I'm looking for recommendations for one or more casual Sunday flying type kits. It's gotta be cheap (ideally less than $100) fairly quick to build and a generally good flyer. I was thinking of picking up a couple of Sig 4*40 kits to bring back to Japan with me but I'd like to know what other options there might be.

I've been flying an Ugly Stik clone as my Sunday flyer but after numerous crashes it's starting to be more epoxy than balsa. A cheap stik type model would be just fine. I'm just looking for something to practice basic flying with so I don't need (or really even want) anything aerobatic. If it can hover I don't want one!

I think you answered your question, 4*40 or even a 60.

Oh. and I forgot to add, it's GOT to be a taildragger or convertable to one. I'll NEVER fly another nose-gear model. EVER. Well...maybe that P-38 way on down the line...

I converted my trainer to a taildragger after about 5 flights and have only flown taildraggers since. The plane I lost today ( [:@] ) only had a metal skid and taxied like a dream.

Goldberg Tiger, GP Rapture, GP Easy Sport

Get some Pilot kits, in Japan. Great laser cutting and most fly well.

Go with a Goldberg Tiger. Easy coversion tail dragger conversion and you can mod the hell out it. Only cost $109.00 from tower. Flys perfect.

But almost certainly not cheap. The cheapest kit I've found so far have been some from TETTRA (TETTRA Rookie, Circus, Flamingo). But then Japanese kits sold in Japan for the Japanese market come with Japanese instructions. I suppose I might be able to scare up an English version somewhere.

The Rapture 40 looks like a good bet with fast construction and in taildragger configuration.

The Sig Ultimate Fun fly has the advantage of being a taildragger -- and a bipe!

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFG15&P=7


And while I swore and oath a long time ago that I'd NEVER own a Cub...this looks a good deal prettier than most of the other offerings.

http://www.greatplanes.com/airplanes/gpma0160.html


Still at the moment at just under $70 from Tower, the Rapture 40 looks like the best bet.

BTW, I seem to remember a company that makes Ugly Stik clones...maybe called Viper but I can't remember either the name of the company or the exact name fo the kit. The web site's a little of the funky side.

Hmm...I wonder what the Rapture 40 would look like as a Junkers D.I???

I vote for the 4 *'s easy build and you can mod the heck out of them,they take a beating and are tail draggers

...or the Somethin Extra. Builds fast. Cheap. Easy to fly either for sport or aerobatics.

I don't know their prices in Japan, but they're priced great in Singapore. In the US, MRC has the prices so high they will never sell.

find a PLay BOy kit. it can't be bet for a causual flyer. easy to built and super .40 flyer. dick

Get the 4-star, it really is an R/C airplane Hall of Fame winner! To fly it, is to love it.

If you want tough and cheap, they don't come much tougher or cheaper than SPADs. You can build 2 or 3 for $20.00 or so...

The most bang for the buck in my experience was the Tower Fun 51. It's a profile fun flyer, you may not want that. But, it meets all your other criteria. Very inexpensive, very fast to build, lots of fun to knock around with.

At this point it really looks like a toss-up between the Sig 4*40 and the Rapture. Both are taildraggers and both are under $80. One slight nod towards the 4*40 though might be position of the gear. Seems like having the gear on the wings might be a bit fiddly. But then since I was thinking of picking up at least two kits I suppose I could get one of each!

I'm sorely tempted to get a BUSA einecker 40 and just do it fast and stock -- but I'm afraid I know myself too well!

There are after all just intended as fodder for my budding flying skills.

BTW, anyone want to post a photo of their bashed 4*40 beauty?

Abufletcher, let me throw out one other suggestion for you. You mentioned the Sig Ultimate fun fly. If you like that one, you should jump over to the profile forum and look at some of the profile airplanes discussed there. Ohio Model Products make some great profile .40 size aircraft that are easy to build and a blast to fly.