I am looking at getting my first glow plane. I want more than a trainer, but something I could handle fairly easily. Some planes I have looked at are the Hangar 9 Ultra Stick 40, Hangar 9 Twist 40, the Sig Four Star 40, or just about any 40 size plane. I have been flying a Hobby Zone Super Cub, and I feel like I am ready for my next plane. I went to my local flying field and flew a Tower Hobbies Kaos on the buddy box, and was told I should be able to handle a plane similar to it. Now I just wanted some advice from those who have been in similar situations, and have flown these planes.

Keep in mind that you'll be learning a lot more than just additional piloting skills when you buy your first glow plane. You need to learn how to fuel and start your glow engine, how to properly tune and adjust your glow engine, how to properly clean and maintain an airframe with iron-on covering that regularly gets splattered with glow fuel, how to setup, trim out, and adjust the control surfaces of a 4-channel glow plane, and a whole host of maintenence and repair issues that have nothing to do with what an awesome pilot you are.

If you're going to be flying with an instructor on a buddy box, a "Stik" variant or a "low-wing trainer" type aircraft such as the Sig Four Star or Goldberg Tiger 2 will fly and land in a stable enough manner that you can train on them from the outset. Forget the Twist 40 for now. A short-coupled fuselage and large control surfaces for 3D flying are not your friend. Save the Twist 40 for next season when you've gotten a lot of stick time on a good aerobatic sport plane under your belt.

The following list of planes would be good 'advanced trainers' for you to fly with the help of an instructor until you can be checked out and "solo'd" on glow planes:

Hangar 9 Ultra Stik
Hangar 9 Super Stik
Hangar 9 Pulse XT
Great Planes Big Stik
Great Planes Easy Sport
Great Planes Rapture .40 (kit only)
Sig Mid Star (kit only)
Sig Four Star
Seagull Models Spacewalker II
Seagull Models PC-9
Goldberg Tiger 2
Goldberg Senior Falcon
Goldberg Skylark
Model Tech Lucky Stik
Thunder Tiger Tiger Stick .40
Thunder Tiger Cloud Dancer
Phoenix Models Dolphin
World Models LA Racer
World Models Sky Raider Mach II
World Models Super Sports
World Models Super Stunts
Sportsman Aviation Sport Stick
Tower Hobbies Voyager
VMar Xtreme Stik (shoulder or low wing)
VMar Arrow
VMar Ramrod
Black Horse Models Speed Air

Good luck and good shopping!

What he said but my preference would have been a stick. Easy access for learning and adjusting things etc.

Add the Tiger 60 to that list. It was my second plane and I still have and fly it. My original config was with an OS 61 SF which pulled it around just fine. The plane is larger than a 40 size but handles like a smaller plane, like a low-wing trainer yet capable of doing aerobatics. It has a two part wing (the ARF) with an aluminum center spar that makes easy transport. I 'upgraded' mine with a Super Tigre 75 and later on, after having some interesting muffler problems, a MACS Tuned Pipe, which is also a great combination. One guy at our club has a 90 four stroke on his and it too flys just great.

Also, the Four Star 60 is in the same class and is equally easy to fly and very capable, but I believe this plane is one part wing (does not come apart.. someone may correct that if it is wrong).

I like the larger size, clearly improves visibility. After flying it for a short time, I was able to see everything that was going on during landings and actually see how the controls (elevator/ailerons/rudder) work during the slow flight during approaches and landings. It really helped me improve my landing skills, and of course, my flying skills.

Two great choices you may also consider.

DS.

CGRetired brings up a good point. You don't have to confine your selections to .40-sized aircraft only. The jump to a .60-sized bird isn't really all that much more money. Since you were looking at .40-sized aircraft, that's what I listed.

The Ultra Stik, Super Stick, Big Stik, Cloud Dancer, Four Star, Goldberg Tiger, Lucky Stik, and World Models Super Stunts are all available in .60-size as well as .40.

I just purchased a Super Tigre ringed G-61 for $79.99 from Tower Hobbies for a project in the works. That's cheaper than several .46-size glow engines, and considering the Super Tigre is a dual-ball bearing engine with a 3-year warranty, that's pretty impressive.

A Hangar 9 Super Stick .60 ARF and a Super Tigre G-61 would only set you back $199.98 for the pair. Add a good 6-channel computer radio and you will be flying for less than the cost of a Nexstar Select RTF but with a much nicer setup!

Hehe, I like that setup so much for the price, I might have to add it to my shopping list sometime!

As far as the different engines, is there one that would be better to start with? I planned on a 2 stroke because I have heard they are easier to start with, and I guess now I didn't know if there was one brand that seemed to stand above the rest. Also, what would be a good start for things to take to the field when flying? What is necessary, and what is not necessary to have with you? Thanks for all the comments up to now, I really appreciate everyone's help.

For engines, stick with a major brand. I've always had good luck with OS. Thunder Tigers run pretty well for me too. You need to decide on a plane size (.45 or .60) first and then start looking at specific engine models.

I don't know that anyone really sells a "bad" engine anymore. What's nice about the O.S. engines (the non-ringed models) is they require very little breaking in before they are running and idling reliably so you can just go flying and not worry about tuning all the time.

With less expensive brands, they may require a little more break-in time (my GMS .47 and Magnum .52A engines come to mind) or they may need a little more maintenence. Bolts may work loose on the cylinder head (my GMS .47) or you may need to lok-tite the muffler screws or fix an air leak in the remote needle valve (my Magnum .52A). Cheap engines will run great, too. They may just take a little more time and effort to get there.

O.S. Max 2-strokes break in very quickly and everything stays pretty well bolted together without requiring a lot of fuss. Particularly in the .40/.46 and the .61 size two-strokes, however, I don't think you can buy a "bad" engine from any North American distributor anymore. O.S., Thunder Tiger, Magnum, Super Tigre, MECOA, Evolution, Webra, GMS, KangkeUSA SK and JBA, Norvel, Aviastar, K&B, HB, HP are all good running, reliable engines in this size range. Each brand has strengths and idiosyncricies (fuel prefrences, prop ranges, break-in periods, glow plug ranges, etc.), but all of them will provide good reliable power if you break them in properly and spend a little time to figure out how to best tune them up.