Hi,

Does anyone have recommendations for a second plane? I have just finished building a Great Planes PT-40 and it flies like a dream. I flew my first solo flight and now I am already looking for a second plane. I would like to build during the winter months so starting to think about what to get next.

I would like a tricycle gear - not sure if I am ready for a taildragger - and I have was thinking about the Great Planes Tiger 60 sport:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXYXF9&P=0

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I would prefer to build from a kit instead of ARF or RTF.

Thanks so much.

Brad,

Congratulations on your soloing!

A second airplane and your asking us? There will be a great many suggestions forth coming as there are a great number of choices. OK here's my suggestion. First of all stick with your trainer for awhile there is still a great deal to be learned by flying it. Don't be put off by the trainer thing, I instruct at two clubs still have a couple of trainers in my hanger if that tells you anything. Trainers are good birds for relaxed days of flying and practicing touch and goes, a good fall back airplane.

If you want to build a kit something like an Ultra Sport or a Ugly Stick setup with tricycle gear might be a good choice. Stay away from a war birds for a while or really go fast airplanes until you get some more experience under your belt. An Easy Sport would be a good ARF selection on a second bird while your building your kit.

Blue Skies and soft landings

Steve,

Thanks for the reply. I do plan on sticking with my trainer for quite a while. I am going to fly it for the remainder of the summer at the very least.
I am in Central New York, so winter flying is out of the question. I just want to line up my project for the winter - patience is not one of my virtues :-)

I will look into your suggestions and thanks for the reply.

The classics are the Tiger, the Sig 4 Star, and any version of the Stick. I you like scale models Cessnas and Cubs are a slightly bigger challenge but still very doable for someone who can handle a trainer well. I wouldn't be so concerned about trail draggers either. They require a little more control on takeoffs, but on sport planes it's not hard to do. The thing with most sport planes is that they have a broad setup range, so you can start with a fairly mild airplane and then turn it up as you want to. Most flyers graduating to one comment that they are actually easier to fly than their trainers, especially in the wind.

Pesonally I prefer tail draggers, My alpha 40 trainer was convereted to a tail dragger. All thats required is holding a touch of up elevator to keep the tail wheel planted. I do love the tigers so I think thats a good choice, but another option if you reconsider the tail dragger is the escapade. I got one as a second plane and absolutly love it. 100$ arf and goes together very easy. Box says 10 hours, took me maybe 20 but i had to make multiple runs to the hobby shop as my appartment at school was under equipped; tool wise, and Im extra carefull and try to take my time.

But the plane flies like a dream. On low rates it is super easy to control putters around the sky ant 2 clicks off idle with an os 46 AX. And once I was comfortable with it (about 5 min into the first flight as this plane is so nice and easy to control) kicked it up to high rates and its amazing. Spins snaps, knife edge, damn near hovers. It does all and more than I would have wanted from a second plane. and after all the crazy acrobatics, flip back to low rates and sets up beautiful landings at idle throttle. Ive fallin inlove with the plane and recommend it to everyone.

I love my Great Planes Cherokee. It is one of the easiest planes that I fly, yet it is also pretty aerobatic. In addition, it has a nice scale look to it.

brad_
Here's a list RCken has put together
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4537845/tm.htm its a sticky at the top of page

Edit link wouldn't work think I added a comma lol

Orangehat44
I have A great planes escapade on the way. I don't have servos for it yet but should have everything else. Any build tips you can share?
TIA
Shaggy

Why Is winter flying out of the question? All the world is an airfield in the winter! Lots of available fields and frozen lakes. Just strap skis on the model.

How about a Top Flite Contender 60? Nice, solid model that is very forgiving and has trike gear. A good build, too. No 3-D, but a good warbird trainer (the apron flap gets you in the practice of dropping the gear switch). It will do all the traditional/Aresti maneuvers.

What does the Solo test involve? that will provide an idea of what you are capable of handling in flight.

In SA we have the following classes.
Solo : Can take off, land and do a basic circuit, can handle slow level flight
Bronze: as above but with figure 8 and basic landing pattern from left nd right hand bases
Silver: as above but with inside loops and roll
Gold : as above + outside loop, inverted figure 8 and high alititude spiral rudder only decent
Instructor
Display.

If your Solo means you can handle just basic flight then I would stick to the trainer for a while yet.
Ok maybe you think I'm being a bit harsh. A sport type plane or low win trainer will make it easier to do aerobatics manuevers like loops and rolls and inverted flight but it also masks bad technique and timing. A trainer will help you iron out any bad habits before you move to a more advanced plane. As you progress to bigger and more powerful planes correct technique agains becomes important. if you only want to do Sunday Sport flying then bad habits are part of the CV and you'll be fine.
If you want to advance as a RC pilot, I say keep the trainer until you can do most of the basic aerobatic moves then progress to a low wing trainer or a Stik type ARF.

The trainer is probaly hemost underated aircraft you will own and people want to move on from them ASAP simply to shed the "Trainee" stigma. Swallow the pride and stick with it till you can handle inside loops, rolls, close to stall flight, inverted flight (yes a trianer with dihedral can be flown inverted...)

I would drop a bigger engine in the engine now so that you can make some basic aerobatics more achievable with the trainer. Your trainer is also forgiving of bad technique which gives you time to analyse mistakes and correct them on the next pass.

Use it, don't use it

@CharlieP, I am a southern boy and only been in the north for 2 years, so the winters are still a little too cold for me to be out playing with planes. One day perhaps this may happen :-)

@TimBle, I am an ex-South African and thanks for all the advice. I do plan on keeping my trainer and learning to do all the things you have mentioned. I just want to start thinking about the next plane so that I can build during the winter. Winters in Central New York consist of snow for about 3 to 4 months solid where the high temps for weeks do not get above -5 Celsius. Just looking for a project for the winter. Thanks for the outline of what to learn while flying - it will help on my next flight.

You hit the nail on the head with the GP Goldberg Tiger 60 kit, Brad. It's a great flying airplane that is an excellent next step for you.

ah if you're looking for the next step thats a few months away from maidening the thing then  I recommend the Great Planes Escapade or the Gold berg Tiger.
Escapade is a tail dragger while the Tiger is a tricycle. Both awesome low wing trainers.

also consider one of the Ugly Stik replica's from Great Planes, Hanger 9 or anyone really. you can set it up to do almost anything, especially if you opt for one with flaps and a trapezoidal rear vertical fin.

what you really want is something with a semi symmetrical wing with Horner Wing tips (thats the wng tips that look like they have a 45degree chamfer on the end.)

@bigedmustafa I think this is the way I am going to go. I like the look of the plane and I could use my existing motor too - although I will more than likely break down and purchase a bigger motor.

@TimBle I want to wait a little before getting into taildraggers. Will probably be the third plane which is around a year from now. A lot of people have mentioned the Ugly Stik to me, but honestly, I think it's a hideous looking plane. It just looks like a square flying thing..... Click on the link below and look at the pic on the wall - you will recognize it

Thanks to all for the advice and help - always appreciated.

By the way - [link]http://lowensteinfamily.dreamhosters.com/plane/[/link]

@CharlieP - I just looked into the Contender more and I think I may be swayed. I like the flap option to give practice with flaps. Now I have some choices to make........