The 40 size Extra 300 from Kangke is a very nice plane. I bought one with a .46 fx and a tuned pipe. Later I mounted a .70 OS four stroke on this and it has lots of power and can be flown fast, not for 3D, but it pulls nicely through most aerobatic maneuvers.
I got mine when I was flying for only two months and found it easy to fly

Ditto on the nylon servos; they are fine. And coreless is a waste of money for a project like this as you'll never feel the difference, but it's your money so spend it how you want to. I don't suggest overpowering a plane for the intermediate flyer. The likelihood of crashing because the plane was going too fast is much greater than the likelihood of saving it by powering out of a stall. My first stick was a .60 size and I put a .61 engine in it. It was fine except for when I wanted to do a tall hammerhead from a near stalling horizontal speed. I put a .90 in it and it will pull fast vertical for as long as I want it to. What this plane is really about is learning orientation in any and all possible maneuvers in a bird that is easy to recover from mistakes and handles the wind very well. That's what makes for a good second plane. There is a very good reason why sticks and 4 stars get suggested so much- they have the perfect combination of maneuverability and forgiveness to let a developing pilot work on his skills without worrying about one mistake costing him an airframe.

I see your guy's point. I haven't already decided on what to get, I am hard headed though. I started with an EDF F-16, big mistake lol. It was eventful when it smashed into the ground at full speed though. I take another look at the stick's in a 60 size, but does any company offer a good .60 size stick that isn't ugly (referring to the GP one).

The Escapade 60 is a great flying plane and will make a good second plane if you are solid on your trainer. I have one with a Fox .74 Eagle IV on it and it loads of fun to fly.

Bruce

After you've flown it for a bit, you'll find that the GP one is anything but "ugly".

I had that same view, until after reading so many recommendations here about the Stik, I purchased one.

It became my "go to" plane, especially on days that others considered "iffy".

While I like the Escapade and others, the Stik IMHO is a better plane to own.

As the saying goes "Everyone needs a Stik!". I learned that this is true.

Another plane to consider is the World Model Sky Raider Mk II. Powered with a Super Tiger GS-40w/Macs muffler it was very aerobatic with good vertical performance, and many people race them with ball bearing .46 engines (I like the .46 AX w/Macs muffler) and they can be quite fast. While Macs mufflers aren't cheap - about $36.00 at tower - they don't come apart in flight, are a bit lighter and work almost like a mini-tuned pipe. Speed wise they top out about 85 mph or so.

For earning aerobatics, sport aerobatics, and general sport flying they really do well and will do just about any maneuver a sport plane can do including sustained knife edge and great slow rolls without losing altitude. Plus they slow down as slow as a trainer for landing (I like to hold full up elevator and fly a very steep decent right at the edge of a stall controlled with power only and add just a touch of power for a round-out and soft touchdown). On the slow end, they are extremely stable don't drop a wing in a mild stall. On the ground I have yet to be able to ground loop one, and I've intentionally tried - it just won't swing around!

You should be able to get a Sky Raider for under $100.

Hogflyer

There you go - great suggestion

I liked my Tiger 60 and the Tiger II is in the size you are looking for - the only plane I never crashed It was a good starter for aerobatics and with my Prism 7X radio and dual aileron servos allowed me to do all sorts of mixing and endpoint adjustments so it would fly in a Novice patern class.

The problem I see with warbirds is I would want retracts - and there goes your budget out the window. Extras, Edges, etc, are so often set up for 3D and then you need the big engine to get out of trouble.

But the most fun, and absolutely teh cheapest, was the Uproar. At the time it was $50 for the plane and $50 for a Tower 40 engine. It could land slowly but could roll a over 3 times per second. I tought you exponential control very quickly. And if you broke it it was two weeks to build and another $50 for a new one

Sig's 4 star 60 was mine and I liked it very much. It will fly with an OS 60 without a problem. Later you can dial up the throws and stick a 20cc gasser on it and really have some fun. (and save money on glow fuel.) <br type="_moz"/>

The H9 Pulse is very similar in flight to a stick, and I think it looks nicer.

+1

Bruce

The Pulse is a great flying plane.

However as already pointed out the "second" planes get a lot of abuse.

Big Stiks tend to be more robust than the Pulse.

- Their Tri-gear prevents front end newbie damage.
- The gear can be replaced with simple to obtain LHS parts if damaged.
- Stiks take off straight with less of a yaw tendancy.

- The Stiks can take a LOT of abuse that the Pulse simply cannot...

I've nosed mine straight into the ground at speed. The fuselage broke apart in three different places, the wing retainer broke off at the wing and the fuselage, the firewall ripped out and the front gear broke, while the main gear were bent completely.

The plane flew the very next day and looked better than new.

Pulses are good planes, but IMHO the Stik is even better as a "second" plane....

BTW: I can hover and torque roll my unmodified Big Stik 60 w/o problems. The Pulse doesn't lend itself to that.
The Stik has a bigger flight envelope.

get a GP Stik 60 with a 90 sized motor. If you can afford it, also pick up a 3dhobbyshop or Extreme Flight Edge 540 and turn the rates down very low. These planes have an incredible flight envelope and are very docile on low rates. You'll be amazed at how floaty they are. Then when you're ready, turn up to full rates and you have a different animal.

The other thing you should really consider before getting into expensive balsa aerobatic models is a cheap foamie. Don't let the looks distract you. My 69 dollar DW Foamie is the best flying and most fun plane i own. If you're just starting out, you should also look in to the various EPP foam options from DW and other manufacturers.

The sticks tend to be "ugly" due to the very thing that makes them such great fliers. But like I pointed out before, and Opjose said it very well, those sticks will gain attraction in your eyes as you realize what they are capable of and what they can do for a relatively new pilot. They more you fly one, the purtier it gets.

Yeah, a foamy is a great "practice" airplane. They're cheap and easy to repair. I used to think they were stupid and hideous, however, after flying one, they just can't be beat. Great for practicing moves w/o really caring that much if you crash. Also convenient to have as a "back seat" airplane for your car.

i can say i probably enjoy flying my 40" DW Foamies Juka more than anything else because i'm simply not worried about crashing it and it's a 3D monster.

While I agree that sticks are great planes and do deserve the amazing reputation, I too have never been able to get over their looks. I have a 40 Size Escapade as my last remaining Nitro plane. I run mine on a 55AX with a Jett tuned pipe. It is insanly fast for a cheap sport model and will go vertical till it is ot of sight. I had it clocked at 110 mph with a radar gun so it will move rather quickly! It is hands down the most fun airplane I have ever owned. It is stable and easy to fly but has a wide range of aerobatic abilities. It is even a great windy flyer due to the higher wing loading. The 60 Size version wasn't available yet when I bought mine or I would have gotten that one instead! If I had the room I would buy it as well. Trust me this is a fun plane that you will not outgrow anytime soon.

I think I will try that electric stik.

Well I bought a H9 P51 PTS used from my LHS. It came with an extra fuselage because the guy before me recieved it with a broken air scoop. But he fixed it and never took the extra fuselage out of the plastic. I paid $220 but after getting it home I wish I would have talked him down a bit more. The engine on this thing looks like crap and you can tell it wasn't taken care of. But the rest of the plane is good condition. I still have my Enya 90 sitting here though. I was thinking about putting it on the P51 What do you guys think?

I'm also getting a very used and beat up Escapade .40 from a friend for $40. I think I will use this to learn on for a bit.

If that P51 is a .40 size plane a .90 will be way too much. I'd suggest running the engine to see what you really have there before you change anything. If it's just dirty and ugly that might mean that it's a great runner and has just been used a lot!