I told my friend about RCU and the great advice you provide and he would like me to ask this for him. My friend’s two choices for a second plane are as follows below. Please help him decide. He will check back with me sometime in next week or two. He has flown for two years, taken a year or so off, but wants to get back into it. He will take one of my planes up to get the feel of flying again while he is building one of these two kits. He will then help train me.

So here’s his first choice:
Sig Four-Star 60 Kit .60-.75,71"
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...4&I=LXFG16&P=K
if it can be converted to have the main landing gears on the wing.

That is his first choice as he wants a tailwheel. He wants the landing gear on the wings, so if that one can not be converted this is his second choice:
Great Planes Super Sportster 60 Kit .45-.61
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...4&I=LXJ576&P=K

And what would be the best engine choice for these two?

While both of these are fantastic flying planes the decision in your case is a no brainer in my opinion. Go with the 4-star. The 4-stars were almost designed to be 2nd planes, and you won't go wrong with it.

Ken

Thank you, I have heard great things about them, but can they be converted to landing gears on the wing? If so how far forward should they be placed and at which rib bay areas?

P.S: And what would be a good choice for engine? Something that almost runs great right out of the box with not too much adjusting?

I wouldn't worry about the gear on the wings with a 4 Star 60....No matter what you do you'd be moving the gear aft of where it is now and increasing the height of the Plane..increasing the chance of tipping over...plus all the reinforcing you'd have to do. I flew my 4 Star for over 2 years as she came.....

I will chime in on this one. My second was the Tiger 60. I really liked it and it was a tough airframe. You need something tough even after you consider yourself as qualified after solo. You won't believe the things you do to your second plane.

However.. I must agree. The Four Star (both the 40 and the 60) are fine aircraft. Very easy to fly and very forgiving.

The difference, the obvious difference between the two is that the Tiger is a trike-gear (nose wheel) setup that can be converted to a tail dragger. The Four Stars are both tail draggers. That amounts to the difference between the two, although you might find that the Tiger is slightly heavier than the Four Star and this may give the advantage over to the Four Star.

No matter, both are great and your choice of the Four Star 60 is a good solid decision. Enjoy flying it!!

CGr

I agree, go for the 4-Star. Don't get me wrong, the SS-60 is an EXCELLENT airplane and I love mine. It's a little on the heavy side though, pretty fast and actually very maneuverable. This makes it more of a 3'rd plane in my opinion. The SS-60 kit is also a much older design and doesn't build quite as easy as the 4*. Still, I highly recommend the SS-60 at some point down the road.

I'd run the 4-star gear as is. The wing structure doesn't really lend itself well to putting the gear there.

Engine choice is easy... OS .61-FX or OS .75-AX. Both will usually work well right out of the box.

Four star or cooler looking Hanger 9 Pulse XT with OS 46 or Super Tiger 45. I really learned alot of basic flight and aerobatics with the Pulse. I tried the Super Sportster as my 2nd plane....I wouldnt do it again. The thing was a missle with an OS 46.

Not a true low wing but it has served me well as a second plane. The great planes cosmic wind minnow. If you mount the 91surpass 4 stroke up front it gives you plenty of power to get out of botched landind situations. And its
"quick" but not fast. Might want to step up to a 1.2 fourstroke and get a speed demon

I fly a copy of the Four Star (Phoenix Dolphin). First off, they look A LOT better in person than they do on the websites. Second, they are A BLAST to fly!!! Tail draggers are fun, and the plane is stable yet can do any aerobatics you're able to throw at it.

I vote for the Four Star

For a first build there is just no option here. It is the 4 Star all the way. I will also add my praise for the SS. It is a very good airplane and a decent 2nd plane. But bieng as you are going to most likely be building your first plane from a kit SIG is the best choice. I have one to build some day. But I mostly build from plans or just design and roll my own so to speak. Anyway the manuals that come with the 4 star are worth thier weight in gold. You will find them excellent and a good deal of info outside the specific kit. There is info on trimming and plane set up and the list goes on and on. The manuals are worth the price of admission.

And I will also add that the quality of SIG kits has always been exemplary. They put good wood and parts in the kits. My only real gripe is the cheap push rods they give you. I use them for throttle rods mostly just cause I have a bunch. They are too flexible for my taste. Try some Sullivan's, they are probably the only pieces I would switch out. Plans are great and they fly fantastic so it's a no brainer here. 4 star is the choice. Oh yea it is a tail dragger, so that will be up his alley.

Mark shuman

If it's your first build, the 4* is easier to build and REPAIR. There's no carving

The wing's front airfoil is not sheeted so if you crash it ..you don't have to re-sheet.
It dosn't look as purdy on the ground..but heck once it's in the air you can't tell.
The wing is actaully pretty darn strong...That's the only part I have of my 4* .60 is the wing...after i burried it 4-5 times.

I actaully hate wheels on wings..due to storage and transport. The darn wheels sticking out of the wing
cuase hanger/transport rash.lol You know...you take 2-3 models flying after a while.
And you can't stack the wing in closet to hide it from the Mrs. Becuase you told her you only have 5 models...plus the 5
other models she dosn't know about.lol
Anyway, you can mount the wheels on the wing. Just angle the gear to where the axial is even with the LE.

The other problem I had with my SS was...yeap, it lands a little bit hotter than a 4*
The wire langing gear will bend after a while. Then I cracked the hardwood gear mount block and mounted the gear on the
fusealge away.

I don't have problems with cutting down the 4* canopy, installing taller gears, wheel pants, removing diahedral, clipping the wing...bascailly bashing it.

The SS is sweet, but I wouldn't recommend it for a first build. GP kits are nice too. Pre shape LE/TE ...sometimes even with slots for them.
I actaully use some of GP techniques to modify how I mount the 4* tail to the fuselage.