ORIGINAL: NorfolkSouthern
Here's some of what I've been reading up about the Super Sportster from another RCU thread:
I have been told because this is a low wing tail dragger to get plenty of wind speed before take off. So I use most of the run way. Well luck would have it at about six feet off the ground the engine shuts off. I didn't have enough wind speed to glide her back in. The wing stalled and she went in nose first. The wing came off like it designed little to no damage there. But the fuse didn't fare so well. The tail section is broken up a little.
And here's the link:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7489151/tm.htm
The Super Sportster is the author's third plane, after the Great Planes Easy Sport. This guy followed the advice given, and the plane still stalled after the engine quit. This indicates that you cannot jerk the Super Sportster off the ground prematurely, and it may need more landing speed than most beginners are accustomed to. It will also be less forgiving of errors in flight. So, it may not be a wise choice unless you get into the habit of
flying rather than floating the trainer in. And, maintaining good airspeed during flight.
The Cherokee has a few good things going for it. One, the modular construction which allows for the easy replacement of tail surfaces. The fin, rudder, stabilizer, and elevator are all solid which improves durability. They bolt on the fuse in an interlocking fashion with no gluing required, and can be removed for replacement. That alone would prove to be especially beneficial in a crash like the one above. Reading the instructions, there are many small time-saving steps that are already done, saving several hours of building time. The jury is still out on the Cherokee's performance and characteristics, however. But at least it looks like it would be the easier of the two to fix.
NorfolkSouthern