Latch, there is no "best". There are a lot of planes that will fill the need. Although the closer you get to a 2 meter pattern plane, the better it fills it =)

Anybody that wants to do this can come up with a good starting set up pretty cheap. A .60 sized King Kobra will work. A .40-.60 sized Tai Ji works great. A .40 sized Aresti works fine. A Daddy Rabbit. Look for a low wing design with aerobatic lines, and just add power. Then trim it out and pour the fuel. That's all there is to it.

Some basic guidelines: It must be straight, light, and have plenty of power. Rudder authority helps. if you can fly a straight line, do rolls without changing heading or altitude, and make round loops, you can be competetive in sportsman. Learning to correct lines with the rudder instead of the ailerons is a must.

And from there, practice practice practice. There really isn't a magic formula or a perfect plane. Even the best 2 meter Euro kit isn't perfect, just very good =)

The answer is in the amount of fuel you burn practicing, not the plane itself. The plane does help though, and the more you feel like investing in it, the better. Just ask yourself what you're willing to spend and then go do it. But remember this: if you CHOOSE to compete with a smaller plane, don't be SUPRISED or intimidated when the guy next to you shows up with a $4000 Synergy. You can beat him if you practice enough. But you have to understand that you will have to practice twice as hard as he does IF you want to beat him. If you have the drive though, it can be done. I saw it done on numerous occasions this season.

-Mike