ORIGINAL: Crashem
No scar I learned to fly on a grass strip with an Eaglet 50 powered by an OS FP-25 Never have used a paved runnway
Also flew several Royal 20T and 20S with the same engine all from grass strips.
When flying off grass I simply increase the size of the wheels I believe I was using 2.50" nose wheel and 2.75" mains but I may have gone as high as 2.75" nose and 3.0" mains.
Just so you realize this most of my recomandations are based on actually having done it not just idle speculation Sorry I wasn't more specific.
P.S. .25 sized planes are easy to hand launch also... Guess how I Know
I almost forgot I've got a modeltech .25 J-3 Cub that has no problems taking off from a grass strip with an FP-.25
I hear ya. My first was a Sturdy Birdy with a .25 FP, my second a Senorita with another .25 FP, I still have them both hanging in the garage, and I wouldn't recommend them to anybody. Either one, with a .40, would have made learning takeoffs easier for me.
Maybe our grass is different - did you ever read the SR Batteries writeup on the X250? I bought it, and eagerly tried to ROG with it at the field. HA! I've flown it a lot, always handlaunched.
That's my experience. The only .25 I ever had that was easy to get off the grass was an old Ace Super Pacer that I picked up at a garage sale for $15. Fun plane!
I see Skitchen's going with a .40, and I think that's a good choice. I can think of cases where a .25 wouldn't be as good a choice, nor less expensive.
Just my opinion,
Good luck
Dave Olson