I want to move on from my trainer and was looking for recommendations for a good 2nd plane. Something which I can use to learn few aerobatics without getting me into trouble. I was thinking of the following planes with associated engines:

Great Planes Big Stick 60 with an OS .70 or .91 4-Stroke. or a
Hanger 9 Ultra Stick 40 with similar engine.

What do you think? Anything else similar and which 4-stroke engine would you recommend.

Thanks
Steven

Skidd,

Any of the stick planes wil make a good second plane. I had the O.S. and the Magnum 91 engines. For these planes, I don't think you could tell the difference between the two engines.

I had the Big Stick 40, wish I had gotten either the Ultra Stick 40 or the larger 60 size. The added flaps make a difference, and the US 40 with crow activated is pretty neat.

I'm with you about the Stick planes. They are the best second planes that I'm aware of. Along the same lines, only slightly more advances are the Sig "4stars". The 4star .40 would also be a good choice. Have fun.

4star 40 or 60,,,,,,They will continue your building education too,better than the sticks.....IMO

STICKS...STICKS......STICKS !!!!

Ugo

If you want a arf, sticks are great flyers, but butt ugly. The 4 Star 40 is a great 2nd plane. Builds easy. Very stable airframe. Are you looking for an arf or kit?

I had a 4*40 for my second plane. In hindsight, I graduated to it a little too early, and it proved too difficult for me. I lost it in a pretty spectacular crash, and ultimately replaced it with a Great Planes Easysport ARF. The Easysport is a MUCH better second plane in my humble opinion. Ground handling is better because of the trike gear (although ground handling was never much of a problem for me) and it lands easier because its wing loading is a touch greater. In our small field here in NW Houston I had a terrible time getting the 4* on the ground. The Easysport also comes in a kit if you want to build it. A veteran flyer at our field built one and loves it.

Sticks seem to be a favorite also. I got a Hanger 9 40 size Ultra Stick for Christmas that I'll be assembling soon (I'm in the middle of another project now). I read it's a great second plane as well, and looks like it would be a lot of fun if you want to invest in a computer radio with 7 servos.

A Great Planes Easy Sport 40 with either a OS 70 or Saito 72 four stroke. My son had a Easy Sport with the OS on it (his 2nd airplane). I could be as gentle as a lamb or a skyrocket.... depended on how much you opened the throttle.

I would personally recommend a World Models T-34. Great second plane. Comes as an ARF and World Models quality is very good. A little more advanced than the trainer but still very easy to land. Trike gear so he doesn't have to learn how to fly a taildragger just yet.

Have a look at this link for details:

http://www.airborne-models.com/html/t34.html

and here is a pic (comes in red, blue or yellow):

Thanks Guys,

I have read (and heard) a lot of healthy advice both here & at the field, so I think I will go for a Big Stik 60 ARF with either a .70 or .91 4-Stroke.

Thanks for the advice....keep it coming and happy flying.

Steven

Goldberg Tiger 2 ARF. ...'nuff said

while we're on the topic.... what are the sig citabria's like to fly
are they much sportier than a trainer? I just ask because I have always been interested in them, and would probably choose one if I had the training / finances for a civilian plane

They seem to fly ok. You have to be careful on landing with one of these. They will come in quite slow but, 1 notch below this speed and it turns and whips into the ground. There used to be 1 flying at our field. It's been out for repairs after one of these HARD landings! :stupid:

My vote is for the Goldberg Tiger 2, tracks extremely well in the air and on the ground, and will teach you a lot of new "tricks".

I wish I would have got a Hanger Nine Advance-40 as my second plane. But nooooo, I had to buy a Coool looking Messerschmitt 109 tail dragger. It ended up cartwheeling off the left side of the runway on its first take-off! It did a torgue roll when it got about a foot off the runway because I had failed to put right thrust in the motor mount. Right thrust! Right rudder! Too much for a beginning flyer. Stick with a low wing plane with a tricycle landing gear as your second plane. Beleive me know and understand me later. (Say that last sentence like Swarzenegger)

Hey NINEFINGERS;

Was that the Modeltech 40 size ME-109. Your description of your first flight with it was an exactly like mine. Have flown the Iron Crosses off of it since then.

No, Robotech, it is the Kyosho ARF .40 size kit. It was better after I added about 5 degrees right thrust to the engine. There was 0 degrees built in it, another reason new flyers should stay away from planes like this. See, now, after building several models, I would know about right thrust and giving the plane a little right rudder and not gassing it too full throttle on take off and that kind of stuff. I had a hot little engine in it too which complicated matters a little more. (OS .46 FX, with a Macs Muffer, 15% nitro).

I agree with many of the other responses that the Stick clones are the best second planes. Most of the Sticks on the market, both ARF and kit, are based on the original Ugly Stik. There are two others that are based loosely on the Ugly Stik, the Sig Mid Star 40 and the Great Planes Easy Sport. Either of these will also make a decent second plane.

Howard

Go take a look at the link below its a great plane for the money as a matter of fact I honestly believe it was eaiser to fly then my avistar. I has a very large wing area so it will almost fly backwards. I call it my kite. THe World Models super stunts 60 offers an 80" wing span with a 68" fuse and is very light can't remember exactly the weight but I would guess around 6- 7 pounds even for its size. Oh and if your club ever has the big bird events well guess what its 80" wing span should get you in there.

I used hitec 605's on my flaps and the 645 mg on the elevator. powering it with a crappy Towerhobbies .75 I say crappy because I have had nothing but trouble with the (TH)

http://www2.mailordercentral.com/qua...item=1&mitem=1

Blackie

Very stable, and when you are ready you can set it up for really wild aerobatics. I have a friend (very advanced pilot) that put a .90 fout stroke on his, it hovers at half throttle. Several members at my club have them, and the only guy that doesn't love his doesn't like ANYTHING.

Jet

Actually my second plane was a 40 size ugly stick with a Magnum 91 four stroke on it. The AOA of the wing since I needed prop clearance(larger wheels and ladning gear), made for very interesting take-offs, or should I say blastoffs? No time to think about rudder input

I bought a TF Contender as my second plane. I hope it is a easy to fly as TF makes it out to be. :stupid:

Tom

Let me know how the Contender does. I was considering this as well but was talked out of it by my instructor. Now looking at 4-Star 60, Venture 60, or Tiger 60.

David

i just used my tiger 2 for the first time a few weeks ago. this is a great second plane. it was just as easy to fly as my trainer.
Jeff

Get a fully symmetrical airfoil/low wing/tail dragger, it'll give you something to fly when it's too windy to fly your trainer... I recently graduated from my Avistar to a Dragon Lady 40 and was pretty surprised by how different they flew. Took a couple of flights to get used to it, but it cuts through the wind much nicer than the trainer. Allows you to land without issue on those windy days... Just don't try to fly in 20-40 mph winds (I learned the hard way).