This is a good answer, worth reading again.
I subscribe to the belief sticks and 4 stars are worthy second planes, but the price tag? 4 star 40 is only a kit now. There are substitutes made by less notable model brands that do the job, that I've flown both varieties, from Tower, and airborne-models.com. Check out the Sky Raider Mach 2, similar to
a 4 star 40. Very fast ARF build, 3 hours in fact, everything prehinged, perhaps like the Escapade? The other el cheapo version of the stick is the junky VMAR VStick 40, $83 shipped. It flies, but it's not pretty.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vmar-V-Stick...8AAOSwgY9XefVv Imagine anything else anywhere new or used shipped to your door for $83 that takes a .40? It's unconventional in every step of the build, takes at least 6 hours to muddle through it, but when you're done, it actually flies pretty good. $83 is a worthy investment to get past that second plane level. But once you go to a taildragger and low wing aerobatic set up, it's typically where everyone stays. From that stage you can jump into a Cub or warbird, Cherokee, what have you. What you'll find it is an adjustment from any tri-gear set up to a taildragger on take off and landing being different. Phoenix Models has some good second planes as well, but not for $83. Sky Raider Mach 2 is $129 plus shipping of $14, you can wait and keep watching the overstock sales that constantly run on airborne-models, $50 off made a LA Racer 40 a bargain, to my door for only $114
http://ecsvr.com/abm/shopdisplayprod...verstock+Sales They are out of the green and substituted the black/white/red one in it's place, an ARF for the price of a 4 star kit (ARF no longer available.)
They do have the $159 Stick, before coupons.
Wing Loading: 19.8 - 21.3 oz/sq ft (50 - 65 g/sq dm)http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXBMM9&P=ML