Hi all,

I've been doing some research before deciding on a second plane for myself. I currently fly a Sig LT-40 with an O.S. .46 LA engine and have also flown a tower hobbies tower trainer 60 a few times. I plan to add another aircraft to my collection, and after having read many threads in the various forums on rcuniverse, I hope to get a low-wing trainer of some sort (ARF). I would also like to stick to a modest budget, probably under $150 or so.

It would also be great if someone could advise us on which engines are a good value for one's money. Anything in the range of a .46 to a .91. The reason why I say "us" is because I am certain that there are people in the same boat as myself.

I have a few favourites, and even though I might come in the beginner category myself, I know that there are a few people at the club where I fly, who could help me with the first few steps.

The Phoenix Strega @ $99.00 from tower hobbies appeals to me the most.
The Sig Four Star @ $150.00 from tower hobbies
The phoenix models Funstar @ $99.00 from tower hobbies
The WM T-34 Mentor from Horizon hobbies and Hanger 9 @ $169.00 - I really like this one
The Lanier Dart @ $75 from Lanierrc.com
The Lanier Laser Early @ $105.00 from Lanierrc.com
The Great Planes Super Sportster 40 MKII ARF @ $150.00 from Tower Hobbies
The Phoenix Models Sonic 25 Low Wing ARF @ $75.00
The Tower Hobbies Voyager 40 MKII ARF @ $99.00

I would be happy to get any input from anybody who is willing to share some advice

Looking forward to hearing from everybody.

WM T-34 hands down. Great flying plane, plenty of performance on a good .46. Very docile, good low speed handling characterists. And it even looks good. One of the best ARF's there is, IMHO. You might also want to consider the WM Super Sports 40, basically the same plane, they fly almost identically.


Andy

The WM planes are very good choices. The T3 is nice but the SS 40 is less pricy and also flys really well. Some have stated that the SS flys faster than the T34 but I havent seen a T34 in person. My SS flys very fast at throttle but doesn't mind being slowed down to a wlk either. The Lanier planes are not expensive but the fit and finish, building materials, and the way that Lanier planes are put together make the planes not worth bothering with imo. Way too much plastic involved. Nothing wrong with the Great Planes Super Sportster 40 MKII ARF. Its a very good low wing sport plane. I own a SS 40 but not a Super Sportster but from what I have observed the 2 fly much alike. For good engines in this range I would look at OS 46AX or Thunder Tiger PRo 46. Both are easy to adjust for a good run and are very strong engines. These 2 brands are very consistant in quality. Hope this helps. Fast...

I haven't flown any on your list, however, I can identify several that do not look like good second plane candidates. These include the Strega (sorry, save it for later), Funstar, T-34, the Laniers (simply because I don't like the 1st generation ones).

The ones that look like possibilities include the 4 Star (which gets lots of good reviews), the Super Sportster, the Sonic (but only with an engine toward the lower end of the range), and the Voyager, but as I said, I haven't flown any of them.

Now, just to confuse you, I'll add a few. If you're looking in the .25 size, check out the World Models Aircombat series. They are not at all scale, but for $80, they are alot of fun. Mine has had more flights over the last 6 months than any other plane I have. So far, it's had a Saito .45, OS 25 FSR, and OS 32 FSR (which is what's in it now). The Saito came out quickly, it flew well, but I had to put too much weight on the tail to get it to balance. With the .25 it was a really nice plane that was quick, but not a rocket. The 32 turned it into a rocket, but it will still slow down really nice. The only drawback I can see is that the engine is cowled in, which makes tuning a bit more challenging. You can see them here: http://www.airborne-models.com/

Next is the Thunder Tiger Lazy Tiger. This plane sort of looks like a P-51. However, it's got a big, fat wing which lets you fly it really slow. You could save some money now by just moving the OS 46 LA to this plane and then getting a "hotter" engine for your 3rd plane.

As for engines, my favorite "value" engine is the K&B Twister. For some reason, this doesn't get much interest in its own home country, the US. It's got great power and weighs the same as several commonly recommended .45s. It's on special right now for $100 at: http://www.mecoa.com/kb/aero/aircraft.htm. You can use this engine in a .60 size plane, or put it in a .45 size plane and have yourself a rocket. I just finished mounting mine in a World Models .45 size P-51. I'm still assembling it, so no flight reports yet.

4*. You won't be sorry.

Go for theWM T-34... I have about 6 flights on my second one and it's a beauty of a second plane... looks great (if you do your own decals, not those cheesy ones that come with it) and flies great as well. IMO it would be tough to beat this one for a second plane.. and I picked mine up at thee LHS for 120 out the door, shop around and you might find a better deal. I've flown this plane with an engine as small as a .35 and it flies great and I know they pylon race them with .60's in them and it still slows to a crawl for landing and sticks to the ground like nothing else when you touch down. Great all around plane, you won't be disappointed...
I'll post pics of my home made decals later...

It would also be great if someone could advise us on which engines are a good value for one's money. Anything in the range of a .46 to a .91. The reason why I say "us" is because I am certain that there are people in the same boat as myself.

Go for the Saito 82 or the 100 if you really wanna go 60 sized.

I have a few favourites, and even though I might come in the beginner category myself, I know that there are a few people at the club where I fly, who could help me with the first few steps.

The Phoenix Strega @ $99.00 from tower hobbies appeals to me the most. Nah
The Sig Four Star @ $150.00 from tower hobbies Yes yes yes
The phoenix models Funstar @ $99.00 from tower hobbies Nah ... TT Spirit 3D is a lot better, I have both
The WM T-34 Mentor from Horizon hobbies and Hanger 9 @ $169.00 - I really like this one DEFINATELY!!!
The Lanier Dart @ $75 from Lanierrc.com No comments
The Lanier Laser Early @ $105.00 from Lanierrc.com No comments
The Great Planes Super Sportster 40 MKII ARF @ $150.00 from Tower Hobbies Very nice for sure
The Phoenix Models Sonic 25 Low Wing ARF @ $75.00 Forget it, meant for fast pylon racing
The Tower Hobbies Voyager 40 MKII ARF @ $99.00 No comments

If a plane will fly well at slow speeds, handles the wind well, is crisp control without being snappy, is reluctant to stall and will land at slow speeds but faster than a trainer, and then I consider it a good 2nd plane choice. The T34 has the military plane look but it has all of these good 2nd plane flying characteristics. Another really good choice would be the Goldberg Tiger 2 ARF at $160.00. The 4* planes fly well but float way too much while trying to get them to land. Try to land a P51 as a 3d plane the same as the 4* and you won't make the runway before it stalls and crashes. [8D]

Try the WM Mach II low wing version. At $70, it is a lot better than the Phoenix Sonic low wing. Put a .40 size engine on it for training. Then upgrade to .46+ size engine for pure fun. Great little plane for a little bit of $$$.

I've got to put in my vote for the WM Supersport 40. This plane is among the easiest to assemble and fly. I have flown dozens of them and have friends that swear that the plane makes them look ten times better pilots than they really are.

I have a Great Planes Super Sportster 40 MKII ARF which you mention in your post. It flys great on a .46 2 stroke, plenty of power, and does good aerobatics. I`ve used both an OS 46LA, and a YS 53FZ 4 stroke, and whilst the YS does a better job, a 46 2 stroke will be fine.

This would be a better FIRST airplane rather than a high wing trainer in my opinion.

You may also want to consider what kind of landing gear set up you want in a low wing trainer. I have not had too much success so far with my tail dragger Avistar, so I went with the new Cermark Graduate. Trike gear, nice looks, very good construction, and will fly with a 40 2 stroke (although the assembly instructions leave a little to be desired IMHO). It had a short review in the February issue of Fly RC, which is what caught my eye. I also put in an OS 40FX, which is the same engine the reviewer used. I'm looking forward to testing it out when my field gets clear of snow and mud. Good luck in your choice!

Whoops! Sorry, included the picture of my third plane,.....still learning how to download images!

who sells WM airplanes?

I second the question My nexstar had its maiden on Saturday and I'm already wanting to get started putting together number 2. The WM T-34 looks good

World Models models can be bought online from www.quantummodels.com I've never dealt with them because my LHS keeps WM planes in stock but from what I've read in the forums they're by far one of the best to deal with, I believe also that they have free shipping if you spend X amount of dollars although I have no idea what X is LOL. You can also look them up at their home page www.airborne-models.com hope this helps... you'll love that T-34....

Since no one to this point has commented on the Voyager that is on your list, here is a thread about it. I really don't have a lot of negative on it besides the covering, just don't expect it to be a hot flyer...it is very docile. I think for the money, you have better choices...I am partial to the 4* line. I have a 4*60 with an OS91 surpass and really like it. It was my second plane and I was able to fly it on low rates very easily.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_24...tm.htm#2477191