First off, I'm a newbie to this place, so please bear with me until i learn the 'etiquette'

I have been dabbling in this hobby with my pop (i am 31 yrs. he is 65) for a couple of years, I figure he won't be around forever I should do something to spend as much time with him as I could. Plus, my son likes this stuff...anyways, me and my pop have been flying his PT40 (OS.40FP/3ch version) for a little while, and I have a couple of electrics, and I want to step up. I can fly the PT40 fairly well, I havent slammed it hard (yet..hehe) it's still flyin pretty well.

I am looking for a good 2nd glow plane..I'd like a taildragger, not necessarily 'scale', just a good basic 4-channel KIT that I can build on while I hone my 'skill' with the PT40. I have an old ENYA .15 (never been in a plane, only run on the stand), that OS.40, and a 4-channel Futaba (attack 4 am). I don't mind building, in fact building is almost as fun to me as flying (what little building I've done). I'd prefer something in the .10-.25 range (my hanger is sorta small!!)

Suggestions?
Thanks- JGC..go Southern Miss!!

Herr has some small taildraggers that might fit your needs. Lanier makes a .10 size Stinger that seems like it might be what you want. House of balsa has some small planes that might take that .15 okay. I have a Pica Messerschmitt with a .15, it's a rocket.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

The problem with most planes in the 10 to 20 size is that they're petty "twitchy" and fly fairly fast, especially for someone new.

Second planes gnerally recommended are the Sig Four Star (4*), the Goldberg Tiger 2, the World Models Rambler, the Great Planes Super Sportster and a 40 size "Stik" from one of a couple manufacturers. Pretty much in that order.

The 40 FP would fly any one of these pretty well, and you could buy a good used 40FP for about $40. That way you could leave the other one in the PT.
Dennis-

Your experience sounds a bit limited to me. That being the case I would avoid the Super Sportster and the Rambler. They are good planes but would be a bit frisky for you. At this point I think the best choice would be the 4* in the 40 engine size. It has a very wide speed range which means that you can throttle back and catch your breath if things get carried away at high speeds. Its also a good tail dragger trainer. You do need to come in slow to land. If it is above walking speed it will keep flying without losing altitude!!

Want something cheap and easy to fly? Try the Phoenix Scanner ... easy plane to land on a dead stick also. The quality is good, not great, she will last a long time without the covering crinkling up. Its decently acrobatic and a lot of fun to fly. Building it is easy too.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I had looked at the 4* but thought it might be a bit advanced for me. But from the info i gather on the web (like Fastsky said) it can fly slow enough for me to catch my breath if I mess up. Plus it's a good looking plane from a reputable manufacturer.

Taking the .40 out of the PT would be sort of dumb, considering i can get another fairly cheap.

Regardless, the shop will have to order the kit, and it'll take me a while to build it, so I'll have plenty of time to fly the PT..if our weather ever clears up.

thanks- JGC

I just bought a 4 star 40 as my second plane about a month ago. I love that bird. With the control throws set low it's a pretty tame bird. Then when you get used to flying it you can crank those throws up and really have some fun. I have the Thunder Tiger .46 Pro in mine and it will scream across the sky. Excellent plane. I'd recommend it to anyone. Simply awesome.

the four star would be an excellent choice. ugly stick type , sig Kavalier or similar. witha .15 your choices are more limited. you could check ebay or post magazine ads .Butterfly(Dynaflite) Ace used to make something called Alpha 15. which is a trainer but with the smaller size would find it "frisky" Sig had some small planes with foam wings in the trainer /sport class but are discontinued . try e bay.

I have a Tiger 2 w/OS .46 AX in it. What a great flyer!!! You can build it as a trike gear or taildragger. It also flies well when its
windy! Slows down nice for landings too!!! That .40 engine you have would haul the Tiger around pretty good. Not a rocket but nice and
lazy.

Dave...

There is no reason this size plane needs to be either fast or "twitchy". As for being too much for someone new, I learned on a plane that had an Enya .15. I consider myself an ok learner, but certainly not a superstar. The key is picking the right kit for the skill level, building them light, not setting the control throws too high, and remembering that the throttle has settings between idle and full

I think the biggest problem is that so many people have either moved to electrics, or have been steered away from smaller glow engines by stories of how hard they are to fly that manufacturers have largely abandoned this range. House of Balsa has severl kits that would work well for a .15 engine. Here's a couple that might be worth researching further.

Laser Stick .10 (aka Chea-Pass) - I've read that this one is fun and can be setup tame. I have a kit on the shelf, but haven't built it yet. Might start it soon, but have to finish my Pilot Hyde-Away 15, and then my Shrike 10, and then maybe my Marutaka F-4 Phantom, etc. Of course there's also the Great Planes F-15 I just bought off eBay that I've got to fit into the build schedule, but I digress.

Spacewalker - This one looks tame, but haven't built it.

I'm sure there are many more out there. I see older kits on eBay all the time.

Chuck,
You're most likely right and there are planes in that size range that fly pretty well, and might even serve as a second, I just haven't flown one I'd feel confortable recommending to a new guy.

Maybe it's the lack of available stuff in that size range, but having to send someone over to THAT overpriced auction sight to try to find one isn't all that appealing to me either.

I wouldn't even consider recommending a SHrike!
Dennis-

I agree that most are not appropriate for a new flier. Since he said he also had some electrics I figured he might be ready for something a bit more challenging. I've always tended to buck the trend by staying with the small engines. It is kind of a pity that most of the small plane market has moved to electric, but the manufacturers have to follow the trends. Perhaps we should start a "reverse glow conversion" forum to discuss converting electrics to glow power.

Oops, smack me with a wet noodle for not mentioning RCU marketplace first.
Where IS your sense of adventure? How about that Hangar 9 Corsair trainer I'm hearing so much about these days?