ever rising cost of glow fuel! Thanks for the comment and for watching!!!

[@MammothPaige]

Great info

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

Thanks for the kind words and for watching!!!

[@dannyphillips995]

Superb comparative review very succinct, I think there is a certain nostalgic element to balsa v foam too?

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

Thanks for the comment and for watching!!!

[@donaldm4765]

back in the 80's I built a Mambo loved building it I used Futaba for my radio and receiver and it came with the servos it was a 2 Chanel set up it was a glow Engine .20 if I recall small motor recently getting back to the hobby I recently bought 3 hobby king foam airplanes 2 corsairs750mm and one Skyraider 800mm at this stage it was cheaper to buy these three airplanes that it would have been to buy 1 balsa kit and then add the cost to build and then radio servos engine not to mention the space for it plus like you said if you crash or when you crash foam is easer to repair so for me cost space and time was my deciding factor I also went with the FS-I6SX for my radio and receiver, thank you for the great information if this had been available back in the day I probably would not have gotten out off the hobby it was much harder back then to get information how to's, etc...

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

I too started back in the 80's. Didn't have a clue and the hobby shop saw me coming a mile away. :) After a bad crash on the maiden flight, I quit. Thankfully, my friend and mentor, lured me back into the hobby 15 years ago. My passion is to help set folks on the right track to joining this hobby without spending a fortune. Thanks for the comment and for watching!!!

[@donaldm4765]

@@TheTravelingTechGuy I get inspired by seeing all the cool stuff and it really helps I enjoy the videos it really does make a difference I have crashed my 400mm corsair a bunch of times that little plane just takes a licking and keeps ticking

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

@@donaldm4765 that applies to most of my planes… take a licking and keep on ticking, sort of!? 🤪

[@logansportpilotrp8174]

@@TheTravelingTechGuy Yeah hobby shops are like being at the rc race tracks...they are snobbish and clanny....only after your money....thats why i buy parts online.for the part the shops want 20 dollars for i can get the same part online through e bay or amazon for like 10 to 12 dollars...i hear people say support your local hobby shop...to that i say id rather support myself...and save money time and gas.

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

@@logansportpilotrp8174 Thanks again for the comment!

[@Coops777]

Great video thankyou. I started out with foam at the airfield and now my preference is balsa. I don't understand why, but balsa seems to fly better. I think a well designed balsa airframe can be lighter than foam

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

That's the same way I started. While I prefer balsa, I still have a few foam planes in my hangar. Thanks for the comment and for watching!!!

[@stevebarr9604]

Good job I definitely cut my teeth on glow fuel and balsa!

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

Thanks for the comment and for watching!!!

[@doncarpenter83]

Foam to me looks cheap and very toyish looking. It also looks more like a toss away airplane because of its foam build and cheap looks. Balsa on the other hand you can maintain and the looks are more appealing

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

Thanks for the comment and for watching!!!

[@daviddavids2884]

well, crap. two 'quality' minutes, then the wheels came off !

[@TheTravelingTechGuy]

Thanks for the comment and for watching!