It certainly depends on where you want to go in the hobby. If you are going to stay electric, are you also going to stay with "small" aircraft or are you planning on going larger?

I think if you plan on staying only electric but would like to move up in size. I would recommend the great planes electric stick. It is if memory serves around a 40 size plane. Bigger planes fly better.

If you are going to stay small and have no desire to move up in size I would recommend the e-flite by Horizon the T-34 mentor. It is a very nice airplane and is bind and fly.

Good luck in your search. There are many possibilites. You will certainly get a lot of suggestions. Bottom line is it all comes down to you. What do you want for your next plane?

Glenn Williams

Parkzone T28 would make an excellent 2nd airplane.

I must say I am thrilled with the enthusiastic responses and suggestions I've received so far. Alot of what has been said makes sense and was something I didn't consider in some cases but none the less I appreciate the time in helping me with this.

Sooooo, with that said I really like the pushers like the stryker but I figure it might take a different kind of getting used to to fly it compared to the traditional elevator, aeleron and rudder. I might still get one though sometime. I also like the cessna like planes that have been suggested. How much difference does an above wing vs below wing make as in the parkzone T-28?

As for where I want to go I'm thinking that I want to stay small/medium range the biggest would be the SR-71 in the distant future but I'm content with the size I've mentioned like the A-10 and Corsair or the like. I definetly only want electric I've avoided gassers/glow so far and I think I'm happy with that. I have all electric FE boats and I love them.

Why not a 4*...

1.....that is the only answer anyone has for a good second plane.
2.....The 4* isn't for sale as an ARF anymore
3.....Why not get basically the same thing here...(http://ecsvr.com/abm/shopexd.asp?id=2926)
4.....The 4* is $87.99 for a KIT.....the MachII is 119 for an ARF.
5.....There are many, many, many great second planes. Like the MachII, Spacewalker, Escapade, Tiger, etc.

It's like going to big float fly's.......almost everyone has nothing but a Mariner, Neptune, Stick, or Seamaster with very little in the way of at least semi-scale float planes.

I guess I tend to shy away from....for lack of better terms....herd mentality.

Why x5..............kinda proves my point.

1..... Because it IS a good flying plane.
2..... Good, I wouldn't want an ARF. A 4 Star "kit" was my 2nd plane.

The 4* is an excellent aircraft, no ifs, ands or buts. If it wasn't successful, Bruce Tharpe wouldn't have built the Venture 60 kit, which is an improved version. If you've never built one, anything else is a chore. You just can't buy a better kit, or a better flyer. There is nothing wrong with a Tiger 60, or any of the Stiks. They are classic for a real good reason.

I think the 4star would also be a good 2nd airplane. And building from a kit is an excellent experience. SIG instructions are great! Now they have a small electric version.

The Stryker flight characteristics are like any other aileron / elevator airplane. But, the radio set up is different, it is fast (especially when modified), and the hand launch takes a little practice. Probably not the best choice for 2nd airplane. But, if you get some experienced help, maybe ok.

Funny, I was out flying all morning and never saw a 4*, guess the herd was in the corral today. I did see a few YAK 54s and Extra 300s but maybe those are a better breed? Several sticks but maybe they just found a hole in the fence??
I use the 4*60 to teach basic building to students wanting to learn the art of slathering glue. I find them just about the perfect second plane but there are others that fly just as well. Super Sportster is another one I have used to teach building. A bit better for stunt training.
I'm not an ARF person so I could care less if a plane is in ARF form or not.
If an ARF is needed for a second plane then there are a ton of good ones. How about a Pulse 60 from Horizon?? It's covered different and is really pretty but look at it a bit closer and what do you notice?? The Space Walker is in ARF form and as easy to fly as the 4*
People mention the 4* so much because it's a nice build and the plane is great in the air. It's so good it's one you will see mentioned for decades to come.

I'm not going to get into a peeing contest with you but there is nothing wrong with a herd mentality when you are talking to beginners which is what this forum is and the OP asked what a good second plane was and the 4* is a good proven flyer. Also, the comparison you make between an $87 kit or a $119 ARF doesn't matter either. It is very good for a beginner to build simple kit to get acquainted with how these planes are put together and it gives them the skills to repair in case of a mishap. A lot of the guys at our field have never built a kit and cannot repair their ARF's when they have an accident. You may like to be individualistic and you may prefer ARF's because you may have been in the hobby for a long time but beginners need to be given straight simple answers so they don't get discouraged and I think the "herd" here will all agree that the 4* IS a good choice for second airplane. Of course there are many others but this is a stand-out design with a very good track record. By the way........I am a builder but I just bought an Escapade for everyday flying but it is a bit much for a second plane......it is very responsive and I would say that it probably a good third plane.

Cheers,
Andy

The point is that is the only plane ANYONE ever suggests. And these days....building a kit in the have it now times. No wonder everyone gets bored and the hobby isn't growing like all the posts on here keep talking about. It would nice for a second airplane to be a kit, but you have to be real about how things are these days. I had a WM T-34 for my second plane which everyone said was a bit much for a second plane, but I feel I am a better pilot for not just getting a low wing trainer like the 4*. Yea with the rates high enough I can make a Nexstar dance too so don't tell me the 4* is something more than a low wing trainer. Glad people are learning how to fly trainers over and over.

Why always a 4*?...looks like the herd got em again.

The Sig Four Star has been around for quite a while. It is an easy build for a kit and a quick assembly for an ARF. Both give you great flying with lots of fun and good learning experiences, plus an upgrade capability to make it more radical, if desired.

So, what's wrong with that? That doesn't mean there are no others around, I frequently recommend the Tiger series, Tiger II, Tiiger 60 (Especially the Tiger 60) and the Tiger 120.. if they are still around.

Yeah, there are others.. but the easiest suggestion is with something that we are comfortable with.

So, if you want to recommend something else, hey, knock yourself out. No one will complain. Just don't go and call a serious and solid recommendation "herd mentality". You say what you want and everyone else will say what they want. The original poster can decide what's best for him/her.

CGr.

Alright, no need for anyone to get in a tiff here. I definitively feel like I have gotten lots of great suggestions and have alot to think about before I go for anything. But sill the models I have seen seem to be a great starting point. I will have to give some thought to a kit over a ARF. <div>
Assuming I went ahead and gotten one of the low wing flyers and mastered that how far off from the A-10 and corsair would I be as a "third" plane?
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CG brought up a good point, I see way more Tigre series planes at the fields then I do any other. I have only built one 4* without clipping the wing but on the stock one the fellow didn't want anything more then a big floater. The same fellow has two of the small Space Walkers and I have flown the heck out of both of them. One is glow and he did one electric. Other then the sound {lack of} I can't tell the difference between the two when flying. It's also a plane you don't see a lot of. Once in a while a Super Sportster is seen at the field but not often. I can see the Pulse really well when in the air, love the covering job they used on it. It will fly pretty much the same as the 4* so the herd still has an almost 4* still in ARF form. The pulse also has some cool features I like a lot.

My second plane was the Up-Roar. It wasn't really a hard to fly plane, it just did everything and could do it fast. Very easy build. I think after flying any of the Fun Fly type of planes for a while you could slip right into the A-10 or one of the nice TF F4Us. I'm talking glow powered planes, the little electrric A-10s and Corsairs are pretty easy to fly and take almost no real training after you have soloed.

Gray Beard............my second plane was a Midwest Sweet Stik with an OS45FSR and I still have that combo in my hanger...........talk about a "herd", everyone at that time had either a Sweet Stik or a Contender.

Funny how there were planes that were so good they are still with us today after decades. The big difference they were kit or plan built before the herd went to the ARF. Fun Fly events were held at most every club so we had planes like the Hots, Up-Roar, Dazzler and so many profiel planes with the same wing design. Class C pattern planes were for those of us that wanted to build and fly something the pros were using so the herd went to the Kaos type of planes so we could start flying with persision. When the herd wanted something that looked like a full scale persision plane the Extras and Sukhois were top dog.
I still have a Hots, a 2 meter pattern plane from the 80s, a class C Daddy Rabbit, an Extra and I have another Sukhoi on my bench. Getty Up Cowboys, I still run with the
herd! Some planes are just classics and will be built and mentioned for decades to come. I like them all but I really like the ones that Mr. Bridi designed.

Funny you mention Bridi.......my first plane was a Bridi trainer with a K&B 40 in it. The plane is long gone but I still have the box. My son restored his (also his first plane) and is in the middle of restoring his Chaos.........not a current Chaos but one of the originals. He and I also flew the Sweet Stik's together.......sometimes we'd wait until everyone had left the field and would have contests on how many touch and go's we could do on a tank of fuel or on a windy day just point them into the wind and fly standing still.................good days...........and like you said.........they were all built. I don't understand the "I don't have time to build" attitude. This is a hobby and I built even when I had a young kid and I was working overtime........I just made the time for some quality relaxation. I guess some people live to work..........I used to work to live and was always happier that way.

As a kid I built my planes at night while watching TV in the living room. When the daughter was an active toddler it was after she went to bed. Today it's in my shop as the mood strikes me. Building used to just be a relaxing hobby, something to do to unwind during those stolen moments.
The OP seems to be asking about the foam ARFs though but I'm not 100% sure. Last week a guy came out to the field with a small [not so small] B-25 electric and gave it the maiden while the wind was blowing. It flew great!! Landed easy. It was from Nitroplanes. I'm not a fan of there junk but this one impressed me. The fellow used his own motors but you can get it RTF.
The Bridi designs are alive and well. I just built one of his Dirty Birdy's and liked it even more then the Kaos. I had my first mid air with it on the second day of flight. It's a bit more work to build it then the Kaos but it is a better looking and flying plane. You can look them up on the Blue Jay web site. The prices haven't gone up very much either. For 100 bucks you can get a complete kit. It's old school building and not for the faint of herd.

Gray Beard...........where do you get the "current" Bridi designs???? I'd really be interested after I finish my 4*, Venture 60 and BUSA Sopwith Pup.

Just buy the kit from Blue Jay. I think the Dirty Birdy was right at about 100 bucks. Like I said, the prices haven't gone up much. If you want plans then just look into MAN plans. They were sold through MAN and I think RCM so you can still get them. Just google Blue Jay.

Hey greybeard I am in the process of building the Dirty birdy and it is a hard build. I am wanting to put a 91 4 stroke in it and the fuselage has to be adapted to fit it. Firewall had to be moved back and the fuselage had to be widen to accept the engine. Guess it was really made for the 60 2 stroke.

Yep, back in the day of the Dirty Birdy, the mass production proliferation of the 4-stroke was note even a dream for most modelers. That was the day of the hard running tuned piped .61 2-stroke. And the pattern planes of that era love to fly fast. I had a club member who tried to fly a Bridi Deception like his IMAC Extra 300. After I talked him into keeping the throttle at full he realized how well the plane actually flew.

Hogflyer

I used the SK .91 two stroke and used a shoe horn to get it installed, that and a sanding wheel plus I didn't taper the nose as much as normal. Because it's a build you can come up with a lot of ways to do it. The class-C was limited to a .61 as I recall. The plane was designed for speed before the turn around pattern came about. The DBs I have flown will out perform the Kaos in the knife edge every time. Looks really cool with retracts. One of my spring airs isn't working so I went with wire gear. The build is normal for the times. No photos of part A slipping into part B. The instructions just call for a piece of 1/16 X 3 sheeting but don't say what length to cut it from. Just a lot of thinking needed for the build.

Maybe I should have gone with the engine mounted sideways.

Hey Irish.. how goes it?

CGr.