I'm looking for my next plane. Before you suggest one keep this in mind. This year I started with my first plane, it's an LT-40 (nitro .40) I built from a kit. After I soloed I made an epp profile foamy (electric) and learned to hover and what not (didn't like it though because it was floppy and had no airfoil). Then I built a .25 nitro combat plane. Then I was given a crashed aero-sport .40 from Midwest (I repaired 2 chunks from the wing and some fuse work etc). The aero-sport is a stik type plane from like 15 years ago or something. It is my main plane now but it can't knive edge or hover etc. I can do every trick possible with this stik plane (with an evo 40NT engine). It's power to weight ratio is under 1. For my next kit I'm looking to go giant gas but budget doesn'y allow that until next winter (I'm only 13). So for my next plane I'm now looking for a plane that has like a 2:1 power:weight, can hover, KE, harier rolls etc. I would also like to keep it between .40 and ~.60. I can also put in about 500 hours this winter to build it so a kit is good to keep me busy (an arf would be boring because we get like 3 feet of snow up here and it is in the negative temperature a lot so it would sit in my room for a year). My instructor recommends maybe getting the great planes dazzler kit. It is only $59 for the kit but the manual says it takes only 2 weekends to build (no fun for the rest of the winter then). I think it would hover and go vertical with a nice engine but it's ugly and to fast to build and the wings are not removable (not a problem but I prefer bolt-on wings). I might go for the great planes extra 300s .40 kit and put an OS 55ax on it for vertical. The extra is a scale kit so i could put in some good hours on it I think. But I'm also looking for something big. I like big*** planes! I chose the biggest trainer available for my .39 engine (70inch span). I can handle up to about 75" of wing (one piece wing) in any 3 of the family cars. but it's hard to go big on a budget. If you know any big LIGHT kits that can do vertical with like a .40 or so then plz fill me in. Don't worry about skill level because... I'm not going to brag. Oh, and I can't go with the GP extra .60 kit because it needs a 1.20 engine to go vertical. I'm getting a computer radio (DX7 probably) so I can do the dual servo's everywhere. I need to get started soon beccause school starts in 2 weeks and I want to set up the build before school.

Remember that 3D planes are purposely built to be VERY light, which tends to make them quite fragile.

By the time you are ready for them, hard landings should be a thing of the past.

They are also to be flown slowly.

A great 3D plane in the size you are talking about is the U-Can-Do 3D.

It is a great into to 3D, but it will break if you breath on it too hard!

The AMR planes are also fantastic at 3D, and the Addiction just has to be seen to be appreciated!

I have greased every landing since my solo (seriously) and I'm not looking for speed. But the u can do 3d does not come in a kit!! A plane like that but in a kit would be good.

Sorry my bad!

Planes similiar to a Twist come in kits.

like the sig somethin extra? is that good for serious 3d?

Try looking at http://www.ohiomodelplanes.com/models/index.htm They have many kits for sale. For your first 3D plane nothing beats a profile. My first glow powered 3D model was a 70 size Katana profile. Some guys just can't get past the plain looks of a profile but it will do things in knife edge that nothing else will. Try one and good luck.

I built a Dazzler this spring, and it was a very fast build. I like the fact that it is a one-piece plane. I don't think it is well regarded as a 3-D plane, though. I don't fly 3-D.

Go to the profile forum and take a look at the Mojo planes from Swany's. They are very popular and look like nice kits.

I don't think you will need to spend anything like 500 hours to build anything like one of these.

Good luck

http://www.swanyshouse.com/mojo/mojo.aspx

Yep, they have some great flying airplanes and very high quality kits. There little Edge-540 is an excellent first 3D plane plus it is pretty tough.

Another option is here: www.swanyshouse.com Never owned one of these personally but people really like them.

With a Saito 82 and a 15X4 wide blade APC it is. Build it light.

I may sound a little off the wall, but how about a Mojo 40 or 60? It's a full-build kit, and is also considered as one of the best, if not THE best, 3D plane on the market.

http://www.swanyshouse.com/mojo60/mojo60.aspx

NorfolkSouthern

This is the best way to go, very tough and very 3D capable. If your serious about learning 3D this is the way to go.. After you learn it, then move on to a more fragile airframe.

This from OMP [link=http://ohiomodelplanes.com/47proyak/]CLICKY[/link]

Or the Mojo 40 will do you nicely.

If you want something bigger OMP do 60-90 size Yak and Fusion kits but both are out of stock at the moment. You might find one in the classifieds though. A fusion would be my choice but you do need a good 90, a 60 will fly it but will not have much acceleration out of the hover.

Well the mojo has the most votes so far. I'll do some research.

i vote mojo .40 with a gms.47 and 12.25x3.75 prop
you could buy a ax55 w/ 13x4 and yes its better than the the gms but its twice the price and you dont really need the extra power from the ax55 (i cant believe i just said that, read my sig) but the gms.47 will hover it around .5-.66 throttle (im guessing) compared to .33 on the ax55. the gms.47 would give more than enough power and is the most reliable engine i own.

as for servo's. you cant go cheap on servo's here you need the torque, at least 70oz, 40oz is fine for the throttle.
if you are really having trouble footing the bill for these http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXDTB3&P=ML
get these http://hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store..._bearing_servo
they are chinese servo's that are very fast and have some insane torque for the price (6 bucks), however shipping isnt cheap and it takes a month if you dont pay for ems which is even more expensive (i would buy 8 of those servo's to have a few extra incase one fails and to have a few around for rudder servo's on other planes).

Well I am not sure about this. My first two 3D planes 38 then 50 powered just used bog std futaba 3003s Sure digitals would be nice but if you are on a budget then stds will do just fine. They did not stop me learing to fly 3D. If you can find a hi torque servo put it on the rudder. I noticed the improved rudder authority right away.

Not sure about the Mojo but planes like the OMP Edge-540 are designed to perform good with lower-cost servos. I imagine that since the Mojo is similar in size it would do OK with them too.

If you want a little better torque and speed then something like this is a good compromise but still not outrageously expensive: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXXCZ9&P=0

well I might go with the mojo .60 but that REQUIRES high torque servos. I think the best bet is a Mojo .40 with a GMS .47, futaba 6exp with 4 s3004 servo's (will buy micro for throttle and high torque on rudder separately). This is all the least expensive stuff I could find. I think the .60 would be better because it gives more reaction time and it will fly smoother. (since the .40 is so cheap, I'll probably get a diamond dust as well, lol)

I'm going to order a mojo .40, I've decided.

if you can buy better servo's. profiles really shake around (vibrate) since their isnt as much wood on the fuse.

First off Im not an OMP employee, now with that being said, get the OMP Edge 540 47". This is you best bet in learning 3D, this plane is built to last. I crashed it 2 times and was able to rebuild and keep flying. It has a fiberglass tube that runs through the length of the plane for added strength. I was going to get a Mojo but went with the OMP Edge since it comes with all the hardware needed were as with the Mojo I was looking at $50 more for hardware alone. Another reason to get a Edge over the Mojo, there ARF version requires more assembly, and its hard to find ARF's for the Mojo's, they occasionally sell ARFs, mostly kits. And the Edge 540 will do everything and anything you could want to do, once you get used to it, you will be surprised how easy it is to fly, and it floats forever with the thick airfoil. I have a OS 46 AX on mine, this motor will fly it for days but I am looking into getting either a OS 55AX or Saito 72 FS for it.

Great choice! You'll have fun building it and flying the snot out of it.



<- Moass 60 in avatar. PM me for the profile site if help is needed.

Just got back from the IMACs at my field today and wow. I feel almost ashamed that I'm getting a profile plane after seeing these 50% scale beasts harrier roll like 8 inches off the ground. lol. The mojo 40 is on it's way here so I'm looking at engines and I'm thinking of getting the aviastar .53. It's like crazy cheap at $70 for a .53 and it has some good reviews. The .46 aviastar is only $50 and it was in Fly RC mag with a rave review.

Mojo 40 and a OS 55ax are a great combo. You'll love it. I have 2 55's and both have been trouble free. Once broken in I rarely have to tune them.

the ax55 is great, but you dont need all that power. if you are on a budget the gms will be more than enough, buy better servo's with the money you saved, you will notice a huge difference in control autthority.

This is a NO BRAINER.

Your very first 3D plane should be a coroplast PIZZA BOX FLYER. Once you think that you've got that plane mastered, then go for the traditional balsa profile plane.