glowdaddy

I'm sure this has been asked many times before but I did not find it. Looking for a plane for relaxed flying with no surprises. Easy landings and gentle characteristics. If you have an opinion, does it apply to 40 size too?

Thanks

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Tiger

jrf

My Feedback: (551)

Pacific Aeromodels Knockabout 46. Can use either a 46 or a 61. The Tiger and 4* are both excellent airplanes, but I think the Knockabout is easier to fly low and slow and more fun when you want to kick-it.

www.pacaeromodel.com

Jim

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

The Tiger 60 is an excellent model, the original design guideline for this plane was pattern flying. This will make a smooth flying plane that tends to stay in the groove

The Four Star 60 was designed to be an easy flying sport plane that is easy to land and is the standard of Sport Flying comparison.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

The Sig Four Star and the Goldberg Tiger are both fantastic flying sport planes in all available sizes - .40, .60, or 1.20 versions.

Both planes can be flown gently and will land as easily as most trainers. Both planes can be overpowered and flown like screaming banshees. Both fly well off of floats. Both are classic designs that do most everything fairly well and neither has any particularly bad traits. It's no accident that these classic designs are still around and still popular with pilots.

There are a number of airplanes that are rather derivative of these two classic designs. Tower Hobbies carries the Phoenix Models Dolphin .40 ARF that is embarrassingly close to the Four Star .40 in terms of design. The Kyosho Calmato Sport .40 and Sport .60 are practically twins to the Goldberg Tiger 2 and the Tiger .60. Nitro Planes carries some low wing trainer ARFs in .40 and .60 sizes that also look a lot like the Goldberg Tiger.

Fly either of them and you'll be delighted, fly both of them if you have the money and storage, try them in different sizes, try one of the imitators if they fit your budget better. Trying to pick between the Four Star or the Tiger is likely trying to choose between Grolsch and St. Pauli Girl; they're both too good to pass up.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

This thread would not be complete without including the H9 Pulse XT which is very much like a Four Star 60

SKYHI1

Maybe you would like a "Stick"? I think Great Planes has a 40 and 60 size. There are also the Horizon Hobby versions. I have a Four Star 40. It is a nice plane. I like my Stick allot more. It will fly slow and it will fly fast. Pretty much goes where you point it. It can do acro's better than I can fly them. I keep adding planes and I keep flying my Stick.

Good luck.
Frank

skyraider71

I have had both a FourStar, and a Tiger 60. Both were a pleasure. IMHO the FourStars are a little
better for someone coming off a trainer. From a kit building perspective, the FourStars win hands
down. Of course, if you go the arf route that won't matter. [sm=shades_smile.gif]

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I've had a lot of Sticks and I think they fly better especially in the wind

glowdaddy

Thanks for the feedback....for the record I'll take the Grolsch

skyraider71

Make mine a Warstiener

SKYHI1

w8ye

You are right based on my experience. Between a Stick and a Four Star the Stick will fly way better in the wind. The Four Star 40 is knocked around easily with gusts while the Stick is rock solid. With the winds we have out here I choose to fly my Stick more often. You don't realize it is windy until you set up to land.

Good luck
Frank

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

If you don't fly in the wind, you are not going to fly much.

I've lived in this part of Ohio most of my adult life and to the west it is nothing but flat land and farm fields and that means wind.

But just a few years ago I had to live in the South East US off and on for 3 years. It was windy there also but not as bad as here.

If you fly a lot in the wind, at sunset, when the wind quits, you feel strange.

skyraider71

Where in Ohio exactly are you? I'm originally from Jackson.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I'm in North central Ohio just north of Mansfield which is directly north of Jackson. I'm within 40 mi of Lake Erie

wjcalhoun

So why might a Stik fly better in the wind than a 4*? My understanding was that wind sensitivity is a manifestation of light wing loading, and mass. Higher wing loading -> less wind sensitivity; bigger (heavier) aircraft -> less wind sensitivity. Stiks have pretty low wing loading, right? So why are they better in a breeze?

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

The sticks have more wing loading than a Four Star and very little side area. They tend to land at a little higher speed.

It is difficult to land a plane when the wind speed is greater than the landing speed of the plane if you think about it.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

I can't believe it. All you experts (and I mean that sincerely), and no one gave the man the obvious answer.... BOTH! Then you fly whatever seems to fit the weather conditions and your mood. Thanks; Ernie P.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

There you go. The most practical guy in the thread.

SKYHI1

I am no expert, I know the Stick has a symetrical wing and the Four Star has a semi-symetrical wing. This may account for the solid performance of the Stick in heave winds.
The Four Star does fly faster than a Stick at WOT.
Ernie is right, get them both if you can. They are both nice planes.

Good luck with your choice.
Frank

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

The Four Star wing is symmetrical except the rear part of the bottom of the airfoil is straight

About the main difference from the stick is side area of the fuselage and overall wing area

SKYHI1

Sir,

With all respect, Before I wrote my last reply I researched and found that Tower Hobbies is calling the Four Star 40 wing a Semi-semitrical airfoil.

Ref:
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXFKB0&P=ML

SPECS: Wingspan: 59-3/4" (1518mm)
Wing Area: 604 sq in (39 sq dm)
Weight: 4.75-5.25 lb (2.1-2.3 kg)
Length: 47" (1194mm)
Airfoil: semi-symmetrical, low-wing


But, with that said, both planes are great to fly. I have them both and I hope everyone gets them enjoys them as well.

Thank you
Frank

skyraider71

Any of the planes mentioned here can be flown in moderate wind, they just react differently.
I used to fly only on perfect weather days, needless to say I didn't get to fly as often as I
wanted.
BTW, Jackson OH. is pretty much BFE.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I have a Four Star here in front of me and the wing is about as symmetrical as they come. I suppose, in reality, that it is semi symmetrical because of the straight portion on the bottom rear but the airfoil goes below the datum line as much as it is above it. I didn't mean anything about it. Tower has been wrong before.
The picture is not my plane but one from another thread

SKYHI1

Really, I didn't mean anything either. I just wanted you to know that I was not talking out of my you know what. And I tried to contribute to the post with researched info. I like both planes. I do think the Stick has some advantage in stabilty. To me the Stick will always be in my hanger in one form or another. With the Four Star if it crashed beyond repair, I am not so sure I would be in a rush to buy another.

Thank you
Frank