RE: bigger and heavier
 

those were just the two initial planes i was looking at thats all was just looking for your feedback is all because although the general chatter was toward a pattern plane there was also talk about the wing loading being a big factor, i am not opposed to how the landings can be tricky handling roll outs and what not i guess i didnt explane my expectations very well, i dont think i am specifically looking for an airplane the doesnt get bothered by the wind at all just at least want one that is stable in the windy conditions even full size planes get blown around. so i am also going to look at a pattern type plane and even a warbird that was mentioned earlier.

RE: bigger and heavier
 

A Citabria is a stunt trainer in full scale and it is also a stunt plane in RC. I have had two of them, one was an old kit from GP in 40 size and one was an ARF I got in a trade with a 92 inch wing. I liked them both and they are nice flying planes. They are not a trainer in any way and too many people think the high wing means easy to fly. They aren't bad but they still are stunt planes and are great as a second plane. I didn't find them great high wind planes though. They do tend to flip and weather vain, they also ground loop pretty easy. None of this is really all that bad.
Wing loading is so over rated but a heavy wing loading will tell you a few things like power needed and landing speed. It's a big deal in full scale but it doesn't relate to RC as much, I never worry about it when I'm building. This light weight plane thing is something that has been sold to ARF people and is getting bought into by too many people. I never care about an ounce here or there except in electrics. ARFs don't use much wood and don't stand up to long or rough use very long. You don't see many light weight ARFs that get a lot of air time lasting more then a season, the air frames wear out.
You asked about high wind planes and got some good answers, now you will go your own way and buy what you want. I can fly most anything with or without wind but I have my Go To Planes when it gets ripping and it was never a Citabra. It was once a Sr. Telemaster but that's a long story, I liked flying backwards and that plane will do it!!!:D

RE: bigger and heavier
 

i think that what you want is something that is better in handling wind than what you're flying now but not necessarily what is the best high wind plane. maybe a better start is to tell us what you've been flying. i think people here love to help, this is a hobby after all (read: voluntary) so no problems. i started on a trainer before moving to a CAP232 without any issue. so don't care too much if you can't follow everything on this forum. ultimately i choose good looking airplanes even if they are not the easiest to fly. and that's a personal choice.

i've been waiting for the decathlon and citabria to get back on the market in taiwan again. i have an O.S. 160 twin with FEMA start waiting for it. so far nothing's come by. those planes are wonderful and will handle moderate wind.

i guess other than very light (wing loading) trainers and small 3D airplanes, almost any plane can be okay in moderate winds. so choose the plane you like as long as you can judge your own skill level and fly accordingly. i have a cub 26 that i love to fly. even when i can't take off along the runway, the winds can be so strong that i can take off across the runway. once in the air it's not that bad. the landing is a bit hairy but crabbing it, IMHO, is beautiful and setting her down with a foot or two roll out is fun. of course, right after settling, it likes to get blown over but it has maintained only slight scratches on the wingtips.

so... go ahead... get the plane and fly! and if you can't handle it, well... you'll know soon enough :-)

RE: bigger and heavier
 

I LOVE windy days!  I can do parking and crosswind landings.  Keeps me up on my rudder skills.

RE: bigger and heavier
 

Good for you.gb pretty much hit it on the head tho

RE: bigger and heavier
 

alright so what is a good place online to buy a kit it seems that there is not too much out there anymore of course and there is even less in town here?

RE: bigger and heavier
 

DId someone mention wind...??

No better place on earth for some wind than the Cape of Good Hope.
If we don't fly in the wind we will never fly at all. (althoughthis past winter has been good to us offering near windless days nearly every weekend)

Plane I find fly well in the wind have ethe following characteristic:

1) Rounded Fuselage with a long tail moment

2) Thin airfoils, Asymmetrical, flatbottomed, symmetrical makes no difference as long as they are thin

3) have low drag ( so no not a bi-plane)

4) are stiff, i.e they exhibit little torsion or flex in the fuselage or wings


Now generally these have been Pattern Aerobatic planes but also some  warbirds that are stiff like a P-51and even the Me 109 from ESM and the Hangar 9 Spitfire 60.

Stik type airplanes fly well in wind too due to the stiff wing and fuselage it simply rides through the turbulence.

Fast is not necessarily great because at some point that plane has to land and this is where skill, reactions and tail moment seems to pay dividends</p>

RE: bigger and heavier
 

If you go into the kit building forum there is a sticky at the top, Where have all the kits gone. People have been posting there for about a year. Go onto Towers site and look at what few kits they have there. For old school pattern planes I go to Blue Jay because I'm a fan of Joe Bridi designs but these are builders kits and not something for new builders. Great Planes and SIG instructions are much easier to follow and have photos taking the builder through each step. At Tower take a look at the Ultra Sport, it's the grand son of Bridis Kaos. If you look around you may find one of the old GP Decathlon kits, pretty much the same thing as the Citabria. RCU also has a forum of items for sale and there are often some nice kits there. If you are a good builder then you can buy plans for almost any type of plane. Model Airplane News plans section, RC Modeler Plans section, the AMA web site plans section. For plans building I get my wood from Lone Star Balsa or Balsa USA in bulk.

RE: bigger and heavier
 

Chris,

Check this thread out:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_74...tm.htm#7673382

RE: bigger and heavier
 

I've got to go along with forestroke here if simply on groundhandling. You should really work to master 15mph winds and that work is more easily, and confidently, handled with a low or shoulder wing plane with adequate power for wind penetration . Planes like the Kaos, 4-star and the Stiks will get you there much quicker then your choices.

RE: bigger and heavier
 

so after all of the drama i think i found a good one it is an older dave patrick extra 330l 120size. you all probably know about this it is i think 78'' ws and 74'' long and weighs somewhere around 13 pounds lol and flys awesome ( have watched it in the past as it belongs to someone i know ) i am thinkin it is a good fittment, however he told me to make him an offer on it and i actually have no real idea what to offer as i dont want to seem like im trying to rip him off. also noticed a slip stream hangin from the roof of the LHS and wondered how those things are anyone know anything about them?

RE: bigger and heavier
 

Ican relate to the winds. Ibought a GP Escapade to get more flight time in when its windy and it does a wonderful job. It gets buffeted at low speed but crank it up and it barely notices up to 15 mph winds , probably more. I built mine really light so it would probably fly more solid with a bigger engine, it has an Irvine 36 at the moment.

RE: bigger and heavier
 

i tell you, chrisp, starting this thread in beginners with a topic about flying in moderate winds and ending up with a DP extra is opening up a can of worms!

RE: bigger and heavier
 

Yeah, I guess you're right. Didn't really think this would go this way, I thought it would stay simple and maybe provide good information for other beginners. Maybe I should have it moved. Hmmmm.....

RE: bigger and heavier
 

The Escapde is a very small step up trom a trainer in my opinion. Ican fly it and I just soloed this year.

RE: bigger and heavier
 

Here,here! I have flown this plane in very windy conditions. So windy that I had to use throttle to keep is from rolling backwards before takeoff!:D

RE: bigger and heavier
 

lol that is definately pretty windy. did you have to teather yourself to the ground as well?