2nd plane after Champ
 

So I'm loving my Champ, but it's starting to show wear from being my first plane. I've bought about $50 of replacement parts (main wing, tail assemblies, props) when they run out I'll probably be ready for a new plane rather than dropping more money in the Champ.

My question is what would be a great next plane? I'd like to get something that will bind to Spektrum since my brother in law is giving me his DX5E.

If possible I'd like something similair to the champ, a small park flyer that runs on 1s batteries since I bought a bunch from hobbyking.

Or is the Champ the best plane in this class?

Well... Faced with the exact same question, I ordered a PZ Ultra Micro T-28D. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), it got delayed by the snowstorm and won't show up until Monday, so I can't give you a maiden flight report this weekend. Stay tuned!

You looking for a new micro or ready for a step to a larger plane?

Probably a new micro, something I can fly around the house and won't break the bank. I have a bad habit if jumping into hobbies, then getting bored/frustrated and jumping back out.

That T-28D is nice, but I don't think I'm ready for 4 channel yet.

I think we're at about the same place on the learning curve, so you now have the advantage of observing my pathetic attempts to keep it airborne... Stay tuned and enjoy! :) If I can do it, you probably can too. Time will tell...

I look forward to seeing it :)

Really thinking about picking up an Ember 2 bnf. They look like they are a lot of fun

The Ember 2 is great, but if you want something to fly IN the house, I would get a Vapor, A LOT slower. I can fly mine in the living room quite easily. The Ember, not so much. :Q

Doubt I'd fly indoors, my living room is 13' by 13' so not much room there. I figure the Ember would be fun to slow fly outside and play with the neices and nephews.

Still looking forward to the video of the T-28D since I'll probably wind up getting that too.

Looking at the parkzone website the Micro T-28, Sukhoi SU-26xp, and the Ultra Micro P-51 all look very similar other than paint schemes to me.

Which of these three would be a good next step since I want to stay in this size range for now.

i think you should try a bigger balsa plane like the t-34 from eflite its an great flyer but very fast on a 4s setup

It's a nice plane, but a bit more than I'm wanting to chew off right now. Looking for another backyard or park flyer.

If I get more serious about flying I'm going to go to my local flying club and see what's popular around my area.

Thanks for the suggestion though

I have the T-28 and my flying buddy has the Sukhoi and a Champ. Flying them next to each other proves the Sukie is WAY hotter than either of the other two.

If we put them on a scale of one to ten (for easy to fly) the Champ would be a nine, the T-28 would be a five and the Sukie would be a two.

Your Dx5 will allow you to set up dual rates to numb the controls of the T-28 enough to make it easier to fly. Bear in mind all three of the airplanes you are considering are low wing "fighter types" and they do NOT self correct flight attitude like the Champ does. You have to fly them every second.

I recommend the T-28. Good Luck.

...The Bum

If you want to stay 3 channel your choices are Ember 2, Vapor, J-3 and.....well......okay, that's it.

If you move to the Ember or Vapor you're not really building your skills. They're fun airplanes but slower and easier to fly in general than your much faster Champ. Unless there's something that really appeals to you about the character of the planes, I think there's a possibility you might not be happy with your choice.

The J-3 Cub is a great looking plane, a little faster perhaps, but pretty identical in manners with the Champ. You'd probably be happy with the purchase, but I question whether it would teach you a lot more about flying. As a confidence builder, I'd recommend that one IF you are settled on a three channel plane.

If you're not satisfied with those choices it's time to move to four channels. Then you have the difficulty index already excellently covered by Saddlebum. I would say the T-28 looks like the best choice.

I'm in the same position and the T-28 looks like my path to 4 channel too. Keep in mind that the parkflier T-28 will tend to be better fllying, easier to fly and handle better in wind than the micro. But I get the idea that you, like me, are hooked on the micro path. No problem with that as long as you realize the limitations.

Onward through the fog!:D

Darn! Looks like the snowstorm last week is delaying my UM T-28 another day! And today seems to be the only day with decent weather for another week. So the flight report will have to wait. I was thinking of sneaking a lunch flight with the T-28 today, but no such luck...

My little T-28 beast flies fast, flies slow, does sloppy snap rolls and will climb straight up for about 50 feet on a 160mAh battery.

But the thing I like best about it is inverted flight. With a little down elevator, you can fly it all over the field upside down. It's wicked fun and VERY impressive!

...The Bum

Yikes! That sounds like more fun than I might possibly be able to stand! Yahoo!
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...pydinosaur.gif

37" Carl Goldberg Falcon EP
 

This is something I just recently discovered. Looks like good slow flyer with four channels.

http://www.carlgoldbergproducts.com/.../gpma1940.html

http://www.2bfly.com/Pages/reviews/e.../epfalcon.aspx

Looks awfully nice! Have to consider the price though:

Plane $69.99
Motor $39.99 if you buy the recommended Rimfire 250 motor
Speed Control $34.99 Great Planes Silver Series 12A Brushless ESC 5V/1A BEC
Battery $12.99 Great Planes ElectriFly LiPo 2S 7.4V 300mAh 20C BP Ser
3 mini servos $37.03 Parkzone servos
Radio receiver $59.99 AR600 6-Channel Sport DSMX Receiver
You'll have various miscellaneous propeller, prop adapter, connectors, etc for another $10 or so

All for a total of about $265. What's an e-Flight Apprentice BNF? Oh, they don't have one, foolish people. Then just buy the RTF for $299.99 and sell off one of your DX5e's for $35.00. You're way ahead of the game with a much ruggeder and great flying aircraft that undoubtedly handles wind better. Compared to the Apprentice the Falcon EP suddenly loses its mojo.

But neither plane meets your initial requirements: that you'd like to retain use of your existing 1S batteries and charger and don't want to spend too much cash. There's no doubt that the Apprentice or Falcon might be slower to get out of shape, and hence, a bit easier to fly. But you have Champ experience so you're acquainted with the rhythms of a micro already. If you like the Champ, you'll like a Trojan too, even though it will be a bit twitchier than a plane you don't know.

It's all personal choice! We have a tremendous number of great planes out there to choose from that will meet a wide variety of needs. It's a great time to fly RC!;)

Mmmm... I can't wait for UPS to finally deliver it. It seems to be stuck in Secaucus because of "adverse weather". Not sure what "adverse weather" we've had the last couple of days, but...

And oh, newbie question: What's a "sloppy roll"? I've seen that expression in a few places. My guess is that it's a roll with aileron only and no rudder and elevator to keep the plane on a straight course, but I'd love to have the proper definition and not just my guess... :D

Not sure but I'm guessing it's either an expression for a snap roll or for an aileron roll that's not very axial. :confused:

My definition of a "sloppy roll" is a roll that doesn't hold a tight axial plane but "corkscrews" through the air. Doesn't matter if rudder is added, it's still sloppy.

Rolls on the T-28 can be "tightened up" however, by cutting the tape that holds the fuselage halves together and moving the aileron pushrods to the inner holes. Don't do that until you are very comfortable with the airplane because it makes the bird rather "twitchy".

...The Bum

My brother in law suggested that if i start getting bored, or complacent with the champ I can increase my throws some by moving the pushrods from the outermost hole in 1 or 2 holes and try that. Cheaper than getting a plane I'm not ready for.

How easy can the T-28 be flown without expo on a DX5e? I think I might need to look into a DX6i when i step up to 4 channel.

yeah for my 2nd plane I think I should stay with the micro class. There will always be more planes later, don't want to move to fast and discourage myself from flying anymore. When I crashed my champ and broke the wing I was almost ready to give up, but I've stuck with it and really enjoy this hobby.