Hi,
I've been flying my trainer for some time and preparing myself to second low wing tail-dragger (Seagull Spacewalker II).
I can take-off and land pretty well most of the time.
In fact, my trainer never had a serious damage.
I can do some basic aerobatics such as cuban-8, inverted flight(sometimes), loops, but not roll.

While I was practicing rolls in the simulator, I thought may be I should do practice this with my second plane since it'll be easier to do in a symmatrical airfoil plane. Do you agree ?
And, What more can I learn from a trainer ?
Am I ready for a second plane ?
Thanks.

Jake.

I will give you an answer, since no one else has yet. Are you ready for your second plane? Honestly, the best people to judge that would be the guys you fly with. They will be able to answer that better, and with more authority, than someone that has never seen you fly.

I am not trying to give you a hard time. Just stating my opinion.

with a low wing plane, you will roll easier, of course, its up to you! in my opinion you are ready for the second plane! trainer is not an aerobatic, and i dont like to roll with my trainer too! One time i made 2 rolls with it and it almost crash!

Yeah, I almost crashed my trainer once while I was doing a roll.
My trainer has mucho dihedral.
I have to give a lot of up elevator for inverted flight which makes things harder..

I would do as much aerobatics as is reasonable on the trainer just to get you used to it... (Make sure you are 2 mistakes high tho-) Increase the throws, push the CG back just a tad etc.

If you get real excited about it you can make it a taildragger, and even clip the wings to make it more challenging- (Or sell it to buy 2nd plane )

Good luck!

Hello jrotor.
My trainer was a western 40. It had a LOT of dihedral. I flew the wings off it. By moving the CG back and increasing the throws a little it would do aeros quite well.
You say you need a lot of elevator to keep your plane level while its inverted. That is a sign that the CG is to far forward. That makes for a good learning planes but not a good aerobatic plane.
Move your CG back and you will find rolls a lot easier.
When your getting near the back limit you will find that you dont need much elevator to keep the plane level when its inverted.
My trainer would loop and roll quite well. I could also get it to spin and do dodgy snap rolls.

The average trainer will do a lot more than most people think. It can complete all maneuvers in the AMA "Sportsman" Pattern competition aerobatics schedule well enough to compete with it. (and I've seen trainers win...)

If you can't do a roll withthe trainer yet... you probably are not really ready for the next airplane. Rolls are not hard. (just scary till you understand them) The trainer, as it goes inverted wants to drop the nose toward the ground FAST. If Take it high and practce doing 1/2 roll and giving full down (or a little less with some trainers) to prevent the nose dropping. Then do the other 1/2 roll. Do the 2 halves closer to each other each attempt... and you will soon find the roll rate where you can make it look like its a continuous roll. (then it won't be much longer till you actually have it continuous... the plane often tends to "snap" through the small portion of the roll where you are applying down elevator.)

Trainers will ALWAYS need significant down elevator to fly inverted. You can;t get the CG back enough to fix it. The reason is "Decalage" (the angle betweent he main wing incidence and the tailplane incidence.) With an aerobatic design, decalage will be 0 or very close. With a trainer... it can be 5 to 10 degrees. That is why trainers ALWAYs pull up out of dives on thier own (if there is enough room)

Moving the CG back can help with aerobatics... but don't overdo it. You get it too tailheavy and it becomes virtually uncontrollable.