rickski

I thought I would get everyone's input on what they're doing with their "idle time" while waiting for their Z:

I actually took up a hobby.....R/C planes. This keeps my sanity and patience while waiting for my Z to get here.

RP-350Z

I "try" not to visit the boards. All that does is make me hunger for my Z, however that's the only way I'm going to stay updated.

Actually, the days have been FLYING by for me, probably b/c it's summer time and school is in August. Summers always fly by when your in school.

ariZona

Well, an upcoming 3 week business trip will keep me busy, but its still hard to not think about. TV, sports, video games and the gym have you doing something else other than looking at the forums, but your mind is still on the Z.....

ariZona

ChicagoEZ

Ive been Riding my Motorcycle, 2002 r6 check out the club i ride with ( not for everyone )

www.valpoboyz.com

RP-350Z

If you want even more excitement, try R/C Helicopters. They are a challange, but so much fun to fly.

Quadry

Pass my time by playing PS2. Great way to pass the time, kicking butt in GT3.

350zpower

I always wanted to do RC Helicopters and Planes but always worried about the safety warnings .. i hear some people got stabbed by the rotors on the heli and plane .. since they had to launch them by hand (literally throwing them in the air to get the plane/heli started)

NSANY

Ahhhh, not exactly. May the Lord help you if you try to launch an RC heli by hand, while trying to keep your hands on the sticks. RC helis have been a hobby of mine for a long time, and I can tell you a few things about them. First off, they're started with an electric starter, not by tossing them into the air. Then...

1. There are two types of helicopters -- those that have been crashed, and those that will BE crashed.
2. At some point, you will run like a girl from your own helicopter when you lose control of it (albeit temporarily).

I enjoy RC helis more than any other hobby. Building, tweaking, flying, fixing, it's all good. I have seen the after-effects of people who have had a close encounter with their bird, and I can tell you it's not pretty. The main rotors on a 30 size bird are spinning at over 200MPH at the tips, and the tail rotors blades are spinning a LOT faster than that. You can easily ruin your day if you are irresponsible with one. This is definitely not an appropriate hobby for a youngster, or the casual flyer. It takes serious tuning and equally serious concentration.

Best of luck, and I strongly encourage you to pick up the hobby. Ebay is festooned with people who thought flying a helicopter would be like riding a bicycle. You can find some GOOD deals out there.

My Hirobo Shuttle RG and I wish you all the best...

roberto350z

my freaking problem is that I cant stop being anxious. Everytime I have to put ANOTHER quart of oil in my Z, I realize that Death is chasing after my 280 faster than the cops are. The only way to come up with 2k for a rebuild is to get my Z deposit back

the other alternative is equally scary...Ill have to buy soemthing else if old red doesnt make it (like an RSX or G35)

zPilott

iTrader: (3)

I got into slope soaring a few years ago, and there are a ton of places in the bay area to do it. The foamies put out by www.davesaircraftworks.comwww.davesaircraftworks.com and http://www.zagi.com/ (among many others) are really easy to build (and pretty forgiving to a beginner) and nearly indestructable. You can learn a lot of the fundamentals with these planes, without worrying about destroying your plane. They are also really fun for combat, where you actually try to knock the other planes out of the air (I actually had a friend turn off the power switch on my plane during one dogfight...).

If you are interested, check out http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dlstone/ for a lot of good bay area info.

Most of the plane kits are in the $50-$70 range, add on 10-20 bucks for extra stuff to finish it (depending on the kit). The real cost is the radio and associated equipment. You coudl find something new for as little as $60, but there probably isn't a whole lot worth getting that is under $150. The more advanced radios with lots of bells and whistles start out around $200, and the prices can go up well over $1k at the top end.

I have a JR XP652 radio that I would recommend, and you could probably pick one up for about 250. This is a great radio that isn't too complex, but it isn't something you would outgrow quickly.

Z CRAZY

Bought another guitar and finally got a new amp (this one won't fit in a 350Z). Got a few more books and I'm learning some new songs. I get a lot of satisfaction out of solo performances for myself and my girlfriend (wait, let me rephrase that), hehe. Let's just say I practice my hobby a lot. Hopefully, I can retire from my tech role and just play for a meager living someday. I'm really tired of the corporate world.

duncan

Been a long wait since feb.,but I try to keep my mind off of it by getting too drunk,kicking the dog,locking children up and beating the wife around,they hope the car comes soon!!.--(just kidding everybody, could'nt resist being a smart ***).---working around house has been my way of keeping my mind occupied. brickyard,performance

NissaNZ

I'm gonna hybernate untill the release.

raceboy

Hey NSANY, have you ever used the Real Flight computer simulator and how similar is it to flying a real heli? I have flown R/C planes for about 3 years and the RF Sim seams pretty accurate for planes.

NSANY

I have Realflight G2, and like it quite a bit. A simulator is a must, and even though it's not 100% exactly like the real thing, it's close enough to save hundreds of dollars in repair bills. (Like when thinking about trying inverted flight...)

raceboy

I have been flying heli's on RF G2 for about a year now and I think it's time to move up to the real thing. What is a good beginners heli that will grow well as my skills do?

NSANY

Raceboy:

First, do you already own a radio capable of being programmed for helis? If so, that's half the battle.
If not, you should concentrate your money on the BEST electronics your budget will permit. I made the mistake of buying a cheaper six channel radio and wanted to throw it out after a few years. I have a Futaba 8UH, and like it very much. I hear the 9CH is even better. Get a gyro made by the same manufacturer as your radio, as it can sometimes make programming simpler and more intuitive. For the money, you can't beat the Futaba GY401/9253 combo.

As for helis, I strongly recommend the Hirobo Sceadu 30. It's a strong, simple design, and parts are relatively inexpensive and readily available on the internet. (heliproz gets all of my business).

Anyhow, here's a short list of gear:

Hirobo Sceadu 30
OS .32 SX-H engine
Futaba 9CH PCM radio w/9202 servos
Futaba GY401 / 9253 digital tail servo

Give the guys at Heliproz a shout at 1-877-heliproz. They're the best at price, selection, and customer support.

raceboy

Thanks!!

dvlad

ahahhahaha...I like that

ahahahaha.