Best starter r/c ?

Question

I am really looking into buying an R/C , but am not sure whether to get an airplane or a helicopter. I already have a Jeep that was fun when I was younger, but is too easy now. I have never flown an R/C airplane or helicopter. I am 13, going on 14. I am in gifted classes and on my school's Academic Bowl team. I do not want to spend more than 100 dollars for an R/C, unless that is 100% unbreakable. I want a challenge, something that I'll have to spend time perfecting my flying capabilities, not something where I can just pick up the controller and do stunts with it. Any info on good s would be appreciated!

Answer 1

I'm not an airplane guy, but you could try this one:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=MTC9960

or for a heli, try:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=MTC8315

Answer 2

I don't know the airplanes, but I know RC sailplanes, the Gentle Lady is great fun to put together and a dream to fly, I won the Junior division of the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) Nationals when I was twelve with my Gentle Lady . . . did pretty good over all too, but I would have done better if I could land well. The only disadvantage is that the Lady is a two meter and you usually need a wench line to get her up.
A good handlatch is Zip Tip Launch, it's easy to fly and doesn't need the equipment a two-meter would need.
Even as easy as sailplanes are to control, the challenge lies in keeping them in the air and seeing how high you can go, depending on thermals to rise. Rc airplanes for the most part do not have this challenge and are fairly noisy. They are pretty durable, I got my lady stuck in a corkscrew that imbedded her nose four inches into hard dirt and it was fine. I've also seen a friend of my father's fly his sailplane so high he lost radio contact, we had to chase it down. :)

Gentle Lady kits are avaliable on eBay right now for $25 . . . Unfortunately that does not included servos or radio, which is where the money lies, but fortunately, if you do crash a sailplane beyond repair, usually the servos are recoverable to put in another aircraft.

Answer 3

If your going to buy anything,airplane or heli, you will spend more than $100. Unless you get a cheepo plane, nothing well-built will be under at least $150.