Let me start by saying this website is FANTASTIC. I thought I was a fanatic. You all have pretty much out done me. When I say Fanatic, I mean I have wanted to get into this hobby ever since I was a small child. Could never afford it. However things are different now. Wish I would have known about this site before I bought my first plane. As you probably already know I am a beginner. I purchased a Hobbico Superstar in August. Can someone please tell me why I dont see many posts on this plane? Is it because it's a trainer? Or because its crap??? How does this compare with other trainers? Is their something I could do with this plane to make it better? Any help would be appreciated. By the way it has a .40 La engine and I have a Futaba controller.

The Hobbico Superstar is a great trainer. This plane will help you learn how to take-off, fly and land. That is what it is meant to do....

From what I have seen, this forumn tends to recommend the Sig LT-40 and the Hobbico Avistar as trainers. In respect to the Superstar - The LT-40 is bigger (70" wingspan, same flat bottom airfoil)and the Avistar is designed for basic aerobatics (it has a semi-semetrical airfoil, less dihedral). In my opinion all 3 planes are great trainers and each has their own strengths.

Have you joined a club and AMA?

One or two more things - epoxy the wings together and epoxy the tail feathers to the plane.

Wow You must have read my mind. The wings keep coming apart. That little strap they give you doesnt work well at all. I've screwed in in about 50 times. Also the tail feather really screwed me up once and caused me to dive into the ground "HARD". Let me just say thank god im pretty good at wood working. The holes on the rudder got to big so the bolts underneath the tail did not hold. When I did a ground check the tail didnt move. Once i started the engine the fuel got to it and made it very slippery.I cut out the balsa and installed ply and its been great ever since. I am trying to join a club and the AMA now. I live out in the boondocks so a farmer lets me fly in his hay fields. All the room in the world. I taught myself how to fly. I'm able to do flips, take off and land. To be honest I wish there was more I could do with the plane. I could see myself getting bored with this plane soon. Thanks for the help

If you are able to land successfully without any problems then you might start thinking of your second plane. If you are close to any fairly large ponds you could put floats on the trainer and keep it as a float plane, Fly off of water.

Randy

My wife had the same plane. The last crash was eventually fixed, but in the mean time we bought an Avistar - which is better for a "2nd plane" as it performs areobatics better. But there is nothing wrong with the Superstar.

We fly off a grass field and if the grass gets a little long, we find that the 40LAs don't have enough power to get the planes airborne especially in humid weather. I prefer the 46FX in trainers. As an instructor, I got used to the bigger engines, and when I get a new plane with the smaller one now, I forget that it takes longer to get up to speed and takeoff.

It's a great hobby. Good luck to you.

increase the throws, learn to fly your trainer upside down, practice rolls - keeping the plane level. A trainer can do most moves - just not as crisp or fast.

After you master basic aerobatics with a trainer - get a Stick style plane....and Wow.

Is there a place where I can go and look up some of the terms people use on this website. Throws, Dihedral, ETC... What is a Stick style plane?

Thanks for all your help

Increasing the throw means increasing the amount of travel in your control surfaces i.e greater elevator movement up and down, greater aileron movement up and down but leave the rudder where it is as you don't want the nose wheel too sensitive just yet plus it will be a while before you learn to use the rudder in flight.

Newflyer, Hi!

I recently completed and did a review on a Trainer called the Discovery 40 by VMAR. This plane has to be about the Best trainer going for about 80 bucks!!! Its an ARF and I mean ARF! everything is completed for you,,, just have to glue together wings, glue on tail feathers, add engine, radio and some fuel and GO FLY. My write up on this plane should be out soon.

Here's a sneak pic

BV