I Must Be A Natural!!
 

I recently got back into R/C Planes and have now been up flying about a half dozen times. I currently am to the point to where I am taking off and landing comfortably on my own. I have a;lso successfully landed deadstick and with a light crosswind. I have also been able to do some basic aerobatics. I am very pleased with the Hobbico Avistar that I bought for my first plane. I have a Great Planes Super Sportster on the way from Tower for my first tail dragger and low-wing plane. Any have any thoughts on this as a second plane?? :cool:

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

I have an avistar and a super sportster and it is a great second plane. If you fly it around in circles it flys just like the avistar except for a little faster and more aerobatic potential.

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

Geez u must be a natural, I can't land worth beenz :S i can do up to 3 loops in a row, fly inverted, and roll an underpowered plane with tons of deihdral but i can't land. You sound like u should be able to handle the Super Sportster but be careful of death spirals. Someting most trainers can't do.

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

red91sit,
Yeah, that is the only thing that is making a bit nervous with the Sportster is that it will not be as self recovering as my Avistar. :D

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

just make sure to start with low control throws.

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

Before you start with low controls, be sure you build it STRAIGHT!

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

I ordered the ARF so hopefully the assembly is "straigt forward" <--get it.....LOL :D I kill me!! J/K

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

You will love the Sportster. Awsome plane! Can't say enough good about it.

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

Your time is coming!!!! Sorry S!@W# happens./

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

Hey I never said that would never crash. I guy a fly with hasn't crashed in the 20 years he has been flying,....until this year. He crashed 3 giant scales all in this season. I told him to get it out of his system so he can go another 20 years without crashing:D

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

We have a Great Planes Super Sportster and a Four*fourty for our second planes........too bad neither of us is ready for that yet!!!!!

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

I'm am to, if you don't believe it ask me. For get it know one's perfect.

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

I am in the same boat as you snyperx. I am self taught, it is a great feeling having it this way. i am working on a third ( my first I still don't dare to fly) plane. I am looking for a low wing so I can advance twords my Chippy. As far as aerobatics, I could care less right now. To me it is more fun landing and touch and goes. I have been flying for 2 1/2 weeks now and I have lost count as to how many I have done. Only thing I have not learned is the rutter. I have made some killer cross wind landings, looked like a B 52 comming in :D . To date I have had one dead stick and that was fun!!! No damage at all, just glad I built the runway really wide ;) . If you can not hit my runway you ought not be flying LOL. Anyway congrats and good luck!!

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

snyperx,
Welcome and congratulations.

You'll really like the Super Sportster. It was my second plane (8 years ago) and I just bought another one because I missed my first. ;)

One thing! If you fly off grass, do NOT install the wheel pants. Even on the softest of landings the pants will put holes in your wings, guaranteed. (Guess how I know. :( )

This is true of most planes by the way. Wheel pants and grass runways just don't play together very well. Once you get into bigger stuff, 80" wingspans, or 1/4 scale, it seems to be okay though.

The Sportster isn't really a problem as far as tip stalling ("death spirals") goes. In fact, it slows down pretty well for a low, semi-symmetrical, wing. Just take it up high and slow it down while holding up elevator, you'll get use to it's stall characteristics.

Dennis-

sportster too timid?
 

I've been thinking about the Sportster as my second plane as well (running out of things to do with the Avistar) but something a guy at the field said the other day has me worried: He had a Sportster as his second plane and told me it only took about a month to get bored with it. Wife wont let me change planes every month, of course, so now I'm thinking of stretching a little for my second and trying the Venus 40. I'd rather have something I can take up the chain and do pattern with than just another stepping stone plane. Assume that someone "masters" a plane like the Avistar (with a 46FX and 3 oz tail weight, lands pretty fast) what *specific* problems is that person going to have with something like the Venus that he wouldn't have with the Sportster?

Thanks.
-Greg

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

Well, I've never flown a Venus before, so I can't give you an "expert" opinion but, the Sportster, as long a it's adequately powered is capable of just about any possible manuever. It's not a 3D plane, but I'm sure the Venus isn't either.

An OS 46FX, or similar engine should provide decent vertical performance which may not be enough to allow for vertical figure eights, but should satisfy your needs for quite some time.

With more power, it would be capable of anything, short of 3D. (It doesn't have large enough control surfaces.)

Not sure how that guy at the field could have gotten bored with it, unless his was severely under powered.
Dennis-

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

Im building my super sportster right now and almost done. Hope fully will be able to fly this weekend :)

I Must Be A Natural!!
 

Cajun.. take a look at the tt cloud dancer.. very nice plane.. very docile yet will do aerobatics with the right power plant.. http://www.rcmodels.com/airplanes-a...nder-tiger.html

Use the Force, Luke
 

The Sportster is an excellent 2nd plane, precisely because it is not a mega-aerobatic, 3D monster plane. Keep in mind what a smart move it was to buy a trainer as your first plane, and how your feelings about RC might be more negative if you had bought something more "frisky" and crashed it right away.

Opionions vary, but my opinion is to stick with something "better and more agile, but still kind of tame" for your 2nd plane, and practice the skills you're looking to improve, like basic aerobatics, sideslips to landing, etc.. The Sportster is a forgiving plane in that regard. Then, you'll be ready for a more pure aerobatic type as your third plane.

If you're interrested in shopping for the future, there is a review here on RCU of the Venus, done by Marc Vigod, our fearless RCU Administrator, at http://www.rcuniverse.com/reviews.ph...w&reviewid=107

I also did a review of it on my site, at http://homepage.mac.com/mikejames/rc...us40arf01.html

And, in the "Pattern" forum, lots of discussions about it. It's a nice flying plane, especially in the knife-edge/sideslip mode, but not a 3D plane. I've had mine for about a year, and it's a LOT of fun.

Good luck, and happy flying!