Sig four star 60 or 40
 

I know this question probably comes up a lot, but I did a search and found nothing. Last time I was at my local field I was talking to a fellow member and pointed out a 4* 40 and told him thats what i was going to be getting soon. He said that I should just go with the 60 instead. He says the bigger the better and the 60 will take me further. Also notice this is only my second plane so i dont know what to do. please help:D

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

They both fly the same, the -60 will do better in wind (heavier) and will crash harder, all other things being equal. If you feel comfortable with your flying abilities, and have someone at your field to back you up a few times until you get used to it, and the extra price to get it up and flying is no object, go with the -60. If you've got the $$$, go with a 4-stroke-- a Saito .82 would be awesome. The only other thing to consider is transporting it --it's pretty big. There's a bunch of -40's and -60's at our field, everybody likes theirs and you can do a ton with them. One guy clipped his wings, eliminated 2 rib bays on each side and took out a little of the dihedral (not a lot to begin with), goes like hell with a 1.00 Saito.

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

My vote is for the 60 simply because I have one and love it. One advantage the 40 has over the 60 is it takes a smaller engine over the bigger 60 size. If price isn't an issue, go with the 60 and put a .91 four stroke in there. You'll thank me later I promise. ;)

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

Take your pick nitrobasher. I've got both and can't recommend one over the other. The 60 is a little easier to see far away, so I just don't let the little one get that far away. I think 40/60 or 2S/4S, you're going to be very happy with this plane.

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

I still find flying a 60 sized plane much better than a 40, there is no reason who you cannot fly a 4* 60 as a second plane. It will be easier actually, if you disregard the pucker factor.

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

I agree with tIANci. My 4*60 was my first glow plane, moved over from mild electrics. No problem, yes, was nervous with the maiden flight, but no problem really.

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

With the 4* you will draw many "ooh's and ah's" at the field when you land. After having flown a tricycle trainer, I was concerned about landing a tail dragger, but the first landing with my 4* was a beautiful wheel landing. They tend to float, but they float so beautifully! Get that 4* and enjoy.
Glen

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

Here is a picture of my 4*60 with an OS91 surpass in it. It was my second plane and it flies great. Handles well in the wind and is very stable. Mine came out a little heavy due to adding Super Mario as the pilot. It started out as a bobble head doll before I modified it to fit. He added a lot of weight, but I still love flying the plane.

BTW: The 4*60 was my second plane behind my Avistar trainer.

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

Either the 40 or the 60 is a great choice. $$$ will be your deciding factor here. Ask yourself this, do you want to transplant the engine, receiver, battery and servos from the trainer or are you going to go with all new for the 4*?

If your trainer is a 40 which most are and you want to transplant then the 4*40 is the answer. If money is an object for a completely new setup, then the 4*40 is the answer as it will be cheaper then the 4*60 in all respects. Both planes work well with a basic 4 channel non-computer radio.

Once you do the first landing all the nervousness about taildraggers will go away as the 4* series are all *****cat's at heart, but with the proper mods can be really made to get pretty wild.

Even though I've moved past my 4* 40 in most respects, I still keep it around to burn holes in the sky with. I used to have a Saito 56 on mine but engine problems forced me into an OS46AX and that engine with the APC 11X7 prop really makes that plane scream. The Saito did well but was a bit slower on speed but with a 12X6 Zinger prop it pulled it around without ever breathing heavy. The OS does drop rpm in violent maneuvers (even with an APC12.25X3.75 prop) but the Saito just keep chugging along without hardly any drop in rpm.

My recommendation is if you want flat out speed the a 2-stroke will be your better bet. If you want to swing bigger props with huge amounts of torque then a 4-stroke is the way to go. Personally I like 4-strokes for the sound and fuel economy.

Here is an old picture of mine right after I did the maiden. Bugs Bunny is now the pilot with a tinted canopy and even though it has never been crashed it is showing the effects of 150+ flights on it.

EDIT: This pic has the Saito 56 in it turning a 12x6 prop and after the maiden I added the white wheel pants which after the tinting really dressed the plane nicely. Guess I should take another pic of it. I also took the canopy and turned it around, then cut it on the big bump that is near the middle which lowers it and gives the plane a more sportier look. Basically you will be cutting the canopy in half accross it's width, not length. Works well on all 3 three versions on the 4*'s.

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

Also went to 4*60 directly from electrics, just maidened it and it is a very easy flier. I don't think there is any reason to pick the 40 over the 60 other than $$$. Everyone I've talked to says the 60 flys better, plus there is something cooler about flying a large-ish plane like the 60.

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

The others have made good points. For differences my 60 size planes all seem to fly smoother, and a little more predictable. The winds can suddenly come up pretty hefty at our field and the larger plane aren't bothered that much. If you are coming in to land with an 8.5 lb with the engine at idle the plane is not going to suddenly stop flying because a wind gust hits it. It may slow down, but its still going to keep coming! The larger size is much easier to see and when coming in for a landing the larger wings and fuse really adds to the "cool factor" I tend to fly my larger planes more than the smaller ones because of this. :D

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

Everyone of the listed reasons are definately valid. It's a great plane for flying and learing the acro. I went with the yellow ARF version, Put in a Tower Hobbies 75 and added a lateral support between the gear legs about 2 inches below the fuse. Helps with the flexing of the gear on those less than perfect arrivals. When I have to do a major wing rebuild (not if!) I'm thinking about adding another servo bay in the center of the wing and adding functional flaps, just to start learning on something that won't be real expensive when/if I bend it up some.

Clint

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

Have flown both the 40 and the 60, now have 3 Four Star 60s of which the latest is shown below. ALL 3 have Saito FA-91S engines on them. They fly great, can fly in moderate winds okay, land almost at a walk and my sense is that you will really like this plane. A nice 60 or 75 2-stroke fine, a Saito .91 up or down one displacement is fine, but the 91 has plenty of power for this plane. Strengthen the fuselage to tail with some balsa and 30-min epoxy and sheet the wing only top and bottom from the leading edge to the spar to protect your covering, use 4-40 hardware for the linkages. That is about all you need to do in building it different from the plans. I predict if you get one, you will always have one in your airplane hangar. I am showing you the orange neon on the wingtips for easy orientation at a distance. The colors are some dark, slightly metallic red color with, believe it or not, a charcoal covering for the body. This one about to fly with a new Saito FA-91S with 40 minutes on it on the bench.

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

sprinklebum - any particular reason for resurrecting a 2+ year dormant thread?

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

:).... It almost got me[:o]... Thanks Bruce.... Guess that's what happens when the winds up
and Compu flying...

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

sorry

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

No problem buddy, it was worth it to see that 4* of yours. It's a good looking plane.[sm=thumbup.gif]

RE: Sig four star 60 or 40
 

There is nothing wrong with re-opening an old thread but feel free to start a new one too.:) I wasn't trying to be critical and there is no reason to be sorry.

BTW - your plane does look nice.