My wife and I bought our 13 year old son a trainer for Christmas. I have realized I'm probably as thrilled with this as he is and have been looking for a plane of my own. I don't want to purchase another trainer since we have one, but want to know what the next step up would be. We can both train on his for now, so where do I go from here?

I've read that the 4*40, or 4*60 is a good second plane.

maybe,a low wing trainer?

Everyone has always told me to go with a low wing plane like the aforementioned 4*40 and 60. I decided to go my own road and purchased a Super Kraft Cap 232 sport. This is a sixty sized aircraft that has more of a sport wing(read thicker). This will make the plane a little slower(read easier to land) than a normal, thinner cap wing. I liked the looks of the plane better than the 4* type plane. Also, it looks as if when I am comfortable flying it at low rates, it should be able to get pretty wild once I go up to high rates. Anyway, Super Kraft puts together a quality plane, except some of the hardware that came with it I didn't like, so I switched it out, in particular, the landing gear and tailwheel were crap in my book. The TNT gear that I ordered is spectacular though. Any way I am happy with mine, plus it's a plane that I really never saw at the field, so it's a little more unique, if that is important to you. Good luck with whichever plane you decide to go with.

Get a Goldberg Tiger II or Tiger 60. Or a Sig 4-Star 40 or 60. Or maybe one of the 'stik' planes- like Ugly Stik, Lucky Stik, Big Stik, etc.
All fly well and come as ARF's or kits, in various sizes.

Go and have a look at www.spadtothebone.com you can have your second plane for about $10, a Debonair or BUHOR with a flat wing fly similar to a big stick, or for fairly good performance on a standard 40 have a look at the DPS.

any way have a look it'll open your eyes

Sig Something Extra,Sig Mid Star,Goldberg tiger,most any stick type plane,to name a few.

You didn't say if you wanted to buld a kit or get an ARF. If you are interested in a kit, the Top Flight Contender is a good second plane. If you want to see what it looks like and read alot of comments on it just type in "Contender" in the search bar and take a look.
I am currently building one along with a few other folks here at RCUniverse and we are showing our progress.
Just my two cents worth. Good luck with which ever method you choose.
Al

As a second plane I like the SPAD SPAZZLER or the QHOR. Stable, durable, inexpensive, and fun planes.

I want to thank my new friends for all the advise thus far! I at least have a few options to look at now and not searching blind! Again, THANKS!!!

Check out the Sig Astro-Hog, too. I was able to "guest" fly one a few times this summer and it was sweet. No bad habits. I am now building a Contender as my second aeroplane. I wanted to play with flaps and it sports six servos to the Hog's four, and the Contender looked easier & quicker to construct.

For an ARF, the Super Sporter 40 looks & appears to fly nice.

I suggest you join a club. In the past year I have seen hundreds of models being flown and that really helps, (as did the pilot on the other end of the buddy cord for the first few months). ;-)

I think the Contender is a little hot for a second plane. I'd keep the control throws real mild for the first few flights and I would have an instructor or seasoned flyer do the first flight.

I would highly recommend the Ugly Stick (Big Stick, Super Stick, Ultra Stick) type planes for the next step from a trainer.

To answer another question... Yes, you CAN both learn on the same trainer... But don't YOU be the one to crash it! You're wife will never let you live it down! LOL

MinnFlyer, you know my wife? Sure sounds like you do, or you been married more than a month!!! LOL

Goingstraitup,

Thanks for the warning. I have dual rates on my Futaba 6DA (I think I was the first and last guy to buy one of these TX) and use them on my RCM 40.

I'm putting an O.S. FS-70IIS with a 13 X 8 prop on the Contender. At mid-range RPM I am hoping it will cool down a bit. My club has a soft-rule that you don't have to first-flight your own airplane (unless you really want to). Even some of the very experienced fliers defer to the "founding fathers" for hot or experimental birds. We have a deep bench of pilots who are semi-pros in R/C (I am amazed at how often I come across names I recognize in old or current magazines).

I can't recommend or relate highly enough the difference an instructor made for me. Like many guys here, I tried on my own years ago and only succeeded in planting an otherwise functional engine in the ground under a heap of balsa.

And sometimes it is much harder to learn from someone you know and love as opposed to a better prepared stranger.

Hey Charlie P,

I think things are going to go great with your Contender. You definitely have the right attitude about flying the plane. Sounds like you have a great club! I think my membership dues to my local club are my best hobby dollars spent.