jdkxtreme

I love flying my avistar.It has the os 40 still on it. The wing has been straightened out.I now live close to the st louis area and need something that will fly decent in 10-15 mph winds..Any ideas?

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

In most cases, it's not the plane, it's the pilot

Nathan King

An Avistar can take much more than that. I've had my old Avistar in sustained winds exceeding 30 mph and gusting to who knows what. It's fun to fly backwards.

jetmech05

AHHH Grasshopper he who learns to fry in wind, has many more days to fry

Lomcevak Duck

My Feedback: (14)

Well, I've been known to fly a Diamond Dust in winds gusting over 40 MPH, but it's not too much fun. On the other hand I've got a giant Westerner that won't break ground in wind more than 7-8 MPH, so You could say it's a mixture of pilot and plane that are capable of handling wind.

To find a plane that is best suited for windy conditions and particularly gusts and low level turbulence, as this is where you're going to encounter most problems, look for a plane with a good power to weight ratio, low drag, and good manuverability. Big rudders and ailerons can help you negotiate strong cross wind landings. 10-15 MPH is not terrible wind by most standards and almost any plane can be flown in those winds, but there are planes better suited for windy conditions than others.

*Planes I've found to handle wind well:
GP Big Stik
GP Viper
Just about any SPAD
Diamond Dust
H9 Mustang PTS (without trainer gear, of course)
Duraplane .40
Dragon Lady .40
Lanier Stinger 1.20
H9 Ultra Stik 1.20

*Planes I've owned that didn't handle wind very well:
Cubs of any size
Hobbico Superstar .40 (admittedly, it never lived long enough for the pilot to learn to fly it in the wind very well. It was my primary trainer)
12' Westerner
GP PT-40
Dynaflite Butterfly
GP Space Walker

jdkxtreme

Thank you Lomcevak Duck that is what I was looking for.I can fly my avistar in the wind but it is just no fun to me.I was thinking something with more weight to it.

Lomcevak Duck

My Feedback: (14)

More than welcome.

And you are right to an extent about heavier planes. While it is true that all aircraft, no matter what size, will maintain the same functional behaviors in the air (disreguarding ground speed and track) whether the wind is calm or 60 kts, at the altitude most model aircraft fly, gusts and turbulence are always a factor with any wind at all. And experience has shown that larger, heavier aircraft do indeed handle wind better than smaller, lighter aircraft, and the same can be said for relative wingloadings.

BillS

For windy conditions I like the Kougar.

Bill

RICMOD5634

I fly Sig 4*60 and GB 300 Extra in 20+gusty, and have a good time. I fly GP Cub 60 in 10 to 15, know prob's.

jdkxtreme

Thanks so much guys.This is why I like this site.I get everyones thoughts.I have head alot about the 4*'s..I have had a durabrick.I liked it but did not like the looks.lol.The avistar will fly in the wind.But just not much fun.

OzMo

My Feedback: (3)

H9 Ultra Stick... simplest to repair, good all around plane. fun to fly with flaps down in to the wind. I have seen one take off and land and never change its heading I don't think I 'm that good but it was fun to watch.

Just don't be the first guy at the fun fly to try and pop the teathered helium ballons... the ones with to strong strings that just pull it right to the ground[:@][]

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

I've personally flown an Ace Super Pacer and a Vmar Extra 300 in a 26 mph quartering crosswind.

A friend flew his Sig Fazer in a 35mph wind, and loved it. That day, the club oldtimer couldn't get his Goldberg Extra 300 to taxi, but he flew it when somebody carried it out on the runway & pointed it into the wind.

My Lanier Laser (quarter scale) loves wind, crosswind or otherwise.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

matus777

Use your .40 on an Ultra Stick.....they are good utility planes for almost any weather and wind condition....excluding rain! When the wind blows it's stick time!

EZer

On windy days I fly my P51.