caboose

I have been flying trainers for about 2 years. I have a hobbico superstar 60. I am very comfortable with this plane and do very basic loops etc. with this plane. I like the looks and sound of the twinstar. I have been told that it is a very fast plane. My local dealer says it is as past as I fly it. Is this plane too much for me?? Should I go with another plane?

R/C Foolish

My Feedback: (6)

Twin engine planes are NOT a good choice for a second plane. You should get experience flying a low wing plane first. I have been flying for 6 years and just recently got into twins. You might like the sound but you won't like the sound as it goes into the ground. Twin engine planes are a whole different ball game when it comes to flying and low wing planes are different than trainers. Crawl, walk, run is the way to do things. Of course this is my opinion. Everybody is different with different skill levels. It is up to you.

R/C Foolish

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Cab:

Provided you stay with engines in the .25 range, the Twinstar is a very nice flying plane, and a good first twin. Even with an engine out it is still easy to control, but at the same time it will teach you to use the rudder.

If you overpower it by going to .40 or larger engines, it's not the same at all. Not merely over powered, it will tend to structural failure.

Generally, a Twinstar with .25 engines is as near as you can get to flying a single while having two engines.

A more demanding twin that's still relatively easy to fly, and much more aerobatic than the Twinstar is the Twin-Air 45 from www.ne-aero.com . It is a kit, you will have to build it. Really a better twin trainer than the Twinstar, but it also flies excellently on a single engine.

The Twin-Air will cost more to get into flight than the Twinstar, but it is also that much more airplane.

Bill.

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Cab:

I also have to agree with what R/C Foolish says.

Bill.

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

I wouldn't advise it...

multiflyer

2 other threads in this forum you could check out:

Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft >> Lost an Engine (and Lived to Tell About It)
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3608113/tm.htm

Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft >> When are you good enough for a twin
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3200543/tm.htm

Multiflyer

Pneuman

Hey guys,

Here's my strategy on the matter. I would say that I am highly skilled on my trainer. All kinds of stall turns, loops, rolls, extended inverted circuits of the field, cuban-8's (as much as that poor thing can manage). Anyways, I wring out a trainer really as much as can be done. So we are at similar stages.

My twinstar is built and ready for maiden. And that's where it'll stay, until I get some low wing time in. Specifically, I am going to fly some 1/12 combat this spring to get better, then try out Mr.Twinstar.

cheers
Lawn Dart

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

where 'bouts in AB are you?

Pneuman

Cowtown. I fly with the West Winds club.

Eric.Henderson

Good plan,

I have been flying for quite a while Since 1976). Competing in both scale and precison aeroabtics etc. AND, I found my Twinstar to be fun BUT glided like a brick on landing approach. It took a lot of throtte-control to avoid a pancake on every landing. [I saw one quote "lLke a set of keys" that was pretty close]

The .25 version might be OK but, but please stay with your plan. Get good with "hot" ships and then have some fun wih your Twinstar.

Best Regards,

Evl-Eric.

ArizonaDave

Cab,

I stand on the same grounds of opinion as RC Foolish in his first reply. If I were you, I'd do as I did, get some experience with a single engine low winger before going to twin engines. A Carl Goldberg Tiger 2 is a good choice.

I've been flying RC for two and a half years and got a Twinstar, my first multi engine aircraft, just a few months ago. I can tell you that the extra engine provides a challenge that might be too much for an inexperienced pilot to handle, especially if one engine fails in flight. Due to the extra weight the Twinstar has to be landed much faster than a single engine craft. As stated before, crawl, walk, run, in that order. Happy flying!

Ed_Moorman

My Feedback: (1)

Caboose,

I have a TwinStar and so does a buddy. We are both club test pilots and instructors and both of us will assure you that the TwinStar is a twin trainer. But, it is a twin with inherent problems caused by 2 separated engines. The TwinStar was my 10th twin and I am now on number 19. Some were great and some not so good.

The best advice I can give you, is to use very reliable engines. I have GMS .32s in mine. They are OK if you are a good engine man and a good pilot because one is sure to quit sooner or later. I have 4 total and 2 have been replaced under warranty. For a beginner, I would recommend OS .25LAs or Thunder Tiger .25GPs. Both are easy to run, plain bearing engines. Of the 2, I would get the OS. I love Magnum .52s and GMS .47s in a single engine plane, but they aren't that reliable in a twin. An OS .46AX is my mid-size engine choice. Pay the money and get something that works. I didn't have OSs before, but I do now that I fly twins.

Do not put a new engine in a twin. Break it in on a single and get the needle set. The engine should leave a nice smoke trail after you take off. Sure as heck if you put it in a twin and set it really lean, the sympathetic vibration or gremlins or something will shut one down and now you're holding rudder hoping to get it back in one piece.

Once you get the engines broken in, install it in your TwinStar and don't touch the needle. Do not touch it. Crank one go to full power and check it. Don't tweak it. Reliability first until you get used to flying a twin. Shut down and crank the second and check it. Don't worry about matching or synching your engines. I flew a plane with a TT .46Pro/11-6 on one side and a TT .42GP/10-6 on the other just to prove they didn't have to be together.

Don't let the local experts tweak your engines. Tell your buddies to put their tachs away. Get both in a rich 2 cycle and leave them there. After both engines are running good and leaving smoke, shut down and refuel. The TwinStar has small tanks. Then crank both and go. If you have 2 nice smoke trails, you'll have a good flight. The engines will lean out after 4-5 minutes and you'll be humming. Twins are a lot of fun and give you a great feeling of accomplishment, especially when both engines keep running.

Here's something you can do with your low wing plane to train yourself to use rudder. Once you are airborne try this rudder exercise. Run in several clicks (count them) of rudder trim and hold the rudder to keep the nose straight. Try some turns and fly-bys holding rudder. When you get the feel of it, try a landing holding rudder. If you get tired or start having trouble, throttle back and take the rudder trim out. This exercise gets you used to holding rudder, keeping the nose straight while changing the throttle. You'll need to do this when you have an engine out.

R/C Foolish

My Feedback: (6)

Ed,

The problem is that he doesn't have a low wing trainer. He has a couple of yrs experience doing loops and rolls with a high wing. He is not ready for twins. But I have become cynical lately, LET HIM DO WHAT HE WANTS, GO AHAEAD AND BUY THE TWINSTAR. Actually Caboose should buy several because he will need them. It is funny how people ask for advice then try to tell us our advice is wrong.

To each his own and this is just my opinion.

R/C Foolish

Ed_Moorman

My Feedback: (1)

Oh, I agree that he isn't ready for a twin, even the easy flying TwinStar. Every twin is going to be heavier than a single and land slightly faster.

I teach acro so the fact that a person can do some some simple maneuvers does not mean he can handle all situations. The normal tendency would be to add power and if you lose an engine, this may not be the thing to do. If you have little or no experience using the rudder and your ailerons are set like a trainer, you could easily lose the plane. We had this happen to a TwinStar at another club in our county.

He really does need to get a low wing plane, Tiger 2, 4*40 or the like and learn how to fly it first before the TwinStar.

BillS

My children are known to ask for advice, which they have decided to ignore before asking.

Bill

PE2fan

My Feedback: (8)

Calm down guys. I don't see a single reply from the poster to indicate he is not listening.

caboose

Yes I have listened and read every post. Thanks for the input. I sort of thought the Twinstar might be a little much for me anyway. I'm considering Great Planes Easy Sport for my next plane. Good Choice???

R/C Foolish

My Feedback: (6)

Exellent choice. That was my second plane with an OS 70 4 stroke. Plenty of power to learn all kinds of new things.

R/C Foolish