fadi

Hello
I have all the required engine/accessories for a .46 size airplane and I am looking for a fun easy model to fly on a lazy sunday.
I don't want to worry or think about the plane, just fly, land, take off and so forth...

the models that I am looking at are the followings in no particular order:
*Great Planes Super Sportster ARF
*Great Planes Escapade ARF
*Great Planes Big Stik ARF
*Sig Fourstar ARF
*The World Models LA Racer ARF

What do you guys think of these models, and which in your opinion/experience will give me the longest satisfaction and easiest fly?
I am not a beginner, I can fly quite well much more difficult aerobatic or scale style models, and I do not omit the fact that I will still want to try a casual cuban 8, a loop, etc...

These models are in the 100-150usd range, and I do not wish to pay more
Crisis time

Thank you
Fadi

clpahodges

My Feedback: (3)

Personally, I do not think you can beat the Sig Kavalier for relaxed, easy, fun sport flying. I build them with half the dihedral called for. Seems to make it a little more agile, but yet, it is still very tame. It is an easy build also. I am working one right now. Should have it finished in a week or so.

Bill Hodges

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

The 4 Star gets my vote as a can't miss kinda plane. It is fun to fly and it does what you want it to do when you want it to do it. Good Luck, Dave

bhady

Any of the one you list sound good. You may want to tconsider a Tower Kaos .40 ARF, this is a great flying plane also.

bhady

Broken Wings

My Feedback: (20)

Hobby Lobby RCM Funster....

jeffk464

How about a venus, pattern planes are much more stable and well behaved then your average sport plane. Put an OS 55AX in it and you will really have something.

Sherman

I love the Kaos and think it is an excellent plane that is easy to take off, easy to land, is a great arf, and when desired is very acrobatic.

The GP Easy Sport is a wonderful plane. My friend had one as a trainer, and you can almost take a little nap while flying it. It might be one of the most relaxing
plane to fly there is.

I recently assembled a senior falcon for old times sake, as I learned to fly on one many, many years ago. I did reduce the dehidral quite a bit. It flew just like I remembered
and it is a joy to fly, and a great plane to do touch and goes.

Happy flying.

fadi

Pattern planes? humm... I didn't think of that, but could be a nice choice as well

buzzard bait

On the other hand, I just can't believe how much fun a buddy at our field has with his Kadet LT-40 ARF! Surprisingly aerobatic with a Fox 40BB, and it just looks so cool doing spins, forward slips, inverted fly bys, hammerheads, rolls, backward flying against a headwind, etc. The 40 will take it straight up. He's had more aerobatic types in the past, but really gets a kick out of this plane. Jim

jeffk464

There is always the U can Do 3d 46(man what a crappy name) its kind of a hybrid between a pattern and a 3d. The only problem is that speed is an issue with those huge control surfaces and extra thick wings. The reactor looks like the right proportions to me, but I have never seen one fly. Basically planes that have a tall, skinny, stretched out fuse track way better then your average sport plane.

tIANci

The Super Sportster is nice. Small package and nice to zoom around with. Landings are easy too. I got mine up on an OS 52 FS, was good power for puttering about, with a TT46 she was much more fun. The SIG 4* would be good too I am sure.

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

I've had a 40 size Super Sportster and loved it. I found it a little intimidating at first and difficult to slow down. But after a while I realized the airplane was extemely forgiving and capable of very slow flight and even aerobatics in very slow flight. Thats when I really fell in love with it. Capable of both very high speeds and very low speeds, this plane offers something for everyone and every mood. It can be whatever airplane you want. Just ask and it delivers.


I have had Stiks before, ( the old Midwest Sweet Stik and later a Modeltech ARC Stik). These are some of the most forgiving, yet agile airplanes you can find. But I hate the ones that have dihedral. That ruins them. It turns them from T38s into a Cessnas. Stiks are not as fast as the Sportsters but still very fun. The smaller Stiks fly the best. With a relatively high wing loading, they feel like a jet fighter. On approach, they come in nose high, sink nicely , and have a slight mushinest that suggest if you go much slower you will simply be a witness as the plane lands itself. They are addictive.

4-stars are low wing trainers. In my opinion this is the most over rated airplane there is. With its flat bottom foil and low wing configuration, this schizophrenic design serves one purpose only. And that is to fly a primary trainer without looking like you are flying a primary trainer. It excels at nothing, offers no interesting personality, and lands like a girl.

I'm not familiar with the other 2 planes you mentioned.

fadi

seems like the Super Sportster is getting lots of votes. I was initially partial to that model too...... that's a sign

sowega flyer

I'll throw in my vote for the Super Sportster as well. Forget about the landing gear that comes with it and install a set on the fuse just forward of the wing saddle.
I did get to witness the maiden flight of an Escapade last week...looked like it is a winner also. The one I saw had a Evolution .36 on it and it did very well.

buzzard bait

"4-stars are low wing trainers. In my opinion this is the most over rated airplane there is. With its flat bottom foil and low wing configuration, this schizophrenic design serves one purpose only. And that is to fly a primary trainer without looking like you are flying a primary trainer. It excels at nothing, offers no interesting personality, and lands like a girl."

Wow, looking for some responses? Well, the "flat bottom foil" is incorrect; the semi-symmetric airfoil of the 4 Star handles inverted maneuvers very well. But I did prefer my Stingray, which was fully symmetric. If BUSA still made it I would definitely recommend it for this post. Not sure what "lands like a girl" means, but I could go with the "overrated" part. I would say landing the 4 Star takes a little more finesse than some other sport planes. The Stingray was dead easy.

Jim

hugger-4641

My Feedback: (6)

The Escapde is designed specifically for what you say you want. I just got to maiden my Escapade yesterday and am in the middle of writting a review in the product review forum. For the money, you can't beat this plane, looks great, goes together quick, flies great, no bad habits, stalls straight and level and just starts drifting down. Very good flying plane. I dead sticked it a couple times on purpose and it lands very well. The review is taking longer to write than the plane took to build. Probably 3 to 4 hours actual time spent on the assembly. I highly recomend it.

fadi

Those GreatPlanes guys really nailed it with the pricing point
I am trying to look away from the Escapade, but I in the end I always find myself gravitating around it!

Grrrr, it's good reviews so far are not helping too Ok well in the end it is not that I have any reason to not wanting the Escapade.

fadi

Buzzard Bait, I agree for the fourstar requiring some finesse to land
I had it as a second plane actually, and I've beaten the hell out of it. In the end it crashed (mid air collision) but I still remember that I loved it so much; and I swore i will buy it again one day...
I think for now I would prefer to experiment with another model. Escapade maybe? or the Venus?

hugger-4641

My Feedback: (6)

I have a Venus also, great flying plane, but landing it took me a little while to get down. It doesn't slow down as easy as the Escapade, but it is beautiful in the air. But its not going to fit in your 150usd price limit.

F4U Corsair

My Feedback: (22)

I would vote for a Four star, or about any Stik (I have both). The new Escapade (got one in the box waiting for one of my others to bite the dust) looks like a fun flying airplane, and has good looks to boot. You can't be a Stik for a Sunday flyer, some hate the looks, but they are a solid fun flyer.

I disagree with one of the other post that says a four star is nothing but a low wing trainer. Yes, it will fly mildly when rates are low which makes it a good first low wing trainer, but max the rates out and move the CG back and look out, it's a blast. Not 3D but fun as hell! After all he is looking for a good easy flying Sunday flier.

sandseeker

World models T-34 with os 46 ax.......tame trainer to reno racer to aerobat......this plane does it all. Its cheap,well built and looks great.Mine has 100s of flights and has taken me from beginner to competent flyer , always in the car when I go flying and always flown.

chris

tIANci

I seen/experienced too many wing failures on the newer WM low wing planes, T34/Skyraider Mach II/SS40 ... they are no Reno Racers nowadays, the wing will tend to crack along the root rib and ends trying to be like a Tomcat. Just be careful ...

My Super Sportster has no issues with the under carriage. Be nice to her and she is nice to you.

sandseeker

The t34 is designed for 46 motors, the airframe will take virtually anything you can throw at it! if you over engine these planes you are asking for trouble.my kit was manufactured a couple of years ago there is a new t34,I cannot comment on this airframe.the t34 and calamato are the standard trainers used here in Dubai.

chris

jeffk464

I have a Venus also, great flying plane, but landing it took me a little while to get down. It doesn't slow down as easy as the Escapade, but it is beautiful in the air. But its not going to fit in your 150usd price limit.

Yup I think these small pattern planes are the next best thing to flying a "big" model. Their design builds in the precision and tracking that you get from the larger models. My current favorite is off the market but a great flier - excelleron 50 with a 55AX.

f16man

First choise would be the sportster second would be a kaos.