The Venus II thread in the pattern forum contains a trove of information:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_39...page_35/tm.htm

As to whether or not the Venus II would be the best "first" pattern plane to go with, I think that really depends on how much building/assembly/setup experience you have. The Venus II isn't supposed to be overly complicated, but you'll want to do a few ARFs before tackling a project like the Venus II. With a Great Planes ARF, however, you're always guaranteed to get great instructions and great customer service if you do get stuck while assembling the plane.

There are plenty of great engines that should fly the Venus II well. The Venus II thread details the experiences of dozens of other modellers who built and flew the Venus II. I'd recommend taking the time to read all 866 posts if you're really interested in trying the Venus II.

Bigger planes are nice if you have the money and hauling capacity for them. You seem to be wondering if a Venus 40 would be just as good as a first pattern plane, gaRCfield. That all depends on if you're looking for a plane to learn and practice with, or if you're looking for a plane to compete with.

The Venus II would display better during competition. It would also likely be more stable if you're competing in windy conditions because of its greater size and weight. A Venus 40 would be just as capable for learning and practicing with, however, and it would be a lot more economical to outfit and run. Forgetting the much lower cost of the airframe, suitable radio equipment, and suitable engine, just the fuel cost difference between running a .55 AX and a 1.20 AX would be substantial. Pattern pilots practice a lot, and running big engines, especially on high nitro fuel, will add up quickly.

A Venus .40 ARF with standard servos and a .55 AX or Saito .72/.82 would be a terrific plane for learning pattern flying, practicing pattern flying, and competing at pattern contests at the Sportsman level. If you won at the Sportsman level with your Venus .40 then wanted to move up to Intermediate, that would then be the time to go ahead and invest in a larger airframe.

A Phoenix Models SeaBee .46 ARF ($109.99) with a JBA .56 2-stroke ($79.99) and a Hitec Laser 4 or Airtronics VG400 radio w/ extra servo and Y connector ($135) would be just as capable for training and practicing pattern flying. You don't need to spend a lot of money until you start competing in contests, and even then you can compete in Sportsman class with a very modestly priced setup.

The OS 120 AX is the best for you, in my opinion.

What ever happened to this idea?
http://www.nitroplanes.com/swallowex90.html

I run all my glow engines with Power Master 15%. I run everythig from A 1/2A to the YS 1.40 sport with the same fuel. I have used 10% and it worked fine for me. I have only ran into A fuel problem with one brand of 20/20 four stroke fuel but that could have been A batch problem?? None of my engines would burn it very well.
I was taught to tune by one of the very best YS guys so I'm able to get away with maybe A little more then other pilots. If you can't get A four stroke to run correctly then bumping up the nitro really helps. Other then getting A four stroke to tune {idle} better and easier I have never seen any reason for all the extra nitro and cost.
That statement will open up A can of worms!!
When I invert an engine I don't use A glow driver either!! I may as well open up both cans!!
John, Directions??? That guy at the club is always better then directions!!! All 14 of them!!!

Ya'll must have an electric can opener I do agree and I also do not use glow drivers. My YS' are all used on competition aircraft and of course the very high nitro is part an parcel of the event to stay competive. I know of no other engine capable of surviving let alone excelling, considering the mal treatment we do to these things.


Oh yeah your local Guru I have no doubt your statement about him is accurate and I also would not be surprised if he has the Plumbing Drawing (directions) stashed in his tool box just as you and I have.

Heh. You've never built one of their Flatouts, eh? They couldn't identify one of the parts for me. Instead, they sent me the generic FO sheet again, which still didn't have the part.

The last GP ARF I bought was a Skybolt. Great plane, lousy covering. Sure, there's Monokote on most of it. Just not the lower half, which is crappy stuff that shrinks at a different temp than the top of the plane. Very nice.

I've seen 3 guys at my field who had the YS.

one had it in his Jekyll and finally gave up and sent the YS back to get rebuilt and relooked at by YS.
The other Just couldn't get it running right and had to adjust valves and still could not get it running.

The third guy too his out, put it in the back of his pick up truck and replaced it with a OS1.20 4stroke. And everytime he comes to the field, he has the YS in his truck bed still, with the prop on it. he's an experienced veteran pilot but refuses to mess with the YS.

So out of the 3 YS i have seen, none have worked correctly.

All 3 pilots have said that the YS produces more power than their equivalent competitors, but what's the power mean when they can't even get it running half the time.

So with YS track history and your experience, I'd say stay away from YS for now.

I couldn't go wrong with the 120 2 stroke or 4 stroke, or either? For some reason I was under the impression that OS 4 strokes are not the way to go for these planes.

The minimum engine requirements for the Venus II are .61 2-stroke or .91 four stroke. The 1.20 AX and the O.S. FS-120S-E Surpass would both provide more than enough power to fly the Venus II with authority. The 1.20 AX would have more peak power and weighs a few ounces less than the FS-120S-E Surpass however, and is generally regarded as offering more value as it costs about $100 less.

The Saito 1.25 costs $40 less than the FS-120S-E Surpass, and weighs a full half a pound less. It would also be an excellent choice for the Venus II, but care would have to be taken to make sure the airplane didn't come out tail heavy. The O.S. 1.20 AX weighs about five ounces more than the Saito 1.25, and most pilots say the Venus II balances nicely with the 1.20 AX. Servo placement should be useful for adjusting the CG without adding nose weight.

I'm thinking the 120 four stroke would save over $100 next season as fuel here is $30+ per gallon (10%)

Holy Moly what kind of fuel are you using.. It is 19.99 for 15% here. Cool power, Omega 17.99 for 10%

See my note above about the Saito 1.25. Don't worry too much about fuel costs. By next spring glow fuel will likely be back down to $15 per gallon again.

Fuel never was $15 a gallon here; we're in the middle of nowhere and getting screwed by the LHS's. One of them leaked and said he's getting gallons for $15. He told me he'd sell me a case of 10% for $140.

I'll check into Saito. It just seems that there are mostly 120AX and YS 110's in these planes.

Nathan, Lean your pump an 1/8-1/4 turn and then try it. Both my Focus and Icepoint fly on 1.60's and
I never have a problem hand flipping them even on the first start.

For A .90 size plane the OS 1.20 AX is hard to beat, Excellent power and easy to use, with a pipe it will
pull a 10Lb plane vertical and out of sight. and swing a 17x10N,For less than a YS 110. or Saito. I have
heard alot of gripes from pattern pilots about the Saito 1.25 in a pattern ships.
Most of the Northeast pilots use the OS 1.60 or 1.40RX or Electric so getting LIVE help with a YS might be hard.

As for the YS 110 being the best of the 3 engines I don't see alot of difference between the YS and the OS 120 AX
except in where the power comes in. The OS likes to rev more and the YS makes good power in the mid RPM
Range. If you pipe an 1.20 AX you can fine tune the powerband with pipe adjustment. and it will have just as much power.

You are in a situation where it might be beneficial to order fuel and have it shipped.

www.magnumfuels.com
Sport Fuel $19.00 per gallon buying 3 to 5 cases (12 to 20 gallons)
15% nitro
13% synthetic
5% castor
Other oil packages are available

Same fuel with 10% nitro is $18 per gallon

This price includes shipping to a business address. I have a friend who runs a body shop; maybe you know someone who could receive the shipment?

You'd want to verify with Magnum whether a hazmat fee would be added.

In 2003, several of us got a 35 case order together and Magnum gave us a club discount in addition to the "16+" case price. People bought everything from FAI to 30% heli. The fuel worked as well as any other brand, and my last gallon was just used up this year.

My fuel had a 5 year shelf life, with no issues, so don't be afraid of buying 12 gallons. The hard part is turning loose $216 to 228 in one chunk.