Well, I got my new R/C plane today and I've gotta say: I am seriously disappointed in the structural integrity of styrofoam :-\
Hobby Zone Super Cub
(http://www.hobbyzone.com/images/airplanes/HBZ7100-350.jpg)
I opened it up when I got home from work today. I read all the directions and put it together, charged the batteries and took it to the park. When I got there I couldn't get the prop to turn when I did my control test. I called customer service and they said it was probably a faulty receiver and to send it in. As I was taking it out I realized that the negative feed to the motor was disconnected so I took it home, re soldered it, and took it back to a closer, and smaller (bad idea) park.
Results
Crashes - about 6
Total flight time - about 45 sec
Flight Status - no survivors
I crashed it pretty hard and the entire rudder and elevator section of the tail broke clean off, and snapped a control horn. Right now its held together with duct tape, wooden skewers, and the gorilla glue is drying on the control horn. The park I was flying in was too small to fly casually and I had to stay in a pretty constant bank and thats what killed me. The original park I was at is huge, but is plagued by disk golfers so its hard to do anything there. Well see how it goes tomorrow.
You should probably join the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) and join club so you can get some flight instruction.
That's not an RC plane...
This is an RC Plane
(http://www.se2funworks.com/photogallery/Patty/images/Patty_aq.jpg)
(http://www.se2funworks.com/photogallery/Patty/images/Patty_ar.jpg)
Or the one I am currently building...
(http://www.se2funworks.com/photogallery/In%20Progress/images/Hurley%20Extra%20300%20LX.jpg)
Seriously though, I do not know why people insist on buying those foam peices. A good 40 size trainer is so much more satisfying to learn on and enjoy. And with the more powerful motors out now, electric is easier and cheaper than ever.
I got this one because I knew I'd be crashing and didn't want to bust up a $500 plane. I'd rather break up a $150 with cheap and easily replaceable parts. Plus it came recommended from a friend.
I guess I was suggesting that a little higher quality and some training and you will not be crashing at all and there by, not needing spare parts. I have the same trainer that I started with and have easily earned it's cost back.
I would just hate to see you burn out of a rewarding hobby due to frustration over a bad flying plane.
Even seasoned RC pilots hate those things and admit that they are hardly worth the materials they make them from.
Just a suggestion.
I was into R/C planes years ago, had a blast with it.
I had a Hobbico Avistar that I had to rebuild twice due to impacts with trees. I still have three engines, a bunch of propellers, electric starter, and other misc. sundries. Might get back into it one of these days.
Look around and see if you can find a soccer field or something similar rather than a community park.
I am so done with this piece of junk.
This reminds me of the original Flight of the Pheonix movie when Jimmie Stewart angrily finds out his German aircraft designer really designs model planes, and the German goes off into a rant as to why model planes are actually harder to design than the real thing.
I can imagine the stability of a model is quite tricky to get right.