I've had many Sticks in my years of RC flying (over 41), Sweet Stick, Little Stick, Joss Stick, Big Stick, Ultra Stick, Wild Stik, Giant Stick, Bipe Stick, Twin Stick and several home built Sticks with any number of wings. In my opinion, it is the best overall design in RC history. You cannot go wrong with one.

The basic design of a rectangular, symmetrical (or nearly) airfoil, shoulder mounted wing with a simple box fuselage with reasonably good sized control surfaces, hits the sweet spot of sport flying. It can be set up to be as easy to fly as a trainer and also set to fly like a wild fun fly plane.

The power can be anything, 2-stroke, 4-stroke, electric, gas, it doesn't, the plane will fly and fly well. They handle overpowering very well, but can cruise along with a small engine.

I used a Big Stick 40 for an engine test and break-in plane once. I had 16 different engines on it before I wore it out and gave it away. The Great Planes, fiber filled engine mount looked like Swiss cheese.

Sticks handle any kind of weather: calm, windy, gusty, sprinkling rain and dark, if you put some lights on them.

OS engines are great, but expensive. I have several which I love. I also have had other brands on my Sticks. Magnum engines run well. In the .46 size class, the JBA .56 is a sleeper (built in a .46 case). It turns props as well as an OS .55AX, at least on my test bench, and costs a lot less. For the 60-sized Sticks, I like a .75 or .91 2-stroke. .91 4-strokes do not have the same pull as a .91 2-stroke or even the Tower .75.

Both size (.46 & .61) are great airplanes. I would shoot for more power and learn the throttle back until you can handle it. It's hard to beat taking off, rotating 90 degrees and climbing straight up with your .91 powered Stick. Mount the servos in the rear and balance on the main spar or a little behind. The ARFs do come out nose heavy.