lynntonyd

My Feedback: (1)

Hoping for a little free advice. This is my first year flying and I do pretty well on my trainer, a Kyosho Calmato. I can do loops and Cuban 8's and decent but sloppy rolls. Not bad for a trainer plane. I'm just starting to fly inverted a bit.

I want something to build from a kit over the winter and then get used to next spring. There are a million choices for a second plane!

My local hobby store owner us pushing the GP Super Sportster.

A few guys at my club field have Sig Four Stars and they love them.

The advice I get is that the 4 Star is maybe slower and more forgiving and the Sportster is more twitchy, maybe more aerobatic.

I don't plan to get crazy but I love to do tricks and plan to learn a lot more next year. So here's the basic quesiton: Get the 4 Star as a second plane and fly it one season and then move up maybe, or get the Sportster now and hope I don't have issues landing it?

tigerrag

In my opinion the 4 Star is a great 2nd plane and in kit form is a fairly easy kit to build.I have the 60 and 120 with Os 61 and Saito 150.bothfly great and on high rates will proform very well.

ckangaroo70

My Feedback: (51)

Both are very good second Planes. Personally I prefer the Super Sportster for looks. Plus it flys like it is on rails, and is pretty zippy with a good hot .40 or .46 on it. It will also slow down very nicely for landings. The 4 star is a very stable Plane, and capable of some nice aerobatics, but not quite the Hot Rod as the Super Sportster. Either way you go would be a good choice for a second Plane though.

lynntonyd

My Feedback: (1)

See what happens! I get one opinion for the 4 Star then another for the Sportster! Oh well, looks like I can't make a bad move here. I guess I'm leaning a little towards the Sportster because I normally want to shoot a little higher than my current abilities. Plus I think it does look a bit better with a cowling rather than an open front, and lastly because there are several 4 Stars at my field all the time. Might be nice to have something a bit different.

Unless I get any replies begging me to get the 4 Star then I guess I will go with the Sportster.

By the way I will recycle my OS .46 for it.

nickj

Good choice. The SS is really a nice little plane. What you've heard about the differences sounds about right. The SS is definitely less forgiving, but it's more responsive and looks a lot better. The SS is very stable, tracks beautifully, but has a higher stall speed than the 4* and will tip stall if you get too slow. The .46 will pull it through just about everything.

Interestingly, my Sig Somethin Extra is a little easier to fly than my SS. It's very forgiving, barely stalls at all, and will fly the tail feathers off the SS. Can't touch it for looks, though.

mainegold

My Feedback: (1)

I think your choice is a good one, too! I'm currently doing a SS .60 . It's my first build in a few years so I'm re-learning.
Here's a couple pics...

ckangaroo70

My Feedback: (51)

My Super Sporster 40 and my Super Sportster 90/120.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Hey Mainegold, you forgot to cover your wingtips!

While the 4* is usually considered a better second plane, as long as you're confident in your skills (And it sounds like you have plenty) don't be afraid of the SS

mainegold

My Feedback: (1)

Minnflyer, I didn't forget... I'm still trying to find a couple mini-strobe lights to install out there!
Actually I was just putting off bending monokote around those wing tips. . . and just burned a hole in one!?!

@#%$*@$
Guess I'll just patch it til I know if it will fly.

Hey WUGAK, you but that kit yet?

Jack

p.s. Kangaroo70, nice birds!

johnboyrc

I got a Super Sportster ARF for my second plane. First couple flights my nerves were making me shake. After a few times out with it, I was comfortable with it, and began flying basic aerobatics more casually. It's a great plane in my opinion. Wheel pants are fine for blacktop, but for grass bigger wheels are the way to go. I have a os 52 four stroke in mine, and I love it. You'll find it won't get too crazy, but will feed a need for speed when you want to.

GarySS

My Feedback: (13)

I don't want to be a trouble maker when moving beyond your two choices, but since you are flying your trainer that aggressively, I recommend a Great Planes Venus with your OS .46. It's an ARF, not a kit, but I think that you will be pleased with its smooth yet very aerobatic flight characteristics. Just a thought.[8D]

ckangaroo70

My Feedback: (51)

I TAKE BACK MY EARLIER RECOMENDATION! BUY THE SIG 4 STAR! I just found out that Great Pains has discontinued the Super Sportster 40 and 60 kit! Great Planes increasing lack of interest in kit builders has prompted me to look at other Manufacturers to do business with. Remember the Ultra Sport? Now the Super Sportster! Not that it will matter, but Great Planes has just made my boycott list!

Razor-RCU

My Feedback: (50)

The 4 star was a better choice anyway.... I have never heard someone complain about the 4* as a second aircraft- and it will do plenty more than your trainer, after that get something like the Venus or UCD-46 ...

The aerobatic difference betwen the SS and the 4* is VERY close, I always recommend the 4* to folks I train, then let 'em fly my Magic-3D (Which is consequently easier to fly than either of the others-) as long as the CG and rates are set correctly, even 3D airplanes can be easy to fly-

The Somethin' Extra mentioned lands slower than the 4*, and looks better!

TideFlyer

The only " problem " that I encountered with my 4* 40( lost it to a sick battery. ALWAYS check before flying, even if you`ve re-charged over night ! ) was its tendancy to float forever on landing if I came in with any air speed at all. Found that to be somewhat annoying at times. I think my Avistar and certainly my WM T-34 have a more deliberate and predictable sink rate on final! Other than that, I thought the 4* was a terrific plane and certainly is an RC classic.

Bruno Stachel

My Feedback: (4)

I thought about the Super Sportster and the Four Star when choosing my second plane. (Ended up buying a used Super Stick 60 as a second.[&:]) I liked the looks of both. But I thought the Four Star would be easier to build. Then I noticed that the Four Star had a semi-symmetrical wing. I new I'd want something a little more aerobatic. Then I was steered toward the Sig Midstar. Not as pretty, but a great flyer with a symmetrical airfoil. Easy to build and tough too. On low rates, the Sig Something Extra is a nice plane too.

stallspeed

You will love the way the 4 star flys, and building is no problem. Go mild or wild it does it all, makes you look like a better pilot than you are.

Deadeye

I have both the SS60 and the 4* 60. I have flown them both, one right after the other. My thumbs and brain can't really tell the difference between the two in the air. If they didn't look so different, I would never know. The 4* might float a bit more on landing, but that is about it. That being said, I like the way the SS looks, but I have way more flights on my 4* than the SS. I am also partial to the 4*, because it is what I modeled my 'Cor-Star' series after. Have built 8 of the Cor-Stars with two twins, and a bipe.

DaveB

I have built and flown both and either one is a good choice. I would say however, that the GP Super Sportster is a sturdier built airplane. That is to say, the SS will take a little more abuse. The 4* while a great flier, easy to build, but IMHO is a tad delicate. A few hard landings will take a toll on it. So, consider your flying style; if you're a smooth & gentle flyer, either one is O.K., on the other hand, if you're rough & tough especially on landings, give the SS serious consideration.

Just my 2 cents, nothing more.

DaveB

cohocarl

As you can see from the replies, either one wouldn't be a bad choice. I've never flown a 4*, but they look like they fly very similar to a SuperSportster. It looks like the 4* may be a little easier to build. I had also considered both airplanes for my 2nd one after the trainer, and chose the SuperSportster 40, and put a SuperTigre 40 in it. It has been my absolute favorite plane. Still have it after about 15 years.

Have fun.

jrf

My Feedback: (551)

As everyone has said, the 4* is more forgiving and the SS is more aerobatic. They are both good airplanes.

Here's another option: Build the 4* and fly it until it gets boring, then clip one rib bay off each wing tip. The clip-wing 4* is a lot more fun to fly and almost as good at aerobatics as the SS.

Jim

kelldog

My Feedback: (1)

Had them all and the midstar is a better plane and wiill do more with less floating on landings.

Treker NCC-1701

I agree that the Great Planes Super Sportster is a much better looking plane that the Sig 4 Star 40, so when I built my Four Star I made a few modifications to improve its looks. I cut off one wing bay on each side to try and cut its tendency to float on landings, and added rounded wing tips. I also rounded off the edges of the tail feathers to soften up the lines a bit, and trimmed down the canopy to match the turtle deck. It looks very Super Sportster like, and IMHO, it looks much better than a stock built 4 Star. It flys great too, and with an OS .46 FX, it flies very fast if you want it to.

Here is a pic.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

The Four Star tends to be a pretty gentle, forgiving airframe regardless of how you equip it. What makes the Super Sportster .40 ARF such an interesting choice is how radically its flying characteristics change as you upgrade the powerplant. Flying the Super Sportster on low rates with a good ball-bearing .40 engine should provide a fun, gentle introduction to aerobatic low wing flying (much like a Four Star). If you upgrade the Super Sportster with an O.S. .50 SX or a .70 4-Stroke and higher throw rates, the performance envelope changes so radically that it will feel like a completely different aircraft. You just can't "upgrade" the Four Star's performance quite like you can the Super Sportster. It sounds like some folks have gone the "clipped wing" route with their Four Stars to try to emulate the Super Sportster, but Great Planes offers you that versatility right out of the box.

Bottom line? The Four Star will be a great second aircraft for you, but the Super Sportster could be a great second AND third aircraft for you. I fly with a buddy who has a .50 SX in his Super Sportster, and watching him rip around our field at 80 to 100mph is pretty amazing.

hamman

My Feedback: (61)

Supersportster 40 arf my 3rd plane, 2nd was a slowpoke arf cute but boring... flew the SS40 maiden flight myself, nervous but succsesful... last 20 flights had a .72 Saito, ended up crashing it... connector got hung up in aileron servo horn and jammed. I really missed that plane... ended up finding a 60 size on E-bay and really enjoy it for a quick trip up to the field in the eve... nice to have a decent flying plane that looks good without a cowl to fuss with...both SS fly great in windy conditions... cant go wrong with a supersportster... this winters project is a SS 90 kit

Treker NCC-1701

Great looking Super Sportster, Hammam! Please post pics of your new SS when you get it completed. I'm sure we would all love to see it.