G'day

Can you tell us a bit more about the model. Wingspan, weight, what it is covered with, where you got the plan or is it a kit or an ARF. It sounds rather small if an OS 10 is too big. If this is the case then an electric motor is probably a better idea.

I have a small (about half a metre wingspan) Fokker D7 which flies on a small electric motor. They are far easier to get along with than small glow motors. As a kid I learned to hate the OS Pet which is a similar size to the one you are talking about. A small diesel may be OK but there are problems there too. These days, I always use small electric motors (brushless type) for small models. Just switch it on and go.

Small models like I suspect you have can fly quite well but they are not all that good in windy weather as they tend to get tossed around a lot and can be hard to take off from uneven ground. They also tend to fall over on their face on landing. My D7 does all of these things. I flew it last weekend and it took three tries to get it off the ground and on landing it nosed over (as usual).

If you have the budget, larger models which use 40 size glow motors are better as trainers.

Is there an RC club near you? Your best bet is to find one and go there, have a look, introduce yourself and ask some questions.

Cheers

Mike in Oz