Hi all.

Getting back into this after 5 years on the sidelines. Just a quick one hoping you might have a suggestion for a good plane. I had a typical high wing trainer (100+ flights) and a Phoenix Scanner (100+ flights) and flew them pretty well in the end. I am thinking about a scanner again due to its reasonable price and it flew pretty well last time but thought you guys might know of something better!? My main criteria are...

1 - Looks like a plane but not a 100% scale or war bird needed... (Scanner a bit ugly?)
2 - Reasonable price
3 - Flies well but not 3D or anything like that
4 - .46 size

Any ideas? I thought the Hangar 9 Pulse looks good but about double the price of the scanner...

I recently got the Spektrum DX7 and Phoenix 3.0 sim to start getting my thumbs back so I am itching to get back into it!!

Thanks in advance for the help!

Since I have no idea what a Phoenix Scanner is, and Google doesn't seem to like it either, my only suggestion is that whatever you get, you fly the first few flights with an instructor.. just to clear the cob-webs.

With that said, and if you were relatively competitent with both listed aircraft, then I would highly recommend something on the order of the Tiger 60 or Four Star 60.

Both meet your requirements, but are slightly bigger than a 40 size aircraft.. bigger is always better (within limits) and the visibility the 60 size aircraft offer is well worth the step up in size. They are both sedate enough to be easy to control and fly, yet have capabilities to be used as aerobatic trainers.

Welcome back!

CGr.

Sorry - should have posted a link...[link]http://www.modelflight.com.au/products/Phoenix_Model_Scanner_Low_Wing_ARF-5895-10.html[/link]

As I said, not pretty but flies quite well and very cheap for what it is. The Aussie$ is about the same as the US$ now so you can compare. As I said the Pulse is about double this.

As for my ability I could do all sorts of stuff high up but by no means a 3D man or anything like that. I am pretty confident I could handle most intermediate planes now after a few flights to get back into it.

As for a club - I live about 200 miles from major towns so that is a bit hard but I agree that if it it was an option that would be best...

Thanks for the input though. Will look into them...

Ok.. I looked that over. Agreed, it's not sexy, but it certainly fits the bill for a second plane or a plane that you might wish to get back into the hobby with.

Time for a short story. Many of us trained on... well, trainers. We solo'ed, and progressed to the next step. In my case, it was the Tiger 60, although I had two other planes in my "hanger" that I really wanted to fly. The Tiger 60 became my real second plane, though, and I flew the wings off of that thing. It got banged around, but still flew just fine. It is still around, someone talked me into selling it to him and, as far as I know, it still flys.

Meanwhile, back to the trainer and my "short story". Even now, with two 90 size pattern planes, and other extremely capable planes, I go back to my trainer from time to time for a nice relaxing flight, but an eye opener as to how we forget the basics, and are forced to "re-learn" some of the flight characteristics those trainers taught us. Many of us here on RCU do that exact same thing. End of story.

My point is that no matter what you choose, getting back to basics is not only fun, but can be a great refresher for the basics that went on the back burner after flying more capable planes, those that "fly on rails" pretty much hands off, although any well trimmed plane, including a trainer, should do just that.

So, go with what you think is right for you. If you want a recommendation, well, that Phoenix looks pretty nice to me for a second plane.. large wing so a good wing loading characteristic, and, it should do anything you want it to do, short of 3D.. power it correctly and it will do that too, in the hands of someone that does that.. I don't, so I'm talking out of turn, but someone once said that given a big enough engine, and a capable pilot, a door can be made to fly...

Good luck.

CGr.

The Scanner is a damn good airplane. Its not 3d but will do almost everything else. At our field it is the most logical second airplane for the good fliers. It really sports and patternish but will do anything in the book and can be flow slow and stable. Its also low maintainence as it is covered with profilm and not monokote so it can be tightened with even a hair drier and can be patched easily with just tape. Its is something like a Astro Hog or a Tower Kaos 46 and given the chance, I would buy it in an instant (I miss those days of care-free flying). However, the main catch is it is small, I think 55". This may be a goodor bad thing- it will easily fitinto the boot of a city car if that is important to you.

Bottom line is if you prefer the stability ofthe 60size models youshouldgo for those (Phoenix also has a Tiger 60). But if you want a cheap care-free flier, nothing beats the Scanner

Ameyam

There ya go, bluffpolls, a ringing endorcement!!

CGr.

Thanks all! Think I will get one then save for a bigger and prettier plane for flying on the very calm days after a bit of practice...

Cheers

i like it, it has classic lines, and looks like it ought to be fun

Scanner gets my vote too. Haven't flown one for a while but I had two (maybe three) in the past and keep thinking about getting another one.

They're fairly cheap, easy to fly yet have a pretty good manouvre range. Should be a great way to get your thumbs back into gear.

Terry

Excellent 2nd plane. think of it as a low wing Ugly Stik in pretty colours.
Flys great, can knife edge better than most low wing constant chord sports planes and is pretty good at most basic to intermediate aerobatics.

Well worth a look and some cash changing hands

what a shame its not stocked anywhere in the USA

G'day

The hack of choice in my club is the World Models Skyraider Mach II. Nicely overpowered by an OS 46AX it will do most things that Sunday pilots want. The Scanner is very similar. They are just a tad too small for my but they are very popular here. Unfortunately, the Skyraider has been deleted from the catalogue but there are still some around.

The other good choice is a Stick. World Models make one under the name Super Stunts. They fly well too.

A friend had a Pulse 60 and also the 40. He found the 60 much better than the 40.

Cheers

Mike

Phoenix scanner, WM Super stunts, WM Mach raider, Tower Kaos, etc are all the same airplane. Same box type construction, similar dimensions, same semi-symmetric wing. Phoenix has another in this type called Dolphin 40. Its the same engine size but has a 60" span and hence is more stable. However, its less reactive and very lightly (cheaply) built. The advantage with the Scanner is the metal pinned hinge from factory (atleast of or ours have those) whereas I recently saw a dolphin with the nylon hinge sticking out of the aileron even after being flown OK just a few flights.

Phoenix is ofcourse the cheapest of the lot

Ameyam

Sounds to me like you're ready for a Phoenix Extra 300s. All controls come pre-hinged right out of the box. Looks nicer in person than it does in the pic. However, they have it listed as scale. I really like mine.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXGPL7&P=0

big dan

big difference between a Scanner and Extra 300s. The Extra is nowhere near as forgiving to a slightly off CG and is much more sensitive to trim.

Not an ideal 2nd plane. It does fly great once you have it trimmed but its the type of plane that may not get past the first 100yards if its not balanced conservatively

I agree. For a second airplane you need one that flies carefree so you can really get down to enjoying flying before you get into the more aerobatic / pattern / 3D types. Nothing beats the Scanner in that at the low price point.

Ameyam

Then I would suggest a "larger" goldberg tiger 60 or a "faster" great planes super sportster 40.

Have fun with your 3rd plane whatever you choose.

big dan

Just to throw a something a little sharper into the ring, The Black Horse Blade is also an excellent 2nd plane, pretty, cheap, and can be used for a genteel Sunday flight or for a Pattern aerobatics comp probably up to SPortsmans or maybe even advcanced level.

As far as that Phoenix Extra 300s you won't find a nicer aerobatic plane for the money! It's fast and flys like it's on a rail. First time I flew mine it dead sticked and floated right in. After 182 flights I still have the same 11-7 wood prop on it and I'm not an expert at flying or landing.

I let a guy in our club fly mine and his only comment was "I gotta get me one of these! Especially for the money!"

I'd rather have 1 extra 300s than 10 of those scanners.

big dan

OK - so picked up the scanner today! Will take some pics of the build and hopefully maiden in the next couple of weeks. Going to convert it to taildragger straight away.

First impressions out of the box is very good. I looked at the Hangar 9 Pulse and Great Planes Escape in the shop as well but got the scanner and a few props, bolts, glue and other bits and pieces and still less than half price of those planes alone. See how I go!

Dont convert to a tail dragger. Its built too light and you will have to add a lot of weight to use the stock position of the main gear. Just fly as it is with reinforcement

Ameyam

Why is that ameyam? I did it last time because I fly from some pretty rough fields and I can put bigger wheels on it and dont have to worry about ripping out the front wheel. I strengthened the area just in front of where the leading edge of the wing joins the fuselage by putting ply there and it went fine. In fact after my final fatal crash that was about the only bit that held in place!!

Any thoughts?

If I understand correctly, the trike gear airplanes have the CG between the main landing gears and the nosewheel. If you want to tailwheel it, the CG has to be between the main LG and the tailwheel. So either the LG block moves further forward or the CG moves further back for a taildragger. That is why I said dont do it.

With regards to reinforcement, I would use triangle stock to glue every thing with epoxy and fillers (or talcum powder, if you fancy ) mixed into the epoxy. Especially analyse what would happen if you had a rough landing and where the forces of the gear would travel in the fuse and add formers wherever you reason the forces will go.

Ameyam

I agree with ameyam. Want a taildragger, buy a taildragger