Getting into the hobby acap (as cheap as possible)

So you want to get into the hobby but you don't have much money. Maybe you're like me, a teenager with no job or you manage to magically make your money disappear on other hobbies and projects this guide is for you. Sure you might say there are a lot of other guides of getting into the hobby, many are good and some a little less. the main problem however is that they all seem to ignore the value of precious money. I will lead you through finding the parts all the way to flying the airplane and hopefully you won't have used to much money when you're finished. one of my goals with this guide is not making you have to buy new electronics for every plane. I built my first plane in october, it was a ft flyer and although i had never flown anything rc before it was no problem to fly. After that I built myself a ft delta. however i quickly found out that my motor and 2s battery were weak and I would have to get a bigger, more powerfull battery and motor. I had saved for that setup for a year and felt stupid for getting a setup I would only use for two planes. I also discovered that my transmitter had very few functions and I had to get a new one if I was to build omething more complex. What am I saying? well you should get something that will last a long time so you won't be wasting money. 

What's a good beginner plane?

One of the most important things to consider when starting is getting a good beginner model. there are a lot of guides to this and as part of the FT beginner series Josh and Josh did a video on this 

The main things they mention in the video is that you should have a high-winged plane with a large wingspan that can go slow, has dihedral and has good stall characteristics. although they recommend getting a three channel plane, a four channel is just fine. there are lots of great beginner models but I would recommend you finding something that uses a 3s 1300-2200 battery and a not too small motor. something like the ntm 28-26 1200kv is great. there many good choices and here are a few: 
http://flitetest.com/articles/ft-simple-storch-breakfast-bombers
http://flitetest.com/articles/maker-hangar-episode-1-introduction (not only a good plane design but also a very good guide to rc)
http://flitetest.com/articles/ft-versa-wing (does not have dihedral but has incredible strenght so you can crash alot http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.no/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html)

Go ahead and choose, it's your choice.
They all have their pro's and con's but all are good trainer planes.

You should however also get some sort of simulator. This is not for making you master flying but more for learning you what the sticks do and not make beginner mistakes like pushing your elevator stick up when you want to go up. again I will give you a couple of cheap options.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realflight-mobile/id872641883?mt=8 (great if you have an ipad, smartphone or something similar)
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__20951__Hobbyking_6CH_RC_Flight_Simulator_System_Mode_2_.html?gclid=CNrowLXnzcQCFQTJtAodE3cAew (actually cost's something and is only for pc)
http://rcdeskpilot.com/ (free sim only for pc)
http://www.rowlhouse.co.uk/PicaSim/ (great for pc and android)

What parts do I get?

when going cheap you only have one choice to where you buy the parts: Hobbyking.com. sure there are many cheap parts on websites like banggood or ebay but often the quality is total crap! as i mentioned earlier I would recommend getting a ntm 2830 together with a 1300mah 3s because the options are endless when it comes to what plane to make (plus it works with nearly all the ft planes). 

so what elcetronics and parts do I recommend? these will get you far.

Motor: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__42501__NTM_Prop_Drive_Series_2830_1100KV_Motor.html  (remember to get the accesory pack)

esc: http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__2164__TURNIGY_Plush_30amp_Speed_Controller.html 

battery: http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9165__Turnigy_1300mAh_2S_20C_Lipo_Pack.html (may add a lot to the shipping cost, consider getting the one below)

http://www.banggood.com/3S-11_1V-1300mAh-25C-Lipo-Battery-For-Fixed-Wing-RC-Model-p-938750.html

servo: https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=662 

charger: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__7028__Turnigy_Accucel_6_50W_6A_Balancer_Charger_w_Accessories.html  or http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__5548__IMAX_B6_50W_5A_Charger_Discharger_1_6_Cells_GENUINE_.html

other things: 3,5mm bullet connectors  
xt60 or deans/t connectors
linkage stoppers
control horns 
propellors (size and pitch depends on the model you are building also GET MANY you will crash!)
lipo safe bag (this is a must) 
4mm heat shrink
prop balancer (small finger balancers will do just fine) 

Do not get push rods from hobbyking because they will raise the shipping cost. instead get them from a local rc hobby shop.

Transmitters

There are many transmitters out there and it might be hard to chose, everyone will have a different opinion but  few are cheap. most transmitters cost over 100 bucks but there are some good ones you can get that won't break the bank. some have more functionality than others and some are cheaper. the transmitter is the biggest investment and I would recommend researching more about the different ones.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9042__Hobby_King_2_4Ghz_6Ch_Tx_Rx_V2_Mode_2_.html (This is extremely cheap and has six channels but thats where it ends. It has little functionality and you will soon find your self buying a new radio. good value. does not have trainer port.)

  http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__28494__OrangeRx_T_SIX_2_4GHz_DSM2_Comp_6CH_Programmable_Transmitter_w_10_Model_Memory_Mode_2_.html
(Is basically the same as a spectrum dx6i but for half the price, has many functions and is programmable. great value, works with spectrum dsmx)

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__31544__Turnigy_9XR_Transmitter_Mode_2_No_Module_.html 
(endless programming options and basically the same as the frsky taranis. quality is not the best and you need a module and receiver. ok value)

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__45027__FrSky_2_4GHz_ACCST_TARANIS_X9D_and_X8R_Combo_Digital_Telemetry_Radio_System_Mode_1_New_Battery.html 
( great transmitter. used by the pros has endless functions and cost is relatively low compared to 500 dollar radios however its still quite expensive)

there are many more transmitters like the ones made by Spectrum, Futaba, Graupner, Hitec and many more and the ones I mentioned were only a few. I myself own a Spectrum dx6i like so many other people.

Building

When you have all your parts you can start building the model. If you live in the US of A you can simply follow the plans and use dollar tree foam. If you live in the rest of the world your best option is probably 6mm depron. when buliding with depron widen all the slots by 1mm and where you would normaly use the paper on DTF(dollar tree foam) you use clear packing tape. 

Flying

When first flying your model I recommend you to go to a local flying field and ask someone for help. If you bought one of the transmitters above eccept for the cheapest one you can use a trainer cable. This lets an other person take control over your airplane if you get into trouble by connecting two transmitters together. I also recommend you to fly on a flying simulator, anything will do. Trainers are generally easy to fly and you should have no trouble flying the plane once you get used to it. 

I hope this article will help people get into the hobby cheaply without wasting money. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment. Did I forget anything? Please tell me in the comments below.

Good luck

.