Looking at the Mini 3D with a O.S. .25 LA. Been flying my Nexstar for about two months now(first plane), put 50 flights on it, and getting kinda itchy for something with a little more fun. Good plane, good flier, and love putting her up. Just hard to do somethings. Would a Mini 3D be a decent plane to go to or is it too much for a second plane?

Edit: I just ordered my new radio (Futaba 7c). Be here Thursday. A friend at the field said to use the new radio on the Nexstar for a while to get used to it and then get a second plane. Do you agree?????

I don't know about the mini 3D in particular, but I don't have a problem with someone going to a fun-fly model for their second plane. Something like an Ultra Stick would be a more natural progression, but I say go for it.

If you plan on going with a fun-fly please dial down the control throws to tame the model a bit for the first dozen flights or so, just to get familiar with it. Also be prepared to stay ahead of the model while you're flying it. Fun-flys can get away from you pretty quick if you aren't prepared for it. Lastly, you should probably get an experienced pilot to go over it and test fly it for you. If you're confident that you can test fly it yourself go ahead and do so, but it's probably a safer bet to get a veteran pilot to test it for you.

About the radio: It's probably a good idea to put it in the Nexstar for a flight or two while you're putting your second plane together just to make sure it works, but it's not a huge deal if you don't. You won't be thinking about your radio while you're flying, and the sticks still wiggle just like your old radio.

First, I would say that using the radio in your existing plane is a great idea.

Next, getting the Mini 3-D is totally dependant on your skills, and how you intend to fly it.

If you set mild controls, you may find it an easy flier. On the other hand, you may break it the first time up. Let's face it, everyone is different. Two people with the same plane and the same stick-time may have two different results.

It's like the person who says "I've been driving for 30 years and never had an accident". Does that mean they're a good driver, or just lucky?

I would say a very good option would be to build a 20 size SPAD that is similar to the Mini. Fly it around, bash it up, and get used to it's characteristics. If you can easily handle it the first time out, put the engine and radio in the Mini. And you're only out the 10 or 20 bucks you spent on the coroplast. However, if you find it's very difficult compared to your trainer, you can keep fly/bashing it until you've gotten the hang of it.

SPAD????? Whats that.

S-imple
P-lastic
A-irplane
D-esign

Do a search on here for SPADs. There's tons of info and plans. Basically it's a cheap plastic airplane made from stuff from Home Depot. They fly OK and you can beat the heck out of them.

Why not take the engine from your plane and put it in an OMP Edge or if you aren't so concerned about 3D, build a Sig SE.