I am looking at purchasing a second plane - currently working with my NexSTAR trainer but will soon be "bored" with it. Folks at my flying field indicate that "some sort of Stik" would be a good introduction to an non-trainer plane. My trainer is a .46, but I would like to go to a .60 size bird due to my less than perfect eyesight.

I found a Great Planes Big Stik 60 ARF ($149) on Tower Hobbies. However, I am told that there are a number of different brands of "stik" style aircraft available. I need one that is well built and forgiving and am looking for recomendations.

What is the line on "second planes" for folks like us who are progressing beyond a trainer? Are there better planes than the "stik" series to fly intermediate aerobatics and learn more about flying?

You might check out the Hangar 9 Ulta Stik (or is it Stick?). It comes in various sizes (40, 60, 120) and colors and is distributed online by Horizon Hobbies. Another popular "second plane" is the Sig 4 Star which you can get in a 60 size.

Better bang for the buck would be the World Models Super Stunt 40 or 60, at $99 and $199 each. Nowhere near as popular as the H9 Ultra Stiks but IMHO better in construction in some aspects (e.g. 2-piece wing with alum. tube joiner on the 60 version). If you put them up side-by-side, they are actually more similar in size to the UltraStik 60 and 1.20, but the Super Stunts are built even lighter so less power is required. I personally don't like the tricycle gear and converted both of mine to taildragger, but WM designed them precisely for the newbie just got comfortable with a 40 Trainer and don't want to take a leap into taildragger yet.

Then again, you really can't go wrong with any of these Stiks for a second plane. The only ones that are iffey is probably the Model Tech and Vmar versions.

I highly reccomend the "Joss Stick" sold by Hobby People.

Liked that plane!! I am looking into the 60 version. Like also that it supports flaps. What's the best Internet US distributor for that plane? Also, are parts easily obtained for this plane (like a new wing, for example?)

I've yet to find a mail-order shop that discounts WM stuff (at least publicly anyway), so I order them through my LHS. You can order through www.QuantumModels.com and get free shipping and no tax, if you prefer.

Parts can also be ordered through the same dealer, but you can also order them directly from www.Airborne-Models.com

Might be a bit smaller than you're interested in, but a friend just finished a Great Planes Stik 40 ARF for his "second plane". For $130, this is one excellent kit; easily on par with the best I've seen from WM, Kangke, or Sig. IMO, those three are the top ARF makers right now.

Anyway, most of the hardware is usable, and it flies like a Stik should. If I didn't have a Kougar 2/3 complete, I'd get one of these Stik ARFs myself. Its the perfect "throw it in the car and go fly" model.

I'll tell you what, though; flying that model has really stirred an urge to find the plans to a Midwest "Sweet'N'Low" Stik and scratch one out.

I flew an Ultra Stick 60 for my second plane. I used a 91 four stroke and built it with the quad wing setup. The flaps make landings fun. With a 15x4w prop you can fly it out of a well and the drag of the crow setting allow you to drop back in to land. With over 150 flights on it and really having fun with it.