ORIGINAL: 3wire
Hi Phil,
I can't answer your question, but I'll tell you this...if you fly where there is any wind at all, get ready for some crashes. I've seen more crashes with .15 and .25 size aircraft than any other. Even a newbie with a .40 trainer has a better chance of dealing with the wind.
Total disagreement. Of the 5 planes I have flying right now, 3 are .15 to .25 size. They only have trouble with winds that also keep .40 size trainers on the ground too.
I think the problem is this. Small planes tend to be flown at lower altitude, cause they are hard to see. When the small planes turn downwind, they can't outrun the wind, so they stall out and come down in a spin. Starting from a low altitude, this equates to a bad crash. These are fun planes, but not for novices, and only for a dead calm, in my humble opinion. Good Luck.
3wire
I learned on a .15 size plane (a LONG time ago) and have been flying smaller planes ever since. Crashes attributed to the downwind turn myth are from pilot error, not a failure of .15 size planes to be able to "outrun the wind".