Hello,

I'm thinking about buying the Avistar 40 for my first RC Plane. Just wanted to see if anyone else has it and how they like it. I'll be joining a club in the next few days also so I'll be getting instruction.

Thanks,
Ben

I have had two and they were both excellent. One I won in a club raffle and the other I bought that had been modified to a taildragger with no dihedral. The unmodified one was an excellent trainer with the os 40 fp and the other one was a good aerobatic trainer also with a 40 fp(ported for more power). I taught a couple people to fly with the stock one and gave people'introductory flights'. Then I sold it to a new club member. The other one I eventually sold also but still miss it. It was close in performance to a 'stick' type airplane. In stock form they are pretty gentle and easy to fly. Slightly faster than a traditional traditional trainer. All said they are a great trainer with more than average ability to progress to a 'second' plane without buying a second plane.

Simply a great plane. Was my trainer. Still have it and enjoy flying it. A 46 will really wake it up.

I have to agree with the above posts... I used mine to get back into flying after a few years absence. Great gentle plane with a .40 and as stated, a .46 will really liven it up without making it too heavy to float in on the landing. If you get one you will not be disappointed. Builds really quickly and comes with good instructions. In my opinion a perfect beginners, or everyday fun fly plane. The semisemitrical airfoil will really allow you go grow with the plane as well, i think I've done up to 10 (seriously) continuous loops with it and could have done more with no problem, not that that's a big deal but still fun for a beginner LOL.. fun to fly...
Casey

I had an OS .50 SX on mine... I learned and soloed on it... had a blast with it until I crashed it! That's one of the best trainers to get IMO... the semi-symmetric airfoil and very little dihedral make it a lot more fun than a flat bottomed trainer. It should keep you entertained for quite awhile...

Its a great plane for a good price. If you put a 46 on it, you will also learn more about about throttle control than you will with a trainer because at full throttle it will be too fast for you! Its a good plane to use for other faster planes. The plane is more responsive than a standard trainer so there are a few new flyers that just can't learn with it but with a good instructor you should be ok.

I had the Avistar as my trainer and loved it. It is also a tough plane and can take quite a bit of punishment. It's still balsa, but it is built very well. I wouldn't heistate to get another one if I was going to get another trainer. Another? you say...yes, I lost the first one to a mid air with a bird. I figure the odds are you won't have the same thing happen to you.

BTW: If you do a search on RCU you will find countless threads about the Avistar...and other trainers if you want to look into them as well.

I had the NexSTAR trainer and, after listening to many people both here and on other locations (a great write up in the AMA's Sport Aviator magazine) I sort of wish I had decided on the Avistar. From what I hear, it can go from a doscile trainer to a rather agressive aerobatic with not much more than an engine change. The above posts back that up so it probably would be a great trainer for you. I did enjoy the NexSTAR but very VERY quickly grew out of it after solo.

The NexSTAR is RTF at $399.00 but, as I said, after solo, there isn't much you can do with it except fly training orbits, landings, and some very limited aerobatics. It has a strong engine (OS46FSi). I removed the existing Futaba radio and put in my computer Airtronics RD6000 so I could buddy box with my instructor who had Airtronics. As such, I did not use the AFS (Automatic Flight Stabilization) and didn't feel that I needed it at all.

You can probably do equally as well with the Avistar as a trainer plus get the benefit of an after trainer fun fly aircraft.

I just started in RC and bought an avistar as my first plane. I've only flown it a few times and i love it already; flies great. I have a futaba 6exa for a radio and a thunder tiger .46 pro for a motor. Simply a great set up.

Great Choice in a starter plane. I just started last year with one, but I did upgrade to a OS .46 and bigger wheels because we fly off of a grass field at our club hear in Green Bay.
The Avistar will also perform some basic areobatics well, where ase some of the other trainers don't.
Good Luck.

BenMK, I started with the Avistar/LA 46 about 10 months ago... It was
a Great Plane for me, and after I got the basics down, The Avistar took
me a little further into aerobatics.. She does need a little more speed for
landings than a normal flat wing trainer, But still lands and flys great!!
My Avistar will soon be on floats to continue giving me more challenges,
and I'll still be able to use to train others!! I don't think you can go wrong
with it!!

I have a Avistar and I love it. It flies real nice when you're starting out, then you can do some insane aerobatics that the Super Star can't even dream of (I'm sure someone will contradict that ) I bought one about a year ago, crashed it 3 times and converted it to taildragger and I have t fly it everytime I go to the field. . BTW, in the pictures, I have no rubber bands on the airplane, because it is just sitting on the living room floor. The last one is off the internet. Happy Flying!

I love my superstar and can to back to back loops until i get tired of holding the elevator down, but what can the avistar do that the superstar cant?

avistar or LT-40?...both would be paried w/ a .46NT