Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

I started flying 6 months ago allthough I have been building planes for 15+ years and have about 17 years experiance in racing rc cars. My first solo was in March with a Superstar .40 with a .46AX. I flew it a week or two before putting up a Kadet L-T 40 with a Magnum .52 four stroke. The LT40 seemed much easier to fly since it seemed to self correct itself easier but in a way, felt porky!

Now I fly a Four Star 60 with a Saito 100 and in all honesty, it's intimidating.

I have read here that a bigger plane is easier to see. But you have to keep it higher and further away due to it's size and slower reactions.

Does anybody else feel that a smaller plane kept closer is better?

Or is this just a natural rookie feeling?

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

my second was a tiger 60 and granted it was bigger and faster, it will still fly slow like my trainer did. My tiger did'nt seem to react slower then my trainer if anything it is faster in speed and to react to stick movement. Keep flying the Four Star, the more time you have with it the more you'll like. Just my 2cents

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

If you are finding the plane intimidating you may not be quite ready for it.Meaning that the plane is ahead of you.over all larger planes can handle wind better.As far as being seen better I have seen where they are flown higher and farther away because the size doesn't look the same to the pilot as the smaller plane he is used to flying.I have flown everthing from sailplanes to 1/2a,ducted fans and 1/4 scale gas.I had a time where i did not fly for about a year and went out to maiden a sport aire .40 I was uncomfortable flying it because my reactions were not up to the speed of the plane.this was just due to a lack of practice.But I was uncomfortable with it even thought it flew as if on rails.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

posted twice

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

Every plane has different flight characteristics, just because at the moment your Four Star seems like it reacts slowly doesn't mean thats how the plane can perform. I bet if you added a little more throw to your flight controls it will become a much more agile plane. I watch a guy fly his 150cc composite Giles 202 today and he was flying inverted on the deck like it was a $50 foamy. With more experience you will gain confidence and get a little more frisky with your plane.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

Actually, my 4* will fly allmost as slow and is pretty much the same size as the LT-40. The 4* will fly much faster though. LOL Hard to explain. I think it's about distance and keeping the plane close. The big planes seem to react slow and keeping them close is what the garbage bag makers want.

I don't feel comforatable flying close in and doing fly by's, touch and go's with the 4*60 like I did with the Superstar 40. Last week I watched a 4*40 and Big Stik 40 fly around and that grabbed me! They turned quick and didn't take up a thousand yards.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

I'm intimidated by the potential to do harm if something goes wrong with the big planes. There is much less of a care free feeling while I fly big, just knowing how much a crash could cost.
The smaller planes are more challenging to set up, difficult to build light enough and also harder to fly with precision...so for that reason they are more interesting to me.
All things considered, there's a good reason for why the .40-.46 class is the backbone of model aviation.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

Im thinking it might be nerves.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

What do you mean?

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

Well, he must be saying that you need to be a hero to fly big planes.....:D

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

you dont really need to extend the size of your flying by that much going up to a 60. Maybe by a hundred feet in each direction. Once you get comfortable you should have no problem flying it in the same size as the lt 40. I find the LT forty requires more space cause it generally flys slower with bigger wider turns.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

What I mean is : Im now flying my larger planes lower and closer than I ever did with my 46 size planes. When I first went bigger...I would fly nice and high...because I was petrified due to the amount of money I put in compared to .46 size. Now that I am confident, my reaction time is good etc.... I fly low and close - and enjoy it. I feel as if I now use less airspace than before because I am no longer a nervous wreck.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

IMO 60 size is much easier than 40 size.
Bigger airplane is easier to keep high of an unforgiving ground = three mistakes high.
Flying too fast maybe try a prop with smaller pitch, if its floating maybe to cut off one rib bay from the wings, but i learned to land it while running on two wheels although it can land almost on a spot I stopped doing that.
I also added wing tips to protect the wing from the concrete.

Alex

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

I have read here that a bigger plane is easier to see. But you have to keep it higher and further away due to it's size and slower reactions.

Does anybody else feel that a smaller plane kept closer is better?

Or is this just a natural rookie feeling?

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

It really sounds like your control throws are just set too conservatively. Not enough throw can seem like the plane takes the whole sky to turn in. Or too nose heavy, can make you run out of elevator on an otherwise nice approach. I love shooting touch and goes with my 60 size planes. If you do make changes, change only one thing at a time, elevator, center of gravity, etc, as too many things changing at once can be confusing and intimidating. I also use a lower pitched prop, for the best pull from a slow maneuver that I can handle, except on my Astro Hog, which flies better on a higher pitch prop.

With that Saito 100 on it, you should have totally unlimited vertical, and should be able to perform some extremely awesome large loops. If anything were to be intimidating about it, it would be the fact it is quite overpowered, and that feeling is and can be intimidating.:D

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

Do you have dual rates? If so use them.

Sounds to me like your just not confident enough to fly lower yet, or your throws may not be set high enough. My 60 size planes have just about the same manuverability as my 40's do.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

I went from a nexstar trainer to a 4 * 40 with a 55ax on the front. It was very quick and took some time to get used to the speed but after a couple of gallons I fly it fast and low. My first flight lasted 3 minutes and I was ready to land and head home, it was that tiring to me. I think going from the trainer LT-40 to a 4*60 with a 100 would be a big difference in speed. You need to think faster and react quicker and with some time I think you will start to feel comfortable and your question will no longer be relevant. Good luck.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

There's no need to fly farther away with a bigger plane. The airspace needed for a 40 or 90 size sport plane are pretty much the same. I see this reaction in people who are trying to move up in their abilities a little quicker than their confidence will allow. Smaller planes tend to be flown closer in because they are harder to see and orientation is lost more quickly. I'd say you just need more experience and you'll be fine. But if you feel your plane is reacting slowly then I'd suggest you have someone with more experience examine it to be sure everything is set up properly.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

It's a natural rookie feeling.

The more you fly the plane, the more comfortable you'll get. Focus on flying at 1/2-3/4 throttle. A 4* will fly just fine at this speed. One of the things I see most frequestly at the field are guys who think the left stick on their transmitter operates at only two positions - full throttle and idle. Also, as mentioned by others, if needed, lower the throws on your control surfaces if you find the plane "twitchy" or a challenge to comfortably control.

Fly at a comfortable speed, keep your turns shallow to avoid bleeding too much airspeed in turns and enjoy your plane. :D

You'll get comfortable before you know it and you'll have a lot of fun with the plane.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

I agree with combatpigg, I'm starting to like the .25 size and smaller planes more. I started with small parkflyers and moved up but, I've come to prefer taking out my smaller planes. they are easier to transport and use a lot less fuel. I had my P-51 out last week it has a .61 in it, I burned almost 1/2 gallon in a day. I can bring out my little extra or fun fighter P-51 and not use near the fuel, and there is no set up or break down time. it just depends on the mood I'm in I guess.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

Who says you have to keep it higher and further away? Not so.

At our IMAA Fun FLy we get guys like Elie Houayes and Steve Swahn who can keep their 50% Edge 540 and 40% Extra 330 within a 100 ft box for a 10 minute flight. They drag their rudders through the weeds while doing torque rolls and (with permission) have walked out and touched their own rudders while in flight. Large models are every bit as maneuverable as small ones. They seldom get much over 70 feet above the ground.

And the war bird guys seem to feel six feet up is about right for a fast and low pass. :D

I do like my .40 and .60 models. Much easier to transport than my 26cc and 43cc models. But the gas for the bigger birds is one sixth the price of glow fuel and they are less affected by wind and tall grass or rough runways.

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

You mentioned the self correcting of your trainer, once you start getting past trainer type of planes that is something that goes away, you have to keep control of your plane now. It is intimidating! Sounds like you need more control throw, the 4* is much quicker then a trainer.
You should be flying your plane at the same altitude, they are almost the same size.
When I started to fly Giant Scale my instructor walked out to the flight line and mentioned to me that I was flying my big new plane out over the farm and hiway way the heck out there in the south 40. I brought it back closer and it looked like it was really close to the ground to me, it wasn't, I was flying it out there where it looked the same size as my smaller planes, that put it way out there!! Once he mentioned it to me and it sunk in. Just took a while to get used to the thought. Today if I'm flying a 1/4 scale Extra I make sure it looks like a 1/4 scale Extra, if I'm flying my 30 or 40% plane then that's what they are supposed to look like.
The biggest reason my smaller planes get flown more then my big planes is they are so much easier to haul to the field and I can get several of them in my van. All my smaller planes are at least 60 size though and easy to see, if I keep them looking the way they should. Even my 60 size Extra has a 68 inch wing and looks close but it really isn't, just a preseption thing!!;)
Set up your 4* with a better roll rate!! You will like it a bunch better!![8D]

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

I've been flying gas about a year now.....bigger is better........the fuel is alot cheaper as well

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

That is the saying, Bigger is Better, I fly all size planes mostly 35%er's, but I'll always go back the the aerobatic type trainer( Avistar, Great Planes trainer etc) 40-60 size, just to have a blast and practice the wierd stuff you wouldn't do with a 35% airplane, like one wheel landings, very short take off and landings, deadsticks, other members always ask, " what are you doing with a trainer" and I always tell them "having fun"

RE: Why I think a smaller plane is better.
 

Re: you do not have to move a larger airplane further away from you, you should be flying the plane in the same pattern whether it is a 40 size or a42% airplane, otherwise, the large planes would be so far away, they would loose radio contact...:D

It sounds to me you jumped the gun, fly what you are comfortable with and then get a larger airplane when you are ready, this is a hobby and it is suppose to be fun.

The only thing advantage the 40 size has over the larger airplanes, is they are cheap to fly, cheap to repair and easy to transport. The larger the plane, the larger the investment and cost to run.