I am considering buying a Phoenix Models CAP 232 as my first atempt in low wing planes?

Can anyone offer opinions on how well this plane handles? Any bad characteristics?

Anybody who owns this plane or has seen it fly??

Should I maybe go for a GP Extra 300?? or 330??

My previsou plane (trainer) was a Phoenix Decathlon which got shot down...

Sorry for the bombardment of questions! I am trying to decide and have no refference points whatsoever!!

Any suggestions/opinions/comments welcome!

Thanks a lot!

Dimitris

It appears that the cap will be your 2nd plane. If this is true I highly recommend you look at another low wing trainer such as a Sig 4 star or Goldberg’s tiger 2. A Cap, Extra, Edge or any of the advanced aerobatic airplanes will be too much for a pilot with little to no experience.

Is there a particular reason why this would not be a good introduction to low wings??

its too fast and a lot harder to land.
i had been flying 2 years and am on my seventh plane and when i bought my 66in edge 540 i was shocked at the speed needed for landing to keep the wing from stalling, ,and beleive me if i had bought it for my second plane it would have been real difficult to land because of the speed needed for landing.

i went for the ucd 60 and 46 and was really impressed with the ease of flying and landing,and after a little time you will be ready for the edge or Cap

anyone who currently flyies the Phoenix CAP 232 to tell us his thoughts?

Although I haven't flown the Phoenix CAP I have flown other CAPs and they are NOT a second airplane! They are a a bit snappy and need to land with good speed on if you want it to survive the landing. It is a high performance, aerobatic airplane and NOT for beginners, which, like it or not you still are. I strongly recommend you get a SIG 4STAR, a Great Planes U CAN DO, or some other relatively tame low wing, tail dragger. You can learn the characteristics of low winged aircarft as well as those of a tail dragger. I personally recommend the U CAN DO as it flies slow, will introduce you to 3D, and has gentle flight characteristics.

Regards,
doubledee

Given enough natural capability, discipline in operation and exposure through intelligent application and practice, anything is potentially achievable.

However if you want a forthright answer, there are smarter choices you could make which will not only invariably afford greater progress and flying pleasure, but will almost certainly last longer in your intended role.

My advice to anyone, including myself when I was a novice, would be to choose your early models particularly based 90% upon flight characteristics and compromise on looks until you increase your proficiency. Forget Extras, Giles', CAPs or Sukhois etc in general for a second model or first low wing model. What you need (vs desire) in a first low wing ARF is something like a WM Super Sports, Kyosho Calamato (low wing), or if you prefer a tail-dragger, Phoenix Dolphin, Black Horse Super Air or Seagull Spacewalker.

Yes

Dimitris, I agree with all previous posts. Your flying experience has been limited to one high wing plane, and I assume you have not even tried midwings like Sig Midstar or GP Easy Sport. I wouldn't even recommend a UCD, I have the .60 size and even though it can be flown and landed very slow, at high rates, it can get you in trouble. If I were you, I would forget about Extras, Caps, etc. for now and move up to something tamer, such as the ones previously mentioned in this thread. I'd also suggest if you have access to a flight simulator, try any low wing planes you may find. That will give a general idea of what your present skills are.

I have a Phoenix models cap 232 and i can tell you it is definitely now what you should use for your first low wing. They do land really fast compared to your high wing trainer. Also with a cross wind on landing the plane becomes a real handful. I have flown several low wing planes before i got my cap and it was a handful the first few flights. I honestly think you would be better off trying a sig 4* or some other low wing trainer. I would just hate to see you first flight with this cap end up tragic. Just my 2 cents



Rich

Most low wing aircraft fly a bit differently from high wing aircraft. Or at least differently from high wing trainers.

Models such as the CAP, Extra, Giles 202, etc., are designed to become unstable very easily. Stable models do not snap or spin very well. The previously mentioned aerobatic models depend on becoming unstable very easily in order to do what it is that they do - aerobatics.

A model such as the Four Star Forty will be nearly impossible to snap or spin if set up according to the instructions. A CAP or Extra will quite readily go into a snap roll or a spin if too much elevator is used. You do not want a model that flies this way for your first low wing airplane. You have enough new flying information to learn without having a model that will crash by simply moving the elevator stick a little too far.

I am not familiar with the Phoenix CAP, but if it was designed and constructed like the majority of CAP models, I would pass this one buy until I had more stick time flying a less aerobatic low wing model. After all, the point is to have fun. Crashing is not fun to me.

Thanks for all the answers. I am now convinced I should wait.

The decathlon was an aerobatic high wing, but it did land extremely slow. I think I will wait a bit longer before I build a CAP then!

Its just that in the simulator I use (Reflex) I never have any problems flying any low wing and thought that it might be that way in reality too!!!

How about a CLOUD Dancer (Thunder Tiger)? Is that one a good entry into low wings???