• Wing Span: 62 in (157 cm)
• Wing Area: 675 sq in (4355 cm²)
• Length: 49 in (124 cm)
• Weight: 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg)
• Engine: .30 - .40 2 - cycle
  (4.9 cc - 6.6 cc 2 - cycle)
  
• 4 Servos required

The Aerostar 40 is a very stable and easy to build plane. It is a high-wing trainer that is quite capable of doing some of the more common aerobatic maneuvers. It will land at a pace equal to a fast walk or a slow jog. It is solid in its construction and sturdy enough to take the first landings of a beginning pilot. The instructions outline how to build the Aerostar without ailerons but this is not recommended.

Construction is easy and straight forward with the provided instruction manual. No special tools for are needed for construction. All that is required for construction are X-acto knife, medium and thin CA glue, 30 minute epoxy, T-pins, masking tape or rubber bands, plastic wrap or wax paper, and some sand paper. Construction is done directly over the plans. The kit is all enclosed in a single box. The hardware and parts are all in plastic bags. The lite-ply parts and balsa sheeting are stacked neatly in the box. There was no damage to the wood and all parts were in good condition. The over-all appearance of this package is very good and makes inspection of the parts and plans very easy.

The instructions are written in a step by step fashion and are as simplistic and accurate as can be expected. The instructions are written for a beginner or first time builder. They progress through the whole process in a logical, systematic and easy to understand method. The manual uses text, drawings, and pictures to aid in the construction.

All parts fit together well and none of the parts had to be sanded to fit. The plane is built over the plans beginning with the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. These are made from flat balsa stock and only take a few minutes to complete. The wings are built next and are built in two halves then joined in the middle. The fuselage is the last part to be assembled. It is put together using interlocking parts that fit just a little loose which allows for twisting of the completed, but unglued, fuselage to make sure it is straight. Finally the plane is sanded to remove imperfections and prepared for covering. It was much easier to install the radio and engine before covering as this allows access to the push-rods for the throttle, rudder and elevator. The inter-locking tabs do need to be sanded flat before covering as they sometimes protrude slightly beyond the surface to which they are attached. There really is not any sticking point in the construction of this plane. Anyone who has built a plastic model will not have any problems with this kit.

The plane was taken to the field for its final range check, control check and maiden flight. One of the club instructors checked out the plane's construction, making sure all connections were tight and that the plane was in good condition for flight. The nose-steering was just a little sensitive and was corrected later. The plane went straight down the runway with a little corrective steering. The plane rotated cleanly and needed just a couple of clicks of the trim levers to get it climbing straight and level. After a few laps around the field, the plane was put through its paces. It will fly inverted with a fair amount of down elevator. Spins are lazy and look more like an aileron induced spiral dive. Rolls can be done with a little elevator input to keep it more axial. Loops, split-S's, and the other maneuvers were performed easily. Keep in mind this is a trainer and not an aerobatic model. This model does not come to a full stall. The plane just noses down with the wings level and then picks up speed and repeats the cycle. It resembles a porpoise doing this. If up elevator is held, it will mush forward up and down slowly turning either to the right or left.

The Aerostar 40 was found to be easy to build and fly. The minimum engine used should be any of the better .40 sized engines. The OS .46 would be an excellent choice of engine for this plane. There were no complaints with the performance of the Enya .40 SS bushed engine that was installed. This is definitely a plane for the beginning modeler, although and experienced flyer can still have fun with this plane. It can be bought for under $80 US and is a very good deal. The original model now has over 500 flights and the only real damage to the plane is from 'hangar rash'. This trainer out performs many other trainers that have been flown. To state it simply, "It is just good, period."