I just finished putting together a Lucky Stik ARF and would like to get some pre-maiden flight time on G2 but I don't have the add-on with the Ugly Stik which would be the closest (heck it's really the same thing). Does anyone out there have both the Dazzler and Ugly Stik and if so do they fly fairly similarly in RealFlight? The only add-on CD I have is Volume Two.

For that matter, does anyone have any personal experience with Ugly Stik-type models? How do they fly? My prior flight experience is with a typical trainer (RCM) and a Seagull Spacewalker II (and a whole bunch of messin' around in G2).

Never tried one in the sim, but I've flown plenty of "sticks".

Compared to a trainer, the stick will be more neutral, it won't roll out of a bank on it's own, it won't pull out of a dive on it's own much. On the other hand, it will roll cleaner and "groove" better than the other planes you've flown. It will probibly have a higher top end speed, faster roll rate (unless you really increased the rates on the spacewalker or trainer), and more elevator authority. Landing speed on most sticks is only slightly higher than a trainer, and some of them (with flaps, etc), can actually land slower than your average trainer. Sticks usually have real gentle stall handling as well.

If you read posts on here about flying a 4* vs flying a trainer, you'll get the idea. A 4* and most sticks fly in a simular way. If you use a 4* or such on your sim, you should do fine on a stick.

After flying for a little while, most guys find sticks easier to fly than trainers because they stay where you put them, rather than trying to always get back to level flight.

Of course, you can also put a lot of power, a high pitch prop, and high control rates and an aft CG on a stick, and it can be an entirely different beast, and a heck of a lot of fun.

abu - if you can fly the Spacewalker then there is no issue with a stick. Its easy to fly ... what Montague said is most true. They are the fore runner of your 3D planes today. Thick air foil with a wide constant chord wing.

Well, I guess you could say I can fly a Spacewalker -- having some problems landing one though. At present I have about a 2:1 take-offs to landings ratio. Three dead stick crashes and one "half landing" in a stand of bamboo. The Spacewalker is currently in the hanger getting a new firewall and while it's under repair I got the Lucky Stik going.

Well, what are you doing wrong with the Spacewalk landings? Overshooting, or stalling on final and dropping in short, coming in to fast for you to keep it under control and keep the touchdown "soft" ?

Sticks do have one advantage over something like a Spacewalker, the wing is higher up and the gear is easily reinforced, making capt kangaroo landings less likely to damage anything. Though some of the sticks have a low-mounted horzontal stab that can be trouble. I think the U.S. has the tail raised to mid-fuse though.

My new field here in Japan (used to fly in Corona, CA) regularly has a 90 degree crosswind. You can't really just decide to never fly in a crosswind -- you'd never get to fly. Anyway, as I said three of the crashes are the result of going deadstick ("ensto" for "ENgine STOp" here in Japan) and being unaccustomed to the effects of crosswind I've stalled it out doing a turnaround back to the field. No possibility to just let it go straight ahead as there are trees and stands of tall bamboo on both ends of the field (and a drop-off to another terrance about 40 meters out).

On those times when I have been able to get the plane back for a landing, I haven't had any problems. So it's not really a problem with landing per se, just a problem getting to do one!

Anyway, the Dazzler on G2 fits your descriptions of the flight characteristics of the Stiks pretty well. It stays where you put it, has faster roll rates, and grooves. It's fun to fly but I'm already missing the more scale flight characteristics of the Spacewalker.