Myth 2: Racing airplanes are hard to fly

For AMA rule-book racing in most of the US, you have a choice between two types of airframes: the Quickie 500 (Q-500), with its 500 square inch rectangular wing, box fuselage, exposed engine, and 3.5 pound minimum weight, and the Quarter 40 (Q-40) - a more scalelike model, with 400 square inches of wing and a 4-pound minimum weight.

The newcomer class in most areas involves a Q-500 airframe powered by a mild two-stroke .40 engine selected from a local list of approved brands. See Event No. 424 for complete rules.

The Q-500 and Q-40 airframes are user-friendly. In fact, the Quickie is an absolute pussycat. Its wing loading is only 16 ounces pre square foot - lighter than most sport models and even lighter than some Sailplanes.

Quickies take off easily from grass, they glide well, and they land gently. And they are fully aerobatic, which makes them among the best sport airplanes you will find.

For those who prefer a scalelike appearance, the Q-40s are almost as easy to fly. But because of their heavier wing loadings, they generally want to take off from pavement and they land a bit faster.

As do the Quickies, the Q-40s fly just fine with street-legal sport .40s in place of the all-out racing power plants.

In either case, the fore-and-aft balance (center of gravity) and proper throws are important. Most newcomers make the mistake of setting up their racers far too sensitive on the controls.

All you need is enough elevator for a smooth 75-foot-diameter loop, and enough aileron to do a complete 360 degree roll in roughly two seconds.