ORIGINAL: hilleyja
I don't agree that the Ultra Stick is a perfect 2nd plane. It is a good first plane (realy good instructor needed), a perfect 2nd plane, a perfect 3rd plane, a perfect nth plane. I don't care how advanced you get in your flying skills and how advanced your follow-on aircraft get. You should always have the stick parked in your hanger somewhere real handy because you'll need it when it's too windy for other airplanes, your just not 100% but still want to fly, you need to safely practice a complex maneuver, or you just like to burn up the sky. There isn't another airplane that has its capabilities and still maintains a MILD MANNER flight envelope. It can be a roaring tiger or a floating feather it is born to be engine overpowered but you still can enjoy flying it on its lowest engine recommendations.
My next Ultra Stick: Ultra Stick Lite 120 (Evolution 25GX -or- Zenoa 26 Elect Ign -or- ????) Whatever gas engine that works and I can afford.
1: Ultra Stick 120 -w- OS FX 1.60 (I had 4 of these, fell of horses, got back on)
2: Joss Stick -w- OS BX1 (1.08)
3: Ultra Stick 60 -w- Saito FA-100
4: E-Flight Ultra Stick Electric -w- Parkflight 480
5: Joss Stick -w- OS BX1 (1.08)
You are correct. Any Stik/Stick is an excellent first model, if the instructor knows what he/she is doing. I've taught many folks to learn to fly with a Stik of one kind or another. It's all in the set up (trim).
Technically, Stiks are not high wing models. In modeldom, they are considered shoulder wings. Shoulder wings are not considered more stable than low or mid wing models if all of the models are using no dihedral. My first R/C model was a low wing model that I taught myself how to fly R/C with. It had lots of dihedral and was rudder only (Testor's Skyhawk), so really, there is no universal rule of thumb about which configuration is the most stable. It just depends upon how the designer/builder set up (trimmed) the model. Another generalization bites the dust. <G>
The Great Planes Big Stiks are also terrific flying models. If you don't need the dihedral, take it out. It is easy enough to do. I like enough dihedral to prevent the wings from having that droopy look. Also, models with a tad of dihedral land more majestically. Large enough ailerons with enough control throw have more to do with control authority than a smidge of dihedral.
The Joss Stik is a fine flyer. As is its low wing cousin, the Dragon Lady. They fly very similarly when set up (trimmed) similarly.
Ed Cregger