Which Airplane to Get back into CL?

[Pinecone]

So many nice looking kits.  So confused.  I flew C/L in the 60s and 70s, starting with a Cox PT-19, then to Ringmaster with McCoy 35, Ringmaster Jr with McCoy 19, and several others.  Not real seriously, but just having fun.  Last C/L airplane was/is (I still have it) Ringmaster Sportster with McCoy 35.  This is the trike gear full fuselage version.  I also played with some combat ships, Lil Satan, VooDoo with ST 35C, and a Nemisis II with G21/35 that I never flew.

So I am getting back into the idea of flying some C/L.  I finally joined a club, that is mainly R/C but they do cut a C/L circle at the field.  They also fly some F/F and even kites, a true group of fly anything types.

So what to start with in getting back into things?  I plan on doing some stunt, maybe try some PA, maybe try some speed limit combat.  Phil Cartier suggested one of his SX Slows.  I got a Sig Twister kit on whim and found the Francher mods articles.

Then where?  I always liked the Sig Chipmunk, and have a started kit that I seemed to have lost most of the parts.  I never owned a Nobler, but always liked the looks.  Or what?

I have some ST G21/46s.  I have G21/35s and 35Cs.  I picked up a new ST G34 on a whim also.

Thanks.

[Peter Ferguson]

Since it is flying season, I would pick up an ARF Vector and put the ST46 in it and go fly. Build later.

[Jim Oliver]

There are so many good designs available now, as kits, that you can just about pick one that looks good to you and go for it!

Classic, semi-scale, and full blown competition PA planes............pick something for the ST 46 and get started.

If you have the opportunity to go to a contest, do so. You will see many models and be able to find someone that has something you like, watch how it flies, etc.  Contests are a great resource for the information you are seeking.

Cheers,
Jim

[Alan Hahn]

So many nice looking kits.  So confused.  I flew C/L in the 60s and 70s,

.... snip...

So what to start with in getting back into things?  I plan on doing some stunt, maybe try some PA, maybe try some speed limit combat.  Phil Cartier suggested one of his SX Slows.  I got a Sig Twister kit on whim and found the Francher mods articles.

Then where?  I always liked the Sig Chipmunk, and have a started kit that I seemed to have lost most of the parts.  I never owned a Nobler, but always liked the looks.  Or what?

I have some ST G21/46s.  I have G21/35s and 35Cs.  I picked up a new ST G34 on a whim also.

Thanks.

Build the Twister and fly that. Then ask "Then where"!

[Bob Reeves]

Considering your engine stock I would get an ARF Cardinal and stick a ST 46 on it. Unless one of your C 35's is a baffle engine you really don't have an engine that would not be a PTA to make work on the Twister. The Cardinal will get you in the air quick with a proven combination of airplane and engine.

[Pinecone]

Thanks for the ideas.  I am planning on building the Twister, but was wondeirng if there was something else.  I will look into an ARF, but I tend to have more building time than flying time, and like to build.

But it sounds like just about anything that is available these days will fly pretty well?

[George]

Perhaps this is a stupid question but why don't you fly what you already have while you are deciding what to build next.

Have you been out of modeling or just flying something else?

One BIG change is that RC fuel may not be right for the engines you listed. I would suggest 5%-10% nitro and at least 25% all-castor lube for the McCoys. If your engines have a lot of time on them, part synthetic may cause you to lose some compression. If they are low time engines, some synthetic is OK and usually preferred. The McCoys like lots of lube.

I have not run a ST .46 but I'm sure someone will suggest a mix for it.

Good luck and welcome back to CL.

George

[Alan Hahn]

My comment  was like George's. A lot of us have been there---a plane on the building board, but our heads spinning on new projects.

Lets face it. When we start, we smack things into terra firma, and 99.9999999% of the time terra firma wins!

So my original comment, is that if you have a Twister on the building bench, finish it! Build it even stock It is a great flyer as designed. Don't worry about the Fancher mod's---yes someone like Ted Fancher can notice the difference, but I guarantee you won't---at least at this stage.

If you want to fly something right now--hey it is summer already!, it is easiest to "arf". Overall the cheapest and easiest Arf's available are the Brodak Arfs, although I can recommend some other near ARF's (just not marketed that way) like the Ukey and one of Phil's Corehouse planes. A Brodak Super Clown and a LA 25 will go a long way to get you back to flying round and round. As a note, I have the Ukey,  the TF Nobler and Flite Streak (needs a LA25 at most), the Brodak Super CLown, the Brodak P40, Sig Primary Force---all have been great flyers for me. If you want to use your ST46, a Brodak Cardinal or Pathfinder can't go wrong---although they may be more than you can handle(realistically) for now.

I love the look of the Sig Chipmunk, but my kit is pretty heavy, so I really would wait a little until you are ready to build and fly it right. In the right hands, the Super Chippy is a pretty good flyer ---at least how I have seen it here in the midwest--(John Paris, Jim Krueger, and some of the Milwaukee guys). I will get around to mine ....some time. It is just too pretty not too!

[Howard Rush]

I'd fly the old Nemesis. 

[Ralph Wenzel (d)]

The plane I always recommend for beginners and retreads is the U-Key[/i], designed by Joe Just and now offered by Jim Pearson. Joe Just designed this thing, and it is the closest to being absolutely bulletfroof I've ever seen. If you do manage to break it, it's easy to repair.

It's available in sizes from .15 - .35 - .40, and the .40 with an ST C.35 would be a great combination. It'll take about 6 hours to complete, plus a couple of days for the Rustoleum to dry. 

Availabel from:

Jim Pearson
4112 Devon Wood Drive
Marietta, GA  30066-2173
ModelWings@aol.com

[Warren Leadbeatter]

I would recommend a Vector or a Cardinal for the ST46 but they are a bit more involved than building a Twister.

The Twister is quick and easy to build and a great flying airplane, very forgiving with or without the Fancher mods.  I build mine with a Saito 30 4 stroke on it thinking I would use it to learn the F2B pattern and possibly destroy it in the process but around 2 years later is has become one of my favourite flying models.

Welcome back to C/L.

[Pinecone]

I stopped flying everything back in the late 70s.  At that time I flew mainly 1/2A RC and some CL.  I got back into RC with electrics about 4 - 5 years ago.  Finally joined a club, and that they have a CL circle got me thinking, so I starting looking at getting back into doing some CL.  That and they are starting to fly RC Combat, so I had to get back in to flying nitro motors.

The Twister will be built.  I will keep the rest in mind for "later."  But I do like having a few kits on the shelf in case a get a sudden urge to start building.