After (another) 10 year absence, I'm getting back into the hobby. Enjoyed it immensely in my 20's and early 30's...then stopped to raise a family...had a pit stop 10 years ago to try and get my boys into it (didn't work)...now they are out of the house and I am looking at getting back into it as I approach my late 50's. All my old planes and equipment are long gone but it appears much has changed anyway. I went into my LHS and was taken aback...no kits and not really many planes to choose from and all are RTF, ARF, or BNF...and a pretty sparse selection to boot. The old LHS owner retired and it appears the new owner has gravitated toward RC cars...nothing wrong with that but just not my thing.
Saddened, I stumbled out of the store in a daze and went home to my computer and started googling. My old club happened to have a 'trainer night" last evening so I went out just to get a feel for where things are in the hobby. A gentlemen offered to take me up on a buddy box but after hearing of my experience, he let me take solo control and I was able to take off, fly around for 5 minutes, and land without issue. Whew, at least I can still manage a high wing trainer :-)
After some further googling, and absorbing some knowledge from the gentlemen at the field, I decided I would proceed with electric flight (at least initially). The technology has obviously improved dramatically in the last 10 years. So, I just ordered a RTF (my first)...a Cirrus SR22 V2 1.4m RTF (https://www.dynamrc.com/products/sr22-v2-trainer-yellow-scale-dy8936yl)from an online retailer (would have used the LHS but they didn't have one...sadly). The guys at the field suggested the Apprentice as a good re-entry into the hobby but I know I'll get bored with whatever "safe" plane I purchase and I kind of wanted a 'tail dragger' just for the sheer fun of take offs :-)
Anyway, I'm excited to get back into the hobby and eager to learn what all the new technology brings. I don't care for all the SAFE this and that but maybe it's not a bad thing. What I would like to learn is how to move to electric from gas/nitro. Seems like it's not as simple as stabbing an electric motor where the engine would have been.
Is everyone just buying RTF's and BNF's these days? Is everything foam? I would love to put a good electric motor in an old Sig 4Star40 or similar and do some knife edges :-) I'm sure the answers are buried in the forum and I'll do my research...just looking for general advice on what everyone is doing these days and where I should spend my money and, more importantly, where I shouldn't.
Thanks for any and all advice!!