I have a strong feeling I am going to be wanting my own trainer plane! Would a .46 size trainer be easier to fly or more difficult than a .60 size trainer? If I decide to purchase a trainer, what is the potential as far as speed and flight stunts with a trainer? Thanks!
Rich

most likely the .60 will be easier to fly for a couple of reasons that i can think of...

with a bigger engine you won't need as much of a runway that the .46 would need ...

bigger planes are usually more stable to fly and easier to see in the air

having more speed will make doing some stunts easier but since it's a trainer you're going to be limited

i doubt you will really notice a huge difference from either size trainer, i personally would save the money and buy the.46 size
but it's up to you

The vast majority of trainers are .40 size. The different engines are plentiful. Plus, the number of .40 size second planes is mind boggeling. A lot of people say that bigger planes fly better, and in the majority of cases they are right. But, as a beginning flyer, a standard .40 trainer is more than enough to learn on. You'll be more concerned on how to fly the plane (whatever the size) than anything else. Be it .40 size or .60 size, both sizes fly fine. Some people say that the .60 gets off the ground faster, but I've still seen .60s that take a lot of runway - a lot depends on what prop is used and the weight of the plane. IMO, the lighter the plane, the better the performance - but on trainers I personally think that they fly better with a little extra weight (be it from crash damged that been fixed or whatever). As for the bigger size being able to be seen from further away, that's both true and false. If the plane is kept close enough to be landed dead stick, then your not to far from the runway. A smaller plane kept a a respectable distance will look the same size as a larger plane at a further distance away. I'd stay with a 40 size plane. A good choice might be an MidwestAerostar - when you start to graduate to mild aerobatics, just get a new wing that's being used on the Midwest Aerobat (same fuse - different wing). Basically you'd have two planes for the price of one.

Thanks bassfisher,
An awesome suggestion! If I do purchase a plane, that is exactly what model I would give a top consideration. I don't want to lay down my hard cash on a plane that I will hit a "skill" wall with. I'm not saying I am going to progress to "Joe Rocket" flyer, but I definately want the added bonus of a single plane that can grow with me. thanks (I am pasting so many posts, I have an airplane .doc that is already 7 pages long of tips!!)
Rich

Rich,

Once you have tose docs finished. Post a link to them. The views of a new pilot and what he has learned and is learning a very valuable here. As an example, piper_chuck and I came up with checklists to be used for at home and the field before and after flying and they average 50 downloads a week just froim RCU. These are a compilation of what all the members suggested.

Volkan has a great beginners post that is pinned to the top of the beginners forum along with my Pay it Forward thread. I would be more than happy to give you a place to host those docs if you need it. Just PM me

Here is the link for the checklists. They are in both doc and pdf formats. Feel free to edit them for your needs. Most people are laminating them and putting them at there work bench and in their flight boxes

http://www.krcs748.com/checklist/

I agree with the recommendations so far. 60 sized planes are much easier to see and fly but in a trainer the 40 size is not that much different. You will be flying in close anyway and there are tons of great second planes in the 40 sizes that you could transfer the stuff put of the trainer into if you wish to do it that way instead of buying more stuff for the second plane when it comes time.

Do not worry about the multiple questions/post. You are asking great questions and in my opinion following a good path to get started in this maddness/addiction. Just get a bigger limit on your charge card and hand it to the local hobby store (LHS as we call it here).

I would recommend the .40 size trainer.

Size does make a difference, but from a .40 siez to a .61 size trainer, there isn't that much difference that can really be noticed, especially at the beginning stage. The .61 size will cost more in the initial investment. There are a lot more .40 size trainers to choose from. And there are more .40-.46 size planes for your second plane.

Despite what some people say about buying a ball bearing engine for your trainer, I do not recommend one. Your trainer engine will probably take some hard knocks and many people like to keep their trainer to put a warm up flight on before flying their new, second airplane or to fly on marginal weather days. A plain bearing engine is cheap, easy to run and it won't over power your plane, which can cause more problems than you think. Get yourself a Thunder Tiger .42GP or an OS .40LA and fly the socks off of it.

Guys who put a ball bearing .46 in a trainer are making it harder for themselves. The more powerful engine will require you to carry extra down trim to keep from climbing or run the engine at very low power. I don't have my students run full power on a plain bearing .40, so you obviously don't need the extra power. Carrying down trim to keep from climbing from flying too fast makes you have to hold extra up elevator on final. If you release the up to make a roll correction at low altitude as many new fliers do, you'll bounce down and chip the prop.

I guess my reason for suggestuing the Midwest planes are 1. It was my first "gas" kit to build - even though now I'm pretty sure that it's an ARF, 2. I learned how to fly "gas" on an Aerostar (I actually started out flying gliders). I have flown plenty of students on other trainers,(and have owned a few different ones) and yes there might be some better and a few worse. In fact, my son's trainer is an older Pilot ARF, but it sure flies well.
I personally think that if a "newbie" builds a kit instead of an ARF that they will actually get more satisfaction from the plane itself. Nothing like transforming a box of sticks into a flying machine! These are just the words of an old "balsa farmer"!!

Ed,
Interesting post regarding the behavior of a BB vs bushed engine in airplanes. By coincidence I needed a replacement engine, and I purchased the OS .46LA blue engine. I am told I "uneducatedly" made a perfect replacement engine choice. Here I go again with my car experience, but car/truck BB car engines often see intermittant severe thrust and radial loads on the crank, so BB supported cranks are almost a must have. I was concerned about purchasing a "bushed" engine, but it was so inexpensive, and it was an OS, so I bought it. Now I'm not even concerned about it.
Rich

Dude,
Do you really grow and mill your own balsa???!!! Thats so cool!

Can you teach me on how to grow Lexan? LOL

Bubba,

Thanks for the post and the checklists. I have been looking for a set to laminate and use...

Cheers,

S&L Flt...

The Midwest Aero Star is a great trainer and they still make it as a kit,through Midwest or your local hobby shop. They also have it as an ARF but that is through Falcon Trading, Falcon also has the Midwest Aero Bat. They can be seen at www.falcon-trading.com. I fly them all and also use the Aero Bat as a trainer, it can be flown just like the Aero Star or set up to do a lot more, it's quite aerobatic if you want it to be. It also makes a slick just go out and goof off flier after you solo or a nice sunday flier to relax with.
ENJOY!!!!! RED

One more vote for the 40 size machines. The 60 trainers may fly a bit easier, but maybe not -- they are about the same in my experience. The bigger planes are easier to see (there are 40 size trainers just as large -- eg. Nexstar & Kadet Senior), but the visual advantage is not great &, as noted, you shouldn't be flying that far away when you are learning.

The advantages of the 40's include the huge range of choices out there with a great deal of trainer airframe development effort spent on them, they are cheaper, use cheaper engines (TT .42 GP & OS .40/46 LA are perfect for primary trainers) & are not as easily damaged in a crash -- big planes often disassemble impressively in a crash that smaller planes survive with minor damage.


Performance, price & durability -- hard to beat.