el-John-o

Hey all!!

I recently had a little mishap with my nexstar, I'm decently proficient and I've been flying it for a while, this was a freak accident, really, kind of skidded on the gravel and rolled (during takeoff), splintered the plane really. It probably can be repaired but I'm really considering moving up to something else?

Any suggestions? I am absolutely in love with the Pheonix Super Tucano .40, is that a possibility at all? I usually fly on a family farm but I am a member of a club so I could probably get some buddy box time if I need to. If not, any suggestions? Preferably in the scale department, I don't have the budget to keep buying models (in college), so I kind of want a plane that I can have fun with for at least a year, and I would love something scale.

Edit: Also looking at the GP Cherokee, I still prefer the Tucano but that Cherokee doesn't look bad either.

Thanks,

John

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

after crashing my NEXTAR, a couple of times, and fixing it, I still have it in the hangar if you havent totally mastered it then its worthit to give a rebuild a shot and save some moeny get it totally wired then move on to the next plane.

that being said a 4 star40 is a decent second plane. or with a little help the sig something extra isn't bad either,if set them low rates they can be a solid planes with the engine and radio from the NEXTAR, and they both have really big upsides, they can be real manuverable if you increase the throws.

yellerchamp

My Feedback: (42)

World models t-34 mentor will fly great with the motor off the nexstar, you will love the ground handling and the winds dont bother it , just have someone in your club do the maiden, great second plane, only problem with wm is the covering is crap, but the plane is a great flyer

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

I would think you'd be ok, worse scenario is you face plant it and have to start over,,these things happen everyday.... you have all the main ingredients, radio.servos,battery,,...planes arent that expensive after that....Rog

el-John-o

So you think I'd be ok even with the tucano?

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

Yes the Tucano, but you should attempt to repair the nexstar first,,you will learn alot more that way....Rog

orangehat44

My Feedback: (1)

you learn tons repairing a plane, the guy who taught me to fly might jump in Bingo field, I too had a mishap after a few weeks soloed, I tried to land with not enough speed in a hard head/cross wind, stalled and lawndarted it. Had i been on my own i probably would have thought it was totaled, but Bingofield reassured me it could be rebuilt (the plane had been through the same thing before) and he helped me get it all back together all told took maybe 8 hours of work plus glue drying time. And you learn lots of skills about wood building that any other time you see a plane get damaged you'll say thats not too bad to fix. Heck you might wind up with some free planes, Ive know people who just want to fly and dont want to build or fix and wont even take the offer for help repairs. They'll think the plane is trashed and toss it or just give it away, cause they'd rather buy a new arf than spend the same amount of time fixing.

billd76

My Feedback: (3)

I have the Phoenix Tucano 40 with a Fox 45BB engine. There are alot of folks that have trouble landing it, Bouncing seems to be a big issue. I have not had any bouncing issues. I think maybe one of the reasons I don't have issues is that I set the throttle trim to high idle (just short of the plane moving on the ground). This helps keep the RPM's up even the the stick all the way back, so I guess you could say I land hot. Which is the way the Tucano needs to land, It is not a floater like your trainer. I have also deadsticked landed it once and had no ground hope issues then either. I think you'll be able to fly it fine, but the buddy box is always good insurance for at least the maiden flight. It is an awesome looking plane in the air! I would rebuild the trainer and keep it. I'm in the process of recovering mine now.

DenverJayhawk

i went from a NexStar to a Big Stik. I'd highly recommend a Stik.

jimmyjames213

My Feedback: (2)

i would go with a big stick if you arnt totally comfotable w/ the nextar yet could still move up. the stick is way more manuaverable then the nextar but it still very stable

el-John-o

Thanks all,

Sorry I guess I wasn't clear before but I absolutely do plan on repairing the nexstar, it's just that I was planning to move up anyway and I figured I would just gut it now, rebuild it in my spare time and donate it to the club and see if someone else want's to chip in for an engine and servo's (I have a couple extra receivers).

I am very comfortable with the Nexstar, I just had a bit of a freak accident there involving a loose patch of gravel very near a ditch, I've learned my lesson haha.

eastcoast

I wish i could give you some advice on a second Plane,but i just finished my Gp Cherokee running a OS 46AX,and im taking it on its Maiden hopefully next week ,and i have too run the engine in.Im just waiting for this Fog/crappy weather too clear up here on the eastcoast..[:'(],and this is my first ARF,i stepped up from a HZ super Cub Ive been flying for like 4 years.
but what Ive heard the Cherokee is a great plane too fly... pardon the PUN ,that's why i got it,and the Flaps are going too be sweet,i got it set up on my DX6i with 10 degrees flaps first notch and 17 degrees for full Flaps,but i have too experiment with that!!

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

If you're ready to move up, there's no reason why the Phoenix Models Tucano can't be a terrific second plane for you. I also wouldn't try talking you out of the Great Planes Cherokee.

Whichever of those two planes you like best, I'd say, "Go for it!"

Good luck and good shopping!

el-John-o

Thanks,

The tucano is a little cheaper and at some point, I plan on stripping it down, re-covering it in a new trim scheme and installing retracts, something to do over the winter, anyway .  So yeah, I think that's what I will go with, I'll keep you guys posted!

Flyin Beagle

My Feedback: (1)

I purchased a Cherokee last year as my second plane and love it. It is as easy to fly as my trainer, but will do any aerobatic manuever that I am capable of and probably many that I am not yet aware exist. I have the O.S. 46 AX and it is very strong. It will not hover, but wide open it really hauls. Most peope at the field are impressed with how well it flys. With the flaps down it will crawl down the runway at what appears to be not more than a jog, and does not have any bad tendancies in a stall. It simply drops its nose a little and starts flying again. I dont know anything about a Tucano, but I highly recommend the Cherokee.

eastcoast

yes i cant wait too fly mine,did you have too add any weight Beagle?I had too put 1oz too the tail,but i put 6V 5c 2700maH for the RX battery,and i'm thinking that why!!,now i'm getting a 1oz Spinner nut ,and i think ill have too count weight that with another oz.did you have a balanced plane,or a little nose heavy.What Flap set up did you have in degrees,as i was saying i think mine is 10 degrees 1st notch,and i think somewhere around 17-20 on the second notch.

Thanks

orangehat44

My Feedback: (1)

Escapade was my second plane and I love it, and its quite the bang for the buck for an ARF and super easy going together. It can do damn near anything. I can putter it around nice and calm or rip holes in the sky and full throttle high rates. and it was an excellent first low wing plane in my book.

el-John-o

Just a quick update, I came off the nexstar and now have just over two dozen flights on my Tucano, I've been having fun ripping it up with stall turns, snap rolls, etc.

The only thing is, those who talked about under powering were very, very right.  I plan on upgrading to a 4-stroker soon, the plane can maneuver, but it has to recover speed after gaining altitude at even the slightest attitudes, and I run full throttle through most of the flight (making for some short flights!).

Also, landing- the landing gear has actually been stronger than people tell me, although it lands like a dream (settles in nicely especially with flaps), I did have a couple rough landings, one actually, was when a crop dusting helicopter showed up!  You can't make this stuff up folks, the field behind me started to get dusted, the guy got there and I thought "Oh shoot time to bring her in".  I was too nervous to look behind me or take my eyes off the model for even a second, as it turns out, as I'm coming in on final the crop duster was landing right behind me because he wanted to let me know when he was going to start, and when I could and couldn't fly (he was actually really nice about it), anyway, at that moment I had my first, completely perpendicular to the runway landing! haha, full rudder but it still skidded all the way home, not a scratch!  And it was bouncy and fast (picture this, Robinson R44 helicopter turning then banking hard to stop about 50 feet behind me, banking of course, away from the runway, blasting air at the runway like the most intense crosswind you've ever had!)

-John