Hey Guys,

I need your help. I am ready for a more challenging plane. I've been flying a hobbico superstar trainer. I have Realflight that I learned on first. My friend is an excellent flyer and has seen my abilities and based on that has recommened a few different planes for me, or approved ones I've found.

I'm wanting to stay in the 40 class for cost and size. Would like to stay within a few hundred $'s

Futana 40

aero-works edge http://aero-works.net/store/detail.aspx?ID=75
Does anyone have any personal experience with this one?

the U can DO 40

and the reactor http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?ID=200516994


Admittedly, he is not up to speed on the .40 size planes as he flies large scale planes. Are there any others you would recommend. Any of the ones I've listed that are good. I'm kind of leaning towards the edge for the price and styling.

Thanks for your help
Tim

Out of the planes you mentioned, the U-Can-Do is probably the most forgiving but it can be fragile and prone to aileron flutter, Personally, I'd choose some sort of intermediate plane. Some examples include:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXTXE1&P=0
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXDTM8&P=0
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXBMM9&P=0
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXH755&P=0
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXLGM8&P=0
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFKB0&P=0
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=HAN4100

If you do go with one of the other planes you mentioned, take it easy at first until you get used to how maneuverable they can be compared to your trainer.

Go with the tiger 2. With A 46ax this plane flies very well.

Sig 4 star 40 or Hanger 9 Pulse XT 40

Pulse is a great plane(I have one for easy Sunday flying), the Great Planes Cherokee is a nice ride? good warbird trainer I think, The new GP Escapade looking very nice and cheap.

I don't think I've ever recommended anything other than an Ultra Stick 40 for a second plane....EVER. However, Horizon upping their prices like they did has really gotten under my skin. TH upped their prices by like $10-$20 on their 40-sized ARF's (on average). Horizon has gone up over $50 on most of their small ARF's. The Ultra Stick 40 used to be $120: now it's $180. If your Tx can handle 7 (or 6 with a y-harness) servos, go for it. If you're in the market for a new Tx, too...get at least 7 channels and pick up an Ultra Stick. It flies just like a trainer for a while, and then you can increase the throws and start really goofing off with the mixing capabilities.

The Ultra Stick is more fun for weird stuff. I had mine set-up for crow mixing and I'd come down from WAY too high straight down, pull up and land last second. Then I'd drop the flaps and do a short take-off. I was bad for inverted low-passes at full-throttle, then push on the stick to vertical and snap-roll a couple times. I'd also pull to like 20* up and just roll until I had to pull-out to keep from hitting the ground.

I feel like 3D planes are good to look for once you master your second plane. I'd wait for a little more experience before I get a 3D plane. I didn't believe that there was any reason to wait. Two totalled planes later, I regretted not listening to the people on RCU. You may be better than I was, but I still stand by what I say. If you feel like you're ready for 3D (which you might be, I've never seen you fly), you could try the Hyperion "40e" series planes [link=http://www.allerc.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_87&products_id=2893]from here[/link]. You'll have to go over a lot of the hinges with CA and add some ply to the front...but it's the best full-fuse 3D plane of this size. I really dislike Funtana's and UCD's. I've never flown the reactor, but the wing loading is a little high. All 3 of those planes will underwhelm you performance-wise with a 46AX. If you want to stay away from the Hyperions, the next thing I'd recommend is a Mojo ARF or an OMP profile.

A second vote to stick for a stick! I don't like Four Stars because they have a real bad tendency to drop the nose when rudder is applied. Learn to use the rudder.
John

EDIT -> http://www.airborne-models.com/html/...p?ProductID=44

I would recommend either the World Models Sky Raider MKII or their Super Sports 40S.

I went with the H9 Pulse and an OS 46ax. It was an EXCELLENT plane. I learned ALOT on it; including tons of aerobatics(as much as it could do). Highly recommend. if you dont want to spend on the Os engine...go with the Super Tiger 45. its alot more work to break in and get running right...but once you do, itll give you TONS of power - especially for the price. i always thought my super tiger 45 had alot more power than my os 46 for sure - and cheaper too.

If trpastor really wanted to forgo the traditional second plane/stick route, the one that would carry the least risk on his list would be the Funtana 40. One of my flying buddies had one, and he said that it was more forgiving, less responsive on low rates, less prone to snap stalls, and handled slow flight better than my Great Planes Rapture 40 (he tried both). Also, Great Planes considers the Rapture 40 to be a good first low-wing after a trainer like the SuperStar is mastered.

It has been my experience that a 3D capable mid-wing on low rates can be fairly docile, which I observed when a friend let me try out his Twist. They have a thicker wing with more area. They are designed to allow for very slow flight without stalling. The U-Can-Do, as ChuckW stated in his response, would be a more delicate floater and probably be better after learning on something more robust. Should you get the Funtana, trpastor, be sure to set the center of gravity forward, keep the rates low but responsive enough to allow for adjustments, and have someone help you trim the plane out on its first flight. You should be OK with the assistance of one of the more experienced club members at your field.

NorfolkSouthern

I've been suggesting the Easy Sport from Great Planes for at least the last 15 years. Since it first came out as a kit.

Big thick wing.
Slows down to a crawl with no loss of control.
Symmetrical wing capable of any aerobatics you want to learn.
Tricycle gear so you don't have to learn to handle a taildragger if you don't want to.
Still cheap at $129.00.
If you're wanting to transfer equipment from your SuperStar, the LA .40 and 4 channel radio with 4 servos still works.

Oh, and most importantly, LOOKS better than a Stick. Don't know why, I've just never liked the looks of a Stick, but, that's just me.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXDTM8&P=ML

Bob Cox
Miami, FL

+1

these plane really are perfect 2nd airplanes. I've been flying my Skyraider II for 2 seasons and it's just been a joy the whole time. Very ruggedly built yet light. The only complaint is the covering isn't that great. Maybe it's better now though?

Mike

It's hard to make a recommendation for a specific person and plane without seeing the person's ability firsthand, but my son went from an Avistar (his first plane) to the AW Edge. He had about 100 flights on the Avistar before making the switch. He also had a few flights (excluding landings) on my 33% Extra before getting the Edge. He has only about 15 flights on the Edge, but it seems to be stable and hasn't displayed any bad habits. He brought it in really slow on one landing just to see how it would handle, and it just grooved in, not giving any indication that it was on the verge of tip-stalling.

I know the AW Web page says .46 - .61 for engine size, but I suggest not going smaller than a .75 two-stroke. My son's plane has an OS .75AX. IMHO, I don't think the aerobatic performance would be very good with something smaller. If you're set on using a .46 size, I would get a different plane.

The AW support forum has a few different threads on the plane that you might want to read through if you haven't already. If you get this plane, definitely read through the threads, paying special attention to the comments about CG. Most people moved it back considerably from what's listed in the manual. In order to get the CG in the 3.25" range, you'll most likely need to mount the battery behind the cockpit. That's not difficult though; we just made a little platform.

If you go with this plane, remember that it is designed to react very quickly to stick inputs. It's stable, but very responsive. Not trying to scare you off ... just be sure to take it easy until you get used to the increased responsiveness. [8D]

Overall, the plane is of good quality. I would buy my son another one if the one he has bites the dirt.

Dan

Cut to the chase and go get a KAOS.

I always try to urge a nexcomer to go with a shoulder wing style model aircraft as his/her second airplane. If your looking for an ARF the Great Planes Easy Sport is a nice model to fly; the Carl Goldberg Falcon 56 MK II ARF is another fine choice for a second aircraft. Perhaps you'd like to build your second airplane from a kit; with that in mind I highly reccomend the Sig Mid-Star 40 as a real fun plane to fly. I had one with a .45 on it and it was just a blast to fly. Try the mid wing plane as your second model and you'll then be ready for a low wing airplane.

Soft landings.

The KAOS, on low rates, would be a great third R/C model. And, when you're ready, you can flip to high rates for some FUN flying times!

Joe

Another Ultra Stick 40 vote. The Funtana 40 wouldn't be much fun with a 40 size 2 stroke. Its a big model to be called a 40 size and needs more power. An 82 or 91 Saito is just right on it. The stick will handel wind better and will teach you a lot. I flew a 60 size for my second plane and I still have it. It has over 400 flights on it and I still enjoy taking it to the field. I've got a set of floats for it for next season.

I've had an OS .40 LA for a couple years, with no airframe to install it on. I may consider an Easy Sport .40 to replace the SuperStar I gave away, or even the possibility of a Sig MidStar, since I tend to like the looks of that plane better. I'll have to see what happens over the next couple months. For the moment, I'm really out of anything I can offer others a try on. I would do me some good to show a friend what it's actually like to fly R/C, and perhaps get them into the hobby.

As for the second plane choice here, I would keep in mind that airframes can last for many years without incidents. These days, it is best to focus on getting the most you can for as little as possible. Then, make the investment last for as long as possible. If a Funtana looks more attractive than a box-like trainer, and the needed skills are acquired to fly it successfully, then it could be money well spent. And again, for as long as the buyer intends to keep it long term and knows how to take care of it.

NorfolkSouthern

The smaller engine would be the big issue with a Funtana, yes. You need to swing the larger prop to blow enough air over the control surfaces when doing harriers and similar maneuvers. If he only has a .40 sized engine, his choices would be more limited, as he would need to select something that was designed around the OS .40 LA, such as the Easy Sport or Mid Star I'm considering.

I hate having to count beans, and consider myself fortunate for the stock of 46 AXs I have. I may just keep one in service, and only bring out another airframe when something breaks.

NorfolkSouthern