Do we need an ARF trainer?

I do not know of a really good first trainer airplane among the current crop of CL ARF's. Would there be a market for a nice-looking, come apart in a crash with minimum damage, RTF primary trainer? I'm thinking of an airplane that would come with a larger than 1/2A engine installed, and an accessory pack with everything but fuel you need to get it to fly. Maybe even an electric. It would come set up as a nose heavy, slow control primary trainer. There would be instructions, maybe aftermarket parts, to turn it into a an airplane that would fly maneuvers fairly well.

What do you think?

Tim

Jim, In an email from Bob Zambelli He was kind enough to enclose a picture of the upcomming Baby clown ARF
My respons to him was the I hoped that John Brodak was able to hook up with some of the large retail outlets and he would do great business. As to it's suitability as a trainer I won't go there but the plane definitely has appeal to the buying public. I can't see me or any long time modeler buying one unless it's for your grandkids.
But yes your right on the availability of a trainer. look how many people have recalled their experiences with various trainers that they had. Even the Cox PT19 is much admired by those who had them even if it might be an embellished memory.
The idea of a RTF trainer in todays market is really an overdue idea. With limited time and people always in flux trying something new, a cheap, readily available, over the counter trainer is one viable seller. But it has to look good, can't look like the old Guillow or Testors trainers. Even Cox was smart enough in the 50' to realize that cool looking planes sell.
Now the problem, Who will be the manufacturer that will pony up to the bar.

The large retail outlets such as target, etc. usually buy in the tens of thousands or higher and want immediate delivery which could be a problem. The idea sounds nice especially if we can somehow help at least some the people who buy them learn how to fly

***Bratco Trainer... That's the one I saw. I thought it had a .15. At least I got the powered by Norvel part right!

Don't forget that some of those wings are not used do to training, but that the park fliers are fun to run around trees, lightpoles, under swing sets and such things that challenge the otherwised bored RC pilot. In RC combat I went through plenty of wings and it had nothing to do with training. It had plenty to do with trying to get away with things that weren't necesarily impact with another aircraft. Running around on the nap of the earth at full throttle will shorten a wing fairly quickly if you zig when you should have zagged.

I would rather see a larger the 1/2A sized ARF Trainer with 15 size being the lower end of my limits. 1/2A's are nice and all, but they are a pain in Kansas/Missouri where there is usually too much wind for them. I remember my PT-19 and waiting and waiting and waiting for a day when the wind wasn't too high to fly. This was compounded by the fact that my Father who was supporting a family of 4 kids on a teachers salary was working most of the time so getting the wind schedual and the working schedual to get together on a day when he wasn't too darn tired to take us up to the park to fly was just incredible.

Was some of the best memories I have in my childhood though. If it had been a bigger airplane with more pull, we could have been up there so much more often.

http://www.bratco.com/

I must have been living under a rock... I had never heard about this one until now. It sure looks like just the ticket. Now, if they could get Target, Wallmart, K-Mart, etc. interested...

Also, interesting that it has a "full flying stab".

Have any of you flown one? How well do they work as an introductory trainer for someone without access to experienced help?

My boy's and I bought our first one three years ago.
It's a fairly rugged trainer.
I recently purchased our 3rd one. The first two trained several beginners. My youngest (who could destroy a steel ball) was very rough on the first two. He did fly in his first contest at Texarkana with one.
We use 35ft .008 lines and missle mist fuel.
wingovers, inside loops, and lazy 8's are all easy to do with this plane. Anything else is much to much for this trainer.

See Ya

Are these available now? I've flown a U-Key 15 and have been amazed at it's flying qualities. Also have the U-Key 35 and 40 versions but have yet to fly them.

My 11 year old has graduated from a scratch built balsa 1/2A trainer (the Student) and went on to a Brodak Streak Trainer. He's doing wingovers now with the U-Key 15 and will most likely loop and learn inverted this season.

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See Ya

I think it would be a viable product on today's marketplace.