sdg666

Hi guys,

I was wondering what do you think about the [link=https://www.balsastore.com/store/proddetail.php?prod=434]Balsa USA Stick 40 Plus (aileron)[/link]?

This will be for a first time kit building experience, for a first time flyer.

Thanks

SDG666

acarter

While this is a great plane, it is in no way a good plane to start out with. Check out the link below for a good list of trainer planes.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4537845/tm.htm

Austin

XTOL

I had one of these for several years and flew it quite a lot.
Its a pretty good flying plane although it does have some shortcomings.

Ground handling is pretty bad and it has some pretty severe roll coupling
with rudder. In fact you can almost roll the thing using just rudder if
you have plenty of altitude.

That being said I enjoyed mine and pretty much wore out an OS40 SF on it.
I have since passed it on to one of the newer members of our club.

I would NOT recommend it as a first plane although it would be
fine as a 2nd plane.

Mike Hammer

sdg666

Acarter, this kit is in the list, the first one in the kit (alphabetical order)

Xtol: Why this bird shall be a second plane, in what exept the rudder coupling is it hard to control?

The rudder coupling could be less if you put some right/left thrust in the engine mount, if I'm right.

Thanks for your answers

acarter

My bad, I was thinking of the big stick.

Austin

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Those stick type planes have some interesting handling characteristics, not necessarily good handling, either. You may want to choose one with a fuselage other than a long piece of hardwood.

CGr.

Mr67Stang

To reduce roll coupling you would want to reduce wing dihedral. I have one of these that was given to me damaged and by looking at it I decided I would fix it and use it for into flights to spectators at the feild. I believe instructed this could be a first plane or after a trainer a decent first tail dragger. The down side is they are ugly[:'(] But because of that it should be easy to build.

XTOL

You could fly it as a first plane if you have a good instructor.
Otherwise a regular primary trainer like a Sig LT-40 will give
you a much greater chance of success.

Like I said I had a ball flying mine and probably had 200 flights on it
before handing it down to another pilot. It just there are lots of other better
handling planes out there that would be more appropriate as a primary trainer.

Mike Hammer

XTOL

I thought the same thing and I actually built another wing
for it with NO dihedral. Flat. It helped a little but it still had
some nasty tendencies with rudder application. I got used to it.

Mike Hammer

TerrellFlyer

my stick 40 plus has couple years of flying on it and as a trainer I think it's a good plane,easy to build ,easy to fly and great price.Mine is a taildragger,servo in each aileron,os48 fs w/2 degree right offset,goes straight down runway.as most trainer now a days it will not save it self if the sticks are released but it will try to come back to neutral,I,ve over 30 years building/flying and I still enjoy mine, especially with new students.

buzzard bait

It's a trainer--of course it has roll coupling! Show me a high wing plane that doesn't--without anhedral.

I liked mine with an OS .40 FP. I lightened it some and it came out just over 4 lbs and flew very well. But it needs down trim. The wing is flat bottomed and the airfoil will lift even when the flat bottom of the wing is parallel to the airflow. In other words, with the bottom at zero degrees it actually has positive incidence. Since the flat stab is a zero, it is negative to the wing. It flies fine but you have to carry down trim--be prepared when you make your first flight!

It would be a perfectly good first plane if you have an instructor. As a first kit, you might need some help in places, but it goes quick and easy. We did a bunch as club projects to teach building a few years back.

Jim