Cdallas2

Hi Guys,

Just wondering what you thought is the best Pattern plane in a 40 size. I'm starting to overfly my Midwest Cherokee and need to upgrade. I'm looking at a Super Kaos Jr. but it's a pretty old design.

Now keep in mind I can't stand ARF's - these things look great (Aresti .40) but I'll never buy one unless it comes in a kit form.

Sorry but that's just the way it is.

rcpilotsteve-RCU

My Feedback: (5)

I have just been bitten by the Pattern bug. I purchased Joe Bridi's Dirty Birdy .60 My research has proven to me that anything smaller than a 60 size will not make a good pattern flyer. I just started building my kit. I'm real close to you if you want to check it out!
email me

EXCAP232

My Feedback: (12)

The larger the plane the better it flies. Getting a bigger plane doesn't make a better pilot. In the 40 size range the Hanger-9 Aresti is one sweet flying plane. The Bridi designs lack side area and were designed when the pattern had little or no manuvers that requered it. The Ultra Sport series of planes were Bridi designs with more side area.
EXCAP232

JasonS

Although its an ARF and .40 size, I am real pleased with the Great Planes Venus. It does not fly that terribly less smooth as the old Kaos 60 did. Remember that todays .46 has nearly the power of some of the 60's made in that era. Check out spans and wing area. Not a huge difference. I flew the Venus in Sportsman class last weekend. With a .46 FX the Venus was MORE than capable of the Sportsman sequence. It was smooth and tracked true. More than a few people said they were surprised when I landed to see that it was a small plane. They said it flew much larger than it was. Some of these people have been flying pattern for 20 years. I let a few of the competitors from the higher classes try it. They were very impressed even after trying some FAI manuveurs with it. The only downside was that you had to fly closer in for good visibility and that made the box smaller. With a .46FX on 5% nitro you can't really do smooth 500 ft. loops anyway. With a YS .63 it would be wonderfull. One of the advanced pilots thought that it would make a great practice ship for any sequence with the YS.
For $160 it is a steal.

cczarnik

My Feedback: (1)

I second the venus post. I have one with an OS 70. Hovers at 1/2 throttle. Weight with that big engine and 1450 Nicad is 5.45 lb. This plane is the best constructed ARF that I've seen. (*way* better workmanship than my Tai Ji 60 and *way* better than my own ability). Fiberglass cowl and wheel pants, etc. No plastic like some of the $150 ARF's that I've owned. It flies very well-- only slight pitch to canopy on down lines, and a little pitch coupling on knife. It's the best sport/pattern .40 that I've ever owned. I recommend even though it is an ARF.

FWIW, Chuck

rcpilotsteve-RCU

My Feedback: (5)

I went with Joe's design because I really like it. I won't go into to much detail accept to say there is no way I'll compete with a 60 size ship for anything other than Sportsman and soon intermediate. I'll be working on a 2 meter over the next few years before I hit advanced and or unlimited. Correct me if I'm wrong but there is no knife edge or 8 point turns and what not in my league.
For a beginner Pattern Plane I think I did well. I too dislike ARF's this was a very affordable and proven route.
I'll post some pics when I finish it.

noname-RCU

IMHO, the best 40 sized pattern ship is the Kyosho Majestic. I have flown counless 40 pattern planes and none compares to it.

Unfortunatley it's an ARF kit, but in terms of weight and over all quality, it leaves nothing to be desired.

The only "but" I see with the Majestic is it's high price tag.

BTW, I'm so happy with the Majestic, I decided to scratch-build my own replica using contest grade balsa and the lightest materials I come across with.

Cdallas2

I realise that the ARF's are all pretty good fliers but it's just that I enjoy buildng as much if not more than flying. I'm still leaning towards the Super Kaos Jr. but I will definately tinker with it. I'll make the tail a lttle bigger with an airfoil shape, change it to trike gear and other odds and ends.

The problem seems to be a lack of different models I can use for the lower classes of Pattern that use a .40 size. I would build an Escape or XLT but I don't have a .60 engine handy and I'd hate to waste that MDS .46 that's itching to get out of it's box.

But much thanks for your idea's

basmntdweller

My Feedback: (9)

Cdallas2,
I have an OS 61 rear exhaust with a Macs header that I was going to use on a Bridi XLT. I came across a good deal on a YS 61 rear exhaust so that is what is going on the plane now. If you are interested let me know. It's an older engine but it still runs pretty decent. I'd let it go pretty fair.
Later,,,basmntdweller

PS if you are really wanting to stay with a 40 size I also have a Great Planes Tracer about done. I'm not real crazy about some of the way they put it together but it's not that bad of a kit. Laser cutting would have made this a much better kit. It should fly about the same as the Venus. Mine is getting retracts and an OS50SX.

Lowrider

My Feedback: (3)

I'm curious if anyone has experience with the Kyosho Sensation and how it ranks compared to the others mentioned?
Thanks

Jerry

Cdallas2

I've looked at the Tracer but for some reason it just doesn't do much for me. I guess it looks like I'm stuck with a Kaos but they still fly as good as they did twenty years ago so I don't see that with a few changes it could be made to fly even better.

matlok

This may be too big a stretch, but if you really like building why not scratch build your own design? It's a lot more work, but you're already looking at making changes to existing kits, right? You can "borrow" design elements from different pattern planes, and with a little research you should be able to come up with dimentions/proportions that work well. Maybe make a spreadsheet that takes in the dimentions, weights, and some proportions of other pattern planes and spits out some average numbers. Sketch some outlines, pencil in some formers, etc, maybe a foam wing to make construction easier. If you enjoy building than this should be pretty fun, and as long as your design is very similar to other designs I don't see where it would fly all that much different than they do. Plus you'd have something really unique (i.e. anti-arf) to be proud of! If you don't want to go that far, maybe you could buy a kit like a Tracer and scratch build just the fuselage. Keep the wing, h. stab, and engine in the same locations in reference to each other, but give it a new fuse to make it look totally different. Anyway, just some thoughts. Good luck!

Catfish-RCU

My Feedback: (2)

I have an Ultra Sport 40 and I think it rates up in the top ten...even though you can't buy the kit anymore...Arf's only club!

Anyways I think it takes the man behind the sticks to make that ship perform!

Cat

Jon Wold

I can recommend Bridi's Killer Kaos. Very moderately priced and a great kit for builders.

Jon

bgi

My Feedback: (7)

Second the request on experience with the Sensation. Noname, have you flown a Sensation 1400? Can you tell us what you thought about it?