ORIGINAL: KDBrown
Greetings. After being out of the hobby for about 15 years, I am looking for a good trainer to refresh my skills on, but something a bit more advanced than the standard flat-bottomed wing trainers. I originally learned on a Great Planes Trainer 40 and Trainer 60 which had symetrical airfoils, and offered excellent aerobatic training, especially when removing much of the dihedral. Anything similar out there? I just built a Super Sportster 60, but would like to refresh my skills and confidence on more of a trainer.
You can't beat an ugly Stick or whatever the numerous replicas are now called. Not only will it be fun to fly and relearn on, but you can use if for fun-flys and other fun events forever.
You're probably an old builder so make a square fuselage, I have used cardboard and foam board, make a few ribs all same size, and come up with a box airplane. Very easy to do. make the tail moment 3 times the nose moment and you have a replica of "Das Ugly Stick". Place the wing on top or bottom as you please.
When I lived up "Nawth" each winter we made a bunch for summer combat and fun-flys. Made square fuses from mostly cardboard, Foam wings we cut, glued on some poster board covering, sprayed a couple coats of Min-Wax, or mostly just covered with shelf paper, and we "flewed" 'em.
Young folks today have no conception of how easy and cheap and the fun that can be had with such models.