ORIGINAL: Spacemonkey71
I'm sure they're easier to stall and probably a little trickier on landing b/c of not as much glide, but what are the REAL characteristics in flight?
Not necessarily, I have a Big Stik 40 which has a symmetrical airfoil and it is very difficult to stall it. If you try really hard you just get the nose mushing down before she starts flying again. It will also slow down to a walk for landings.
I think tip stalling the wing has more to do with the shape of the wing cord than the airfoil symmetry.
I learned on an Avistar (semi symmetrical) and it was really easy to fly. I also built a kadet LT 25 for my son (he is 8 and flying!) and it has a flat bottom. It is really stable and self correcting due to the dihedral, but the flat bottom makes it hard to fly in windy conditions.
Cheers,
Ray