Hello,

I've been flying an LT-40 for about two months, and I would like to begin building a second plane during the winter.

However, I am lost as to what a good second plane would be. My boyfriend is pushing me toward the SIG Somethin' Extra, however I was wondering if there were any other planes that would also offer a step-up from a trainer plane.

BIY is probably the way that I will go, mainly because I will have a few months during the winter to work on the project.

Any suggestions would be a great help!

Thanks.

Hello RC-Chick,

My second plane was a GP stick. It was easy to fly and landed just as easily as my trainer. Since then I have flown a H9 US 40 which is even easier to fly than the GP Stick. In my hanger waiting to be assembled is a H9 P-51 and Sig SE Kit but I am not going to fly these until I am really happy with the sticks.

If you check some other threads, some have even said a US 40 would be good as a trainer and with programming and dual rates, it can be as crazy as you want it to be....

Welcome to the hobby!
Flying Scotsman

Hi RC-Chick, the something extra is fun to build and fly, doesn't glide to good without power,BTE makes the Venture 60 which is propably the best kit I have ever seen, the flying is great,turn the controls up and it's just funner,all the stick planes will do,also edge 540 is very stable and lots of fun, hopes this helps,also beg a few flights with other club members planes.
John

My vote for a second plane continues to be a Great Planes Easy Sport. I think it is a perfect step up from the trainer. Advanced enough to have a lot of fun with, yet tame enough to keep you out of trouble. I think it is essentially a stick only it looks a heck of a lot better. And it comes as an ARF or a kit.

I would stay away from the Something Extra at least until you master your second plane.

Ultra Stick 60 with a 90 4-C on it. Pref OS, YS or Saito.

I think this is about as flexible a plane as you're going to get. It'll speed right up, hang on the prop no problem, slow down like your trainer, roll like a stunt plane, just about hover in mid air even in level flight (mine will sit there putting along at a speed I could walk ahead of, and just fly with the flaps down)... It builds fast, takes off in about 4 feet with the flaps down and really introduced me to mixing / computer radios / 6-channel setup.

Theres lots of advantages to the ultra sticks. Mine's sitting here begging me to fly it again.

Anyhow.

I think a high wing stick would be good you should build it as a tricycle gear they are so much easer to handle on the ground. My $.02 CB

Im thinking of the SIG 4 * 60. I too have been flying the trainer, and my mentor has the 4 * 40, 60 and 120. All with 4 strokes. That plane is awsome. Itll do anything in the air you want, at high speed or low speed, plus itll slow down enough for a great landing.
Those 4 strokers are nice to..they sound good, have LOTS of power, easier on fuel, and not as messy as the 2 stroke.

Groundforce took the words right of my mouth!
My vote is a Sig Four Star 60 with a Saito 91s. the plane could not be easier or more fun to fly!

Doug

RC Chick,
What type of flying do you like to do or want to do? I would recommend that you visit local clubs and look for a plane that you like. Many club fly-ins and the such is the best place to do this. Once you have found a plane that you like then either get that kit, or an ARF with the same design.

As far as engine, I would recommend either a 4 stroke or 2 stroke that is at the upper size limit.

Go with the Something Extra I started out with a LT 40 also and built a Something Extra for my second plane it is fun to build and a blast to fly.

I think the somethin extra is a good plane but for a second plane I think the 4*40 or 60 is perfect.

I'm sure there are at least ten planes you could choose from for your second plane. I've had Extras and unless you tone them down, they can be pretty quick for a second plane. My choice is still the Great Planes Easy Sport ARF because you can tone it up when you get used to it, you can put one together in a week, and for $130 you really can't go too wrong.

A shoulder wing with symmetrical airfoil and little or no dihedral. 40-60 size. Search for a plane that fit this bill, and since your building it yourself, you can eliminate dihedral as you build.

I would go with the Easy Sport before the 4*. I've had both. The 4* was my second plane, but the Easy Sport has a number of advantages. It is a little bigger and easier to see. It has a mid level wing for better stability, but it is about as maneuverable. It has trike gear so it handles better on the ground. But best of all it has a little higher wing loading, so it will come on down when you are landing, but it is still tough to stall. The 4* floats and floats and floats. I would routinely run out of runway before I could get it down. In fact, I lost it when it crashed after an aborted landing. Also, a trike gear is easier to keep on the ground once it touches down. A tail dragger tends to bounce repeatedly. IMHO, when you move up from a trainer, you don't want to change too many variables at once, so I say go with the Easy Sport. If you prefer Sig products, consider the Mid Star or Cavalier, but the Easy Sport is a solid, tough choice.

Hi RC. I've also just started out this year and just went from a trainer (Superstar 40) to an SE that I built during the Spring. I've had it up about a dozen times now and find it to be a lot more fun to fly than my trainer! A few tips...don't use the control rates that they recommend when you first start flying it. I set everything pretty low (maybe 30 - 40%) on low rate and left it at about 60 - 70% on high rate. At the lower setting and at about half or third throttle, it's very easy to fly. I also went with a 46FX for the engine so it is not too much to handle. I also feel that it is just as easy (easier in some ways) to take off and land than the tricycle landing geared trainer. I also think that the 4 Star would also be a good second plane. Whatever you choose, make sure to ask for help from some of the more experienced flyers when you begin to trim it out. This is definitely an "addictive" hobby! Good Luck...Len

Get a Carl Goldberg Tiger 60. Low wing, trike landing gear, and flys like it is on rails. Good luck Loren

whats up rc chick,get either a 4star60 or sig somethin extra they are both awsome planes

I'm a poor college student on a rather - well, limited - budget. Cost is going to be a big deciding factor in the plane that I choose to build. My boyfriend has a GP Extra sitting in his basement waiting to be built, so I have considered taking over the controls on that plane.

The instructor that I learned to fly with owned a Four Star, but I'm not sure that that would be the plane I would want to move to. It seems that everyone at our field owns either a 4* or an LT-40, and I would like to move to something a little less used.

I've heard both good and bad points regarding the Extra, and I guess I will just have to look into this matter a little more.

My flying style thus far has just been to play it safe, however, I would like to move up a notch (just to prove to the "men" that I can fly more than just a basic pattern).

So, any opinions on the Extra would be helpful.

im going through the same stuff right now so i know what its like so go with the extra

Did you consider a Sig fazer?

First off a few comments about some of the choices out there. I don't like the landing gear on the Easy sport. The soft landing gear wires makes the plane bounce down the runway. The 4* has to be slowed down so much to make it come down to land that it makes it a pain to land in the wind and the wings are so low to the ground that they are almost scraping the grass! Whats left thats inexpensive, flys great and is easy to land is the Sig Midstar. Its a midwing but it flys like a good low wing. It has an incredible speed range, is aerobatic, forgiving and lands as slow as but easier than a trainer because it doesn't flair up if a breeze hits it on landing. The design is straight forward and makes for a fast easy build and looks better than any stick type plane. At $75.00 its a lot of kit for a good price!

I have an easy sport, and did have to change the main gear. but the new alum. gear work great and tolerate my landings. LOL good luck loren

If you are going to build this winter, then I would look at a tiger 2 of tiger 60, depending on the size of motor you want to run. both are good kits to build and at a good price in the kit form. you will find that they fly real good and they will do anything you want them to do. I built a tiger 2 a couple of years ago and put a OS 60 in it and I had more fun with that plane. Had a bomb drop, flaps and a 60 motor and I could hang it on the prop, but do put a large battery in the plane because you will want to fly all the time

Once you truly master the trainer, you can fly anything well less a huge aerobat. But still anything will pretty much work. Just build the extra and crash it for me okay You just better get good at aerobatics in the mean time!

Here's my suggestion for a second plane. The Carl Goldberg Models "Tiger II". It looks good, and flies great. Here's a pic of my wife with her new Tiger.