Well I want to start into a little 3-D aerobatics. I fly a Venture 60 now as my 2nd airplane. I have a Saito .80 that purrs and needs a home. I like the reviews of both the U-Can-Do .60 ARF and the Skybolt Bi-plane ARF. I think the motor is a great fit for both of these planes. What are the aerobatic differences? Which plane is more forgiving for the new 3-D student? The Skybolt looks like it lands itself. Will both planes hover with this motor? Let me know! I've got the cash the engine and the radio equip. I just need some advise on these planes! Thanks!

IMO, Apples and Oranges here. For 3D, the U-Can-Do is the choice between these two. The Skybolt is a fine flying airplane, and will fly with the 80, but certainly will not hang on the prop at less than full throttle. I had a YS 120 in mine (kit built and lighter even than the newer ARF) and it did do nice torque rolls and such with reserve power with that engine. It is a bipe and thus heavier and 'dirtier'.

IMHO the Saito 80 is a little low on power for either plane if you wish to fly 3d. Many people are using Saito 100's and 125's on the UCD60 (Including me).

As ram3500-RCU stated, the planes are apples and oranges.

For Learning 3d, I would recommend a plane that is equipped with a power plant at the powerful end of the range for the model. That power will pull you out of trouble at some point. Maybe the U-can-do 46 would be a better option for you. Or if you really want to learn 3d - go for a good quality profile, such as the MoJo or OMP Katana

Aussie, I like the power option the .46 plane gives me. The upper range motor for this plane is spec'd at .70 for a 4 stroke. Is my Saito .80 going to rip this thing apart?

No
I ran a Saito 82 in one for quite a while. The only thing that ripped it apart was it's "rolling vertical arrival" due to a switch failure.

do a search here for the UCD threads for both sizes and see what people are running

I'm certainly not opposed to this sized airplane. It is a bit cheaper!

SAito discontinued the 80 many years ago - and with good reason. It was heavy and had no power. An OS 70 Surpass would blow it out of the water.

It would NOT be a good powerplant for the Skybolt (I did the RCU review of the Skybolt)

And it would not be a great choice for the UCD.

That said, the Skybolt is one of my favorite planes, but it is NOT a 3-D plane. So if you're looking to start learning 3-D, skip the Skybolt altogether. The UCD would be a much better choice.

You can try it with the Saito 80, but don't get your hopes up.

Minn, If I put the Saito .80 on a .46 UCD Would I be pretty well powered?

If you can get a Saito 82 for the U Can Do .46, that would be the best option. I've never flown the Saito 80 but from Minn said I'm not missing much. Maybe you could put the 80 on an Ultra Stick or something. But getting back to the .46 U Can Do, the Saito 82 is the perfect power plant for it.

Probably not. The old 80 is heavy and lacks power. I had one once and I gave it away - it was either that, or the next time I went fishing I was going to use it for an anchor.