Does anyone know of a good second plane to have? I am thinking of a plane with 3-4 channels. Under 200$ and ARF. I want the plane to be fairly aerobatic and a wingspand of 45 to 75"'s.

Sig 4*60 or a GB Tiger 2 both these plans are great second low wing planes, they will do every trick in the book and land slower than most Trainers and have no unusually flight characteristic that I have ever found.

Just my .02 worth

One of the sport type SPAD's or just about any "stick" type plane

Ultra Stick 40 from Hanger 9. I got mine from my LHS for $100. Very well built, attractive. You can build it with flaps and airbrakes to perform "crow" if you have a computer radio. It also comes with regular full length ailerons. I had a OS 40 FP and it could do 300 ft verticals. Pop a 46 fx on it and you could hover and TR with it.

Avistar.

Every once in a while it will be on sale at Tower (and my Local Hobby Shop will match their prices.) Even list price isn't too bad.

This is a completely aerobatic high wing trainer type plane. A good .40 will fly it fine, a .46 ball bearing engine will make it a screamer. Be sure to fly your first trainer until you're really sick of it. The second one, too. Get all the flight practice you can out of the first couple planes, and you'll never regret it.

Good luck!
Dave Olson

Scar the Avistar is my first plane but thanks for giving me advise on the engine with the ball bearings.

I would say that a Ugly Stick or one of the planes from VectorFlight depending on the type of flying you want to do.

Do a search on "second plane" and you should come up with some ideas, but I just put together the new monokote Great Planes Easy Sport and flew it today for the first time, and it flies great. I had the sticky-back covered Easy Sport a couple years ago and loved that one too. I think you can get one for $130. I've also had a couple of stiks, and if you tone them down at first, that's also a possibility.

I got an Easy Sport and I love it, there are tons of good feedbacks on Sig four star, Goldberg Tiger 2 and great planes Easy Sport. the easy sport is a shoulder wing, the other two are low wing. Easy sport has 59" wing span and costs $129 Arf. I use it with an OS 50 ringed.

a 1/3 scale extra 300 with a 150 cc twin and a 9 channel computer radio would be my choice but my wife wont let me get a lone.

My second plane (8 years ago) was a Super Sportster. Liked it so much I just bought another one.
Dennis-

What type of flying do you like to do?

Another good second plane is a World Model Super Sport 40. It is around $100-130. It's a 40 size and really is a good ARF. It fly and lands great. Quality is very good. The anly things I do not like are the fuel tank (I replaced it) and the landing gear is a little soft, but I never replaced it. I have a Thunder Tiger Pro 46 on it with a 11x5 APC. It has a lot of power.
Do you have an engine?
The Thunder Tiger Pro series are good engines.

Good Luck

Bill

That's a good question, which I thought about asking you earlier, is, do you want your plane to be semi-scale or more of a fun-fly? And, yes, the TT Pro 46 is a good engine - it runs well in my airboat, which if you think about it, needs to be very reliable.

Cessena 26,

I've just finished torturing myself over the same question. I ended up getting a Sig 4 Star 60 (the ARF kit was $160). I am putting a Saito 100 on the plane.

I'm flying an LT-40 right now as well as a Zagi.

I went with the Four Star after a lot of soul searching. I also seriously considered one of the 60 sized sticks. I went with the Four Star because I wanted to get some experience with low wing tail wheel. The wing still has some dihedral for stability (not as much as my trainer) and a light wing loading (again, not as light as my trainer but still manageable). I understand the Four Star will do some decent aerobatics, but will not bite you.

I have many friends at the field flying 60 Sticks of various sorts and one who is also enjoying the Great Planes mid-wing sport. They all seem pretty happy.

I think the question about where do you want to go with it is a good one. I'd like to do some IMAC when my skills allow and so low wing and tail wheel training were important to me. I liked the looks of the Four Star better than the sticks also. However, I nearly got a stick. It seems hard to go wrong for the price.

Good luck. Half the fun is weighing pros and cons of the next airplane.

You might also want to consider a plane that you can expand with. that is to put more throw into the controls and go with more power later on all with the same plane. I have had a falcon for many years it was set up as a trainer at first but now it is set up as a docial high wing airobat. And when I re-coverd it I set it up for my first float plane. I can pull the ground gear off and add the floats in a matter of minutes.bottam line the plane has had the capacity to be modified throughout its life.

There will be as many opinions as you want on this question, so it will be a combination of all of the advice you get here. The order that I did was:
1. Avistar (trainer)
2. 4*60 (low wing and easy to fly)
3. Ultra Stick 60 (I love the speed and and its aerobatic ability)
4. SIG Something Extra (building the kit now.)
5. I have more planes on my wish list to than I have money to
buy them. I am considering the following: Excite 90,
shoestring, and every other one I like. oops...I am getting off
track here.

Listen to everyone, talk to your flying friends, and take everyone's advice into account.

BTW: I still fly my Avistar when I just want to relax.