Aspiring to build working scale models

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the aspirations of a participant entering an aerospace engineering program who seeks guidance on building scale model airplanes and rockets. The focus is on finding reliable resources and starting points for constructing models that can fly, with an emphasis on learning the underlying principles of flight and engineering.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to start building model airplanes and rockets and seeks guidance on where to begin.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of resources and mentorship in building complex models, suggesting that learning the principles of flight is essential for educational purposes.
  • A request for specific forums, websites, and clubs is made, indicating a need for reliable information sources.
  • One suggestion includes searching for "rc airplane forums" and starting with foam trainer airplanes due to their durability, despite the potential for crashes.
  • Concerns about the costs associated with the hobby are mentioned, highlighting the financial aspect of pursuing model building.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of resources and learning principles related to flight, but there is no consensus on specific forums or resources to recommend, as the original poster is still seeking reliable options.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects varying levels of experience and resource availability among participants, with some acknowledging the financial implications of the hobby and the need for mentorship.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in aerospace engineering, model building, or remote-controlled aircraft may find this discussion relevant.

gebrial
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I will be entering university in an aerospace engineering program next year but I want to get a head start on it right now. What I mean by that is start building basic rockets and planes, or even more basic than that, I don't know. Why I am here is to ask for guidance on where to start. I recently saw a video of an 18 y/o kid flying a very large scale model of a jet fighter. Now obviously I can't start with that, but something in that general direction is what I'm looking for. I've tried using google to find other forums more suited to my request, but there were none more helpful than this.

Where should I start? What should I expect? I really just want to be able to build model airplanes that can fly, hopefully from scratch but I am willing to take the time to learn if I can find the right resources which I haven't been able to do thus far.
 
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I can tell you this: That 18y/o kid did not build that plane by himself. He had money, resources, and almost certainly the mentoring of an experienced engineer. What you can do is a matter of resources and dedication. If you want to build model planes or rockets, there are countless forums, websites, clubs, etc that are dedicated to that. It's a good idea, but make sure that you are learning the principles of flight, power, control, etc while you are doing this, otherwise it is just a hobby. Not that that is a bad thing mind you, but it won't really help you with your degree.
 
Yes, of course he did. What I am asking for is the forums, websites and clubs that you speak of b/c I could not find anything very reliable on my own. I am sure that someone here would know of a good one through experience?
 
Google + "rc airplane forums"

RC airplanes are a great hobby that you can really learn a lot from. The only problem is that it is pretty expensive. You will probably start with a foam trainer airplane because they are pretty hard to break. Not hard to crash just hard to break :-)

There are plenty of forums if you search and they will be able to recommend good products to start with.
 

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