ORIGINAL: TideFlyer
I`m well aware that this is wildly subjective, but thought the topic might spice up the forum and stimulate some debate. Personally, I think the Pulse series ( assuming the 60 size flys as good as the 40 ) from Hangar 9 is destined to join the 4*s and Goldberg Tigers as an RC classic sport plane.
There are many, exiting very old to very new sports planes - almost too many to mention.
My personal criteria for a nice flying sportsplane is:
1. You must enjoy the looks of the plane, pleasing to the eye - especially in the air.
2. Should be stable in the air (you can always increase the throws for manouvreability).
3. Not too big as to take ages to assemble at the field.
4. Sports planes up to the 0.40 to 0.46 engine class are nimble - something that is lost when you go to 0.6 engines and bigger (bigger mass, more momentum, wider turns). It should fly effortlessly.
It looks like the present tendency is to go for "POWER" at the cost of handling - you see it in many forums.
I guess one can fit a 455 V8 engine to a bicycle - you will have power galore, acceleration to match but at the cost of handling... and a 1/4 mile of smoking rubber down the road, taking out every lamp post in the process. Overpowering a model makes it harder to handle
I do power flying myself but enjoy well balanced sportplanes such as Chriss Foss's WOT 4, Acro WOT, Pulse, RV 8, SIG Wonder, Stick, Proctor Antic, Moraine Saulnier, Space Walker, CG Super Chipmunk. But I enjoy my 38cc Zenoah Gee Bee Model Y also.