RC Warbirds

[mdbuehler]

Another vote for the free RC sim. They make a great one for helicopters too (also free) called Heli X. These will save you a BUNDLE in the long run.

There's even a simulator on Xbox live Arcade you can download that is good for a start. A little arcadey, but it will teach you the most important part, which is orientation and control when flying AT you (gets most new pilots, myself included!).

I've got an 8 yo son who played around in my simulator, and we can now fly out in the front yard. He has a two channel, moving up to a three as he has it well in hand. Lots of fun!

Be sure to check out RC dogfighting too! I have the 'Sonic Combat' modules from parkzone. You get on another planes tail, pull the trigger on your controller and if you hit him, his motor turns off for a few seconds sending him doooooownn.... Loads of fun! I believe it works with all the new warbirds they have too. Just waiting for them to port it over to the micros. Also have a bomb dropper, onboard camera... The fun never ends with this stuff!

[DoraNine]

Originally Posted by mdbuehler

Be sure to check out RC dogfighting too! I have the 'Sonic Combat' modules from parkzone. You get on another planes tail, pull the trigger on your controller and if you hit him, his motor turns off for a few seconds sending him doooooownn.... Loads of fun! I believe it works with all the new warbirds they have too. Just waiting for them to port it over to the micros. Also have a bomb dropper, onboard camera... The fun never ends with this stuff!

How true!! The fun never ends with this stuff. I've got RC cars, trucks, tanks, motorcycles, helis, etc -- but there is just something special about flying the planes. I purchased the Combat Module when I bought the PZ FW 190 about 4 or 5 years ago, but never got a chance to try it out -- because I could never find anyone else who had the same set up. So its pretty cool. I take it?

[Ju-87]

I know a guy who used to participate in similar RC "dogfighting"... Not as high-tech as sonic combat though.

His group used bright and very thin strips of paper (streamers?) attached to the tails of their planes. Each plane had it's own color. In order to get a kill you had to get on someones tail and chop off the strip with the prop. If you "died" you had to land and wait until the game was over.

I think this variant is pretty common amongst those interested in RC dogfighting.