Hello everyone,

Okay, so I need a little advice.
I got from my uncle a Mustang + OS 46 AX for my birthday and I can’t returned it because he bought it in the US, and I live in the Netherlands … and obviously I am not going to try to fly it.
So I decided to buy a new model so I can learn to fly on it, but instead of a normal trainer I’ll use a more advance model.
I was thinking of building the Four-Star 40 kit and using it as a first plane.
So, my questions are what tips you have, so that the plane won’t turn into a kit after the first flight…?
And if there is anything I should knew on the flight characteristic of the plane?
And the last one, can you refer me to topics on the plane? I am looking for topics using the search option but there a lot of topics there, and only in the beginning forum[sm=disappointed.gif], so it will take me time.


Thank you

Edo

Best advise to keep it from "turining back into a kit" during the first flight is to get a high wing trainer as your first plane. Learn on it and then move to the 4 * 40 as a low wing trainer. Then after you have mastered it, THEN you can attempt the Mustang.

Hoi Souldance,

I don't have a 4* but have been very interested and have read all that I could. I almost built one as my second plane but got the Sig Kavalier instead which ended up not being my second plane. A few things to keep in mind- it is a low wing aircraft, so the stability of a high wing plane won't be there. It does matter for beginners. I jumped from a high wing trainer to a low wing tail dragger and it is not as easy at all. And, the 4* is a taildragger. You can learn to take them off and land them, but a tricycle gear on a trainer is much easier for beginners. Beginners bang up their trainers. It is normal and is to be expected.

Could a beginner learn on a taildragger, low wing like the 4*? Yes, if......a lot of ifs. What are the odds? I don't know, but I think you would have to have a patient instructor buddyboxing you, and you would have to wait a long time before he let you take off and land. Longer than if you were flying a trainer. You and the instructor may not want to wait that long. You would expect to wait much longer before you solo.

The 4* is supposed to be a fantastic plane. It is well loved by those who have them. I definately will buy one and build it, maybe for my next plane. If not, it will be my 5th plane for sure. There are a lot of great mods you can do on the plane. There is a site where a guy made a nice nose for it and it looks fast. You can reverse the canopy for a smaller and better looking one. Some guys clip the wings short by one rib section to improve aerobatics and landings. I will do the nose and wing mod when I build mine. You will find lots of good stories and ideas on the 4* when you search RCU. Just type in 4 Star, or 4*.

Good luck and maybe you can find a trainer to start out. You will enjoy your 4* much more if you do. Maybe it won't take long.

First of all, congratulations for being smart enough to realize you don't want to fly the Mustang right away (probably 3rd or even 4th plane).

COULD you learn on the 4*? Yes. I learned on a VERY similar low-wing tail dragger, but I crashed it SIX TIMES before I became somewhat proficient. Like blwblw said, you need to talk with your instructor about if he/she would be willing to do so. If you don't plan to use an instructor, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LEARN on a 4*.

While the 4* is a fantastic plane (see below), you would be doing yourself a disservice by starting off with one. There are just too many things to learn as a newbie without adding ground looping and other fun stuff into the mix.

Welcome to the hobby and Good Luck!

Well thanks for the quick replies, I will find/buy a trainer and then buy the 4 star.
And I guess that the mustang is going to get hang from the ceiling for a year or so…

Thanks again for the help!

And as has been mentioned, try to find an experienced RC pilot as an instructor! Flying these things isn't difficult, once you learn how, but the success rate for learning on your own is about 5 to 10% of the people that try.

IF you have to learn on your own, either invest in a good flight simulator, like Great Planes Real flight or Aerofly Pro, or buy an electric Park flyer like the Aerobird Challenger.

Sims will run around $150 to $200, an Aerobird will run about $150 complete. Then go to the trainer, then the 4*, and maybe by then you'll be ready for the Mustang. A warbird is usually recommended as a 4th or 5th plane though.

Good luck, and welcome to RCU!
Dennis-

if you are not interested in the high wing trainer, might I suggest the greap planes easy sport 40. it is a shoulder wing airplane and it slows down and floats very well but also has the capability to be a very nice platform for learning aerobatics. My dad has one and it flies really well. He had a flame out and it float so well he was able to make a normal landing circuit. But as everyone says, find an instructor and you will be flying in no time.

TNRabbit is right about talking to the instructor first. He may have a lot to suggest or he may insist on your trainer. A good instructor will get you thru your training and be there to help as you move up to other planes like the 4 Star and Mustang. I think that I could be flying for the next 10 years and my instructor would still be interested in what I'm doing.

Also, I also agree that you are showing excellent judgement in asking about these things first. You sound like you are going to do just fine.

Another good trainer is an Avistar.

$99US ARF, will work with your 46, semi-symmetrical wing provides good flight envelope, and trike gear for easy take off and landing. After you get the basic Avistar down well, you can covert it to taildragger (theres a thread on that somewhere) and get that practice. Kind of a poor man's two for one trainer.

Then you could likely jump to the 4* next as you'll only be learning low wing as you'll already have the taildragger experience.

Duke

My first plane was the Avistar and second was the 4*60 with an OS91 surpass in it. I love the flight characteristics and have found it very stable in the air, especially windy days. I agree with the others, get yourself a high wing trainer with a semi-symetrical wing and then move on from there.

Come on, don't be a baby, you kow you want to take the Mustang up, give it a try, what's the worst that could happen. How tough can it really be to fly one of these things.

Just kidding, get a good high wing trainer, and a flight sim, plus have an instructor help you. That war bird will hang for at least a couple of years unless you want to rekit it, or have an instructor take it up for a spin.

My progression is PT -40 trainer, GP Cub 40, GP F4AU Corsair. The Cub is hanging right now and the F4AU is waiting to be covered. I am also working on a .25 size trainer just for fun and to let my kids try.

Thank you all for the help and time!
So I decided that I’m going to buy the Easy Sport, probably in kit form. And I will take an instructor, I didn’t even think on flying it by myself.

So how good is the Easy Sport?

just don't do a high speed dive and roll the avistar with a
.46ax.lol

you can convert a tri trainner to a tail dragger
tail dragger are easy, pratice without the wing for slow ground
control. it's actually easier to cntrol when the tail lifts. for me anywho.

with an instructor a 4 star would be a breeze.

a better tool would be the Duraplane. it lives up to it's name.
it won't break your piggy bank
i crashed that thing at leat 20+ times.
one and only time... i killed the engine before i killed the plane.lol
it got me over the learnding curve of learning how to land.
i got sick an tired of waiting for a 5 min flight on sundays.
i learnd how the land on my own within a couple of weeks
it's strudy, ugly and a brick but it'll also teach you how to come in hot
to get ready for the mustang.

you have to push yourself to progress.
there's peaple at my club with over six months that don't
know how to land,do simple trun procedures, fly in a straight
line over the landing strip, good lord...even keeping the plane in
front of you. You will be dependent of an instructor until you
learn how to land the aircraft.
With the duraplane i wasn't skeered or worried.
simple...the more stick time , the better you will get.
you have to set goals and not just fly it around in a circle.lol
i pratice when nobody is around for safty reasons... of course.
safty first !!!!
don't get ahead of yourself but make progress.

a key to helping me control my plane better when i first started.
trun the stick in the same direction that the wing is dipping
to level the plane when it's coming to you.
this help kept the brain farts down.

The best tip by far is, find a good instructor. It may take a little while longer to learn to fly this than a high wing trainer, but it's definitely doable. Personally, I never really felt the "self correcting" nature of my LT40 trainer was that helpful. I think learning to take your fingers off of the sticks when you get in trouble is a bad habit, and something you'll have to unlearn in the future. Plus it's not natural to let go of the sticks when you're flying.

Just my 2 guilders

Kerry

First, I want to reiterate what everyone has said about getting an instructor.
Secondly, I want to give you my learning path. I started a little over a year ago. I fought and fought about what to get as my first plane. I read a lot of threads on this site and my friend and I decided to get the 4*40. I'll tell you right now that I will never regret that decision. While building we download the free FMS flight sim software, we bought a cord to go from the Tx to the computer and we flew and flew and flew. When the planes were done we found an instructor, he checked the planes out, maidened them and put us on the buddy box. We made about 7 flights and we have been on our own ever since. The 4*40, even though it's a low wing and a taildragger, is a very stable airplane that can do some pretty good beginner aerobatics. I am so glad that I didn't get a high wing trainer as I know I would have grown out of it very quickly. Don't be scared of the 4* at all especially if you plan to spend some time on a simulator. Again we used the free sim and it was just fine for us. This route isn't for everyone but if you ahve any dextarity in your hands and know a little about flight and aerodynamics then you will be just fine.
Just my two cents.

Enjoy!

Here's a couple of pics of my 4*40 with an OS 40LA by the way. A little underpowered but a great started combination.

Hurricane, Just curious, you are from Boise, but have a Tulsa decal. Do you have some ties here, or does Tulsa mean something else up your way.

Hey hurricane:

What did you do to make that canopy "smoke colored"? That is hot!

hookedonrc-

I'll reply for hurricane. I presume his "Tulsa" decal and his name "Hurricane90" refer to the fact that he graduated from the "Harvard of the Southwest," the University of Tulsa, in 1990. Our mascot is the Golden Hurricane. Then again, if you're from Broken Arrow (like my wife), you probably already know that.

Hurricane-

If I adopted your approach, I would be "Hurricane91," as a 1991 grad. Do we know each other?

-Scott Johnson

Talking about the smoke-colored canopy.

coletc-

I understand, but I hadn't seen a response to the previous post, and thought I would try to answer hookedonrc's question.

-Scott

WHAT IS THE FOUR STAR WEBSITE? THANKS, GARY.

i have an alpha .40 trainer (ARF) and i've been asking everyone what a good plane is and i've heard a lot of really good things about the 4* .40 so u might like that

I went from a high wing trainer and then to a Four Star 40. I actually soloed on the Four Star. I was tired of the trainer after a couple flights and progressed quickly. My instructor thought I was ready for a taildragger and had me stay on the buddy box for the first couple flights with the Four Star. The plane is stable and fun. I learned basic aerobatics pretty quickly too. I feel the key to my quick progression was AeroFly Pro simulator. I recently lost my Four Star after a snap roll gone bad. The rear of the plane broke off during the roll. I'm not building a DP Ultimate that will handle aerobatic maneuvers a lot better.

Here is the link to Tom Pierce's 4* site http://www.renderwurx.com/rc/sig4star/