Sooner or later I'm going to be in the market for a second plane. My thoughts are a taildragger that CAN fly slow (kind of like a trainer), but has some ZIP when you open the throttle a bit (for basic aerobatics). I'm going to be flying my PT-40 till i can't rebuild it anymore if only to train my thumbs and eyes to work together, but I like to push myself so I'd like a second plan with that in mind . Thanks for your time in even reading this, Rob

The Sig Rascal would fit your needs. It might look trainer-like, but trust me, that plane can really get up and go, and can be rather acrobatic.

The Ultra stick or any of the various stick flavors would be good too.

I'm sure there are lots of others as well.

Bridi Sun-Fli V. Second most stable plane I've ever flown.

Learned to fly on an Avistar..high wing with some dihedrial..OS 46LA, ..Second plane is a Great Planes Ultimate Bi wing..B&K .65 Sportster, it has been a really fun second plane and lands like a dream..Maybe not for everyone...

Thanks guys for all your posts. I couldn't find the Sig Rascle but in looking for it i saw the Sig Somethin' Extra ..... talks about being able to impliment flaperons.... basicly making slow speed landing a dream. SEEMS pretty aerobatic but i don't have enough experience to go just by looks. I just couldn't find the Bridi Sun Fli V..... although to be honest i haven't looked that hard. YET. I'll get back to it after this post. I also took a look at the GP Ultra Biwing. Read the 2 reviews Towerhobbies had on it. (of course they were both rave reviews... they ARE trying to sell the thing no? ). But, i love the looks of it, and lately i've been REALLY thinking about a biplane (there's a specail place in my heart for the Pitts S-2..... my uncle has one and we always have fun with it when we both have free time). So right now i'm torn between the "Somethin' Extra" and the Ultra Biwing. Although i AM going to look into the Stick planes and the Sun Fli V. something might catch my eye. .

One major problem i have is a VAST lack of building experience..... but i will NOT buy ARFs. i WANT to build . any tips, or places/literature i can get my hands on to increase skill would be a God send . Thanks again fo your time

you might try the Great Planes super sportster. it is a pretty easy build and slows down really well. I just finished and am looking forward to flying it. My instructor has one and he really likes it.

The Super sportster is a fantastic plane, though I would not recommend it as a second plane. Some could fly it as a second plane, but a much better second plane choice is the sig 4 star. If you do a search for second planes, you will find this is a very popular second plane. It slows down much more than the sportster does, and lands more like a trainer than the sportster. I flew a SIG 4 star 60 as a second plane, which was great. However, the 40 size would be a little less expensive.

Lep, the Sig Something Extra is a great airplane for you!! If you want an easy to build airplane the laser cut parts fit together extremely nicely on this bird. I have built nearly a half dozen already for friends and family. The Extra, if powered and built well, can do anything you can throw at it and more. The amazing thing is that with its thick aerofoil, it slows down very well. On my personal extra, i have the Magnum .61 Four Stroke. My chosing this engine was that it was just lying around begging for an airplane. The power offered is just about right for a good fun flying plane! At about 100 feet, with full throttle the airplane settles into a nice hover! It doesn't have the power to climb out of it, but it is NICE!! The really nice situation about this engine and plane combo, is that with an APC 12X6 idling at about 2300 rpm, the airplane will fly almost to a full stop in the air! Its stall speed is rediculously slow! I have yet found the need for flaperons, even though I have the ability with my radio! Also, I have built this bird with an OS 46 FX, a Tower Hobbies .46BB, a Tower Hobbies .61BB, and a Saito .70 Four Stroke. I have flown all of them! The Saito has the BEST power for climbs and manuvers!! But the large prop on it gives concern to ground clearance. The next I would reccomend would be the Magnu .61 as on mine. This allows for both whell and 3 point landings with ease! NOW If you want speed, NOTHING beats the OS .46FX combo! This combo makes the airplane go out of sight in a flash both horizantally and vertically!!! At full throttle, this bird MOVES!!! At idle, it is a snail!

Reg

Great Rightt-up RCaillouet. One question though, could the Sig Extra climb out of a hover with an os 46? :-D. (you mentioning the hover and it's possable slow flight speed makes my thumbs itch :-D).

I'll have to do more reading/research but i think RC has clinched it for me . but one never knows, might find something more to my liking. a can always wait till my 3rd for a biplane :-D

thanks again all for your posts, they're all very well appreciated

i think the GP big stik would be perfect for your needs...it will do all the things you mention and then some...the price is right also...

john

I learned to fly a low wing taildragger on a spacewalker II arf. Even though the assembly manual was bad it still flew great. The spacewalker can tear up the sky but yet land very gently with a wing loading of only 19oz. The model I chose was a Seagull model because of the price $119. I figured at this price if I did crack it up it wasnt a $175 airplane loss. To my surprise it flew somewhat like a trainer and floats in real easy. Thought this might be a good plane to learn both taildragger and low wing in one.

World Models Super Stunts 40 ARF. Great flying plane, great price. It comes as a tricycle gear, but I converted it to a taildragger.

Reading through some of the other posts, I was reminded of the Sig Astro Hog. Never built one, but last summer I did the maiden on two of them. As I was checking the balance on the first one, the club Old-Timer spoke up, and said "Doesn't matter where it's balanced. It's an Astro Hog, it'll fly good wherever it's balanced."

Well, it was balanced real close to the spar, and the way it flew I can believe the Old-Timer! It flew like a trainer, in many ways. It had a .91 fourstroke, and was built as a taildragger.

If you feel like building, you could try an AstroHog.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

It's really hard to beat a Stik for a second plane/1st taildragger. Sweet Stik, Ugly Stik, Big Stik - all great, honest airframes. The Midwest Aero Sport series were a fine update of the basic Stik design, and are still pretty common. The AeroSport 20 would be a great choice - excellent wood, great instructions, can be built trike or tdragger, and they fly great. Someone discovered a warehouse of them a couple of years ago and dumped them on the market. I bought three of them. I see them on Ebay often in the $50-60 range. A bushing .40 is a good motor for them - they fly like a trainer with a .25. REAL simple to build it with flaperons if you want. Email me if I can help you along.

Since you want to build (no ARF available) take a look a the Sig Mid-Star-40. This is a really nice plane to transition from your trainer into aerobatics. It has a mid-wing (hence the name) with a semi-symmetrical airfoil. The wing is longer in proportion than other planes so it will give you time to think while flying. Aerobatics are nice even with a 40 and it could be made even better with a 46 or 50 size engine. The plans show both the tricycle and conventional (tail dragger) gear and the kit includes parts for both. . The instructions will guide you through step by step. The wing is open framework (no sheeting on the leading edge) so it goes together quickly. You can add flapperons to any plane assuming you have a radio that will support it and the 5th servo.

The Sig Somethin Extra won't need flapperons to land slowly as the wing is very thick.Sticks are fine as is the Somethin' Extra. I have trained beginners with all the above combinations. Progress seems to be best in this order: 1. Sig Mid-Star 2. Sig Somethin Extra 3. Stick

EXCAP232

You can convert just about any plane to a tail drager by moving the LG forward, reinforcing where it mounts and re balancing the CG

ANy plane with dual aileron servos can have flaperons if you have a computer radio!